Warm Yarrow to Brighten a Cold Day

The US is blanketed by cold weather this week. My Camellia japonica was covered with flowers. Now they are blackened and sad. I visited my photo files to find something to make me remember the warmth of summer, and ran across pictures of Yarrow.

Yellow Yarrow is a heat tolerant plant beloved by pollinators.

Achillea millefolium (ack-uh-LEE-ah mill-ee-FOH-lee-um), commonly known as Yarrow, is an easily grown, heat-tolerant perennial for full sun. It has finely divided grayish foliage. Almost leafless stems terminate in flat-topped clusters of many (20 to 25, on average) small blooms. The straight species can become weedy or invasive, but the hybrids sold in garden centers are mostly sterile. Flowers come in pastels, yellow, white, red, purple, and orange shades. Yellow is the most common color and it ages well. ‘Moonshine’ has lemon-yellow flowers.

Yarrow has a long bloom period, from summer to frost. Plants can be deadheaded to encourage more flowering. If they become messy or foliage begins to brown or look tattered, an aggressive cutback will spur new growth. Yarrow likes a neutral pH and well-drained soil. While easy to grow in loam or sand, clay soils should be amended with organic matter to increase drainage and avoid excessive moisture that may lead to root rot.

Yarrow is a great plant for pollinator gardens, xeric gardens, and evening gardens, where the gray foliage remains visible at dusk. It mixes and mingles well with other plants, and can be sprinkled among cottage garden beds as a see-through plant. Deer avoid them.

This photo was taken in mid-June of last year, in the botanical gardens of Spartanburg Community College. The fine flowers of pale yellow Yarrow pair nicely with the bold flowers of Rudbeckia and the red accent of Salvia. A gray Artemisia provides contrast, like a condiment adding spice to a bland meal.

Jewels for the Flower Garden

Talinum paniculatum, commonly known as Jewels of Opar, is a small succulent plant that can have a large impact in your garden. The chartreuse foliage contrasts beautifully with dark groundcovers like Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’ or Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip,’ and looks great paired with purple petunias. Fine stems support small, pink flowers. The round purplish seed heads that follow are just as attractive as the flowers. It is now classified in the family Talinaceae, formerly Portulacaceae. Like members of the Portulaca family, established plants withstand both heat and drought.

Talinum is native in the warm southeastern U.S. (NC to FL) and Latin America. It is cold tender where I live (zone 7b), dying with the first hard freeze, but reseeds so readily that it functions as a perennial in the typical garden. It hardy in zones 9-11, and even into zone 8 if the winter is mild. If you want plants to reseed, do not remove the spent flowers and their resulting capsules. Each small, round seed capsule contains numerous, tiny black seeds. Seeds saved from the prior year can be scattered in spring where they are intended to grow as soon as the chance of frost is past. Any extras are easy to pull up.

Jewels of Opar tolerates a wide range of sunlight and soil fertility. For the brightest yellow-to-chartreuse leaf color, give plants partial shade. Full sun makes the leaves turn a darker green, while too much shade results in a weak, leggy plant Mature plants average 18-24 inches in height. Plants prefer a sandy, well-drained soil but tolerate clay well. Richer soils result in a taller plant. Leaves are reputed to be edible as a spinach or lettuce substitute, but I have not eaten any of them so I cannot offer an opinion.

In the dappled shade of crepe myrtles, Talinum (Jewels of Opar) offers a nice contrast to Ajuga and Hosta.

Flowers appear on thin stems

Talinum in a mixed bed of annuals

Blanket Flowers for Color in the Heat

Gaillardia x grandiflora is a hybrid between G. aristata and G. pulchella). Commonly known as Blanket Flower, hybrid Gaillardia (pronounced gay-LAR-dee-uh) is a short-lived perennial in zones 7-10. Plant heights range from one to three feet tall with a two-foot spread. It has hairy leaves and produces bright, daisy-like flowers that bloom in a wide variety of colors, including red, orange, yellow, and purple. The flowers are typically 2-3 inches in diameter and have a central disk surrounded by bright single color or bicolor petals. Plants often produce flowers from spring to fall, especially if deadheaded. Leave a few dead heads in place as a treat for goldfinches, who love the seeds. Plants may reseed themselves. Cut flowers last a long time in the vase. Flower centers remain attractive after petals fall, and can be used fresh or dried in flower arrangements.

Plant Gaillardia in full sun only, in neutral soil. Plants dislike poor drainage and will decline in heavy or too wet soils. They are drought tolerant once established, and are a good choice for a xeric garden or pollinator garden. They are rarely browsed by deer or rabbits.

