Category: Home & Garden

Hibiscus syriacus

As the line from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” goes: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Except when the “rose” in question isn’t even a rose, that is, and doesn’t smell like much of anything…

What rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus, lacks in aroma, it makes up for in sheer beauty, with a dazzling display of single or double flowers from midsummer to fall or first frost.

Flowers are purple, pink, white, red, fuchsia, or combinations thereof, and are usually between three to six inches in diameter, depending on the cultivar and growing conditions.

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Although rose of Sharon may look a bit like a rose upon first glance, with its large showy flowers, the medium-sized shrub is actually part of the Malvaceae or mallow family.

Other plants in this family include hardy hibiscus (H. moscheuto and other rose mallows) and the popular tropical hibiscus (H. rosa-sinensis).

In this growing guide we’ll explore some tips to get your plants started, how to keep them healthy, and how to maintain vibrant blooms.

Then we’ll review a few top-pick cultivars ranging in height from three to 16 feet, with a variety of flower colors available.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

What Is Rose of Sharon?

Rose of Sharon, sometimes called shrub althea, or hardy hibiscus (not to be confused with the aforementioned rose mallows that also go by this common name), is an indispensable addition to any garden.

Suitable for growers in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, they may need to be protected for the first couple of winters in Zone 5 until they become established, and should be planted in a sheltered location in Zones 5 and 6.

Uniquely attractive, these multi-stemmed shrubs bloom late in the season from midsummer onward, after many other perennials have already finished flowering. They provide fall beauty as well as late season food for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

It’s a little-known fact that the young leaves of the plant are edible, either raw or cooked.

They tend to get tougher by the end of the summer, but I find them quite mild in flavor, and acceptable as part of a salad earlier in the season – an important selling point for food gardeners such as myself who wish to fill the garden with edibles rather than solely ornamental plants.

Hypericum calycinum, also known as rose of Sharon or Aaron’s beard, is a low-growing yellow flowered shrub in the Hypericaceae family. Though this species may share the same common name, it’s hard to mistake it for H. syriacus if you know what you’re looking for.

Note that the leaves of H. calycinum are not known to be edible.

While many other types of flowering shrubs are still becoming established, rose of Sharon matures with a flush of blooms at two years old, with flowers forming on new growth.

The shrub establishes quickly in warmer climates, but can be a bit slower to get going in Zones 5 and 6.

Speaking of slow starts, the medium-green, three-lobed leaves of H. syriacus don’t appear until late May or early June each year, so don’t assume your plant is a goner based on its lack of early spring greenery.

Cultivation and History

Rose of Sharon is native to China and possibly other areas of East Asia as well. It is held in high regard as the national flower of South Korea.

Historically, it was used in China as both food and medicine. The flowers are referred to as mu jin hua in traditional Chinese medicine, used most popularly as a longevity-promoting tea.

Other medicinal applications include use as a treatment for abdominal pain, diarrhea, and ringworm.

Propagation

H. syriacus is easy to propagate from seed, or by transplanting seedlings from the nursery. You can also start new plants by layering branches, or rooting stem cuttings.

By layering or taking cuttings, you’ll get a clone, or a plant that’s identical to the parent plant. Hybrid cultivars may not grow true to seed.

Transplanting

A good starting point if you’re looking to propagate plants is to look around and under existing plants, if you have access to any, to see if any small seedlings are coming up.

If you do find some small seedlings and you want to transplant them into your own garden, simply dig them up, pot each one in a soilless medium in an eight to 12-inch (two- to five-gallon) pot, and care for them as described below until they’re at least one to two feet tall.

Plant them out in the early fall, or in early spring after all danger of frost has passed.

Keep reading for site preparation and planting details.

From Cuttings

There are a few possible methods of taking rose of Sharon cuttings. These include rooting hardwood cuttings, softwood cuttings, and semi-ripe stem cuttings.

Cuttings can be taken and placed directly in nursery beds or in pots.

I’ll focus on my favorite method below: semi-ripe stem cuttings rooted in a controlled environment such as a greenhouse or indoors.

Take cuttings in the summer, in July or August, before the new growth on the ends of branches becomes woody. Branches are ready to cut for semi-ripe propagation when they are still green at the tips, and just beginning to harden.

Select branches that are roughly the thickness of a pencil, and take five- to six-inch cuttings at a 45-degree angle directly below a bud.

Remove all but the top two to three pairs of leaves. Not all cuttings will root, so take three times more cuttings than you want plants.

Prepare four- to six-inch pots of moistened soilless potting mix, and poke holes into the center of the mix, slightly wider than the cuttings.

I recommend using semi-softwood rooting hormone powder or gel containing at least 0.4 percent indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for rooting H. syriacus cuttings, such as Stim-Root No. 2 Rooting Hormone Powder.

Remove a small quantity from the container and place it in a small dish or paper cup to use for this gardening project. You want to avoid contaminating the whole container of rooting hormone with your cuttings.

Moisten the bottom half of each cutting, and dip it in the rooting hormone. Carefully place the cuttings into the holes in the medium in your prepared pots, to a depth of about three inches (half of the stem length). Tamp down the soil mix around the stems.

Cover the pots with clear bags or planter humidity tops. Prop the bags up away from the cuttings, using three or four popsicle sticks stuck into the soil.

Check regularly and make sure the potting medium stays moist, but not oversaturated. Water with three percent hydrogen peroxide for about a quarter of the waterings to keep the cuttings from rotting.

Keep them in a bright location with indirect light until roots appear through the bottom of the pots. Then remove the bags and transition them gradually to full sun.

Your cuttings can be kept outdoors or indoors, though their growth will slow if temperatures drop below 70°F. It’s best to keep them indoors or in a greenhouse for their first winter if growing in cooler areas like Zone 5.

When plants reach 12 inches tall, transplant to eight to 10-inch-wide pots. Continue to water regularly to maintain soil moisture and fertilize once per month with a balanced product for flowering plants.

If all goes well, the plants should grow to at least 16 to 24 inches through the winter and will be ready for planting in the spring.

Layering

Layering is a method of rooting branches while they are still attached to the parent plant. This can be done in midsummer to early fall.

Simply bend healthy-looking lower branches down to the ground and dig them into the soil at least three inches deep. Cover at least six inches of the length of the branch, and leave at least five inches of the end sticking out of the soil. If needed, you can place a rock on top to keep the branch in place in the soil.

In early spring, you can gently dig away the soil. If roots have formed that are at least three inches long, cut the branch off from the parent plant just above where the roots have formed, and remove the new plant for transplanting.

If roots haven’t formed yet, bury the branch again and check once a month for the next couple of months until roots form. New plants should ideally be transplanted only in the spring or fall.

Otherwise, you’ll need to pot them up, bring them indoors or into a greenhouse in full sun, and wait to transplant out to the garden until the following planting season.

From Seed

Since rose of Sharon doesn’t grow true from seed – in other words, plants may not be anything like their parents in terms of flower color or size – growing them from seed that you’ve saved can be a good way to get some variety.

I also find plants grown from seed are more vigorous, with healthier root systems. Seeds aren’t commonly available from plant nurseries. And some cultivars don’t produce seed at all.

To harvest your own seeds from mature plants, wait until the seed pods are brown and dry in the fall. Harvest the pods, remove the seeds, and place them in a zip-top sandwich or freezer bag in the fridge with a piece of tissue to absorb excess moisture. This will keep them fresh.

Two months before your expected last frost date, or one month before planting out in frost-free areas, start seeds indoors in four-inch pots filled with moistened soilless potting or seed starting mix. Sow seeds a quarter to half an inch deep.

If you have enough seeds, plant three per pot to better ensure that each produces a plant.

You may place the pots in a heated greenhouse or in plastic bags to increase humidity and heat retention, to boost germination rates and speed.

Keep soil temperatures between 75 and 82°F, and germination should occur within two to four weeks. This can be done using a heat mat or by placing them in a sunny window.

Maintain the moisture of the growing medium, but do not allow it to become waterlogged.

If the temperature goes above the recommended range, move them away from the window and partially close the shades or curtains. If you are growing in a greenhouse, make sure it is well ventilated, and use shade cloth as needed to keep temperatures in the correct range.

Once seeds germinate, remove the bags. When seedlings are one to two inches tall, thin them out to keep only the strongest seedling in each pot.

Fertilize them weekly with a balanced fertilizer until the end of June in Zones 5 and 6, and up to mid-July in warmer locations. If you like, seedlings can be hardened off and moved outdoors for the summer, or kept inside.

They should then either be planted out in the early fall, or brought indoors or into a greenhouse before planting them out in early spring, after the last frost.

You can also plant them right away in their first spring when they are a few inches tall if you diligently protect them from weeds and nurture them carefully.

If you choose to do so, mulch well and baby them by keeping the soil evenly moist. Using a small spiral or plastic tube tree guard to shield them from rodents and deer is also a good idea. I buy larger ones and then cut them to size.

Tube Tree Guard

Give this one a try, available from Home Depot.

In Zone 5, winter protection will increase their chances of survival, which can include either wrapping them in burlap or using plant shelters. Remove burlap in early spring before they leaf out.

How to Grow

Rose of Sharon requires full sun and a sheltered location, especially in colder climates.

Ideally, soil should be humus-rich and fertile, but H. syriacus can grow in sandy or clay soils as well. Plants require good drainage and can’t tolerate wet feet.

They can, however, tolerate pollution and salt, so they’re perfect for gardeners in urban or coastal areas.

Apply four to six inches of chipped wood mulch or pine straw every spring to cover their roots at least out to the drip line – the outer perimeter beneath the canopy of the branches. This will help to keep the plants cool and moist. Avoid applying any right up against the stem to avoid rot.

According to Professor Alex Niemiera of the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech, the plants prefer a soil pH level between 3.7 and 7.3. 

The soil should also be kept evenly moist for best results. Sandy soil in particular should be amended with compost at least biannually to increase quantity of organic matter and aid water retention.

Unlike some flowering plants which gobble phosphorus, H. syriacus has moderate nitrogen (N), low phosphorus (P), and high potassium (K) needs when mature.

If your soil is lacking in overall fertility, a slow-release fertilizer meant for use on trees or woody shrubs with these NPK levels should be applied in late winter or early spring.

Fertilizing later in the season can cause plants to put on new growth that doesn’t have time to harden off before winter.

As with any plant, you should be aware of your soil’s nutrient levels before indiscriminately fertilizing. This is especially true for rose of Sharon, which is susceptible to overfertilization.

Too much nitrogen may cause the plant to continuously put on new foliar growth without ever flowering.

