Angelonia Angelface®Wedgwood Blue, from Proven Winners, is a garden must-have. (Image thanks to Proven Winners®)
Summer gardening is made easier with tough, drought-tolerant annuals, especially where summers are hot and dry. So many popular bedding plants are tender and water-needy, but there are plenty of waterwise, or xeric, annuals that go beyond low-growing succulents. Many are colorful, resilient, and bloom effortlessly all summer long.
When choosing waterwise summer flowers, I pick from plants native to areas with hot, dry climates, like Mexico, dry regions of Africa, the American Southwest, and hot, dry areas of the Mediterranean. Agastache, angelonia, cuphea, autumn sage and hybrids, marigolds, and low-growing zinnias are several excellent choices. Exciting new varieties make it easy to fill the garden with beautiful flowers sure to shine in tough weather.
Hummingbird Mint
‘Rosie Posie’ is an exceptional hummingbird mint with magenta-purple, fragrant flowers. (Image thanks to Walter’s Gardens®)
Hummingbirds visit Agastache’s pretty wands of flowers. Otherwise known as hummingbird mint, the plants bloom through summer and into fall with moderate watering. Because of their reliability, they are a standby in my garden, especially the more colorful varieties.
The compact and floriferous Arizona™ Sunset has lavender and orange flowers and plants reach just one foot high. The 22-inch ‘Rosie Posie’ has even more colorful flowers of magenta-purple and orange. The plants originate from the American Southwest, where heat and drought are common, so expect them to flourish in warm-summer areas.
Angelonia
Summer snapdragon (Angelonia angustifolia) is a nonstop bloomer native to Mexico with distinctive spikes of white, purple, or pink snapdragon-like flowers. The tall (~2.5 feet), large-flowered varieties in the popular Angelface® Series from Proven Winners® are popular and prolific. The warmer the weather, the better they grow. I like the white and violet-blue flowers of Angelface®Wedgwood Blue the most.
Firecracker Plant
Proven Winner’s variety Vermillionaire™ is one of the best firecracker plant varieties available. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Heat and drought are never a problem for the firecracker plant (Cuphea ignea), another Mexican native. Try the Proven Winner’s variety Vermillionaire™. Each bushy can reach around 2-feet tall and wide and become loaded with small, orange-red, tubular flowers visited by hummingbirds. A strong tendency to bloom all summer until frost is another reason to grow the superb bedding plant. As advertised, the firecracker plant has a high tolerance to hot, dry weather once established.
Autumn Sage
‘Lipstick’ is a bright-pink-bloomed salvia able to tolerate drought.
From mid to late summer, I always rely on colorful autumn sage (Salvia greggii and hybrids) to add summer garden color. Autumn sage is a busy tender perennial native from West Texas to Central Mexico, and the blooms are very attractive to hummingbirds! Gardeners up north grow the plant as an annual, but further south they will overwinter if planted in well-drained soil. Try the watermelon-pink ‘Lipstick‘. The shrubby, fast-grower can reach 3 feet high and is laden with short flower spikes until frost.
Marigolds
Frilly tall African marigolds can be grown as cut flowers and garden flowers.
Mexican-native marigolds are made for summer with their warm, nonstop blooms. Try the 3-foot-tall Giant Orange African marigold (Tagetes erecta ‘Giant Orange’) with a plethora of 3-inch flowers. The long-stemmed flowers are suitable for cutting and are borne on strong plants less apt to topple over in the wind. Plant them in colorful cut-flower or annual borders.
Narrowleaf Zinnia
‘Crystal White’ is an award-winning tough Zinnia. (Image thanks to AAS Winners)
My garden always contains zinnias. Narrowleaf zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia) is notably tolerant of hot, dry weather, and the flowers are reliably attractive. The award-winning, 1-foot-high ‘Crystal White‘ is a garden mainstay with clear white flowers and narrow, dark green leaves. The foliage of the Mexican native is resistant to powdery mildew and will flower through summer. With good care, they will bloom continually. Occasional removal of the spent blooms is recommended. Bees and butterflies visit the flowers.
Growing Waterwise Annuals
Add these waterwise and heat-wise annuals to your summer garden, and you will thank yourself when the scorching days of summer arrive. Give them moderate care and water, and they will keep blooming. Those planted in the ground appreciate the added organic matter of Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost, and those grown in containers of Fafard® Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed will grow happily.
Pendulous tuberous begonias make exceptional hanging basket specimens.
Shaded porches and patios are prime spots for hanging baskets. We spend most of our outdoor leisure time in the shade where their beauty is most welcome, but only certain garden flowers will flower and thrive in less light. Planting the right flowers is essential to keep your shaded baskets looking good from spring to fall.
Five Hanging Basket Planting Tips
Plant in spacious hanging baskets with ample root space. I like coco-lined wire baskets within the 12- to 16-inch range. Be sure they are supported by secure hooks and strong chains.
If your potting soil has no supplemental ingredients, consider adding Terra Sorb water-holding crystals and slow-release fertilizer to reduce the need to water and feed as often.
Don’t overplant your baskets. Usually, one to three plants are enough, depending on what you are growing.
Best Hanging Basket Bloomers
1. Bacopa
Proven Winner’s Bacopa Snowstorm®Blue and Pink mingle with white-flowered Euphorbia in a combined basket. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Bacopa is most often sold as a container or hanging basket trailer, but the plants look lovely on their own in a basket or among other plants. I often choose the white-flowered MegaCopa™ White variety for my hanging baskets and pots, but Proven Winner’s Snowstorm®Blue and Snowstorm®Rose are newer forms with an added burst of color. One warning for the wise, bacopa doesn’t show drought stress immediately. By the time you learn plants are stressed, they’ll have dropped all of their buds. Plants can take up to two weeks before flowering again, so be sure to water daily, especially in hot weather.
2. Begonias
San Francisco™ Bolivian begonia is a top-notch bloomer known to thrive in summer heat and humidity. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
A host of specialty begonias are bred for hanging baskets. The trailing bloomers tend to have both attractive leaves and beautiful flowers. Some of the best performing include the Double Delight®begonias (check out Double Delight®Blush Rose) from Proven Winners in addition to their larger-flowered Belleconia™ tuberous hybrids.
Bolivian hybrids are also favorites of mine. The award-winning Rivulet® Bolivian begonia hybrids (blush, deep rose, orange, pink, and double red shades) from Ball Seed® have impressive flowers as does San Francisco™, with its pendulous salmon-pink flowers.
Impatiens
Simple, classic Impatiens look lovely in baskets through summer with regular water and fertilizer.
Classic Impatiens walleriana hybrids require regular water to look their best in hanging baskets, but they will reward you with nonstop flowers until frost. The double-flowered Rockapulco® varieties from Proven Winners have delicate rose-like blooms. Try Rockapulco®Tropical Shades with its profuse guava-pink flowers. Gardeners seeking single-flowered Imatiens should try the seed-grownImara™ XDR Impatiens for their large flowers, vigor, and resistance to downy mildew, a common disease of the plants.