I went to the nursery last week with no intention of purchasing Gaillardia ‘Spintop Red’ but somehow these ended up in my list of purchases. What kind of doofus plants perennials in the midst of a heatwave? THIS kind, apparently. I love the prickly seedheads, right, as much as the flowers.

Cleome, Tall Flowers for the Back of the Annual Border

Cleome (klee-OH-mee) or Spider Flower is a tall plant for the back of the border. Its pink, white, rose or purple flowers open gradually, with the spent stamens developing into long-stemmed seed pods with a spidery appearance. Young palmate leaves mimic Cannabis. Older varieties reach heights of five feet and have sharp thorns hiding along stems to surprise the unwary gardener. Newer cultivars are shorter and have been bred to be thornless.

Cleome grows fast from seed; purchased seedlings may be rootbound and not transplant well. Seeds are best planted in full sun where plants are to grow. Keep seeds moist for three weeks. Plants are heat- and drought-tolerant thereafter.

Cleome reseeds readily but is not invasive. Older stems become leggy and leafless at ground level, so it looks best when planted behind a shorter plant that will hide its base. Older varieties of Cleome flowers have an unusual, lemon-musk fragrance that is more noticeable at dusk. A few people find the scent offensive. Thornless cultivars have lost the scent, too. Flowers attract bees and Sphynx months, large insects that can be mistaken for hummingbirds. Plants are deer-resistant. They look especially nice when planted in large drifts. Self-sown seedlings are often too dense for plants to reach full size. Thin them to a spacing of 12 inches.

To avoid potential for disease, remove plants once they are killed by frost. Rotate plant locations after a few years to avoid attracting harlequin bugs, a relative of the stink bug.

This image shows Cleome buds (top), open flowers (middle) and unripe seed pods (bottom). The long, narrow pods will mature to tan before they burst open to release ripe seeds. Each one of the pods contains 10-15 seeds. Remove the unripe pods if you want to prevent reseeding.

White Cleome pairs well with almost any other flowers

Lacebark Elm Trees - Lovely Bark

I fell in love with a parking lot tree last year. It had the most amazing bark, with an exfoliating habit that revealed tan, cinnamon, and gray patches all at once. The fall color was gorgeous, showing yellow, orange, and rust all at the same time. I’m watching that tree leaf out this spring, and nothing has dampened my affection. The tree in question is a Lacebark Elm, Ulmus parvifolia.

Lacebark Elm makes a good street tree. The one that caught my attention last year is among a group of twenty or so located in planting islands in an asphalt parking lot. They are known for their tolerance for heat and air pollution. They are easily moved, and adaptable to any soil type, acidity, and moisture level. Trees are hardy in zones 5-10. The parking lot trees that caught my attention are U. parvifolia ‘Drake.’ Plant them in full sun to light shade.

Mature Lacebark Elms will reach to 50 feet in height and width. Several dwarf cultivars are available. Their flowers are insignificant, but their seeds are samaras – papery, winged seeds that float in a circular pattern and make one want to play “helicopter.” Those seeds, while pretty and fun, are a downside. They are messy and seem to sprout everywhere if they land on mulched areas. This is not an issue in an asphalt parking lot, but it might cause problems in a home garden location.

Lacebark Elm has slightly weak wood, so locate them where they will not be bombarded by heavy winds. It is resistant to Dutch Elm disease, elm leaf beetle attacks, and Japanese beetle damage.

Early fall color of Lacebark Elm

Trunk colors of Lacebark Elm

Lacebark Elm showing off its early spring leaves. They will darken to a deeper green in another month.

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

Three Types of Celosia

If you have never started annual flowers from seed, let this be the year you begin. One of the most rewarding (easy to germinate, long blooming, humidity tolerant) is Celosia, the National Garden Bureau’s 2023 Annual of the Year. Commonly called Coxcomb, this colorful, low maintenance plant should be in every garden.

Celosia argentea (pronounced sell-OH-see-ah ar-jen-TEE-ah) blooms are grouped into three main classes. Plumosa or plume-type have flowers that look like fluffy paintbrushes. Spicata or spike-type have narrow blooms that look like spikes of wheat. Cristata or crested-type have convoluted flowers that make me think of brains or coral. All three grow in full sun or mostly sun and neutral soil, zones 2-11. They prefer moist, well-drained soil but will survive in less favorable soil if given fertilizer and water. Extended dryness will cause the leaves to wilt, detracting from the beautiful flowers that come in yellow, red, rose, pink, orange, and magenta. These are long-lasting in arrangements, and will hold their color well if dried.

Seeds are available for each of the three bloom types. Celosia seeds are small – one gram measure will contain about a thousand seeds. Start with pre-moistened seed starting mix. Tweezers are helpful in placing seeds in the center of starter cells. Cover seeds with a quarter-inch of vermiculite and maintain a temperature of 70-75 degrees. Keep the starter mix barely moist (not wet) to reduce damping off disease. Bottom water to avoid dislodging seeds. You should see signs of germination in 10 days.