You should always adapt your fertilizer’s nutrient balance based on soil test results. Ideally, soil fertility should be built before planting, though adjustments and additional amendments may be needed after future soil tests.

Soil tests can be done every three years, though this may not be needed for hobby gardeners if no problems are evident in your plants.

Growing Tips

• Plant in organically-rich, well-draining soil.
• Choose a full sun location on the south side of a wall, building, or hedge for shelter.
• Mulch well to keep roots cool and to retain moisture.
• If you’re in Zone 5, consider protecting the plants in the winter with burlap or keeping them inside for their first year.
• Protection from cold winter winds is especially important in Zones 5 and 6.

Pruning and Maintenance

Pruning is not mandatory, unless you want to increase flower size or train your shrub to be a single-trunked tree.

All pruning should be done in the winter or early spring when the plant is completely dormant to avoid stressing it.

In general, very light pruning causes plants to bloom more profusely but with smaller flowers, whereas heavier pruning leads to larger, less abundant flowers.

Pruning may need to be done in the first winter if you want to create a tree-like shape. If growth is minimal, you can wait until the second year.

If a tree-like habit is your goal, simply cut all but one stem off right down to the ground, choosing a more central leader stem with some side branches. Do this annually to maintain its shape.

For lighter pruning, remove only dead or diseased branches. For heavier pruning, cut back one-third of the wood each year, focusing on weak and older branches.

Never cut back more than one-third at a time or you risk harming the health of your plant.

Read more about pruning ornamental shrubs in this guide.

Each branch can be cut back to leave only three buds minimum, though more can be left intact if you prefer to tip the balance a bit more towards producing smaller, more numerous flowers. Diseased or dead branches should be cut back to the ground or the base of the stem.

As a side note, you may have to keep a close eye on these plants, as some growers have difficulty controlling their spread via seed in warmer climates.

In Zone 5, where I grow them, control of self-seeding has never been an issue. Neglected seedlings don’t seem to do well, and they need to be protected carefully from weeds, cold winds, and temperature extremes to survive.

Cultivars to Select

Rose of Sharon has been in cultivation for thousands of years, and there are a wide variety of cultivars to choose from, with different flower colors, plant shapes, and sizes available.

Most cultivars tend to bloom from midsummer through to September or the first frost. Although wild rose of Sharon plants tend to have single flowers, some cultivars have been bred with double blooms.

The following are but a few selections to demonstrate the available diversity:

Ardens

‘Ardens’ has three-inch lavender double blooms with a unique ruffled appearance. Leaves are diamond shaped with a vibrant green color and serrated edges.

‘Ardens’

These grow to mature dimensions of eight to 12 feet tall, and six to eight feet wide.

Plants are available at Nature Hills Nursery.

Lil’ Kim

‘Lil’ Kim’ is a dwarf cultivar that has showy five-petalled white flowers with wine-red throats that bloom for three days each, an impressive feat compared to the day-long blooms of most varieties.

‘Lil’ Kim’

These plants have dark green, lance-shaped leaves and an upright growth habit. They grow best in Zones 5 to 9, maturing to just three to four feet in height and width.

You can find plants available at Nature Hills Nursery.

Magenta Chiffon

‘Magenta Chiffon’ has plentiful, bright magenta double blooms and grows in a rounded shape. It’s known for being less rigid than other varieties, with the ability to blow in the breeze.

‘Magenta Chiffon’

This cultivar reaches a mature height of eight to 12 feet tall and spreads six to 10 feet.

Plants are available at Nature Hills Nursery.

Minerva

‘Minerva’ has trumpet-shaped pink to lavender flowers with red throats and yellow stamens that bloom from mid-July until September, or later. It produces few, if any seeds.

‘Minerva’

Plants have glossy green leaves and an upright form reaching eight to 12 feet in height, and a spread of six to 10 feet wide at maturity.

You can find plants available at Nature Hills Nursery.

Sugar Tip

‘Sugar Tip,’ aka ‘America Irene Scott,’ has light pink double flowers with creamy-fringed blueish green leaves.

‘Sugar Tip’

It produces no seed and grows eight to 12 feet tall, with a spread of three to four feet at maturity.

Plants are available at Nature Hills Nursery.

White Pillar

‘White Pillar’ is known for its upright, pillar-like growth habit, growing to a mature height of up to 16 feet tall, with a spread only two to three feet wide.

‘White Pillar’

Snow-white billowing tissue-paper-like double flowers adorn this variety, which has deep green leaves and thrives in Zones 5 to 9.

You can find plants available from Nature Hills Nursery.

Managing Pests and Disease

Rose of Sharon may occasionally be bothered by a few pests, particularly if plants are stressed or lack ideal growing conditions. Here, I’ll cover the top culprits.

Insects

My preferred method of preventing pests from getting out of hand is to encourage beneficial insect populations in my garden, while applying the principles and techniques of integrated pest management.

If you do have a serious infestation that needs to be treated, the insect pests described below can usually be controlled with a mixture of insecticidal soap and neem oil.

For one liter of spray, mix one teaspoon neem oil with one third of a teaspoon of insecticidal soap or biodegradable dish detergent, and one liter of warm water.

Always test your spray on a few leaves of your plant and wait 24 hours to observe if there is any damage. This may appear as discoloration or “burning” of the foliage, wilting, or desiccation.

Aphids

Aphids are notoriously destructive sap suckers that appear on stem tips or leaves.

As they feed on the plant, they leave a spotty, sad mess in their wake. They also leave behind a sticky substance called honeydew that traps fungal spores and can contribute to the spread of fungal diseases.

Aphids are best controlled with weekly spraying of the mixture described above.

See our guide to learn more about how to control aphids in your garden.

Japanese Beetles

Sprays may not be quite as effective for treating these small, metallic green beetles with bronze or copper-brown wings. The telltale sign of a Japanese beetle infestation is skeletonized leaves or flowers.

Whiteflies

Whiteflies are small white flies that, like the closely related aphid, are often found on the undersides of leaves, sucking sap.

Affected leaves will be pale or yellow in color, and they may wilt. Remove and destroy affected leaves. Plants with an infestation should be sprayed at least weekly with the aforementioned mixture.

Disease

The most common diseases that may plague rose of Sharon are leaf spot, rust, and root rot. All are fungal infections that can be treated with copper-based fungicides.

Leaf Spot

Leaf spot appears as circular yellow or brown lesions or spots on foliage, and a worsening problem leads to the eventual loss of leaves. It’s usually caused by Cercospora or Phyllosticta species of fungi.

To treat, first remove and destroy all infected plant material. Then, spray the fungicide over the entire plant and the surrounding soil out at least one foot beyond the dripline.

Ensure your plants have good air circulation by keeping them well-weeded, and consider pruning to thin out branches and allow for better airflow. Water only at the base of the plant, and keep on top of pruning any dead or diseased branches.

Root Rot

Root rot is caused by various types of fungi and is best prevented by making sure plants have adequate soil drainage.

Treatment options are limited, though a suitable fungicide application program may be effective. To learn more about preventing and treating it, check out our in-depth article on root rot here.

Rust

Rust, caused by the fungus Kuehneola malvicola, is a common problem for members of the Malvaceae family and it looks like… well, rust.

Orange spots appear on the foliage, usually beginning on the underside of the leaves. Although rarely deadly, rust can be unattractive and it slows the growth of plants.

Treat in the same manner as leaf spot, as described above.

Best Uses

H. syriacus are versatile plants that have a number of uses in the landscape, especially given the diversity of varieties available in numerous shapes and sizes.

Large varieties are responsive to pruning, so they can fit into any garden.

Smaller varieties can be planted in borders, while larger types make effective privacy screens or hedges, and most serve as excellent specimen plants.

They can be especially attractive doubled up on either side of an entrance to a garden or patio.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:	Woody flowering shrub	Flower / Foliage Color:	Purple, pink, white, red, fuchsia, or combinations/medium to deep green
Native to:	East Asia	Maintenance:	Moderate
Hardiness (USDA Zone):	5-9	Tolerance:	Heavy soil, pollution, salt, wind
Bloom Time:	Midsummer to fall	Soil Type:	Sandy, loam, clay
Exposure:	Full sun	Soil pH:	3.7-7.3
Spacing:	6-10 feet	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Planting Depth:	1/4-1/2 inch (seeds)	Attracts:	Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
Height:	3-16 feet, depending on variety	Uses:	Borders, hedges, screens, specimen
Spread:	2-10 feet, depending on variety	Order:	Malvales
Growth Rate:	Medium	Family:	Malvaceae
Water Needs:	Moderate	Genus:	Hibiscus
Common Pests and Diseases:	Aphids, Japanese beetles, whiteflies; leaf spot, root rot, rust	Species:	Syriacus

A Rose of Sharon by Any Other Name…

Whether you prefer to call it hardy hibiscus, shrub althea, or rose of Sharon, this adaptable and attractive plant deserves a place in your garden.

With many easy-to-grow varieties of different sizes, and flower colors to fit any garden, the elegance and charm of these abundantly flowering plants should grace every landscape in Zones 5 to 9.

With few pest or disease issues, and little effort required to grow them, H. syriacus is an excellent choice for a late season, low-maintenance blooming shrub, with edible leaves to boot!

Are you growing rose of Sharon? How does it fit into your garden scheme? Please share in the comments below, and feel free to post a picture!

And for more information about hibiscus plants, check out these guides next:

In this blog post, I’ll show you how to grow borage, and share a simple recipe for making a liquid fertilizer using borage leaves that will give your plants the boost they need to thrive.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-grow herb that offers a wide range of benefits, borage is a great choice. This beautiful plant, also known as starflower, produces stunning blue-purple flowers and rich green leaves that can be used in a variety of culinary and medicinal applications. Not only is borage a lovely addition to any garden but it’s also packed with nutrients and has numerous health benefits.

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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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5 Tips for How to Grow and Use Borage

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1. Learn the benefits of growing borage

Borage is a true champion when it comes to attracting bees and other beneficial pollinators to your garden. The plant’s beautiful blue-purple flowers are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and other flying insects, who are drawn to the nectar and pollen produced by the plant.

Because borage blooms for an extended period of time, it provides a consistent source of food for pollinators throughout the growing season.

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Borage is also known for its numerous health benefits, making it a popular choice in herbal medicine. The plant is rich in essential fatty acids, including gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which has been linked to numerous health benefits.

The leaves and flowers of borage also contain antioxidants, such as caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid, which can help to protect against oxidative stress and cellular damage. Additionally, borage has been used for centuries to soothe coughs, calm an upset stomach, and promote overall well-being.