Fuchsia
Fuchsia ‘Dark Eyes’ is a lovely, easy-to-find trailing variety for hanging baskets.
Trailing Fuchsias are ideal hanging basket specimens tolerant of full sunlight but generally happier in full to partial shade. There are hundreds of varieties available in different color combinations–mostly in whites, reds, pinks, and purples. The flowers often have two or more colors, with top petals (actually sepals) in one color, the true inner petals in another shade, and the floral pistil and stamens in yet another color. The dark purple and fuchsia ‘Dark Eyes‘ is an exceptional garden variety as is the white and red ‘Swingtime‘. Fuchsia flowers attract hummingbirds, so place them where you can see both the flowers and possible hummingbird visitors.
Browallia
Loads of Fun is a container garden recipe from Proven Winners containing Browallia Endless™Illumination, Rockapulco® Rose impatiens, and Torenia Catalina® Pink. (Image thanks to Proven Winners)
Browallia
The first time I grew Browallia in the late 1990s, I was impressed by its beautiful flowers and long season of bloom. The tough plants grow beautifully in hot summer weather and prosper in shaded hanging baskets. The most common variety is the violet-blue-flowered Endless™IlluminationBush Violet from Proven Winners. The plants are real garden workhorses. Give them regular water and they will keep flowering until frost without the need to deadhead!
Wishbone Flower
Summer Wave® Trailing Large Blue Torenia is a pretty blue-flowered form to look for at your local garden center.
Trailing or bushy Torenia look beautiful in baskets and are adapted to shade. Summer Wave®Torenias are the standbys and available in lavender-pink, purple, and blue forms. They trail to 12-16 inches with strong, vigorous growth. Varieties in the Catalina® series are a more bushy counterpart reaching 12 x 12 inches. Yellow, white, pink, and purple forms are available. For me, the prettiest of the bunch is Catalina®Grape-o-licious™ with its white flowers with royal purple centers.
Snapdragons are classic cool-season annuals that make glorious cut flowers.
Annuals aren’t just a summer thing. True, many popular annuals – such as marigolds, zinnias, castor beans, portulacas, and celosias – are unabashed heat-lovers, languishing in chilly conditions and hitting full stride during the long sultry days of July and August. Among the most valuable annuals, however, are those that thrive in cool weather. They’re especially useful for filling the floral doldrums that tend to haunt gardens in late spring and fall.
Most cool-season annuals germinate reliably in relatively chilly soil (below 45 degrees F) and tolerate a goodly amount of frost. Sow them outdoors in late winter or early spring (depending on your locale), and they’ll be up and flowering well before the summer annuals get going. Or for extra-early bloom, start plants indoors and transplant them to the garden several weeks before the last frost date. Cool-season annuals take center stage again in the fall. Sow them 3 months before the first frost date for a late floral display, or plant out store-bought plants in late summer.
Great Cold-Hardy Annuals
Some especially cold-hardy annuals – including all of those described below – will even overwinter as seed or seedlings into USDA hardiness zone 6/7 (or colder, in some cases), arising in spring to bloom weeks before spring-sown plants. These can be planted in the garden in the fall as seeds or young transplants, or existing plantings can be allowed to self-sow. If you’re starting plants indoors, be sure to give them lots of light and a good potting mix such as Fafard Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed.
Pansies and smaller-flowered Violas are cool-season musts for the garden.
Pansies (Viola × wittrockiana) are among the most popular cool-season annuals – and for good reason. Not only do they flower continuously in fall and early spring (and beyond), but they also throw some blooms during mild winter spells in USDA zones 6 and warmer. Sold by the thousands in garden centers and other venues in fall and spring, they come in all colors, usually with a signature deep-purple “face” at the flower’s center. Violas – hybrids of Viola cornuta – are close relatives of pansies that also flower prolifically during the cool seasons, as well as in winter warm spells. Short-lived perennials typically bear smaller flowers than those of the pansy tribe, with streaking rather than “faces” at their centers. Both pansies and violas do well with either early-spring or late-summer sowing and planting. The Victorian Posy Pansy mix is an excellent choice for those who start their own flowers from seeds.
Snapdragons can make a grand statement in the spring garden.
Like pansies, snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) overwinter outdoors throughout much of the U.S., making them ideal candidates for late-season planting into USDA zone 5. Overwintered seedlings bloom early in the season, lifting their colorful spires to the sun in late spring. In USDA zones 5a and colder, start seed indoors in late winter, a few weeks before the last-frost date. Early-blooming snapdragon varieties such as those in the Potomac, Chantilly, and Costa series provide an additional head-start on the flowering season, blooming days to weeks earlier than other varieties. They flower in the full range of snapdragon colors, including white, yellow, pink, red, and purple.
Large-flowered gloriosa daisies are ideal cool-season annuals for the fall.
Also ideal for fall planting are gloriosa daisies (Rudbeckia hirta), which are exceptionally winter-hardy (to USDA zone 3). Overwintered plants open their bright yellow to burgundy “black-eyed Susan” flowers in late spring or early summer, repeating until frost. Varieties include ‘Indian Summer’, with classic bright yellow “black-eyed Susan” flowers on 3-foot stems; ‘Cherokee Sunset’, whose double blooms on 30-inch stems come in various tones and combinations of yellow, bronze, and maroon; and the green-coned, tawny-eyed ‘Prairie Sun’. If seedlings don’t survive winter in your area, try sowing seed in the garden in fall, for early germination next spring. Plants will readily self-sow if you don’t deadhead them. Of course, late winter or early spring sowing works too, either indoors or out.
Classic blue cornflowers can be sown in the fall for spring.
Other classic candidates for fall planting or sowing for spring are Larkspurs (Consolida ajacis) and cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus). They bring an abundance of blue to the late spring garden, in two different forms. Larkspurs produce quantities of dainty butterfly-shaped blooms on 30- to 50-inch spikes. Cornflowers, in contrast, bear frilly pompons atop wiry 3- to 4-foot stalks. In addition to classic blue varieties such as ‘Blue Spire’, larkspurs come in an assortment of other colors including white, pink, lavender, and combinations thereof. Cornflowers, too, are available in a wide color range, from blue (e.g., ‘Blue Diadem’) to pink to red to maroon.
Lesser-Known Cool-Season Annuals
The ranks of cool-season annuals that do well with spring or fall planting or sowing include a number of relatively little-known but highly ornamental species that deserve much wider use:
Blue woodruff is rarely grown and deserves more garden attention. Expect some self-sowing.
Blue woodruff (Asperula orientalis) throws airy sprays of little sky-blue flowers on low, typically lax stems. It’s especially lovely in containers, making a lacy understudy for bigger, bolder leaved annuals such as flowering tobaccos and amaranths.
Also flowering in blue is Chinese forget-me-not (Cynoglossum amabile). The clusters of rounded, bright blue blooms do indeed recall those of standard forget-me-not (Myosotis spp.), but they occur on much more durable plants that blossom in late spring and repeat in summer and fall. The pink-flowered variety ‘Mystery Rose’ is equally ornamental.