Deadheading will cause the plants to produce more flower heads, but I always leave a few spent flowers to encourage self-seeding. Celosia argentea var. spicata may reseed a little too enthusiastically for some gardeners. Plants reach to 24-inches with a 12-inch spread in good soil. Taller plants may need to be staked. Skip the staking by purchasing some of the newer, dwarf cultivars, available as plants.

Celosia is a good choice for pollinator gardens and cutting gardens. It is not a space hog, and will work well in small beds. Plants look especially good when planted in masses. Dwarf types can also be grown in containers.

The accompanying photos are courtesy of the National Garden Bureau. #NGB #YearoftheCelosia

First Flame Mix

Wicked Evanthia

Intenz Dark Purple

Asian Garden Primary

Act Series Evanthia

Kurume Rose Takii

Lovely Loropetalum, Chinese Fringe Flower

Amidst all the warm colors of autumn leaves, the deep burgundy or wine-colored foliage of Loropetalum provides a wonderful contrast.

When Loropetalum became widespread in garden centers in the late 1980’s, their deep burgundy foliage and hot pink flowers immediately became popular. White flowered, green-leaf varieties exist, as do variegated leaf cultivars, but neither are as widely grown as the burgundy-leaf forms. Unfortunately, many of the early introductions grew much larger than their labeled mature heights. Warm nights and the long growing season of the southeast result in taller-than-anticipated shrubs. When used as foundation shrubs, these early introductions required aggressive pruning to restrict size. Several cultivars that were labeled at a three-foot maximum height grew five feet or taller. (If I sold you one of these during my sales stint in a garden nursery, please accept my apology. It was a mistake through ignorance, not malice.)

Shearing Loropetalum into tight orbs or square-edged hedges ruins the graceful arching shape. Taller cultivars (‘Zhuzhou Fuchsia’ is a robust one) can be limbed up to tree forms that rival Crape Myrtles, without the concrete-staining problems of Crape Myrtle seed-pods but also without the lovely exfoliating bark of the Myrtles.

Burgundy-leaf types can take on green tints in the hottest part of the summer. ‘Jazz Hands’ is a cultivar with variegated foliage. New growth is splashed with pink and white. With age, foliage shows less and less variegation, so plan to prune annually to force colorful new growth. The variegation shows best when seen up close, so site your specimens where they can strut their individuality.

Evergreen Loropetalum (pronounced lor-oh-PET-ah-lum) is hardy in zones 7-9. It is heat tolerant, easily transplanted, and not choosy as to soil type, although it may show chlorosis in alkaline soil. Avoid boggy soils. Established shrubs are drought tolerant. They are rarely browsed by deer.

Heaviest bloom occurs in spring, but flowers appear sporadically during other months. Similar to Witchhazel, Loropetalum flowers have strap-like petals that give rise to the common name Fringe Flower. All forms bloom on old growth, so if you trim to generate fresh variegation, be aware that flowering will be reduced.

Check plant labels before purchase to ensure the selected cultivar will suit the planned location. If your site is tight, assume shrubs may exceed the stated dimensions.

Strap-like flower petals look like tufts of fringe, leading to the common name Fringe Flower.

Unpruned shrubs have a lovely, arching stem structure.

Easy, Pretty Tatarian Aster

Asters adorn the fall garden with clouds of blue blooms that show to advantage against yellow goldenrod, orange pumpkins, and the warm shades of autumn leaves. The Asteraceae family was one of the largest until those pesky taxonomists got involved. With their penchant for genetic accuracy, they reclassified North American asters into Symphyotrichum, Eurybia, and a number of smaller classes. For an exhaustive (mind-numbing) discussion of Aster’s new family tree, consult the University of Waterloo’s research report by clicking HERE.

Today’s feature plant, Tatarian Aster, was formerly Aster tataricus and is now Crinitaria tatarica (pronounced krin-ih-TAIR-ee-ah tah-tair-IH-ka). Tatarian Aster is a perennial wildflower with soft lavender-blue, star-shaped flowers held in flat-topped groups. The flowers have 7-20 petals each, arranged around a yellow center. Bees, moths, and butterflies love them. They provide a nectar meal for migrating Monarch butterflies.

Tatarian Asters grow in zones 3-9, in any soil type and almost any pH, and require full sun exposure. Plants are resistant to heat and humidity. They may gain heights of up to six feet, but rarely need to be staked unless they are grown in very fertile soil with plentiful moisture. Unless you enjoy staking, take a Tough Love approach to growing this perennial. Plants grown in rich soils with plentiful moisture can spread aggressively.