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2. Plant borage at the right time

When to plant borage:

Borage is a hardy, annual plant that is typically sown directly into the garden in the spring once the soil has warmed up and all danger of frost has passed. The ideal soil temperature for planting is 70°F. 

In temperate regions, borage can also be planted in the fall, several weeks before the first expected frost, provided that there is sufficient time for the plant to become established before winter.

In the low desert of Arizona, plant borage seeds beginning in October and plant through January. Borage grows well until temperatures heat up in early summer.

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3. Plant and care for borage correctly

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How to plant borage:

• Borage has a long taproot and does best planted from seeds. Click here for 100% Heirloom, non-GMO borage seeds. 
• Plant borage seeds ¼-½ inches deep, 12-18 inches apart. Keep the soil moist until the seeds sprout. 
• Borage grows large, up to 3 feet tall and wide. Give plants plenty of room.

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Where to plant borage:

• Borage grows best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade.
• For square-foot gardening, plant 1 borage per 2-3 square feet.

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How to care for borage:

• Borage is a tough plant and can tolerate some neglect. 
• Water borage well until plant is established. The more water borage receives, the larger the plant becomes. 
• Borage does not require additional fertilizer. 
• Borage reseeds easily. Each borage flower develops into several seeds; harvest flowers before seeds form to prevent reseeding. Save seeds to plant next season.

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How to grow borage in containers:

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4. Harvest borage at the best time

• Harvest new leaves before bristles develop for the best flavor. 
• Pick flowers as soon as they appear. Picking flowers often encourages more production. 
• At the end of the season, leave a few flowers on the plant to save seeds. 
• Borage leaves and flowers taste like cucumbers. Use them in drinks, salads, sandwiches, or desserts.

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5. Learn how to use borage – don’t let it go to waste!

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How to use borage:

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Making a liquid fertilizer using borage leaves is a great way to give your plants a nutrient boost. Here’s a simple recipe to make your own:

Ingredients for fertilizer made with borage leaves:

• Borage leaves (enough to fill a quart-sized jar)
• Water
• Quart-sized jar with lid

Instructions for making fertilizer with borage leaves:

1. Rinse the borage leaves in cold water to remove any dirt or debris.
2. Chop the leaves into small pieces and add them to the quart-sized jar.
3. Fill the jar with water, leaving about an inch of space at the top.
4. Screw on the lid tightly and shake the jar vigorously to mix the ingredients.
5. Place the jar in a dark, cool place (like a pantry) for two weeks. Shake the jar once a day to help distribute the nutrients in the leaves.
6. After two weeks, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove the solids.
7. Pour the liquid fertilizer into a bottle with a lid for storage.

How to use fertilizer made with borage leaves:

To use the fertilizer, dilute it with water at a ratio of 1:10 (one part fertilizer to ten parts water). Apply to the soil around the base of your plants every two weeks for optimal growth and health.

Note: Always test the fertilizer on a small area of your plants before applying it to your entire garden to ensure that your plants do not have an adverse reaction to it.

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Sources for health benefits of borage:

• Prasad, K. (2015). Gamma-linolenic acid: an important ingredient in maintaining and restoring health. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 92, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.plefa.2014.10.002
• Ademiluyi, A. O. et al. (2018). Borage (Borago officinalis L.) leaves and flowers as potential sources of antioxidant compounds and minerals. Journal of Food Biochemistry, 42(4), e12541. doi: 10.1111/jfbc.12541
• Newall, C. A., Anderson, L. A., & Phillipson, J. D. (1996). Borage. Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Health-Care Professionals, 98-100. doi: 10.1177/00369330960310S309

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If this post about how to grow and use borage was helpful, please share it:

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Nepeta spp.

Nepeta is a genus of flowering perennials in the mint family, including popular herbs such as catnip and Faassen’s catmint.

Many feature attractive aromatic foliage and long blooming flowers that pollinators love.

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What’s more, with very few pests or other issues to worry about, these hardy perennials are incredibly easy to grow!

Continue on to learn all about growing catmint plants.

What Is Catmint?

The Nepeta genus includes 250 species of herbaceous perennials as well as a few annuals, with about 20 of these species and cultivars currently in cultivation.

They are often found in the wild growing in dry, sunny areas, often in dry rocky soils in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.

Species in this genus are drought resistant, requiring significantly less water than some other mints.

The genus contains several commonly grown species, most of which have aromatic heart-shaped green to gray-green foliage with opposite leaves, square stems, and small tubular flowers in shades of lavender, white, pink, or blue that bloom from spring through fall.

Some popular ones include catnip (Nepeta cataria), Persian catmint (N. mussinii), and Faassen’s catmint (N x faassenii).

Though to make matters confusing, the common names “catnip” and “catmint” are used to refer to multiple species.

N. cataria, commonly known as catnip, catwort, or catmint, is a traditional medicinal herb and the one we typically use to intoxicate our cats, though others in the genus may be attractive to felines as well.

It has a bit of a weedier appearance than some other species.

N. racemosa (aka N. mussinii) is also referred to as catmint, dwarf catnip, or raceme catnip.

A lower growing perennial with lilac-colored flowers, it is often grown as a border or ground cover in flower beds.

N. x faassenii, an N. racemosa hybrid also known as Faassen’s catmint, is a compact mounding hybrid with small but attractive lavender flowers. It is also grown primarily for its ornamental value.

You can learn more about how to grow Faassen’s catmint in our guide.

Cultivation and History

Species in this genus can be traced to Europe, Asia, and Africa, and many have naturalized in North America and throughout the world. N. cataria was first brought to North America in the 1800s by settlers who used it as a culinary herb.

Many Nepeta species are cultivated as ornamentals, for food, medicine, and of course, for cats!

These plants have long been used as herbal remedies in many traditions, often given as tea to children suffering from colic, stress, fever, or tummy aches.

These days, catnip tea is commonly sold by herbal companies who market it as a calming digestive aid, among other uses.

Plants also contain a compound called nepetalactone, a volatile oil that provokes a neurological response in cats, causing them to go temporarily nuts.

Propagation

Nepeta plants grow and spread easily, and are very easy to propagate in a number of different ways.

From Seed

You can start seeds indoors four to eight weeks before the last frost. Fill three- or four-inch pots with potting mix and press seeds into the soil, barely covering.

Keep moist until seedlings appear in two to three weeks and then place the pots under bright light until they develop at least two sets of true leaves.

You can also direct sow seeds outside before the first frost of fall or in spring after last frost.

You can improve germination by cold stratifying seeds in the freezer overnight and then soaking them in water for 12 to 24 hours prior to planting.

Prepare a garden bed or container with garden soil mixed with an inch of organic matter. Sprinkle seeds on top, barely covering since light aids germination for these plants.

Water lightly and keep moist until sprouts appear, in two to three weeks. Thin seedlings to about 18 inches apart.

It is important to note that not all nepeta species can be started from seed. Some, such as Faassen’s catmint, are sterile and can only be propagated by division or from cuttings. Fortunately, this is easy to do.

By Division

If you have established plants available, divisions are probably the easiest and quickest method of propagating new plants and these can be taken at any time during the growing season, though it’s best to avoid dividing plants in the heat of summer.

Find a section of an established plant with a healthy and mature root system, slice vertically with a garden spade to cut it away from the rest of the plant, and carefully dig it up.

You can also dig up the entire plant, divide it into chunks, and then replant each section directly into the garden or in containers.

Water after replanting and continue to water regularly until established.

You can learn more about how to divide perennials in our guide.

From Cuttings

When new growth appears in the spring, you can select the top three to four inches of a stem and cut at an angle just below a leaf node. Remove the lower leaves from the cutting, leaving the top two to four intact.

To root cuttings in soil, stick the cut end into a four-inch container filled with potting mix and set it in a warm location that receives indirect or filtered light. Water regularly until new growth appears. 

This should happen within a few weeks, and serves as a good sign that the cutting has rooted. At this point, it can be transplanted into its permanent location in the garden, or repotted to a larger container.

Cuttings can also be stood up in a glass filled with a couple inches of cool water to root, set in indirect light.

The water should be deep enough to cover at least a couple of leaf nodes, though you should avoid submerging any of the intact leaves. Refresh the water every couple of days and roots should appear in a week or less.

At this point you can transplant them into a four-inch pot filled with sterile potting mix. Water regularly and provide filtered light until new growth appears, then replant as described above.

From Seedlings/Transplanting

Before planting seedlings out in the garden, you can harden them off by moving them for short periods to a sheltered location outside.

Each day for a week, slowly increase the length of time they spend outside.

After the threat of frost has passed, plant out in the garden in holes dug to the depth of the roots, spacing plants 18 inches apart.

How to Grow

Most species can tolerate a range of soil types, including sandy and rocky soils. Just be sure the soil is well draining with a pH between 5.0 and 7.5.

Find a location in full sun and work about an inch of compost into the soil. While this isn’t absolutely required, plants do tend to be bushier in soil that is more fertile.

If planting multiples, space about 18 inches apart.

It is also worth noting that some Nepeta species can spread aggressively. You can avoid this by planting in containers or raised beds.

Water well at planting time, and continue to provide about an inch of water a week for the first season. Established plants are drought tolerant and will only need water occasionally, if it hasn’t rained for several weeks.

Be sure to avoid overwatering. These plants do not tolerate wet feet!

Adding a couple inches of shredded bark, leaves, or straw mulch around the base of plants each season is a good way to help maintain soil moisture and improve drainage.

Mulch also helps regulate soil temperature and suppresses weeds.

Growing Tips

• Plant in well draining soil with a pH between 5.0 and 7.5.
• Amend soil with an inch of compost to increase vigor.
• Space plants 18 inches apart.
• Provide an inch of water per week the first season. Established plants are drought tolerant.
• Mulch around the base to improve drainage and regulate soil temperature.

Pruning and Maintenance

Nepeta plants begin blooming in early summer and many species flower repeatedly throughout the season.

You can deadhead or cut back plants to keep them from becoming floppy and promote a fuller second bloom.

Trim foliage back significantly after flowering, removing about a third of the leaves.

If plants are spreading too much, dividing plants each season as described above will help to keep them in check. You can replant divided sections or give them to a friend.

Species and Cultivars to Select

There are plenty of similarities between the different Nepeta species and cultivars, though there are a few useful distinctions to note when choosing which ones to grow.

Nepeta cataria

If you are interested in the traditional medicinal herb we think of as catnip, N. cataria is the one you want.

This plant has long stalks with large, coarsely toothed, fuzzy leaves and small white, purple, or pink flowers in dense whorls.