Toadflax just grows in the cool season, but it is so delicate and pretty.
A perky little thing with spikes of bright blooms that resemble snapdragons, Moroccan toadflax (Linaria maroccana) is perfect for massing in garden beds and containers, in forms such as the pastel assortment ‘Fairy Bouquet’ or bright purple ‘Licilia Violet’.
The poppy tribe contains several cool-season treasures, none better than Shirley poppy (Papaver rhoeas), with its numerous pastel (such as ‘Mother of Pearl’ and the Falling in Love mix) and red (e.g., ‘American Legion’) forms; and Spanish poppy (Papaver rupifragum), a cheerful orange-flowered thing that’s especially winning in its double-flowered form, ‘Flore Pleno’ or ‘Tangerine Gem’.
‘Tangerine Gem’ is a very easy Spanish poppy to grow.
Although not quite as cold-hardy as most of the above, Green-gold (Bupleurum griffithii) weathers winters to USDA Zone 7, and is amenable to late winter and early spring planting in colder zones. Its large flat-headed clusters of chartreuse blooms on 3-foot stems make splendid accents for cut flower arrangements.
Brides traditionally wear or carry “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Gardens—whether they are arrays of containers, in-ground beds, or window boxes–often contain those same elements. Agapanthus, sometimes known as “Lily of the Nile”, combines all of those attributes in a single plant. The “something old” is Agapanthus africanus, an ancestor of today’s varieties, which appeared in Europe as early as the seventeenth century, but is native to South Africa. “Something new” describes the many new agapanthus hybrids that feature increased bloom size, a broadened color range, and more compact size. “Something borrowed” is the “Nile” in the common name, which has persisted, though the plants have nothing to do with that great river. The “something blue” refers to the most common flower color.
With all those sterling qualities, plus the ability to flourish equally well in the ground or in containers, agapanthus marries the exotic and the accessible, with beautiful results.
An Onion Cousin
The genus is part of the Alliaceae or onion family, but its growth habit might remind you a little of holiday amaryllis (Hippeastrum), with tall, fleshy stalks and long narrow leaves. Those stalks generally grow between 18 inches and four feet tall, depending on variety, on plants that spread of at least 1 foot. The rounded flowerheads or umbels appear at the tops of the stalks and are made up of scores of trumpet-shaped florets, which appear in shades of blue and blue-purple, as well as white. You can buy varieties of Agapanthus africanus from some vendors, but most commercially available agapanthus plants are hybrids. The number of those hybrid varieties has increased steadily over the years, with new generations of agapanthus hybrids succeeding older ones.
Beautiful Tender Perennial
Agapanthus is a tender perennial that is only marginally hardy in cold winter climates.
Given its origins in the southern hemisphere, it is not a surprise that agapanthus is classed as a tender perennial that is only marginally hardy in cold winter climates. New varieties are more cold-tolerant than older ones, but all can be overwintered successfully. Some varieties feature evergreen leaves.
Blue and White Hues
If you like blue, you can choose a light blue variety like ‘Summer Skies’, which also has the benefit of being cold hardy to USDA plant hardiness Zone 6. For brighter blues, choose tall ‘Blue Yonder,’ or the slightly shorter (24 inches) ‘Kingston Blue’. If you want dramatic dark blues, go for ‘Black Buddhist’, with dark purple buds and dark blue-purple florets, or ‘Back in Black’ with dark flowers and black-streaked stalks. The extremely floriferous ‘Storm Cloud’, also bears umbels of highly saturated blue-purple.
Cool white cultivars include ‘Cold Hardy White’, which is hardy to USDA plant hardiness zone 5, and bears white florets on 12- to 16-inch stalks. Somewhat taller, at over three feet ‘Galaxy White’ is hardy to USDA zone 6,
Double the Fun
There are many white agapanthus varieties from which to choose.
Little ‘rfdd’ Double Diamond grows to only about 12 inches tall but makes up for its short stature with umbels of double or semi-double white blooms. It is not terribly cold-hardy but is eminently suitable for container culture and overwintering in cold winter climates.
Sun and Soil
No matter what variety you choose, plant the rhizomes just below the surface of the soil. If you buy container-grown agapanthus and want to transplant to a decorative pot or tub, make sure the top of the soil surrounding the plant is on level with the top of the soil in the chosen container. Situate your plant in a sunny location with some afternoon shade, if possible.
Agapanthus bloom best when they are slightly potbound, so select an appropriately-sized container. Use a quality potting mix like Fafard Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed, and make sure the agapanthus has consistent moisture. Fertilize with a balanced plant food, diluted according to manufacturer’s directions, during the spring and summer growth period.
A Long Winter Nap
Cold climate dwellers should bring potted agapanthus indoors to a bright, frost-free location for the winter, watering occasionally. When spring returns, take the plants outdoors and begin watering and fertilizing once again.
Opulence Divided
Brilliant blue or white agapanthus look great as single specimen plants.
Brilliant blue or white agapanthus look great as single specimen plants, and opulent when massed in large tubs. Happy plants will form clumps, and you can increase your supplies by digging, lifting and splitting those clumps (with a sharp spade or garden knife), and replanting the divisions. If you share those agapanthus divisions with the gardeners among your friends or neighbors, they will most likely be grateful for the gifts of “something borrowed” and “something blue” from you.
When people think of hostas, they imagine mounds of lush green or variegated leaves that bring style and substance to shady areas.
They do not think of flowers.
That’s because hosta flowers are typically smallish, purplish trumpets that appear in early summer atop gawky, nearly-naked stems that generally seem too tall for the plants. Fastidious gardeners often clip off the stems, choosing to glory in the leaves and forget about the flowers.
But those gardeners have never met Hosta plantaginea, commonly known as “August lily”.
Why is this hosta, sometimes also know as Corfu lily, white plantain lily, white daylily, or Japan lily, a star among the hundreds of varieties in the hosta universe? An average plant is medium-sized, with a maximum height and spread of about 18 inches. The flower stalks grow taller, soaring to 30 inches. While the heart-shaped, medium green leaves are attractive, other species and hybrids boast more notable leaf color or texture.
The one feature that truly defines the August lily is the species’ large, trumpet-shaped flowers—The waxy, white trumpets, which are three to four inches long flare in all directions atop the stalks, projecting a divine, honeyed fragrance. If the breeze is coming from the right direction, you can pick up the scent of an established clump from many feet away.
The blooms are so beautiful and substantive that they are worthy of cutting for indoor arrangements. They also attract hummingbirds.
August lilies set themselves apart by producing this magnificent show during the dog days of summer, much later than other species. They can also stand a bit more sunlight than other hostas.
Unlike most traditional hostas, which are descended from plants native to Japan, members of the plantaginea species descend from Chinese natives. They arrived in England back in 1790 and sailed across the Atlantic to the newly formed United States after that. The compelling scent of the flowers made them garden favorites and they are sometimes still billed as heirloom or old-fashioned plants. Though the name “August lily” describes the time of bloom, plantagineas are not and never have been true lilies, which belong to a different plant family.
