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Filipendula rubra ‘Venusta’

Filipendula rubra 'Venusta'

Fiipendula rubra ‘Venusta’    Family: Rosaceae
(fil-ih-PEND-yew-lah  ROO-brah  veh-NEW-stah)
Common name: meadowsweet; Queen of the Prairie
Zone: 3 – 9
Height: 5 – 6 ft (1.5-1.8 m)   Spread: 3 – 4 ft (0.9 – 1.2 m)
Aspect: full sun; partial shade
Soil: fertile; moist; well-draining
Water: regular  

Filipendula rubrum 'Venusta' - leavesDescription: An herbaceous perennial with an upright, spreading habit. Deeply cut, medium-green, compound-pinnate leaves are fragrant. Cloud-like, deep pink, fragrant flowers appear on masses of corymbs up to 6 inches (15 cm) across in mid-June through July. Flowers fade to light pink with age.

 

Special Notes: Native to North America. Has commanding presence in the garden. Long bloom period that attracts bees and butterflies. Good cut flower. Dried flowers useful in potpourri. Used as a medicinal plant in homeopathy. Few pests or diseases. Deer and rabbit resistant. Propagate by fresh seed; division in spring or autumn.


Filipendula rubra 'Venusta' - flowerRHS Award of Garden Merit 1993

 


Posted on January 31, 2013

 

Fothergilla gardenii

Fothergilla gardenii    Family: Hamamelidaceae
(foth-er-GIL-lah  gar-DEE-knee-eye)
Common name: dwarf fothergilla, coastal fothergilla
Zone: 5 – 8
Height: 3 – 4 ft (0.9 – 1.2 m)   Spread: 2 – 4 ft (0.6 – 1.2 m)
Aspect: full sun; part shade; full shade
Soil: humus-rich; moist; well-drained 
Water: regular     

Description: A compact, upright, deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub which slowly grows into a 4 ft mounded form. Showy, white-green, apetalous (petal-less), aromatic flowers on dense bottlebrush-like spikes appear in April before the leaves form. Thick, oblong to ovate, green leaves have a serrated edge from mid point to leaf apex and are covered in fine hairs. No serious disease or insect problems.


Special Notes: Native to the moist coastal plain bogs and savannahs of southeastern United States from North Carolina to Alabama. Preference is for a sunny location in acidic, moist, humus-rich soil and regular watering but will also tolerate drier, more alkaline soil in a shadier location, possibly at the expense of fewer flowers. Leaves emerge light green and progress through grey-green to dark green to blue-green in colour. Fall leaf colour is a vibrant chorus of green, yellow, orange, red, burgundy, violet and pink. The sunnier the location, the more colourful the autumn colours.


In our Zone 7a garden: We find this lovely shrub to be relatively easy care and extremely colourful in the autumn. It is next to a path so every few years the expanding suckers must be removed to keep the shrub from overpowering the path. There have been no insect or disease problems in our garden.

 

Posted on April 6, 2023

Kerria japonica ‘Pleniflora’

Kerria japonica ‘Pleniflora’        Family: Rosaceae
(KERR-ree-ah  ja-PON-ih-ka)

Common name: Japanese kerria; Japanese yellow rose
Zone: 4 – 9
Height: 5 – 8 ft (1.5 – 2.4 m)   Spread: 4 – 6 ft (1.2 – 1.8 m)
Aspect: partial shade; full shade
Soil: average; humus-rich; well-draning
Water: moderate
Description: Deciduous shrub with multiple bright green, upright and arching stems adorned with small, narrow, double-toothed ovate-lanceolate bright green leaves arranged alternately along the branches. Pompoms of double, golden yellow flowers appear in early spring, lasting for 2 to 3 weeks.


Special Notes: Native to Japan and China, this plant cultivar was introduced to Great Britain in 1805 by Scottish plant collector, William Kerr. Tolerant of all soil types except clay and those with poor drainage. Valued for its reliability in producing masses of blossoms in shady conditions. It is also tolerant of sunnier locations when provided with adequate moisture but the flowers will fade quickly in direct sun.