N. cataria

The dried herb has a mint-like aroma and makes a delicious tea. It is also the perfect filler for a cat toy.

You can find N. cataria seeds available from True Leaf Market.

Nepeta mussinii

N. mussinii is a compact mounding ornamental that grows up to a foot in height, with gray-green foliage and clusters of half-inch lavender blue flowers that attract bees and butterflies.

N. mussinii

You can find heirloom seeds available at Eden Brothers.

Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’

This popular N. x faassenii cultivar features erect spikes of trumpet-shaped lavender blue flowers that bloom all through summer and into fall, as well as dusty gray-green fragrant foliage.

This two to three-foot hardy perennial is perfect for cascading over a wall or rocks, and is a bit less sprawling then some other nepeta varieties.

‘Walker’s Low’

Seeds of this cultivar are sterile, but you can buy one- to two-year-old plants from Nature Hills Nursery.

Nepeta nervosa ‘Blue Moon’

This showy cultivar of the lesser known N. nervosa is perfect for sunny borders or in mixed container plantings, as it grows in low, dense clumps and tolerates heat well.

‘Blue Moon’

It has large spikes of lavender flowers with just a tinge of white on the lips.

Seeds are available from True Leaf Market.

Managing Pests and Disease

Fortunately, there are not too many significant issues with pests and disease for these plants.

In fact, nepetalactone, the compound they produce that attracts cats, has also been found to repel certain types of insects.

The essential oils in catmints are repellent to many common garden pests, such as cabbage loopers, squash bugs, and flea beetles.

Cats

If cats frequent your garden, you may want to consider cat-proofing your plants with a wire fence.

I recently planted some catmint in a sneaky spot out of the way where I thought my cat surely wouldn’t notice it.

Of course, the joke was on me! She found it instantly and proceeded to immediately roll around in it.

Insects and Gastropods

Plants can still experience occasional visits from pests, and it is good to be aware of the signs of these in case you do have a problem.

Slugs can sometimes be attracted to larger leafed species, especially during the springtime. If you notice slugs lurking on your plants, you can handpick them in the evening, especially after wet weather.

You can also try baiting them with beer traps. Just fill a shallow cup with beer and sink it into a hole in the soil. The slugs will be attracted to the beer and fall in.

Spider mites may appear as tiny black dots on the foliage, causing affected leaves to become yellow and dry.

Whiteflies and aphids can potentially congregate on leaves and suck the sap from plants. Both of these pests secrete a sticky substance called honeydew, which can cause sooty mold to develop.

A strong stream of water can be sprayed on plants to remove these pests. If the problem is significant, you can also spray an insecticidal soap on the leaves every couple of days until the infestation subsides.

Disease

Keep an eye out for a few bacterial and fungal diseases that can affect nepeta plants as well.

Bacterial leaf spot, caused by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas, can impact plants during cool, wet weather. You may notice yellow ringed spots with red centers on foliage, and disfigured flowers. 

Splashing water can spread this disease, so avoid handling plants when they’re wet and limit overhead watering. Remove infected foliage, and in severe cases, remove and dispose of infected plants.

Caused by the Cercospora species of fungi, leaves with blight may develop small spots surrounded by yellow halos that brown over time, eventually causing foliage to wilt and drop. Infected plants should be removed and destroyed.

Always rotate crops if you can, and avoid planting catmint in places that have had issues with blight in the past.

Caused by a number of different pathogens, root rot can cause roots to soften and darken, ultimately causing stems to weaken, and plants to die.

There isn’t a good way to treat root rot, but you can greatly reduce risk by planting in a location with good drainage. Remove and dispose of infected plants.

Septoria leaf spot is a fungal disease caused by Septoria lycopersici. During very wet weather, circular spots with dark edges and gray centers may appear on older leaves, eventually causing leaf drop.

Avoid handling plants when they are wet, keep weeds down, and remove and dispose of infected foliage.

Harvesting and Preserving

Most Nepeta species are edible. Most commonly, leaves and flowers can be used fresh or dried to make tea.

To harvest, pick the leaves and flowers while plants are blooming during midsummer.

You can harvest the leaves anytime once the plant is at least six inches tall, though they become more flavorful when the plant blooms, as the concentration of oils is the highest during this time.

The best time to pick is late in the day, after the dew has dried. The easiest way to harvest the leaves is by cutting the top third of each stem.

You can take a large harvest all at once, cutting up to a third of each plant, or pick small amounts as needed. 

You can dry the leaves and flowers to have available for tea later on, or if you are growing N. cataria, perhaps to make catnip toys for your cats!

The easiest way to dry your harvest is by hanging stems in bundles in a dark, dry place until the leaves can be crumbled and fall from the stems easily.

You can store the dried leaves and flowers in tighty lidded glass jars in a dark cupboard.

Find more tips on drying fresh herbs here.

Best Uses

These long-blooming aromatic perennials are perfect for mixed plantings. The smaller mounding varieties especially make for nice borders along perennial flower beds, and companion plants with roses.

You can also consider planting them with annual vegetables, as they attract pollinators and are useful for keeping insects out of the garden.

They can easily be grown in containers on the balcony or porch as well. These plants have a nice shape for growing in pots, and can even be brought indoors during winter.

Container planting is also a good idea if you are concerned with aggressive spreading.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:	Herbaceous perennial	Tolerance:	Drought, frost
Native to:	Europe, Africa, Asia	Maintenance	Low
Hardiness (USDA Zone):	3-9	Soil Type:	Average
Bloom Time:	Spring-fall	Soil pH:	5.0-7.5
Exposure:	Full sun	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Spacing:	18 inches	Attracts:	Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
Planting Depth:	Surface sow (seeds), depth of rootball (transplants)	Companion Planting:	Collard greens, hyssop, lavender, potatoes, roses, squash
Height:	2-4 feet	Uses:	Mixed plantings, borders, containers
Spread:	4 feet	Family:	Lamiaceae
Water Needs:	Moderate to low	Genus:	Nepeta
Common Pests and Disease:	Aphids, slugs, spider mites, whiteflies; Bacterial leaf spot, blight, root rot, septoria leaf spot	Species:	Cataria, faassenii, mussinii (racemosa), nervosa

Almost Too Easy

Personally, I can’t think of anything much better than an aromatic flowering perennial that both repels pests and attracts pollinators, all while providing beauty and medicine.

Not to mention hours of entertainment for my cats!

With so many uses, the easy-to-grow plants in this genus are an obvious choice.

What Nepeta species do you grow in your garden? Share your favorites in the comments below!

To learn more about growing other mint family plants, check out the following articles next:

Then you slice open a pod, just seconds away from the reward that you’ve been looking forward to for weeks, and you find: nothing. Just a sad, empty pod.

What happened? Where did the seeds go? And how can you encourage them to develop, so you don’t miss out on the sweet treats?

In this guide, we’re going to help you figure out why your peas failed to develop inside the pods and what you can do about it.

Here’s what we’ll go over to help make that happen:

By the way, if the weather is getting too warm and your crops are on borrowed time, or you already plucked the pods, only to find it empty, go ahead and eat them.

The tough pods might not be good raw, but you can cook them up, and they’ll be every bit as tasty. Younger pods are delicious raw.

In fact, it doesn’t matter if your pods are empty or not. When you do shell a pea, save those pods and cook them later! Waste not, want not, right?

1. Immature Plants

Sometimes problems don’t require a complex explanation, and this is one of those times.

More often than not, the reason your pods are empty is simply that they aren’t mature yet. Pods form well before the peas inside do.

As a general rule, you can assume that your seeds will be ready to harvest three weeks after the flowers are fully mature.

But every plant, climate, and situation is different, so you can’t take that as gospel.

Really, the best way to tell if they’re ready is to open one up.

You can always kind of prod them and gently feel for the peas inside, but sometimes you just have to find the largest pod on the plant and crack ‘er open.

Empty? Or are the peas still small? Keep waiting. In the meantime, check out our guide to growing peas for some smart tips.

2. Mineral Deficiency

While these plants aren’t necessarily heavy feeders, and they make their own nitrogen, they can become nutrient deficient in depleted soils. When this happens, it can result in empty pods.

A study published in Frontiers on Plant Science by researchers at the University of Burgundy found that when plants didn’t have enough nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, or manganese, it could result in fewer or no seeds (i.e. peas).

Rather than just tossing fertilizer onto your soil and hoping for the best, the optimal path is to have your soil tested (or test it yourself).

It doesn’t cost much, and it can give you invaluable insight into your soil makeup that will help you tremendously in your growing endeavors.

Read our guide for tips on how to test your soil and to learn more about why it’s such a good idea.

Once you find out what your soil’s nutrient composition looks like, you can add whatever is missing.

It’s best to test early in the season rather than waiting until you find empty pods. Still, if you find empty pods and hurry to correct the imbalance, you might still be able to grow a crop.

3. Not Enough Water

These plants are fairly thirsty, especially when they’re producing flowers and seeds.

If they don’t have enough access to water, they can’t move nutrients throughout their system, and that means they won’t be able to produce seeds.

The soil doesn’t have to be wet, but it should be constantly moist.

If you stick your finger in the soil and find it feels dry at any point, you should add water. Try to make the soil feel like a well-wrung-out sponge at all times.

Besides immaturity, this is the most common problem I’ve run into, especially when I was trying to cultivate these legumes in the high desert where rain and cool temperatures were hard to come by.

If you know for sure that your soil got a little dry – and no judgment here – then this particular cause should be high on your list of suspects.

If you provide plenty of water and you have enough days before the heat arrives, your plants will still be able to fill those pods.

Just be extra diligent for the next week or two to give your peas the moisture they need, and you should be able to turn things around.

4. Pea Streak Virus

Pea streak is caused by viruses that are spread by aphids, which is yet another reason you want to try and keep those common pests out of your garden.

There are 11 different viruses that can cause pea streak symptoms, which include purple or gray streaks on the stems, dieback of foliage, and deformed pods.

Those misshapen pods may or may not contain seeds.

Alfalfa and red clover serve as hosts for these viruses, so the problem is more common if you live where those crops are grown.

Sadly, there isn’t a cure, and the virus can spread without aphids, so keeping the sapsucking insects out isn’t a guarantee that your peas will be safe. But, it will reduce the chances of the disease spreading.

Don’t plant close to alfalfa fields, if you can avoid it, and pull any red clover that tries to grow in your yard.

If your plants are infected, pull them right away to prevent the virus from spreading to other plants or gardens.