Modern gardeners have rediscovered plantagineas because they are as ridiculously easy to grow as any other hostas, but have a little something extra–the ability to produce new leaves during the growing season. Most other hostas sprout only one crop of leaves annually. If those leaves are damaged by slugs or deer, you are out of foliar luck for the season. If you have August lilies, you can get out the repellant spray and apply it to the fresh young leaves in the hopes of a better outcome the second time around.
The plantaginea breeding picture has historically been complicated by the fact that the plants do not flower at the same time as other hosta species. Still, breeders have persevered and plantaginea hybrids, complete with the intoxicating fragrance, are commercially available. ‘Royal Standard’, one of the best, is a giant among its peers, featuring glamorous white trumpets atop green foliage that may spread to over five feet.
If you are paging through catalog offerings in search of sweet-smelling hostas or trolling the nursery sniffing out bargain plantagineas, look for variety names that start with the word “fragrant”. Like other hostas, plantaginea varieties and hybrids may bear variegated leaves, which add interest in months other than August. The large-leafed variety, ‘Fragrant Bouquet’, is an award winner with medium green leaves edged in cream Left to its own devices, it may grow up to forty-eight inches wide. The tasty sounding ‘Fried Bananas’ features the same fragrant white flowers as its plantaginea relatives, but also boasts golden-green leaves.
If you are a small-space or container gardener, take heart. ‘Sugar Babe’ a fragrant-flowered, variegated variety descended from plantagineas and other species, grows only 10 inches tall and 16 inches wide.
No matter which August lily you choose, position the plants where they can be appreciated for their beautiful flowers and divine scent. They are perfect for path edges, areas under frequently- opened windows, or near sitting areas. Give them rich soil amended with a quality product like Fafard Natural and Organic Compost, and light to medium shade. The plants will do the rest.
August lilies and their hybrids are, like most other hostas, good investment plants. After the first two or three years, you can divide them and increase your stock. That means more fragrance, most gorgeous flowers and possibly more hummingbirds zipping around. The dog days don’t get much better than that.
.
About Elisabeth Ginsburg
Born into a gardening family, Elisabeth Ginsburg grew her first plants as a young child. Her hands-on experiences range from container gardening on a Missouri balcony to mixed borders in the New Jersey suburbs and vacation gardening in Central New York State. She has studied horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden and elsewhere and has also written about gardens, landscape history and ecology for years in traditional and online publications including The New York Times Sunday “Cuttings” column, the Times Regional Weeklies, Horticulture, Garden Design, Flower & Garden, The Christian Science Monitor and many others. Her “Gardener’s Apprentice” weekly column appears in papers belonging to the Worrall chain of suburban northern and central New Jersey weekly newspapers and online at http://www.gardenersapprentice.com. She and her feline “garden supervisors” live in northern New Jersey.
Butterfly weed is a lovely native that will sow itself very gently and weave into the garden.
Some perennials persist in the garden not only as over-wintering plants, but also via self-sown seedlings. With their penchant for popping up spontaneously here and there, they’re a great fit for cottage gardens, wildflower borders, and other informal plantings. Additionally, they obviate the need for deadheading!
Unwelcome Self Sowers
Admittedly, a few perennials can take self-sowing too far. For example, a lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) that is allowed to go to seed will soon produce a population bomb, spawning gazillions of offspring. Although the plants profiled below typically self-sow in moderation, they can be more prolific in favorable situations. Keep an eye out and a hoe at hand just in case!
You’ll also want to discourage self-sowing by named varieties of perennial species whose seedlings are not true to type. Allow your pristine Phlox paniculata ‘David’ to self-sow, and you’ll likely soon have a flock of muddy-purple wild-type offspring. The same goes for many other groups of perennials, including columbines (Aquilegia spp.), and just about anything from the aster/daisy family, though on occasion their offspring can be quite pretty.
Aquilegia hybrids gently self-sow, but their seedlings yield various unexpected surprises.
Finally, avoid heavy applications of mulch in areas where you want to encourage self-sowing. Most perennial seeds will not germinate while are buried under a 3-inch stratum of shredded bark. A much more satisfactory method of controlling weeds is to allow desirable plants to seed themselves densely into any garden gaps and to keep the gaps weeded while the new seedlings develop. A light early-spring scattering of Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost is all the mulch you’ll need in an established, densely populated border.
Welcome Self Sowers
Black cohosh, bugbane (Actaea racemosa)
The white flower spikes and ferny foliage of black cohosh are both attractive.
Native to moist fertile woodlands over much of the eastern U.S. from zones 4-8, this imposing perennial produces moderate numbers of seedlings in similar garden habitats. Mature plants form ferny-leaved, 3-to 4-foot clumps, surmounted in summer by white bottlebrush flower spikes. Several other U.S. native bugbanes are also well worth growing, most notably the relatively compact, bold-leaved, late-summer-blooming Actaea rubifolia.
Blue-star (Amsonia spp.)
The pale flowers of Arkansas blue-star mingle with tall Allium.
Most members of this mostly North American genus will self-sow obligingly (but not invasively) in sunny to lightly shaded garden niches. Almost all amsonias are large, upright, long-lived clump-formers with handsome, lance-shaped, disease-resistant foliage and starry, light blue, late-spring flowers. Arkansas blue-star (Amsonia hubrichtii, Zones 5-9) is especially handsome, thanks to its extremely narrow leaves that lend its 3-foot clumps a hazy, dreamy look. It’s also one of the most reliable self-sowers of the lot.
Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Both butterflies and bees are attracted to the bright flowers of butterfly weed.
A durable eastern U.S. native for hot dry sunny niches, butterfly weed summons early-summer pollinators with its brilliant flat-headed clusters of orange to yellow flowers on 2-foot stems. The ensuing seed pods split open to release downy seeds that float away on the summer breeze – and germinate the following spring. Volunteer seedlings can be sparse to abundant, depending on wind patterns and other vagaries. Grow it in zones 3-9.
Bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.)
Fringed bleeding heart is an exceptional native for pollinators.
Fringed bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia, Zones 3-9) would be worth growing for its lacy, finely divided, blue-green foliage alone. For most gardeners (and hummingbirds), though, it’s the flowers (which resemble fanciful pink flasks rather than hearts) that are the primary feature of this lovely eastern U.S. woodlander. Bloom repeats sporadically from spring through fall, spawning the occasional seedling. Hybrids (such as ‘Luxuriant’) between Dicentra eximia and its western U.S. cousin Dicentra formosa (Zones 4-8) are sterile and seedless. At around a foot tall, Dicentra eximia and its hybrids are miniatures compared to the species whose cordate flowers inspired the common name “bleeding heart”. The purple-pink hearts of Dicentra spectabilis (recently re-dubbed Lamprocapnos spectabilis, Zones 3-9) open in mid-spring on arching stems that ascend to 3 feet or more. There’s also a beguiling white-flowered variant. All manifestations of the species self-sow modestly and true to form.
Gas plant (Dictamnus albus)
Gas plant blooms have a sweet citrusy scent.