The height of Tatarian Aster means it is a good back-of-the-border feature. It is especially pretty when grown along the sunny edges of woodlands, paired with Miscanthus, Muhlenbergia, or other grasses. Deadheading spent blooms will lead to a lengthy flowering season, from late summer all the way to freezing temperatures. In winter, cut the dead foliage back to ground level.

Heat-tolerant Plants

Southeastern gardeners expect July and August to be hot, but the past week has been brutal across most of the country. Millions of Americans experienced “feels like” temperature of 100 degrees or more. Utility providers are pleading for users to reduce their consumption and water restrictions are in place. Everywhere, gardens suffer. I do not have inground irrigation and I refuse to pamper finicky plants. Through the years, I have found a few flowers that will withstand my tough love approach and bloom through steamy weather, with a minimal amount of supplemental water.

Clusters of lavender Society Garlic contrast with the yellow flowers of Rudbeckia, behind. The grass-like foliage has a skunky odor if crushed. Rabbits and deer avoid it.

The small flowerbed close to our entrance is planted with yellow, purple, and orange heat lovers. Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea ), several Salvia selections, and Society Garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) have purple or lavender flowers, while Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida) offers violet foliage. They contrast nicely with the butter yellow flowers of annual Melampodium (one of my top performers) and the towering yellow Coneflower, Rudbeckia ‘Herbstonne.’ Orange Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) flowers in late spring. I cut it back by half and it reblooms in July and August. Finally, Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum) has bright orange, inedible fruits that glow against dark green foliage. Jerusalem Cherry can be invasive, so I keep a careful eye on it, removing spent fruits before they can reseed. It was a heritage plant whose ancestors grew in my grandparents’ garden when I was a child. Just to keep things lively, a trio of Shasta Daisy ‘Becky’ contribute a pop of white, with orange-yellow centers. Lots of color, with limited effort.

Other plants that will withstand heat include Lantana, Butterfly Bush (look for sterile Buddleia like the Pugster® series to avoid reseeding), Zinnia, Spider Flower (Cleome hassleriana), Cosmos (both C. sulphurens and C. bipinnatus), Ice Plant (Portulaca), and Turk’s Turban (Malvaviscus). The first three will benefit from deadheading, but the others eject spent flowers unaided.

As our weather patterns change, gardeners can be good stewards of our resources by transitioning away from super-thirsty plants to those that will thrive with less. We do not need to restrict ourselves to only Cacti and desert plants. Small changes made by many people result in large water-use reduction.

Instead of spreading thirsty plants across the entire garden, clustering them in one area will reduce the need for dragging a hose around. Watering your heavy drinkers with a soaker hose will reduce water lost to evaporation. Mulch will reduce evaporation and keep soil cooler.

The butter-yellow flowers of Melampodium contrast with the violet foliage of Purple Heart.

The orange fruits of Jerusalem Cherry draw attention. The orange Zinnia to the left was self-seeded, a volunteer from last year’s dropped seeds. Behind the Society Garlic, peep the yellow flowers of a young Melampodum, also a volunteer seedling.

Bee Balm is Nature's Form of Fireworks

Fireworks exploded across the nation Monday night in celebration of Independence Day. In the garden, Bee Balm (Monarda didyma and Monarda fistulosa) blooms are exploding into Nature’s version of fireworks. Monarda is pronounced moe-NAR-da.

Bee Balm is a heat-loving, native perennial that should be in every sunny pollinator garden. Its square stems tell the gardener that it is a member of the mint family. Like mint, it spreads aggressively by underground runners and can become invasive if not restrained. Plants are hardy zones 4 through 9. They prefer acid to neutral soil, and tolerate heavy clay. They are heat-tolerant, but moist soil produces a prettier, healthier specimen.

Bee Balm can be propagated by seed, division, or cuttings. To prevent spreading, create a collar by cutting the top 4-5 inches off a nursery pot, then sinking it a couple of inches into the soil around the plant. The collar will serve as a STOP sign to encroaching roots. Be alert for any small plants that manage to evade the barrier. After a couple of years, lift congested plants, divide, and replant.

Plants can reach four feet or more, and may need staking to keep them upright after summer thunderstorms. They tend to flop when grown in part-sun areas. Older cultivars developed a bad reputation for their proclivity to disfiguring mildew and rust. New introductions are both disease resistant and shorter to reduce the need for staking. ‘Jacob Cline’ (red) and ‘Grand Marshall’ (fuchsia to purple) are two mildew-resistant cultivars. Good air circulation helps prevent mildew problems. If your plants fall victim to mildew, try to ignore the ugly leaves rather than using fungicides that may have a negative impact on pollinators.