5. Pests

There are several pests that will bore into the pods and eat the peas inside, including the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) and the cowpea curculio (Chalcodermus aeneus).

If you crack open your pods and find rotted seeds or no peas inside, examine the exterior carefully for holes. If you see small holes, it’s a safe bet that you’ve been visited by one or both of these pests.

Cowpea curculio adult females lay one egg in the newly formed pod, and once the grub hatches, it eats the peas inside. Once it has matured, it chews an exit hole through the pod and drops to the ground. The circle of life continues.

To control this pest, you need to apply pyrethrin regularly so both the adults and the larvae are impacted.

European corn borers prefer corn, as you might have guessed from the name. But when there isn’t any corn present, particularly in the fall after harvest, they’ll move on to peas.

This weevil will bore into the pod and munch away at the growing seeds.

6. Too Hot

Peas are highly self-pollinating, which means even just a little breeze can cause the stamen to move enough to transfer the pollen to the stigma.

The flowers don’t even need to be fully open for them to pollinate themselves.

When the bees come along, they usually take care of any remaining pollination issues. So pollination itself is rarely a problem. But the plants can suffer from a lack of fertilization nonetheless.

When the plants suffer from heat stress, it reduces pollen viability and the amount of pollen that reaches the pollen tube.

That means the peas might fail to be fertilized, and so the pods, if they do form, will be empty.

There isn’t a lot you can do to control the weather, but if you know a heat wave is on the horizon and your plants are developing or already have mature flowers, cover them with some shade cloth during the hottest parts of the day and stay on top of the water situation.

Sadly, it’s probably too late to fix this crop, so be extra diligent about watching the weather next time you plant them.

7. Too Much Nitrogen

Legumes like peas fix nitrogen in the soil. That means they can absorb nitrogen in the atmosphere through nodules in their roots, with the help of beneficial bacteria, and they convert it to a soluble form that they can use as their own fertilizer.

That’s why some gardeners use legumes as a cover crop to increase the nitrogen in the soil the natural way, without chemical fertilizers.

All this is to say that most pea plants aren’t struggling to get enough nitrogen.

So if you go and add a nitrogen fertilizer to the soil, the plants will have an overabundance of this nutrient, which can lead to all kinds of issues.

Too much nitrogen stimulates leaf growth rather than flowers, and it can cause any pods that do develop not to fill out.

If your plant looks incredibly happy with lots of healthy foliage but not many pods, ask yourself if you added fertilizer at some point.

Or, test your soil to see if it’s already high in nitrogen. If either of these is the case, it’s likely that your plants have too much nitrogen.

Once again, it probably won’t help to try to fix it now. Just amend the soil with well-rotted compost and don’t plant peas there for a year to try and allow some of the nitrogen to leach out.

While it’s not necessary, you could plant something that’s hungry for nitrogen to speed up the process, like rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum), kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala), mustard (Brassica juncea), Brussels sprouts (B. oleracea var. gemmifera), or chicory (Cichorium intybus).

Author Laura Trowbridge got readers thinking about how to use annuals in Fine Gardening Issue 177, then she showed us how to make changes as a garden matures in issue 210. After a photo shoot for her most recent article, she joined FG staff in her garden to talk about some of the big changes she made over the past year.  

‘Degroot’s Spire’ arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Degroot’s Spire’, Zones 3–8), a tall, dramatic evergreen, had provided winter structure and textural contrast for Laura’s exuberant, tropical-inspired plant palette for years. But as it grew taller, it started to block views and made the garden feel hemmed in. Laura decided to remove it entirely and filled the space with sun-loving annuals. 

Another showy tree that Laura decided to cut back was Sunburst® honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Suncole’, Zones 4–9). It had looked good when it was young but was growing extremely quickly and starting to shade out other plants. It was cut down, but the stump was left a few feet tall to encourage new growth to emerge. By late summer a flush of bright new foliage had emerged, and Laura is planning to maintain this honeylocust as a cut-back shrub. 

Tiger Eyes® sumac (Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’, Zones 3–8) is a dwarf staghorn sumac cultivar that typically doesn’t get more than 6 feet tall and wide. Laura’s specimen was growing out over the edge of the border. A simple cutback encouraged fresh, upright new growth without the sprawl. 

Cutting down an established ‘Yellow Lantern’ magnolia (Magnolia ‘Yellow Lantern’, Zones 4–8) was a last-minute decision made just before a late-summer wedding that Laura and her husband hosted in the garden. As was the case with the Sunburst® honeylocust, the stump was left tall with the hope that the tree will push new growth from the base.  

In her article, Laura summed up her thoughts about editing a garden design over time: “Frankly, I like making changes and have found through experience that plants will rebound more quickly after a big change than you might imagine. Try not to get too attached to any particular plant or idea. At the end of each year, ask yourself if any of the basic building blocks of your garden could be changed. Would anything benefit from being cut back? Would it excite you to have a fresh start in one area of the garden?” 

To learn more about pruning, check out our Pruning Project Guide here.

 

I will never forget when I became hooked on butterflies. It was 2007, my first year working at Powell Gardens in Kingsville, Missouri. Each spring the garden includes milkweeds (Asclepias spp. and cvs., Zones 3–11) in the planting lineup for its annual Festival of Butterflies, and by summer the plants are covered with monarch caterpillars. That first year, I was completely mesmerized by all the caterpillars and butterflies. To this day, I still get excited during butterfly season and look forward to seeing how much the caterpillars have eaten and grown from one day to the next.

Without a doubt, butterflies are among some of the most beloved and fascinating creatures on the planet. At the same time, their ecological role as pollinators is critical to the planet’s environmental health. With natural habitats disappearing, it has become increasingly more important to make our gardens, yards, and neighborhoods more butterfly friendly. Doing so is more than just planting pretty flowers. To feed and thrive, butterflies require both host plants that supply foliage for caterpillars and a succession of nectar-rich blooms from spring to fall for the adults.

Host plants that provide caterpillar food and shelter

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When it comes to supporting butterflies and attracting them to your yard, the most significant thing to have is a variety of host plants. These are plants that a butterfly will lay eggs on and that the caterpillars will eat. Different butterfly species prefer different host plant species, so it is important to do your homework and find out which butterflies live in your area and which host plants they favor. The following are among my favorite choices for host plants that support butterflies found across much of North America.

Sweet bay magnolias are fragrant semievergreen trees

Magnolia virginiana and cvs.

Zones: 5–10

Size: 10 to 35 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; fertile, moist, well-drained soil

Native range: Eastern United States

Host plant for: Eastern tiger swallowtail

Sweet bay magnolias are like candy for the eastern tiger swallowtail, a butterfly that likes to fly high and lay eggs at the top of its host plant (which can make finding eggs or caterpillars challenging). They can grow as semi-evergreen multistemmed trees but also can be trained as single-trunked specimens. The glossy foliage is accompanied by fragrant creamy-white blooms in mid to late spring, depending on the timing of the last frost. After flowering, red berries appear and attract other wildlife looking for a snack. The straight species can reach considerable size over time; however, many selections mature to only around 20 feet tall.

Common milkweed takes hot and dry like a champ

Asclepias syriaca

Zones: 3–9

Size: 24 to 48 inches tall and 9 to 12 inches wide

Conditions: Full sun; fertile, well-drained soil

Native range: Eastern North America

Host plant for: Monarch

Commonly found along highways and in fields, this milkweed is a favorite host plant among monarch caterpillars for its large oval leaves. The mauve pink flowers are also a valuable nectar source for adult butterflies in summer. This perennial spreads rapidly by creeping rhizomes and can reach up to 6 feet tall in places where it is especially happy. Be sure to put it in a place where it can expand and naturalize. If plants start to look less desirable in summer, cut them back to encourage a fresh flush of regrowth—but make sure you look for eggs (tiny white ovals) and caterpillars first, both of which are found on the newest growth on the underside of the leaf. Common milkweed loves it hot and dry but will also happily grow in most soil conditions.

Spicebush thrives in shadier nooks and crannies

Lindera benzoin

Zones: 4–9

Size: 8 to 18 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Partial shade; fertile, moist soil

Native range: Eastern United States

Host plant for: Spicebush swallowtail

It probably comes as no surprise that spicebush is an important host plant for spicebush swallowtail. You can find the larvae by looking for “leaf tacos.” These are created from the caterpillar’s silk, which causes the foliage to fold over on itself. The caterpillars sit inside their leaf tacos when not eating. This shrub can grow up to 18 feet tall and features small yellow flowers in spring, which are followed by little red berries. The leaves of the spicebush are very fragrant when crushed or even brushed against. This plant prefers afternoon shade. Too much sun will inhibit growth, so keep it out of the line of fire of scorching afternoon light. If you would like to manage size or encourage more shrubby growth for caterpillars to enjoy, spicebush responds well to periodic coppicing.

Yin® David viburnum feeds both caterpillars and adult butterflies

Viburnum davidii ‘NCVX2’

Zones: 7–9

Size: 2 to 4 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: China

Host plant for: Hummingbird moth

This viburnum is a handsome shrub that serves as both host plant and nectar source. Although technically not butterflies, those cute little hummingbird moths use this plant as a host. The spring azure butterfly also feeds on the nectar of Viburnum species. This specific cultivar of viburnum was bred to be more heat tolerant than other varieties and has attractive foliage all year round. It is a female selection that features white flowers in spring, followed by bright blue berries if a male counterpart such as Yang® David viburnum (V. davidii ‘NCVX3’, Zones 7–9) is planted nearby. Even though it is only hardy in warmer climates, Yin® David viburnum can be grown in containers and brought inside for the winter in colder regions.

Hop tree is a great choice for understory locations

Ptelea trifoliata

Zones: 4–9

Size: 15 to 20 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: North America

Host plant for: Giant swallowtail

This medium-size native grows to form a small tree or large shrub with attractive, but unpleasant smelling, whitish green flowers in early summer. The blooms are followed by clusters of wafer-like seedpods. An excellent host plant for the giant swallowtail (North America’s largest butterfly) and eastern tiger swallowtail, hop tree typically grows as an understory plant, where it prefers to receive diffused light below a higher tree canopy. However, it will grow in full sun if the summer is not brutal. Hop tree needs to be watered during dry summers to keep its leaves from getting crispy. It is also another good candidate for coppicing to reduce size and to promote bushier growth (and more leaves for caterpillars to feed on).

Blooms that supply butterflies with nectar at different times of the year

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Adult butterflies need flower nectar to sustain themselves in spring, summer, and fall. While many butterflies thrive and are seeking nectar in the warmer months, there are butterflies that do so in the cooler months also. So it is imperative to have blooming plants that provide nectar in your garden throughout different times of the year.