Slow from seed and in growth, gas plant is one of a multitude of splendid perennials that are rarely offered because they are a poor fit for mass-market plant production. Give it a few years, and it will mature into a 3-foot hummock of lustrous, dark-green foliage decked in late spring with spikes of fragrant, showy purple or white, hummingbird-seducing flowers. One of the best strategies for propagating this long-lived Eurasian native is to wait for volunteer seedlings, which occur sporadically. Gas plant has only one liability as an ornamental: in rare instances, the volatile oils that inspired its name can cause blistering and other symptoms of acute dermatitis. These volatile compounds are also responsible for a time-honored garden ritual. Hold a match near the plant on a calm warm evening and its “gases” will briefly flare into flame. Grow in zones 3-9.
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Here purple and white coneflower variants mingle in a naturalistic garden.
No need to plant more of this beloved Midwest native: once it’s in your garden, it will almost certainly give you a scattering of volunteers. Expect to see their rose-pink, dark-coned flowers within a year after they germinate. Seedlings of the slew of recently introduced hybrids involving Echinacea purpurea (Zones 4-9) and the yellow-flowered Echinacea paradoxa (Zones 4-9) are a different story. Even if they survive the winter – a dubious proposition in USDA hardiness zones 6 and lower – they’ll produce flowers unlike those of their parent.
Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
The unique foliage and flowers of this prairie native add interest to native gardens. (Image by Kurt Stueber)
You might think that a perennial with yucca-like foliage (and a botanical name to match) would favor arid conditions. In fact, Eryngium yuccifolium (Zones 3-9) often occurs in moist habitats in its native range, which spans much of eastern and central North America. Give it a reasonably fertile, not too dry garden soil, and it will send up 4-foot stalks in midsummer, topped by spheres of silvery flowers. Allow it to seed, and you’ll be rewarded with progeny the following spring.
Bearfoot hellebore (Helleborus foetidus)
The pale chartreuse flowers of bearfoot hellebore bloom in late winter to early spring.
Most hellebores self-sow, given the opportunity. Helleborus foetidus (Zones 5-8) is perhaps the most adaptable and fecund of the lot, prospering and self-propagating in sun and shade. A member of the shrubby side of the tribe, it bears leaves and pale chartreuse flowers on upright stems that can ascend to 18 inches or more. The foliage is pleasantly pungent rather than unpleasantly fetid.
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Cardinal flower spikes have blooms of the purest red imaginable.
The brilliant red spires of cardinal flower (Zones 3-9) are a common midsummer sight in wetland habitats of eastern and central North America. Quite often they’re attended by adoring hummingbirds. Relatively short-lived in the garden, they persist by sowing themselves into moist exposed soil, germinating into evergreen rosettes. Equally wonderful is blue cardinal flower (Lobelia siphilitica, Zones 4-8), another eastern North American native and midsummer hummingbird fave. It succeeds in just about any garden position except deep shade. Its white-flowered form is also compelling.
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
Virginia bluebells will make any spring garden look lovely.
Give this eastern U.S. native (Zones 3-9) a good moist soil in partial shade, and it will spread freely both from underground rhizomes and from self-seeding. A member of the borage family, it produces the blue flowers typical of the tribe. The blue-green, tongue-shaped leaves go dormant soon after the flowers fade in late spring.
Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
Wooded native gardens are suited to celandine poppies.
An excellent shade-garden companion for Virginia bluebells (as well as trilliums and woodland phlox), this reliably self-sowing eastern U.S. native (Zones 4-9) bears glistening yellow mini-poppies on 18-inch plants clothed in large lobed leaves. Its East-Asian analog Stylophorum lasiocarpum blooms in summer.
Among the numerous other perennials that seed themselves are:
Blazing star (Liatris spp.);
Patrinia (Patrinia spp.);
Beardtongue (Penstemon spp.);
Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus);
and Yellow fumitory (Pseudofumaria lutea).
They’re living proof that going to seed is not necessarily a bad thing!
Some fall seedheads bring life to changing, late-season gardens, whether by adding structure and texture to beds or bringing beauty to dry arrangements. Many also do double duty by providing fatty, nutritious food for wildlife. Our favorites even continue to look attractive into the colder months.
Part of enjoying fall seedheads is knowing which should not be cut back. Fastidious gardeners need to hold back with their shears and trimming instincts with these plants. Only when they have served their purposes–whether by adding garden interest or feeding wildlife– should they be cut. Here are several of the best perennials with the prettiest seedy heads for fall.
Perennials With Decorative Fall Seedheads
Black-Eyed Susans
Black-eyed Susan seedheads are very structural and attractive in fall, and birds love them!
Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia species and hybrids) have small, dark seedheads that remain attractive if you do not cut them back. Branched stems are topped with seedheads that songbirds cannot resist. Wait to cut them back until spring. The heads continue to lend garden interest and catch winter snow beautifully.
False Indigo
Baptisia has many seasons of interest if you leave up their dark, attractive pods through winter.
False Indigo (Baptisia species and hybrids, Zones 4-9, ~2-3 feet) has lovely pods that stand above the foliage and turn from green to black. In fall and winter, the dry, black seeds rattle and look attractive. The seeds eventually break open, and seedlings usually follow, but these are easily raked away with a hoe and mulched with Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost over in spring. Some songbirds, such as black-capped chickadees, also eat the seeds in winter.
Chinese Lanterns
Chinese lanterns are favored by dried flower lovers as well as gardeners.
ChineseLanterns (Physalis alkekengi, Zones 3-9, 1-2 feet) are beautiful in fall–providing glowing lanterns that dry to bright orange-red, which are not seedheads but in essence seedhead covers. The upside is that they remain beautiful in the garden or dried arrangements for a long time. The downside is that these perennials spread quickly, so I recommend container-planting only for these rowdy but attractive plants. Fafard® Natural & Organic Potting Mix is an excellent choice for potting up perennials. Cut off the lanterns by late fall to reduce self-sowing.
Clematis
Long or later-blooming garden clematis, such as Jackman’s clematis (Clematis x jackmanii) offer more reliable seedheads for fall.
Clematis (Clematis species and hybrids) of all types, vining, and non-vining, produce fluffy seedheads that remain on the plants through fall if left undisturbed. As they dry, they become super fluffy, and finally, they shatter. The seeds are then spread far and wide by the wind. Many hybrids produce sterile seeds, so you do not have to worry about seedlings overtaking your garden.
Coneflowers
Coneflower seedheads are strong-stemmed and will remain up and attractive even after birds have picked them clean.
Coneflowers (Echinacea species and hybrids, hardiness and heights vary) have reliably attractive seedheads that birds cannot resist. Many gardeners may be tempted to cut back the old flower heads in summer, but refrain from the temptation. Your reward will be lots of songbirds in the garden, and sturdy stems that dry to lend garden appeal all winter long. Expect some seedlings in springtime to move about the garden or share with friends.
