Bountiful Betony

I tend to take for granted the low-maintenance, high-performing plants in my flower gardens while I obsess over the Japanese Beetles on the roses, the rust on the Daylilies, or the brittle stems of the Gaillardia. It wasn’t until a visitor commented on the beauty of my Betony that I focused my attention on it.

Betony has been labeled as Stachys officinalis or Stachys monieri. The updated, correct name is Betonica officinalis, pronounced beh-TOH-ni-kah oh-fi-si-NAH-liss. The cultivar ‘Hummelo’ was named 2019 plant of the year by the Perennial Plant Association. In upstate SC, ‘Hummelo’ is evergreen although it looks pretty ratty during the worst winter months. All is forgiven when it bursts into bloom in early spring and continues for months. The purple flowers are arranged around leafless square stems in whorls, with a naked internode between the large top cluster and the smaller one below it. If the dead flower stems are removed, Betony will continue to produce flowers until frost.

Flower stems rise above a mound of leaves clustered near the ground. The flowers produce plentiful nectar and pollen. They are a bumblebee favorite in my garden. The textured leaves are a bright green tinged with yellow, making a nice contrast to the purple flowers. Mature plants will reach a height and spread of two feet.

The square stem reveals that Betony is a mint relative. I was cautious when I planted it in my foundation beds, poised to remove if it became too enthusiastic. While Betony does spread, it is not an aggressive or invasive spreader like mint. It is cold hardy in zones 4 – 8. It is tolerant of most soil structures, but prefers a neutral to acidic site and full sun to partial sun. Established plants are drought tolerant. Betony makes an effective edging plant for beds, and belongs in pollinator gardens, poolside gardens, and in containers.

Betony is troubled by few diseases or insects, but snails or slugs can leave leaf edges tattered. An iron phosphate product like Sluggo will control them without negative impact on pollinators, pets, or wildlife.

Bumblebees are enjoying this clump of Betonica officinalis ‘Hummelo’

Dianthus or Cheddar Pinks

Cheddar Pinks or Dianthus are fragrant, summer-flowering plants with gray-green or blue-green foliage that closely resembles Carnation, to which it is related. Flowers are long-lasting and come in shades of pink, lavender, purple, white, and bi-colors. The blooms are held above the foliage on strong, narrow stems. ‘Bath’s Pink’ and ‘Firewitch’ are two of the best cultivars.

Dianthus, pronounced dy-AN-thus, is hardy in zones 4-8. Mature height, even when in bloom, is twelve inches or less. They prefer full sun with light shade in the afternoon. Their spreading habit makes a good groundcover or container plant, where they will spill gracefully over the rim. One of the prettiest combinations I have witnessed was the use of Cheddar Pinks as a groundcover underneath an upright Coal Bark Maple (Sango Kaku).

Cheddar Pinks must have good drainage to prevent root rot. They prefer a neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Pinks looks best in mass plantings. If allowed to spread into each other, a full bed of Dianthus resembles a gray carpet. They are also effective when spaced further apart and used as a bed edging.

 The flowers attract bees and butterflies. Cheddar Pinks are a good choice for pollinator gardens and rock gardens. They will tolerate limited drought and are moderately deer resistant. Plants are toxic to humans and pets.

A close view of Dianthus, commonly called Cheddar Pinks or Clove Pinks.

A border of assorted Dianthus in a tiny strip between brick and asphalt

These Dianthus are just starting to flower (mid-April, in western NC) but you can clearly see the similarity with florist Carnations.

A "Pot of Gold" for the Garden - Coreopsis

Coreopsis (pronounced kor-ee-OP-sis) is a group of native perennials with bright, daisy-like flowers and a clumping habit. Most Coreopsis have yellow flowers, but hybridizers have introduced new cultivars with flowers of burgundy, rust, red, or bi-colors. ‘Moonbeam’ and ‘Zagreb’ are two of the best yellows. Coreopsis verticillata has a narrow (“threadleaf”) foliage.

Locate plants in full sun or mostly sun, in well-drained neutral or acidic soil, zones 3-9. Plants attain heights of two to three feet. Individual Coreopsis flowers are small but the plant will cover itself, putting on a show. The size of the flowers make deadheading tedious. Once most flowers have faded, use clippers or hedge-trimmer to decapitate the spent blooms and their stems. Plants will regenerate and rebloom.

Coreopsis tolerates heat and humidity. They attract pollinators but not deer. Their airy appearance makes them a good choice for a cottage garden, a native garden, or children’s garden.

Coreopsis verticllata, Threadleaf Coreopsis

Dicliptera, A Hummingbird Magnet

What plant comes to mind when you hear “Hummingbird Plant”? Bignonia? Lobelia? Salvia? Agastache? Cuphea? Monarda? The list goes on and on. Whenever we want to describe a flower’s attractiveness to pollinators, somehow we throw the label “hummingbird” on it. That is what persuaded me to purchase Dicliptera erecta, now known as Dicliptera squarrosa, whose common name is (you guessed it!) Hummingbird Plant. It is also called “Firecracker Plant,” “King’s Crown,” or “Wooly Honeysuckle.”

Dicliptera (pronounced dye-CLIP-ter-uh) is a perennial with fuzzy gray-green foliage. It is not particular as to soil type, but requires good drainage and full sun to part sun. In one season, it will grow to two feet or so, and about three feet wide. It is impervious to heat and drought. The deep orange flowers start blooming in mid-summer and bloom until frost. Cut off stems at ground level after the first hard freeze, and it will return the following spring in zones 7 to 11. Grow it an annual in cooler zones. Dicliptera can be propagated from softwood stem cuttings in spring. Use care to avoid over-watering cuttings or mature plants, as wet soil will cause root rot.

Dicliptera attracts hummingbirds and butterflies by the score. The plants are upright, making it easy to squeeze them in among other flowers. It is particularly well-suited to xeriscaping or pollinator gardens. If you are planning a nectar garden for next year, check out this list from Clayton State University, located in Morrow, Georgia. Any combination of these will bring bees and butterflies.

The vivid orange flowers of Dicliptera are the siren’s call to butterflies and hummingbirds.

Super Salvia for Autumn

I’ve never met a Salvia I didn’t like. Salvia leucantha, Mexican Salvia, is a star of the autumn garden. This herbaceous perennial grows in zones 7b to 10a. In the cooler zones, top growth is killed to the ground in freezing weather. It will remain evergreen or semi-evergreen in warmer zones. Either plant it in spring to ensure that it has a well-established root system before cold weather arrives or consider it an annual.

Mexican Salvia can each a height of three feet or more, making it perfect for the back of the flower border. ‘Santa Barbara’ is a dwarf form. Flowers occur at the stop of stems, so plants are best situated where shorter plants conceal their lower half. Their lanky structure means that plants may open up in the middle, and may even break in strong winds or thunderstorms. The best way to combat this problem is to prune plants back by half in late May. Onset of flowering may be delayed by a few days, but plants will be shorter and bushier. Don’t prune after mid-July or you risk removing flower buds.

Bloom spikes are either bicolor purple and white or solid purple. The first blooms of the bicolor varieties are sometimes solid purple, with the white appearing in later blooms. The narrow grayish, felted leaves give a hint that it is both heat and drought tolerant. These Salvias prefer a well-drained, neutral to moderately alkaline soil. All varieties attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Deer and rabbits rarely nibble them.

Salvias have square stems, which is a signal to gardeners that they are easily propagated from cuttings. Plant in swaths for an impressive fall display, especially when paired with yellow or orange flowers.