Bee Balm blooms have a complicated structure which is better demonstrated by a photo than description. Plants have an extended flowering period even if they are not deadheaded, although removing spent flowers make a more attractive show.

Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love the flowers, while deer and rabbits leave plants alone. This may be because of the strong fragrance of the foliage. Bee Balm is one of the rare plants that will grow well near Black Walnut trees. The leaves and flowers can be used to make teas or flavor jellies. Presumably, the Oswego Indian tribe brewed the leaves, because a common name that has fallen from wide use is Oswego Tea.

This Bee Balm appears to advantage when seen against a fence.

The equivalent of an “Eat Here” sign for pollinators.

This sign made me giggle. The nursery hired someone who wasn’t familiar with Bee Balm, so the new employee labeled it as he heard it: B Bomb. (I blurred the name of the nursery out of respect.)

Queen Anne's Lace

When a plant’s common name includes “weed” many people are hesitant to introduce them into a cultivated garden. But those same weeds can prove to be resilient, hardy, and attractive. Consider Butterfly Weed (Asclepias) or Iron Weed (Vernonia) as two examples. The downside of growing weeds is the possibility that they can be TOO resilient, even bordering on invasive. That is the case with today’s featured plant, Queen Anne’s Lace.

Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota, pronounced DAW-kus kar-OH-tah) has a fat, carrot-like tap root that helps it survive in hot, dry climates. It is quick to spring up in disturbed areas, and is listed as invasive in more than 20 states. Queen Anne’s Lace, also called Wild Carrot, Bee’s Nest or Devil’s Plague, is a biennial. It develops lacy basal foliage in its first year, then blooms second year. Mature plants range from 2-4 feet, with a narrow footprint. It is found in all the lower 48 states, in full sun to part shade.

Queen Anne’s Lace flowers are flat white umbrels up to four inches across with one little purple flower dot in the middle. If you place cut flowers’ stems in colored water (use a few drops of the same vegetable-based colors used in cake icing), the blooms rapidly take up the dye and will change from white to a pastel shade of the selected color. I thought every child had done this at least once, but it appears I was mistaken.

Spent flower heads curl up on the edges into a brown cup-like form that resembles a bird’s nest. They become brittle when dry. Winds break them off their stems, and they tumble about, spreading seeds far and wide. This promiscuous habit, along with their tolerance for any type soil and any pH, means that they spread everywhere unless consistently deadheaded. Cut stems stink but the smell wanes fast enough to enjoy them as cut flowers. I once had to resort to herbicide to rid a perennial bed of these, and have since decided to just enjoy them along roadsides. They are prolific in my area of the southeast. Bees and butterflies love the flowers, and swallowtail butterfly caterpillars eat the foliage.

Parts of the plants can be cooked and eaten in small quantities, but larger amounts are toxic. Contact with leaves and stems can cause dermatitis. Unless one in starving in the wilderness, I see to need to test out the toxicity threshold. If you feel the need to consume, be positive of your plant identification. Queen Anne’s Lace is easily confused with Wild Parsnip and Wild Hemlock. Consuming either of these can be deadly. Wild Hemlock is the plant that killed Socrates. Its stem has purple spots.

Note the single purple flower in the middle. Not every umbrell has this oddity.

A single plant, flowering in an undeveloped roadside.

A community of Queen Anne’s Lace shows how the plant can multiply into large communities.

Better Behaved Abelia

Modern Abelia cultivars are a vast improvement over the version that was common in every garden several decades ago. Those evergreen or semi-evergreen shrubs grew to heights of six feet or more and threw unruly sprouts that reached for the sky, creating an unkempt appearance. There was a pair of them planted either side of the rear entrance of a local church. Their whippy tentacles waved around like something from The Little Shop of Horrors. You could almost hear them whisper, “Repent!” But I digress.

Glossy Abelia of yesteryear (Linnaea x grandiflora, pronounced LIN-ay-ee-uh gran-duh-FLOR-uh, formerly known as Abelia x grandiflora) was appreciated for its tolerance to heat, drought, humidity, and poor soil. New growth was a bronzy pink, and honeybees swarmed over their nectar-rich tubular pink and white blooms. Unfortunately, to keep them in check, homeowners regularly pruned their arching stems into ugly, tight meatballs.

Current Abelia cultivars have two advantages over the older generations. First, many are available in mature sizes of four feet or less, making them ideal for foundation plantings. ‘Edward Goucher,’ ‘Rose Creek,’ and ‘Little Richard’ are all dwarfs, reaching heights of 36 inches or less. Second, there is a entire rainbow of foliage colors available. ‘Kaleidoscope’ has multicolored foliage with yellow leaves in spring and orange-red in fall. ‘Sunrise’ has green, yellow and white variegated foliage. ‘Confetti’ has pink, green and white foliage (a real stunner, in my opinion).