Joe-Pye Weed
Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum, Zones 4-9, 5-7 feet) is a tall, native perennial that makes an impressive statement when in bloom and in seed. The fluffy seeds are attractive to birds and the structural heads and stems remain attractive into winter. Cut them back when they start to break apart. Expect some welcome spring seedlings.
Milkweed
Swamp milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is showy when in bloom and pod–from fall to winter.
Milkweed (Asclepias species and hybrids, hardiness and heights vary) have become garden favorites because they are essential for monarch butterflies, but many species also have very interesting and beautiful seedpods and seeds that break open and fly in the wind in fall. Keep the pods up in winter for interest. Seedings occur on occasion. Be sure to move them about the garden to increase its butterfly appeal.
Native Grasses
Prairie Winds® ‘Blue Paradise’ Little Bluestem is a beautiful native grass variety from Proven Winners with pretty fall plumes. (photo left thanks to Proven Winners)
Native grasses of all types have very showy plumes in fall and winter. These include stately garden grasses such as Blonde Ambition blue grama grass (Boutelouagracilis Blonde Ambition, Zones 4-9, 2-3 feet), with its numerous small seedheads, airy pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergiacapillaris), Totem Pole switchgrass (Panicum virgatum Prairie Winds® Totem Pole, Zones 4-9, 6-7 feet), Blue Paradise little bluestem (Schizachyriumscoparium Prairie Winds® Blue Paradise) or in the most extreme case, the 8-10′ western-native giant sacaton grass (Sporobolus wrightii ‘Windbreaker’, Zones 5-9).
Birds–chirping, whistling, and singing—are integral contributors to the daily symphony of garden sounds. Their presence is also a sign of a healthy ecosystem. Attract them by using the right combination of flowering plants and focusing on a succession of blooms and seeds. The end result will be a beautiful landscape and a smorgasbord for birds.
The majority of bird-friendly blooms need sunny space, though a few, like allium and black-eyed Susan, can flourish in light shade. Some species will thrive in the leanest soil, while others prefer a growing medium enriched with organic material like Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost.
Zinnias, cosmos, marigolds and other prolific annuals are “cut and come again” flowers, producing fresh flowers over and over again after deadheading or cutting. In fact, the biggest dilemma for bird and bloom-loving gardeners may be whether to enjoy cut flowers or let them set seeds for hungry birds. When in doubt, plant enough for both uses and refrain from deadheading at the end of the gardening season.
The ten flowering plants below are among the best at providing beauty, ease of culture, and food for avian visitors.
Spring Flowers for Birds
Golden groundsel has seeds that feed birds. Birds also eat the spring pollinators they attract.
Golden Groundsel (Packera aurea, Zones 3-9): The native golden-yellow flowers of golden groundsel are repellant to troublesome garden critters like deer and rabbits, but magnetic for pollinators and birds. Their golden-yellow clusters of daisies attract lots of pollinators (some of which birds eat) and brighten partially sunny to shaded beds and look great in woodland gardens. Flowering may start in mid-spring and continue to late spring. Leave the fluffy white seed heads for the birds to enjoy! Plants may spread, so give them space to move.
Many birds enjoy eating cornflower seeds.
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus): Annual cornflower, sometimes known as ‘bachelor buttons”, is an old-fashioned annual that blooms from May through July. The most common cornflower color is bright blue, but some varieties may also sport blue-purple, dark purple, white or pink flowers. Gardeners with poor soil can succeed with these bird-friendly blooms because they prefer lean conditions. Like other annuals, cornflowers will respond to cutting by producing more blooms. From a bird’s perspective, the sooner the flowers go to seed the better, so make sure to let that happen. The seed that the birds leave behind or drop will produce a new crop the following year.
Summer Flowers for Birds
Cosmos attract insects that feed birds, and their seeds are also highly nutritious to many bird species.
Common Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus): Blooming from the beginning of summer through frost, this annual is among the most cheerful members of the daisy family or Asteraceae (formerly Compositae). The longtime garden favorite bears familiar saucer-shaped flowers with white, pink, or rose petals surrounding golden centers. Some varieties, like those in the Double Click series, feature double blooms. The leaves are fern-like, accenting slender stems that may be anywhere from 1 to 4 feet tall. Like bachelor buttons, cosmos favor lean soil and good drainage. For color variation, try Cosmos sulphureus, with yellow, orange, or orange-red petals. Birds will have no trouble finding these tall beauties, which rise between 2 and 6 feet.
Zinnia seeds are a nutritious bird favorite, so leave up those seedheads in fall!
Zinnias (Zinnia species and hybrids): The world of annual zinnias is wide, encompassing varieties in just about every color except for brown and blue. Heights range from ground-hugging (6 inches) to 4 feet tall. Some of the most popular are tall zinnias (Zinnia elegans). All zinnias bear bright, daisy-like flowers, borne on somewhat coarse, hairy stems adorned with elongated green leaves. Pinching back the stems of young zinnia plants encourages branching, making more flowers for you and the birds. Zinnias will also bloom from early summer through frost but are sometimes prone to powdery mildew, a fungal disease. Avoid crowding the plants, as good air circulation discourages powdery mildew.
Coneflowers: Once upon a time, if you wanted a perennial coneflower (Echinacea spp.), your options were limited to the lovely blooms of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). Now perennial coneflowers have become the darlings of the horticultural world and choices abound. Petal colors range from white, like the lovely ‘White Swan’, through a range of yellows, peach, pink, orange, and red, with bi-colors, like the fetching ‘Green Twister’ thrown in for good measure. Many of the newer coneflowers are also fragrant, an added plus. The one thing that they all have in common is large, cone-shaped centers filled with seeds. Goldfinches, in particular, love them.
Marigold seeds are numerous and feed birds.
Marigolds: Annual marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are easy to grow and, tolerant of a range of conditions. Tall types, usually varieties of Tagetes erecta or African marigold, may reach a height of up to 4 feet tall, with large flower heads of cream, yellow, or yellow-orange petals. Blooming through the summer, both flowers and stems are aromatic and quite effective at repelling deer and other garden pests. Low-growing French marigolds (Tagetes patula) have all the virtues of their taller relations, but top out at 6 to 12 inches—perfect for containers, small spaces, and border edgings. When flowerheads are left intact for bird consumption, marigolds will self-seed readily.
Nutritious seeds are the main attraction of black-eyed-Susans, so keep your seedheads up in fall.
Black-Eyed Susans: An old-time favorite, black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) flowers from mid to late summer. Native to North America, the plants may be biennial or perennial, but all feature prominent seed-filled cones that attract birds, especially finches and chickadees. One of the most popular garden “Susans” is Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’, a reliable perennial that is widely available in garden centers and features some of the largest flowers. In general, black-eyed Susans can flourish in a wide variety of soil conditions and may even tolerate light shade.
A scarlet tanager looks for insects on a sunflower head.