To indicate that your garden is open for business, choose a mix of plants that creates a broad welcome mat of color. As butterflies fly from one area to another, they are looking for vibrant hues and are less concerned about specific plant species (unlike their choice of host plants). Here are some stellar nectar sources that vary in size and that provide butterfly-attracting flower color at different times of the gardening season.

‘Totally Tangerine’ geum serves up a supply of spring nectar

Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’

Zones: 4–7

Size: 14 to 30 inches tall and 18 inches wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; fertile, moist, well-drained soil

Native range: Europe, South America

Bloom time: Midspring through summer

Commonly Attracts: Common buckeye

This beautiful orange-blooming perennial is a good choice for a pop of spring color. The large, sterile flowers will keep going until the summer heat really sets in. Keeping this plant deadheaded will extend the show, encouraging even more blooms. ‘Totally Tangerine’ geum remains a nice tidy clump all through the growing season, so it is pretty low maintenance when placed in a spot with enough sunlight and average soil.

‘Cheyenne Spirit’ coneflower is a good choice for sun and droughty conditions

Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’

Zones: 4–9

Size: 12 to 30 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; fertile, moist, well-drained soil

Native range: North America

Bloom time: Summer into fall

Commonly attracts: Cloudless sulphur

This hybrid coneflower includes yellow, orange, and red flowers that bloom earlier than most coneflowers. It also stays more compact and holds up better in high winds. It does well in containers too. Like straight species of native coneflowers, ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ can handle hot sun and drier conditions. A very reliable perennial, it’s also easy to start from seed every year— and will bloom a few months after sowing.

‘Bumblesnow’ meadow salvia dazzles with unique white blooms

Salvia nemorosa ‘Bumblesnow’

Zones: 4–8

Size: 10 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 14 inches wide

Conditions: Full sun; average, well-drained soil

Native range: Asia, Europe

Bloom time: Early summer

Commonly attracts: Red admiral

This perennial meadow salvia is a great early-blooming choice for butterflies seeking nectar earlier in the gardening season. Its snow-white blooms are a lovely departure from the typical purple to violet-blue flowers of this species. Once the first blossoms have faded, give ‘Bumblesnow’ a good deadheading; a new flush of flowers should appear. Its diminutive size makes it a good front-of-the-border plant. It also works well in containers.

‘Baby Joe’ Joe Pye weed is well suited for moist areas

Eutrochium dubium ‘Baby Joe’ (syn. Eupatorium dubium ‘Baby Joe’)

Zones: 3–9

Size: 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: Eastern North America

Bloom time: Midsummer to early fall

Commonly attracts: Eastern tiger swallowtail

Joe Pye weeds are butterfly magnets when they are in bloom. Native to moist thicket and sandy riverside habitats, E. dubium typically grows to 6 feet or taller. ‘Baby Joe’, however, only reaches 3 feet tall, which makes it a more appropriate choice for most garden locations. Just be sure to provide it with ample space to eventually spread and naturalize. Also, keep in mind that Joe Pye weed likes a good amount of moisture, so it will need to be watered frequently during dry spells. You will know the extra effort was well worth it when you see butterflies enjoying the nectar from this cultivar’s abundant dark pink blooms.

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The life cycle of a butterfly

The journey from egg to adult butterfly is truly extraordinary. It starts with a female butterfly laying eggs on a specific host plant that she knows the caterpillar will eat. Females find these plants by using tiny sensors on the bottom of their feet, like the taste buds on your tongue. Eggs are typically laid on the newer leaves because it is easier for a small caterpillar to eat fresh, softer leaves. It takes an egg 3 to 5 days to hatch; once a caterpillar chews its way out of the egg, it eats its eggshell for its first meal.

After that, all the caterpillar needs to worry about is eating. Over the next 7 to 10 days, the caterpillar will shed its skin five times. A caterpillar grows like a snake, shedding skin to have more room in its body to continue eating. When it gets close to its fifth molt, it finds a protected place to make its chrysalis. Then it sheds its skin one more time and the chrysalis is formed. After a few hours, the chrysalis hardens a bit and becomes ready to start the transformation inside. After another 7 to 10 days, the butterfly is ready to emerge from the chrysalis. Once that happens, the butterfly is ready to feed on flower nectar and find a mate to start the process all over again.

How they defend against predators

Butterfly larvae (caterpillars) are highly vulnerable to predators such as other insects, amphibians, small mammals, and especially birds. Hiding in plant ­foliage is one way they prevent themselves from being eaten. Some cater­pillars also produce chemical defenses so that they taste unpleasant or are even toxic to other wildlife, while others have evolved their appearances to have features like markings that look like big scary eyes (left photo) or to resemble unappetizing bird droppings (right photo).

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Eric Perrette is a lead horticulturist at Powell Gardens in Kingsville, Missouri, and has expertise in native butterflies and their habitats.

Sources:

Radishes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow, and ideal for a beginner who wants to quickly see the results of their efforts.

Plus, garden fresh radishes taste a million times better than store-bought.

In this article, I’ll guide you through how to grow radishes, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced gardener.

Learn everything you need to know about growing them including water, soil, planting, and light requirements of radishes, as well as different varieties, pest and disease control, harvesting, and more.

Quick Radish Plant Care Overview

Scientific name:	Raphanus sativus
Classification:	Vegetable
Common names:	Radish
Hardiness:	Annual cool weather crop
Temperature:	55-70°F (12-21°C)
Flowers:	White or pale pink, blooms late spring-summer
Light:	Full sun to part shade
Water:	Keep soil evenly moist, never allow to dry completely
Humidity:	Average
Fertilizer:	General purpose diluted liquid plant food, once per week.
Soil:	Loose, light, impediment free, well-drained soil
Common pests:	Cabbage root maggot, cabbage worms, flea beetles

Information About Radishes

Radishes (Raphanus sativus) are a member of the Brassicaceae family that includes other garden favorites like broccoli, cabbage, and kale.

They’re an annual root vegetable most often grown for the crisp, peppery bulb. But all parts of the radish are edible, either raw or cooked, including the fuzzy green leaves and seed pods.

The bulbs come in many colors, including green, white, red, yellow, and black. They can be round, oval, or long and carrot-like.

The exact size, flavor, and color depend on what variety of radishes you choose to grow.

Different Radish Types

At a high level, there are two main types of radishes, spring and winter. Spring varieties are smaller, grow faster, and are tender and mild.

Winter varieties take twice as long to grow, but become larger and are more suited to long-term storage.

Thankfully, all types require the same care to grow. Here are a few of my favorite varieties I’d recommend.

• Cherry radish – These small, round, bright red radishes are a well-known variety that can grow in just 3 weeks.

• White radish – A crisp and mild, round white spring radish that keeps well and can be harvested in just 25 days.

• French Breakfast – This red and white oblong spring radish is crisp, peppery, and only takes 4 weeks to grow.

• Watermelon radish – The white bulb on this variety is pink on the inside and has a sweet, peppery, crisp texture.

• Black radish – This winter variety is large, spicy, and crisp, with a pure white interior and black exterior.

Radish Growing Season

Radishes grow well in the spring and fall when temperatures aren’t too hot. They’re very frost hardy, but cannot handle the heat of summer.

If your region doesn’t experience regular highs above 80°F (26°C), you can even grow them year-round with succession planting.

How Do Radishes Grow?

Raphanus sativus plants develop an edible swollen root under the soil which most people call a bulb.

Above ground, radish plants have leafy, fuzzy greens that absorb and store energy in the bulb.

Every part of the radish is edible, including the bulbs, leaves, flowers, and pods.

How To Grow Radishes

Radishes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. But choosing the right location and timing of when to plant them is key to a quick, successful crop. Use these tips to help you plan where and when you’ll get started with yours.

Where To Grow Radishes

Radishes grow well in cool, loose soil that is free of impediments and receives sun for at least 6 hours a day. 

They grow very quickly, which makes them ideal for interplanting between rows of other vegetables. They’ll be ready to pull before the other plants are large enough to shade them.

You can also grow them in containers. Choose something wide rather than deep to maximize the space. Smaller varieties need just 6” of depth, while larger ones need up to 12” or more.

When To Plant Radishes

The best time to plant radishes depends on your climate. They’re very cold hardy, which makes growing radish from seeds very easy, even when temperatures are still frosty.

Radishes hate to be transplanted, so I recommend sowing them directly into the ground rather than starting them indoors.

If you’re growing spring radishes, plant them as soon as the ground is workable in early spring, or 4-6 weeks before your average last frost date.

Otherwise, if you want to plant them in the fall for winter radishes, do it 4-6 weeks before your first frost date.

It’s a good idea to successively plant them over the course of a few weeks to space out your harvest. This way, you’ll be enjoying radishes from your vegetable garden for several weeks through the spring and early summer, and again in fall and winter.

Hot weather makes radishes bolt (flower) however, so make sure they’ll have enough time to mature before that happens.

How Long Do Radishes Take To Grow?

The exact time from when you plant radishes to when you can eat them depends on the variety, the environment, and climate.

Many spring radish varieties are ready in as little as 3-4 weeks from seed to harvest. Winter radishes take longer, averaging between 70 to 80 days.

Radish Plant Care & Growing Instructions

Now that you have a good idea of where and when to plant them, let’s talk about how to grow radishes. These tips will help you care for them so you can enjoy fresh radishes from your garden in just a few weeks.

Sunlight

Radishes need at least 6 hours of sun a day, but no more than 10. If they get too much sunlight, they’ll prematurely bolt.

Full sun speeds up growth, but partial shade can help to keep them cool and extend your growing season as the weather turns warmer.

Water

Even, consistent moisture is key to growing radishes. They need damp soil and do not like to dry out. However, overwatering can cause bulb and root rot.

Aim to add 1” of water per week if it doesn’t rain. Mulch around them with grass clippings, straw, or compost to prevent them from drying out too quickly.

It’s also helpful to use a moisture meter to guide you if you struggle to know when it’s time to water.

Temperature

Radishes are very cold tolerant and can survive lows down to 28°F (-2°C). The optimal temperature for them however is between 50-70°F (10°-21°C).

Frequent freezes may slow or stall growth. High heat will cause them to flower and set seed, making the root inedible. Mulch or partial shade will help regulate the temperature.

Fertilizer

Radishes grow so quickly they don’t require regular feeding to thrive, however it can give them a boost. Work slow-release all-purpose granules into the soil before planting.

After they have a few true leaves, apply a half dose of organic, all purpose liquid fertilizer like compost tea or fish emulsion every time you water.