Abelia is hardy in zones 5-9. It prefers well-drained soil, acidic to neutral, and will accept some drought once established. The bell-shaped pink, rose, white, or lavender flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Flowers open over several weeks in summer, but may appear sporadically at any time. Shrubs are rarely bothered by deer and resist damage from pollution, drought, or salt.

In upstate South Carolina, this ‘Kaleidoscope’ Abelia has scattered blooms on the last day of November . The foliage is yellow, green, orange, and pink.

Same shrub as above. From a distance, the color reads as green and salmon.

Abelia ‘Rose Creek’
Image by Jan Haerer from Pixabay 

Chinese Lantern Tree, Golden Raintree

In September and October, when tree leaves are starting to give a hint of the fall color to come, Koelreuteria bipinnata is putting on a show with its peachy-pink seed pods. This is one of times that it pays to know the binomial (Latin) name of a plant rather than relying on common names. K. bipinnata is commonly called Chinese Flame tree, Golden Flame tree, or Chinese Lantern tree. Its cousin, Koelreuteria paniculata, is commonly called Goldenrain tree. And an unrelated tree, Laburnum, is called Goldenchain tree. To complicate identification further, all three have loose clusters of yellow flowers.

The drooping flower clusters of Koelreuteria bipinnata (kole-roo-TEER-ee-uh bye-pih-NAY-tuh) mature into papery seed pods that look like little (one inch) rosy Chinese lanterns, gaining admiration from observers. It is a small to medium tree, reaching heights up to 40 feet. It thrives in full sun and almost any type of soil as long as it is well drained. The lanterns will retain their warm hue if harvested as soon as they color up. Left on the tree, they age into a buff color before they shed. Each capsule contains viable seeds. Many of those will germinate into baby trees, resulting in the need for removal by the gardener. If you wish to avoid this annual chore, site the tree in a lawn situation where regular mowing will result in seedling decapitation. K. paniculata has similar lantern seed capsules but they are less colorful.

Koelreuterias grow in zones 7-9, ignoring heat, cold, humidity, and poor soil. Laburnum also has lovely yellow flowers that hang in clusters. Branches are an attractive olive green. The young branches of Laburnum are flexible, and can be trained to an arch form. When a row of these join to form a living tunnel, it is gorgeous when they are in bloom. Laburnums do not do well in summer heat, however, and tend to be short-lived in the southeast. Both Koelreuteria and Laburnum are resistant to deer damage.

The immature seed pods of Koelreuteria bipinnata. The pods age to a lovely peachy tone.
Image by Christel SAGNIEZ from Pixabay 

Mature seed capsules, beginning to shed.

The rosy pink seeds are highly decorative
Photo from Wikimedia. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Avi1111

Lovely Lantana Lures Butterflies

Lantana camara excels in the southeast. It tolerates heat, humidity, and drought. Lantana begins flowering in mid-summer and blooms continuously until frost. Most Lantanas are annuals, but a few are reliably winter-hardy. Plant hybridizers are releasing more cold-tolerant cultivars each year.

Lantana blooms consist of a grouping of small flowers carried together in a form known as an umbrel (think “umbrella”). They are irresistible to bees and butterflies. Though there are some single-color varieties, flowers are usually a combination of colors. The colors appear to change with age as individual flowers open within the umbrel, so a flower that starts as solid red may become red on the outer flowers, orange on the middle ring, and yellow at the center.

Removing spent flowers before plants generate seeds, or at least before the seeds ripen and turn black, will result in many more blooms. Utility scissors are a good tool for this job. Lantanas bloom at the ends of their stems, so they may become lanky as the summer progresses. Prune as part of deadheading to keep the plants compact, cutting back to a lower set of leaves. Like other plants with square stems, Lantana is easy to propagate. Unfortunately, they seem to lure whiteflies into the greenhouse, so I have ended the process of overwintering the tender types.

Grow Lantana in full sun, in slightly acid soil that is well drained, in garden zones 7 through 11.  Provide light irrigation only until roots are established. Wet soil will induce root rot. Plant outdoors in spring after frost and freezes are past. Lantanas are especially salt tolerant, so they perform well in beach gardens as well as adjacent to parking lots where salt de-icer is used in winter.

Some Lantanas grow vigorously to become large, rounded shrubs. Check plant tags to determine mature height and whether the cultivar is upright or trailing. The trailing forms work well in hanging baskets or planters. ‘Miss Huff’ is a cold-hardy, upright variety that grows well in upstate South Carolina. I measured one in a business parking lot at 60 inches tall. Of course, this was in its fifth or sixth year. I am certain that it was not that large in the first year or two. ‘New Gold’ is another cultivar that is reliably cold hardy and shorter than ‘Miss Huff.’ Its flowers are school bus yellow, and pair well with purple Verbena ‘Homestead.’ ‘Santana’ is less floriferous but is clothed in lovely variegated foliage.