Annual Sunflowers: It is hard not to love annual sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), which are held in high esteem by humans, mammals, and birds. With broad, open flower faces and statuesque profiles, drought and heat-tolerant sunflowers, are also among the easiest plants to grow from seed. Breeders have worked hard to expand the range of available sizes and colors. Petals can be cream, shades of yellow, gold, orange, or russet, with bicolors popping up on the market every year. All have seed-filled centers. The big leaves may look ragged by summer’s end, but the flowerheads more than make up for that. Container gardeners do not have to miss out on the flowers, or the birds, because shorter varieties like ‘Little Becky” topping out at about 3 feet.
Autumn Finale
Chickadees eat visiting insects and seeds of asters.
Asters: Perennial asters (Symphyotrichum spp., Eurybia spp. and Aster spp.) are no longer grouped under one species name, but they all feature daisy-like blooms in shades ranging from white through a host of pinks and roses to blues and blue-purples. For visual impact, you can’t beat traditional New England asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). Upright and leafy, they may grow up to 6 feet tall, but can also be kept shorter with judicious pruning earlier in the growing season. Shorter asters, like the Woods series (‘Purple’, ‘Blue’ and ‘Pink’) have the same winsome flowers beloved of both people and birds but feature shorter stature (up to 18 inches). Butterflies relish the flowers’ nectar and birds feast on the autumn seeds.
Perennial sunflowers are essential late-bloomers for feeding birds.
Perennial Sunflowers: Drought-tolerant and versatile, sedums have really caught on with gardeners. Whether you choose tall varieties like the much-loved ‘Autumn Joy’ or shorter ones, like ‘Wildfire’, sedums feature flowerheads of small, star-shaped blooms that draw butterflies. Hanging around throughout fall, when other flowering plants have long since given up, sedums attract birds like finches with their plump seedheads. If you can, avoid cutting back sedums until spring clean-up.
Many of these garden flowers naturally self-sow from year to year, so allow a few seedlings to provide more bird food and beauty to future gardens.
What could be more American than a planting of native perennials that flowers red-white-and-blue in summer? If you have a sunny to lightly shaded garden spot with reasonably decent soil, you could celebrate next Independence Day with your own floral fireworks, courtesy of the following perennials. All are native to eastern North America, and hardy to USDA Zone 5. If your soil is excessively sandy or heavy, be sure to dig in a couple inches of Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost before installing your patriotic planting.
Red Garden Flowers
Bee balm (Monarda didyma hybrids)
‘Jacob Cline’ monarda has big bright red flowers that hummingbirds cannot resist.
Few plants are more all-American than the species and hybrids in the genus Monarda, which is endemic to the New World. The frilly, fragrant flower heads of these tall, often vigorously spreading perennials expand in late spring and early summer, drawing in whatever hummingbirds are in the vicinity. Powdery mildew can be a problem in humid, droughty weather, so look for varieties that have been selected for mildew resistance. These include cultivars in shades of brilliant red (‘Gardenview Scarlet’, ‘Jacob Cline’), rich purple-red (‘Judith’s Fancy Fuchsia’, ‘Raspberry Wine’), violet-purple (‘Purple Rooster’, ‘On Parade’), lavender-purple (Monarda fistulosa ‘Claire Grace’, ‘Dark Ponticum’), and hot pink (‘Coral Reef’). All of the above are in the 3- to 4-foot-tall range. Several recently introduced, lower-growing bee balms are also available, including purple ‘Grand Marshall’ (2 feet tall) and bright pink ‘Grand Parade’ (15 inches).
Winecups (Callirhoe involucrata)
Winecups thrive in summer heat.
Another purely North American genus, Callirhoe encompasses 9 species of sun-loving perennials and annuals, most blessed with showy burgundy-red flowers that continue through much of summer. The trailing habit of Callirhoe involucrata is typical of most winecups. If you’re looking for a sun- and heat-loving perennial that will cover ground, cascade down walls, or weave through neighboring plants, you can hardly do better. Fringed poppy mallow (Callirhoe digitata) is more upstanding in habit, to 2 feet tall; it’s also well worth growing.
White Garden Flowers
American ipecac (Gillenia stipulata)
Gillenia is an easy perennial that deserves to be in every garden.
A long-lived, 3-foot-tall perennial with lacy leaves, starry early summer flowers, brilliant fall color, and a tough, drought-tolerant constitution, the eastern North American native American ipecac (and its close cousin, Gillenia trifoliata) is one of the best garden perennials, period. It takes a couple years to get going, which makes it a hard sell in an era when many gardeners and nurseries want instant results. But if you get a chance to buy one (or more), grab it. You’ll thank yourself for years to come.
Other White-Flowered Native Perennials
White coneflowers are bright and beautiful!
Quite a few other U.S. native perennials sometimes dress in white, even if it’s not their typical flower color. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) sometimes goes albino, as in cultivars ‘White Swan’ and the dwarf, 20-inch-tall ‘PowWow White’. Their large-coned, many-rayed blossoms debut in early summer and continue for many weeks. False dragonhead (Physostegia virginiana) is another purple all-summer bloomer that often diverges into white forms. Cultivars such as ‘Alba’ and ‘Summer Snow’ have the same general habit as purple forms, bearing their flower spikes on 3-foot tall, rapidly spreading plants. Less rampant forms include ‘Miss Manners’, a 2-foot-tall clump-former, and the 15-inch ‘Crystal Peak White’. Purple-to-white also happens in the genus Phlox. Most border phlox (Phlox paniculata) come into bloom after the Fourth. Several other species and hybrids, however, start flowering in June and continue through summer. Look for ‘Solar Flare’, ‘Daughter of Pearl’, and ‘Aurora’, all bearing white, pink-eyed flowers on 2- to 3-foot, mildew resistant plants in spring and early summer with repeat flushes until frost.
Blue Garden Flowers
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Bees love these fragrant blue flowers.
If you love masses of lavender-blue flowers and bumblebees, you’ll want to work this eastern North American native into your plantings, patriotic and otherwise. The flowers are carried from late spring through much of summer on airy spikes undergirded by clumps of coarse toothed oval leaves. All parts of this large, 3- to 4-foot tall, short-lived perennial waft a pleasant fragrance. A reliable (and sometimes prolific) self-sower, it comes in several forms, including white-flowered and gold-leaved varieties. Dalliances with other species including the East Asian native Agastache rugosa have led to numerous hybrid selections (e.g., ‘Blue Fortune’), most of which offer a somewhat more compact habit.
Tall larkspur (Delphinium exaltatum)
These larkspurs are more delicate their hybridized European cousins.
Common garden delphiniums are European hybrids of Eurasian species that melt in the heat and humidity of eastern North American summers. Tall larkspur, in contrast, hails from the Southeast United States, so it can take just about anything summer throws at it. Don’t expect flowers the size of those of the prima-donna hybrids. Count instead on spikes of purple-blue blooms that are much daintier and less flop-prone, on 4- to 5-foot stalks. They’re right at home in cottage borders, butterfly borders, and other informal settings. Flowering kicks in around the Fourth, yet another reason to celebrate the holiday.
Winter jasmine has beautiful fragrant flowers and a pleasing cascading habit.
January showers bring winter flowers. No – really. Plant the right shrubs, and you can have midwinter bloom whenever the weather turns mild, provided you’re in USDA Hardiness Zone 5b or warmer. Boston, Rochester, Columbus, Detroit – wherever. And, all feed early bees and other essential pollinators.