Soil

It’s important to have loose, well-draining soil that’s free of impediments like twigs and rocks so the roots and bulbs can properly form. The soil should also be rich and fertile.

Amend heavy clay or sandy garden beds with compost or worm castings at least 6” down before planting to improve drainage, nutrients, and aeration.

Pest Control Tips

There are three main pests that like to feast on radish plants – cabbage root maggots, cabbage worms, and flea beetles.

Yellow sticky traps can capture adult cabbage root flies and help to stop them from laying their eggs.

Row covers and mulch are useful in preventing pests from reaching the bulbs or damaging the leaves. Hand pick any worms or large bugs that you can.

Tips For Harvesting Radishes

In addition to the bulbs that we all know and love, radish greens and pods are also edible. All three are best when they’re young and tender.

When it’s time to harvest your radishes, gently pull straight up, or loosen the dirt around them with a trowel so you do not disturb neighboring plants.

You can pick the greens by clipping them off just above the bulb with sharp, clean scissors or precision pruners.

But, you should never remove all of the greens before harvesting the bulb, leave some of them so the radish can continue growing.

If you want to get pods, the plant needs to flower first. This means sacrificing the bulb, but there is usually a good yield of pods from just one plant.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Radishes are one of the fastest vegetables to grow so you may not face many issues. But if you run into one of these more common problems, the tips below will help you learn how to fix it, or prevent it in the future.

Radishes Bolting / Flowering / Going To Seed

The most likely culprits behind your radishes bolting, which means flowering and developing seed pods, is high heat, too much sun, transplanting, not enough water, or waiting too long to harvest.

If left in the ground long enough, all radishes will eventually bolt, and you can’t stop it once it happens. So it’s important to pull them as soon as the bulbs are mature.

To prevent premature bolting, direct sow them, keep light exposure between 6-10 hours, avoid letting the soil dry out, and protect them from temperatures above 80°F (26°C) if possible.

Bulbs Splitting / Cracking

Split or cracked radish bulbs are caused by uneven watering or being left in the ground too long.

It’s important to water consistently and keep the soil evenly moist, instead of going from dry to soggy.

Harvest spring radishes as soon as they’re the proper size. Winter radishes can last longer in the ground, but still may split if left for too long.

Woody Texture

Uneven watering, high heat, bolting, or growing too large will lead to woody, unpleasantly textured radishes.

Mulch or choose a partial shade location to keep the soil temperatures lower. Use a moisture meter to help you keep the watering consistent, and be sure to pick the bulbs as soon as they are ready.

Leaves But No Bulbs

If your radishes are all leaves and no bulbs, they haven’t been receiving enough sun, are too crowded, too hot, or are growing in high-nitrogen soil.

Avoid feeding them with high-nitrogen fertilizer, and thin them to 3” apart if they’re clustered too close together.

Ensure they’re not getting too much shade and the temperature is between 50-70°F (10°-21°C).

FAQs

Here I’ve answered some of the most commonly asked questions about growing radishes. If yours isn’t listed, please add it to the comments section below.

Are radishes easy to grow?

Yes, radishes are very easy to grow. They often take just weeks to be ready to harvest and can be grown in small areas during colder seasons. Planting radishes is a great option for beginner gardeners.

Why is it so hard to grow radishes?

Radishes are not hard to grow once you understand how to create the right temperature, soil, and light requirements they need to thrive. Most people find them difficult to grow because they plant them too late and the warm weather causes them to bolt right away.

What is the secret to growing radishes?

The secret to growing radishes is giving them consistent moisture and loose airy soil, and planting them early so that they can mature before temperatures are too warm.

Do radishes come back every year?

No radishes do not come back every year, they are annual vegetables.

Can you eat radishes that have gone to seed?

You cannot eat radishes that have gone to seed because the bulb will become woody and poorly flavored. But you can still eat the young and tender pods, flowers, and greens.

What are the pods on my radish plants?

The pods on your radish plants form after flowering. They are edible when green and tender, but will eventually form seeds inside as they mature and turn brown, which you can collect and save to replant.

Do radishes grow better in sun or shade?

Radishes can grow well in both sun or partial shade. Full sun invigorates growth, but too much can cause them to bolt prematurely. Partial shade extends the season in warmer regions, but too much will hinder growth.

How many radishes will one plant produce?

Each plant will produce only one radish bulb.

What should not be planted with radishes and why?

Radishes grow so quickly you can often plant and harvest them before nearby plants have taken off. However it’s a good idea to keep them away from those that will shade them, like squash and melons, or other root vegetables, like potatoes and turnips, that use the same nutrients to grow.

If you want to learn how to grow your crops vertically, my book Vertical Vegetables is for you. It has everything you need to choose the right plants and care for them. Plus it has almost 2 dozen step-by-step projects you can build in your own garden! Order your copy today!

Learn more about my Vertical Vegetables book here.

More About Vegetable Gardening

Share your tips for growing radishes in the comments section below.

But even setting its descriptive common name aside, Saxifraga stolonifera earns its splendor.

Beautiful rosettes of leaves, stunning slender flowers, and cute little plantlets connected via graceful stolons all work together in harmony to create a true ornamental knockout.

But in order to wield this refined plant in your houseplant arsenal, you’ll need to be able to grow it. Therefore, a guide on its cultivation is in order – one strawberry begonia guide, coming right up!

What Are Strawberry Begonias?

Strawberry geranium, creeping saxifrage, strawberry saxifrage… You may have heard of the strawberry begonia already, via one of its many other common names.

But despite its most well-known moniker, this plant is neither strawberry nor begonia.

S. stolonifera is actually a member of the Saxifragaceae, a family of flowering herbaceous perennials that also includes coral bells, astilbe, and jade plants.

The genus name Saxifraga is a portmanteau of the Latin terms saxum (rock or stone) and frangere (to break), a nod to how Saxifraga species tend to live in rock fissures.

Over time, the roots of these plants can contribute to further rock crumbling and breakage.

The species name stolonifera is also Latin, meaning “to bear stolons” – a reference to the threadlike red stolons or runners that are reminiscent of those of strawberry plants.

Plantlets are produced on the ends of the stolons, which allows this species to colonize an area as a mat-like ground cover.

The plant forms three- to nine-inch-tall rosettes of dark green, rounded, hairy leaves with silver markings and reddish undersides.

In spring, the flower stems can reach heights of up to 18 inches, with each bloom bearing two larger flower petals underneath three smaller, magenta-speckled pink ones.

Cultivation and History

Hardy in USDA Zones 6 to 9, S. stolonifera is native to China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Found in environments ranging from lowlands to 4,000-foot elevations, the strawberry begonia was brought back west from China by Dutch traders in the mid-1700s.

Nicholaas Meerburg, a lead botanist from the Leiden Botanic Garden in Holland, was the first to provide a name and illustration for this plant, both of which were published in his 1775 work, “Illustrations of Rare Plants.”

By 1993, S. stolonifera had become popular enough in western gardens to earn the prestigious Award of Garden Merit from the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society.

Today, strawberry begonias are still beloved by green thumbs, whether grown indoors or outside.

Propagation

Alone time, the news, and Double Stuf Oreos should all be consumed or enjoyed in moderation.

Strawberry begonias, on the other hand, can be enjoyed without restraint, as much as your horticultural heart desires.

Acquiring more S. stolonifera is best done by propagating plantlets.

From Plantlets

The daughter plantlets of a strawberry begonia are pretty much mini versions of the mother plant, clones connected via a slender stolon that fuels the plantlet.

These plantlets are quite capable of growing as their own independent units. But in an indoor setting, it’s up to us gardeners to emancipate them.

With a sterilized blade, cut away plantlets once they grow at least five mature leaves, making sure to leave an inch of stolon stem sticking out from the base.

From here, you can propagate the plantlet either in water or in growing media, depending on whether or not the plantlet has developed aerial roots.

No aerial roots? Then you’ll need to submerge the stem in water, while keeping the foliage above the water’s surface. This process will eventually lead to root formation on the submerged stem!

At this point, you’ll need to move each into its own four-inch container filled with a 50:50 mix of sphagnum peat moss and perlite.

Any plantlets with aerial roots that have already developed prior to their removal from the mother plant should go directly into their own pots, as described above.

Now, you simply treat them like you would a mature S. stolonifera – provide indirect light and a moist growing medium throughout their growth and development.

How to Grow

“But how do I cultivate fully grown strawberry begonias?”

I’m glad you asked…

Thankfully, the care requirements for S. stolonifera are pretty simple.

Climate and Exposure Needs

Ideal temperatures are 50 to 70°F – a range that your home will most likely be able to sustain.

Providing supplemental humidity isn’t a requirement, but it’ll sure help in keeping the soil moist and reducing plant desiccation.

A tray of small stones partially submerged in water is an inexpensive and effective way of increasing the ambient humidity. Just place it beneath your plant’s pot.

Grouping houseplants close together works, too.

Exposure-wise, ensure that your strawberry begonia receives the brightest indirect light possible. But it must be indirect – direct light could cause sunscorch, desiccation, or even plant death.

Growing Media Needs

A pH of 6.0 to 7.0 is optimal for the potting mix and a 50:50 mix of sphagnum peat moss and perlite will serve your strawberry begonias well.

The moss helps to retain moisture while the perlite improves aeration and allows excess water to drain. Don’t forget to use a container with drainage holes!

Maintenance

Other than snipping off any undesirable flower stems and repotting in spring every three to four years, there’s not much that this plant needs, maintenance-wise.

For repotting, choose a pot with a diameter a couple inches greater than that of the original container.

In the new pot, add an inch or two of growing media to the bottom – an even mix of peat moss and perlite is perfect.

Tease the plant out from the original container, undo any tangles from the sides and bottom of the root system, and place it in its new container.

Fill in the sides with additional growing media, gently pat it all down, and water it in.

In winter, water a bit less often – perhaps by allowing an additional inch or two of dryness before watering – but never let the soil dry out.

Pests

In addition to the problems that they cause, pests can also vector pathogens. Therefore, cracking down on infestation could also save your plants from infections down the road.

Make sure you check your plants for pests before bringing them into your home.

Any infested specimens should immediately be quarantined away from your other houseplants until the issue is resolved.

Aphids

Soft-bodied, yet green and mean, these pests grow to between a sixteenth and an eighth of an inch long at maturity.

Via their sucking mouthparts, they extract the sap from plant tissues, which can lead to wilting and overall stunted growth.

Aphids also excrete honeydew while they feed, which can result in the black fungal powder known as sooty mold.