If yours does not leaf out in spring, do not automatically assume it died from winter cold. Lantanas are late to wake up after winter’s end, and may only start to show new growth in May. Here is a hint to help keep your Lantana coming back year after year. Do not prune dormant plants in fall or winter. Instead, wait until spring, when the plant has begun showing signs of life.  Yes, this means that it will be a pile of leafless sticks throughout winter. It seems a small price to pay for an amazing show during the growing season.

Lantana leaves are feel rough, and are fragrant when touched or brushed. Sensitive skins may experience contact dermatitis.  Deer or rabbits do not browse it. All plant parts are toxic if consumed. Do not eat or allow your pets to nibble. Birds are immune to the toxins and eat ripe seeds.

Lantana 'Miss Huff'

Lantana 'New Gold'

Lantana 'Bandana pink'

Lantana 'Santana'

Golden Creeping Jenny for Groundcover or Containers

A good groundcover is like the piece of lettuce under a serving of chicken salad on a luncheon plate. It makes the star of the meal look better without drawing attention to itself. Groundcover plants do not receive as much attention as shrubs, annuals, or perennials. They just do their job, providing an under-dressing to feature plants while spreading to cover bare soil, reducing erosion, and shading out weeds. One that defies tradition and draws attention to itself is Lysmachia nummularia ‘Aurea,’ widely known as Creeping Jenny. 

Creeping Jenny will grow in sun, part shade or even mostly shade. Its bright chartreuse hue makes its neighbors look better by contrast. Leaf color will be more golden in areas with bright sun and more lime green in areas with mostly shade. It will spread vigorously, and is considered invasive in some states. If this concerns you, plant it where it is restrained by walkways or metal edging. The vines grow almost flat (three inches or less) and form roots wherever stems touch soil. This rooting habit means they can bounce back from occasional damage from foot traffic or pets (like the black kitten in the accompanying photograph). It will drape over walls like a chartreuse curtain. Plants rarely grow upward more than an inch or two, so there is no concern about it creeping up trees. If the plant grows outside its intended area, the fine stems are easily pruned with a pair of utility scissors.

Lysmachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ (lis-uh-MAK-ee-ah num-ew-LAH-ree-uh, but internet sources offer multiple suggested pronunciations) tolerates heat and humidity. It looks best when grown in rich soil with moderate moisture. It will grow slower in lean soils and with less moisture. The vine-like mat is perennial in zones 3 through 8. Winter cold may make some of the leaves shed or take on a reddish hue, but it recovers quickly with the return of warm weather.

Creeping Jenny can be used in containers, either as a single specimen in a hanging basket or in a mixed planting, where it will cascade over the rim of the planter. It looks especially nice at the edges of water features and makes a good partner to upright sedges and ferns. If you choose to pair this one with a variegated plant, choose a companion whose variegation color is in the yellow family (as opposed to white or ivory). It complements most flower colors (pinks, reds, oranges, purple) but does not play well with yellow flowers. Creeping Jenny rarely blooms. Its small, golden flowers are easy to miss against its foliage.

Fall for Mexican Salvia

Members of the Salvia genus are beautiful and easily grown. Salvia leucantha, Mexican Salvia or Mexican Bush Sage, makes a great back-of-the-border plant, where its purple or purple/white bicolor flowers rise above shorter plants. They are a favorite of pollinators and bloom in the fall when other nectar producers are winding down. Mexican Salvia is tolerant of most soils (prefers neutral pH) and will withstand heat and drought. Early flowers will be all purple; later flowers will have purple calyces and white corollas. A pink form is available but I have not found it in local nurseries. Foliage has a gray tint. Flowering extends for weeks.

Salvia leucantha, pronounced SAL-vee-ah lew-KAN-thuh, is listed as an annual in Zones 6 and colder. An especially harsh winter may kill those in zones 7 or 8. Established plants have overwintered several years in the Mary Snoddy garden.

Plants may tower to six feet. ‘Santa Barbara’ cultivar is a dwarf, reaching only three feet. The taller forms may split or flop, so I recommend pruning them back by one-third around the first of July. Flowering may be delayed by a week or two but pruned plants will be shorter and bushier, which means more flowers and less staking (double win!). Shorter plants do well in containers. In the border, Mexican Salvia pairs well with yellow Lantanas or Black-Eyed Susans. Like other square-stemmed plants, it is easy to root from cuttings. Plant in full sun to mostly sun. 

Don’t confuse leucantha with Leucanthemum, Shasta Daisy. Also note that this is not an edible plant, despite the Sage moniker. Deer and rabbits pass this one by, which pollinators flock to it.