Deer and rabbit resistant. No pest and disease problems with the exception of possibility of kerria twig and leaf blight, a fungal disease caused by Blumeriella kerriae. This causes leaf spots and stem lesions which, if severe enough, may result in defoliation. Control spread by severely pruning out diseased stems, raking up leaves and disposing them. Do not wet leaves or stems of infected plants; water using soaker hoses.


In our Zone 7a garden: We have two clumps of this plant in our garden; one gets a little more sun than the other, resulting a slightly less floral show in spring. We have found this species to be a fairly fast spreader so dividing every 3 or 4 years is advised unless you have allowed the plant adequate room in the bed. Alternately, you can remove some of the suckering growth annually in late winter.

Other than controlling this plant’s growth habit, we have experienced no other problems, disease or pest.

 

Posted on February 20, 2023

 

Francoa sonchifolia

Francoa sonchifolia          Family: Francoaceae
(fran-KO-ah  son-chi-FOL-lee-ah)

Common name: bridal wreath; Chilean bridal wreath; wedding flower
Zone: 7 – 9
Height: 20 – 40 in (50 – 100 cm)   Spread: 12 – 18 in (30 – 45 cm)
Aspect: full sun; partial shade
Soil: average; humus-rich; well-draining
Water: regular   
Description: An evergreen perennial with fuzzy, lance-shaped, sinuate*, lobed, dark green basal leaves that form a low rosette. Racemes of 4-petalled, soft-pink, orchid-like flowers each marked with a rose blotch, are borne on erect, 2 – 3 ft (60 – 90 cm) tall, dark green stems. Flowers appear from late June through summer. 

 

Special Notes: Native to Chile, this plant performs best in a sunny or partially shady bed with humus-rich soil and good drainage. Boggy conditions can cause crown rot which will effectively kill the plant. Flowers are valued for use in floral arrangements and wedding bouquets. Drought tolerant once established. Good deer and rabbit resistance. Pest- and disease-resistant.

 

In our Zone 7a garden: This plant has spent many years in a tree-root choked bed in heavy shade in my front garden. There is not much nutrient in that bed other than what is supplied through an annual top-dressing. The floral display has been less than prolific, largely due to few sun hours, but I have been very impressed with its resilience, low care needs and its pest and disease resistance over the 15 or more years this plant has been competing with tree roots. Have had no issues with any pests or diseases on this plant.

 

Posted on February 22, 2023

 

Scrophularia auriculata ‘Variegata’

Scrophularia auriculata ‘Variegata’     Family: Scrophulariaceae
(skroff-yu-LAIR-ee-ah)
syn: Scrophularia aquatica ‘Variegata’; Scrophularia nodosa ‘Variegata’
Common name: variegated figwort; shoreline figwort; water betony
Zone: 5 – 9
Height: 6 ft (1.8 m)   Spread: 3 ft (0.9 m)
Aspect: sun; partial shade
Soil: average; poorly-drained
Water: moderate     

Description: A slow-spreading, clumping-forming perennial. Ovoid green leaves with serrated edges are thickly margined in creamy-white and paired opposite on strong square, green stems. Clusters of tiny, maroon-red flowers appear in summer through into autumn and are a huge attraction to assorted bee species and hummingbirds.

Special Notes: In Zone 6 and colder, this plant is herbaceous; in Zone 8 and warmer, it is evergreen year-round. Given the right growing conditions, loamy-rich soil and regular water, this plant can grow to be a sub-shrub. But is also quite drought tolerant once established. Propagate by division in spring or fall.

In our Zone 7a garden: We have found Scrophularia auriculata ‘Variegata’ to be a wonderful, fuss-free addition to our garden. We especially love the tiny flowers because they attract a variety of bee species, as well as hummingbirds.

Depending on the severity of our winter weather, Scrophularia can be herbaceous or evergreen.

 

Posted on February 12, 2023

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