Witch Hazels
Witch hazels with orange- or red-tinged flowers, like ‘Aurora’, are especially colorful.
Topping the roster of hardy winter-blooming shrubs are the witch hazels (known botanically as Hamamelis). These medium to large deciduous shrubs are to winter what roses are to summer. The gossamer, spicy-scented flowers unfurl their ribbon-like petals as early as December. (The eastern North American native Virginia Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) departs from the witch hazel norm by blooming in autumn.) Witch hazels are also attractive during the growing season, bearing broadly oval, gently scalloped leaves that turn bright yellow, red, or orange before shedding in fall.
Plant witch hazels in full sun to light shade and humus-rich soil that’s not overly heavy or dry. Mulch with Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost to get them off to an especially good start. Their semi-translucent flowers are showiest when flooded with light, so give them a position where they can be viewed against the sun.
Brilliant fall color is another notable trait of witch hazels.
A good place to start your winter-blooming shrub collection is with one of the many hybrids of Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis), arguably the showiest-flowered members of the witch hazel tribe. As with all Hamamelis species, the 1/2- to 1-inch-long petals of Chinese witch hazel and its hybrids are lemon yellow (with a citrusy scent to match), but sometimes stray into other colors. Among the most outstanding of this wonderful group of large shrubs are:
Chinese witch hazels are known for their lemon-yellow flowers.
‘Arnold Promise’, which opens its large sunny-yellow flowers relatively late in the witch hazel season, from late January to late March.
‘Aurora’, whose orange-tinged, golden-yellow flowers are among the largest and most abundant of the lot. Like most cultivars, it flowers from early January to early March or so.
‘Diane’, a coppery-red-flowered selection that also features outstanding bright orange to red fall foliage.
‘Primavera’, noted for its pale moonlight-yellow flowers and its exceptional fragrance.
‘Strawberries and Cream’, named for the delicious intermingling hues of its pink, yellow, and maroon flowers.
Vernal witch hazel is a yellow-flowered Ozark native that’s smaller and denser than Chinese.
In USDA zones 4 and 5a, where Chinese witch hazel and its hybrids are marginally hardy, consider instead the U.S. native Hamamelis vernalis, commonly known as vernal witch hazel. Somewhat smaller and denser in habit than Hamamelis mollis, this 6- to 9-foot-tall shrub typically bears orange-yellow blooms with stubby ¼- to ½-inch-long petals. The cultivar ‘Amethyst’, in contrast, offers flowers of a striking mauvy maroon that’s unlike anything else in the witch hazel tribe. Another marked departure from witch hazel norms is ‘Quasimodo’, a semi-dwarf selection that tops out at 4 to 6 feet tall. Some forms of vernal witch hazel also bloom exceptionally early, including ‘Beholden’, whose pale orange flowers debut as early as November.
As companions to your witch hazel collection, consider the following winter-blooming shrubs.
Winter Heath
Winter heath is evergreen and has very lovely small pink or white blooms.
Winter heath (Erica carnea) is a low, hummock-forming, 8-inch-tall evergreen shrub with small needle-like leaves, this European native covers itself with small flask-shaped flowers from midwinter to early spring. Cultivars include ‘Springwood Pink’, with lilac-pink blooms on vigorous spreading plants; ‘Springwood White’; and the relatively petite, rose-pink-flowered ‘Vivelli’.
Japanese Camellia
Brilliant red flowers and lush evergreen foliage make Japanese camellia a star in the winter garden.
Japanese camellia (Camellia japonica) is another reliable winter bloomer. “Hardy camellia” may sound oxymoronic, but in fact some members of the tribe can withstand remarkably low temperatures. Japanese camellia is undoubtedly the hardiest of the genus, with plants of Korean origin flourishing in Zone 6 or even Zone 5. Camellia japonica ‘Bloomfield’ features brilliant red flowers, lush evergreen foliage, a large, dense, rounded habit, and rock-solid Zone 6 hardiness. The single, 3-inch-wide blooms occur in flushes during mild spells in late winter and early spring. The original plant – grown from Korean seed at Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia – is more than 12 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Even hardier is ‘Korean Fire’, which produces smoldering-red, six-petaled, 2-inch-wide flowers. It’s well worth trying in favorable partially shaded microclimates into USDA Zone 5a. Plants grow to 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide.
Black Pussywillow
Pussywillows of all types look beautiful in late winter.
Black pussywillow (Salix gracilistyla ‘Melanostachys’) has large, mitten-like, black-purple catkins line the maroon-tinged stems of this wonderful pussywillow in late winter and early spring. It’s hardy to Zone 4. Equally arresting (and hardy) is ‘Winter Glory’ (aka Salix chaenomeloides), with even larger catkins of the typical silver-gray color. Both these shrubs grow to 10 feet tall or so, and benefit from a hard early-spring pruning every couple of years. Give them full sun and moist humus-rich soil.
Winter Honeysuckle
Winter honeysuckle is especially fragrant!
Winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima). A welcome sight and scent in the late winter garden, this East Asian native perfumes the air with small white blooms that open on mild days from midwinter to early spring. A deciduous, 6-foot shrub in the colder sectors of its zone 5 to 9 hardiness range, it behaves – or rather misbehaves – as a moderately to highly invasive 8- to 12-foot evergreen in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. It’s thus best reserved for northern U.S. gardens. Its hybrid Lonicera × purpusii (including the cultivar ‘Winter Beauty’) does much the same thing. All forms of winter honeysuckle favor full to partial sun and well-drained, average to fertile soil.
Cornelian Cherry
Cornelian cherry has yellow winter flowers and edible summer fruits.
Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) is a large shrub or small tree from southern Europe and western Asia covers itself with clusters of small acid-yellow flowers in late winter and early spring. The common name refers to the fleshy edible fruits that ripen red in summer. Don’t be deceived, though; this “cherry” is actually a member of the dogwood tribe. The East Asian native Cornus officinalis is similar, but also features handsome exfoliating bark and a slightly earlier bloom time. It’s also a bit less hardy, to Zone 5 rather than Zone 4. The award-winning ‘Kintoki‘ is known for its superior floral and fruit displays. Both species like full sun to light shade and do well in most soil types.
Winter Jasmine
Carolina jessamine can start blooming in late winter down south and continue to spring.
Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum). The bright yellow flowers of this scrambling East Asian native resemble those of Forsythia, but open weeks earlier. Its lax green 10- to 15-foot stems are useful for trailing down a bank or wall or for training on a trellis. Flowering may occur somewhat later in the zone 5b to 6a fringes of its hardiness range. Gardeners in Zones 6b and up can grow the somewhat similar Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens). Its wonderfully scented winter-to-spring flowers, evergreen foliage, and native origins compensate for its relative winter-tenderness. In colder climes it works well as a greenhouse subject, which can be moved outside with warmer weather. Both winter jasmine and Carolina jessamine do well in most types of soil in full to partial sun.