Go Big for Gomphrena

Visitors to my pollinator garden are all drawn to the same plant. Not the Gaura or Lantana, not the Cuphea or Bronze Fennel. The crowd favorite is Gomphrena, sometimes called Globe Amaranth. This heat-loving annual comes in several different colors, but purple is my favorite. The color is so intense that it glows, and it looks good with any other flower shades. Gomphrena also comes in lavender, white, rose, red, and bi-colors. Blooms resemble large clover flowers.

Gomphrena is easy to start from seed. If you have a greenhouse or other warm, sunny area, start the seeds 8 weeks before the average last spring frost date for your area. Seeds germinate best when barely covered with soil and given darkness. Once seeds sprout, expose them to bright light. They grow rapidly and start blooming while they are still tiny. Mine have shown flower buds when plants were just four inches tall. Grow Gomphrena in full sun and poor-to-average soil. Plants are drought-tolerant once established. They will bloom from spring all the way to frost. The stiff, papery flowers hold their color for weeks and weeks, and will even retain their bright shades if cut and dried soon after they open. Spent blooms will eventually fade to tan and should be removed.

Most varieties will reach 24 inches tall or more by the end of the growing season. ‘Buddy’ is a purple cultivar that reaches only 12 inches (per the seed catalogs; they reach 18 inches in the Mary Snoddy garden). The ‘Gnome’ series has white, pink, or purple blooms and reaches only 6 to 8 inches. ‘Strawberry Fields’ reaches 20 inches and has an orange-red flower. Plants can be pinched back when small to make them bunchier, but they look fine without this additional work.

Gomphrena looks great in many applications. Use them in containers, as single specimens, or planted in swaths. I think they pair well with Zinnias, Marigolds, or Lantana. Butterflies love the flowers and deer leave them alone. Double win!

Gomphrena,Melampodium,Liatris,Zinnia

Gomphrena along asphalt path

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.

Want pollinators? Plant Zinnias.

Zinnias are one of the most common annuals and have been popular since the 1920s. They are easy to start from seed, are undemanding as to soil, and bloom non-stop from spring through frost. They tolerate heat and moderate drought. The only thing they demand is a full sun exposure. Zinnias come in every color of the rainbow except for blue, including bi-colors and even tri-colors.

Zinnias are categorized into three groups: tall, with long stems, best for cut flowers or the back of the flower bed; short, best for mass plantings in beds or borders; and creeping or spreading, which do equally well in flower beds and containers. Tall varieties may reach heights of 36 inches or so. Flowers can be single or double, and may resemble dahlias or cactus. Cut flowers last a long time in the vase, but remove any leaves that will be below the waterline.

My favorite bedding type is the Magellan® series, which I start from seed every year. Magellans are mildew resistant and have the sweet habit of layering new foliage and fresh blooms on top of the spent blooms. Short internodes (stem space between leaves) mean that spent flowers are concealed by fresh blossoms, reducing the need for dead-heading but also means they are difficult to use as cut flowers.

Lovely pink Magellan Zinnia

Spent blooms are concealed by new leaves and flowers. A little Downy Mildew spots the leaves.

Of the creeping type, the Profusion® series is well named, with a multitude of small blooms on plants that are resistant to Powdery Mildew. Mildew doesn’t affect the flowers, but can make the foliage spotted and ugly. Combat this problem by planting all varieties in locations with good air circulation. Keep the foliage dry when watering – a perfect application for soaker hoses. Avoid boggy soils and over-fertilization, which can result in more leaves and fewer flowers. 

Zinnias do not tolerate frost. Seed can be direct sown once weather has warmed in spring. Plants will grow rapidly to flowering size. I prefer to start mine in peat pots so that I can space them exactly in my flower beds. Why peat pots instead of plastic 4-packs? The baby plants dislike root disturbance.

Some seed catalogs sell Zinnias by separate color, while others only offer a mix. I like to select specific colors, reflecting a different color scheme each year. It is hard to select my favorite combination. Red, pink, and white looked spectacular in the Mary Snoddy garden one year, but then salmon, yellow and purple looked fabulous the next. Seeds can be saved from year to year, but hybrids rarely mimic their parents.

Zinnia flowers are beloved by butterflies and bees, so I filled all the empty spaces between perennials in my new pollinator garden with mixed colors of Magellan. The pops of color will last until frost.

A butterfly enjoys a green and pink bicolor Zinnia, ‘Queen Lime’. Photo by jggrz from Pixabay

A composition of assorted Zinnia colors.. Photo by MrGajowy3 from Pixabay

Tall Zinnias, grown for cutting, can look a little gawky. Site them at the back of the border to conceal their lower sections.