Much like aphids, they can suck enough sap from leaf tissues to cause wilting and stunted growth. They also excrete honeydew, which can lead to the black sooty mold mentioned earlier.

Mealybugs are similar to aphids in both the symptoms that they cause and how you control them – the techniques used for aphids will also work just fine on these pests.

Find additional mealybug control tips here.

Slugs

These soft-bodied and shelless mollusks tend to infest houseplants if they’re set near open windows without screens or placed outside for short periods.

Symptoms show up as circular bite marks on foliage, which can result in leaf yellowing and browning.

A slug’s trademark slime trail is another indicator of their presence, which can show up on the plant or nearby surfaces.

First things first, you should definitely pick off any slugs that you happen to see. Once that’s done, take the plant outside and gently wash it down from all angles.

After the plant dries, add a thin layer of diatomaceous earth to the surface of the potting medium.

Additionally, you might wish to apply a dusting or a diluted DE spray made with one tablespoon of DE per two cups of water to the tops and undersides of the leaves.

These treatments will severely desiccate and kill any slugs foolish enough to attack your specimens.

Be sure to work outdoors or in a ventilated area and wear proper protection when applying DE.

Learn more about slugging it out with slugs in our guide.

Spider Mites

Full disclosure: spider mites aren’t technically insects. They’re actually arachnids, along with ticks and actual spiders.

Of the spider mites that infest houseplants, the two-spotted spider mite is the most common.

At 1/50 of an inch in length, these round, eight-legged critters have two prominent dark spots on their bodies, hence the name.

Spots of chlorosis or speckles of feeding damage can show up on infested foliage, along with webbing.

Along with gentle sprays of water, applications of insecticidal soap or horticultural oil are effective means of control.

Additionally, since these spider mites prefer dry environments, maintaining ambient humidity around your strawberry begonias and keeping them properly irrigated will help to deter these pests.

Our guide to dealing with spider mites provides more information.

Disease

Not too many disease issues with this plant, thankfully. However, one potentially serious problem is the infamous condition known as…

Root Rot

Caused by either too much moisture on its own or in combination with a soilborne fungus, root rot is no joke.

If the roots essentially drown from excess irrigation or sit in a medium that doesn’t drain properly, they’ll start to decay, causing wilting and chlorosis in the shoots.

Treatment involves removing the plant, washing away the soil from the affected roots, and then snipping said roots away with sterilized scissors.

You may also want to prune away an equivalent amount of leaf mass so the roots and shoots are more in proportion with each other. Plants that are too far gone will have to be pitched.

In terms of prevention, the best thing you can do is water properly and provide a well-draining container and media.

By using fresh and sterile media, you shouldn’t have to worry much about fungal problems.

Best Uses

S. stolonifera and its mat-like, clumping habit looks fantastic when grouped with more upright houseplants such as snake plants and fiddle-leaf figs, each in their own containers.

Additionally, the plantlets that form on the ends of the graceful red rhizomes trail over containers quite elegantly, making strawberry begonia an ideal specimen for a hanging basket.

If you’re the type of person who likes to learn about plant pests in your free time, odds are you have already heard or read about a group of organisms known as nematodes. Many nematodes are beneficial and used as biological control agents of specific pest organisms in agriculture. Others, however, are problematic parasites of animals and plants, such as the dog heartworm (Dirofilaria immi­tis) and beech-leaf disease nema­tode (Litylenchus crenatae). One group of nematodes that should be kept on your radar are root-knot nematodes (any member of the genus Meloidogyne), which are common plant parasites.

The 411 on root-knot nematodes

Root-knot nematodes cause damage to a variety of crops and ornamental plants and can be found in temperate and tropical areas around the globe. Sometimes this damage can be severe and cause significant crop loss. Root-knot nematodes get their common name from the “knots,” the swellings or galls, that develop at their feeding sites on roots. The size of a swelling varies and depends on the host, the species of root-knot nematode, and the number of adult females within the gall.

Adult female root-knot nematodes are sedentary, swollen, and cystlike, while the males and juveniles are motile and vermiform (wormlike). Adults range from 0.5 to 1.5 millimeters in length. Their numbers increase in step with the growth of the host plant, so they tend to be most abundant in summer when their hosts are growing vigorously. Root-knot nematodes move most easily in wet, sandy soil. This environment is most likely to result in significant nematode damage. In the South, plants that are grown in sand—such as golfing turf and peanuts—are commonly affected.

Besides the formation of root galls, there are other symptoms to look out for when scouting for root-knot nematodes. Aboveground parts of the plant ­often experience leaf chlorosis (yellowing), stunting (reduced growth), poor flower and fruit set, and mild wilting. Certain crops, such as carrots, develop misshapen, forked, or “hairy” roots, with a prolifera­tion of secondary roots off the taproot. Keep in mind, however, that these symptoms can also be caused by rocky soil, fresh manure as a fertilizer source, or some root-rot pathogens. If you suspect a nematode infestation, have your plant tested by a local diagnostic clinic before moving forward with management.

Helpful tips on prevention and management

Advanced morphological or molecular identification is usually required to determine the species of root-knot nematode, but management recommendations tend to vary by crop type, not nematode species, with possible options including the use of nematicides.

If you receive confirmation of a root-knot nematode infestation, the best first step is to remove the infested plant(s) and those nearby as soon as practical and replant with a resistant alternate plant.

Marigolds (Tagetes spp. and cvs., annual) are often a great choice for replanting in an infected nematode area, as they produce an allelopathic compound called alpha-terthienyl. This chemical is toxic to ­other types of organisms, including nematodes, ­insects, and certain pathogenic fungi and bacteria, and can significantly suppress their growth. The University of Florida has a helpful guide for using marigolds to reduce nematode pressure. The guide includes a table at the very bottom of the document that provides a list of various marigold cultivars and their resistance to nematode damage.

If you would like to return to your original plant, whether or not you plan to apply nematicides, ­allow the marigolds to grow for at least a full year (preferably longer), then remove them and replace them with your desired plant. If you can do a three-crop rotation, ornamental grasses (landscapes) or grass cover crops (commercial/agricultural) are a good second-season choice, as they often tolerate difficult soil and have few problems with nematodes. To use pachysandra (Pachysandra spp. and cvs., Zones 4–9) as an example “root-knot-susceptible” plant, consider rotating from pachysandra to marigold to grass to pachysandra or pachysandra to marigold to grass to marigold to pachysandra. (The two rotations of marigold in the second option will be particularly helpful if you do not plan to also use a nematicide.)

When you remove your original plant, this will be a convenient time for you to make any necessary soil amendments. Root-knot nematodes prefer wet, ­sandy, acidic soil, so making any adjustments to avoid that environment will likely help ­reduce nematode pressure. Additionally, the period ­between ­removal and planting is a convenient time to have the area treated with a nematicide. Some nematicides, such as Azadirachtin, are more effective if lime is applied immediately afterward. Note that certain organic nematicides derived from black walnut (5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthalenedione, aka juglone) may cause reduced performance of plants grown in the area immediately after application, so use with caution.

Remember to always wear protective equipment and to carefully follow the instructions on the label of a product. Some products will need to be purchased and applied by a certified professional. Ensure that root-knot nematodes (which may sometimes be listed as simply “Meloidogyne,” “soil-borne nematodes,” or “root-feeding nematodes”) are managed with the product you use, and apply it at appropriate rates.

—Nicholas Goltz, DPM, is a plant pathologist and extension educator in the northeastern United States, where he helps growers and homeowners find holistic and comprehensive solutions for plant problems.

From Fine Gardening #211

Collaborative post

Embarking on a road trip alongside your furry companion can be a fun and memorable experience. As you prepare to take your dog or cat on the open road, it’s essential to consider their safety, comfort, and wellbeing. But how do you do this? And what car accessories do pets need?

In this article, we’ll take a look at the most useful pet car accessories, focusing on those designed for travelling with both dogs and cats. Additionally, we’ll address transporting dogs in truck beds, exploring the challenges and safe practices associated with this type of travel.

By equipping your vehicle with the right accessories, you can guarantee a hassle-free journey for you and your beloved pet. Read on to discover the must-have items that will make your next road trip with your cat or dog a success.

Travelling with your pet dog

If you’re travelling with dogs, the car accessories online market has thousands of products to offer. The most important thing you should consider is proper, yet comfortable restraining.

The key point here is to buy safe and good quality pet products. Before buying, carefully check the materials, sizes, and reviews of other buyers. Remember that your pet’s safety is worth the cost. If you’re looking for a reliable recommendation, check out the brand of luxury US car accessories Owleys – they have a range of high quality and high safety pet car accessories for dogs.

So, what items are essential when travelling with your pet dog?

1. Dog seatbelts and harnesses

Just like humans, dogs need to be securely fastened while in a moving vehicle. Dog seatbelts and harnesses are designed to keep your pet safely restrained on the go. These seatbelts attach to the harness and your car’s existing seatbelt system, ensuring your pet remains in place even during sudden stops or sharp turns.

When choosing a harness and seatbelt for your dog, opt for ones that are adjustable and made from durable, high-quality materials like nylon to provide maximum safety and comfort.

2. Dog car seats – crates, boosters, beds, etc.

For smaller dogs and puppies, a dog car seat can provide extra security and a snug, elevated place in the car during your travels. These car seats often include a tether that attaches to your pet’s harness, keeping them restrained. A well-designed dog car seat should be easy to install, offer a stable fit, and include a removable, washable cover for easy cleaning.

It’s not recommended to use crates and carriers for large dogs. This can cause anxiety and discomfort, especially if you are planning a long trip.

3. Pet seat covers

These are perfect dog car accessories for pets of different sizes and breeds. Seat covers are designed to protect your vehicle’s upholstery while providing a comfortable and stable place for your dog. Seat covers like hammocks fully protect your car interior from dirt, scratches, and pet hair. Plus, they keep your dog secured in one place, preventing driver distraction.

Look for seat covers made from durable, waterproof, and scratch-proof materials that can be easily maintained and washed. Some options even include pockets for storage and built-in seat anchors to prevent sliding and shifting during the ride.

By investing in these essential pet car accessories, you can keep your dog safe and comfortable, and your vehicle interior neat and tidy.

Travelling with your pet cat

If you’re travelling with your pet cat, the car accessories online market doesn’t have so many products to choose from. The best option here is to choose a good cat travel carrier that will also come in handy for trips to the vet and other occasions.

These carriers provide a secure and comfortable space for your cat during the ride. They are designed to keep your pet confined, preventing them from wandering around the car or distracting the driver. Additionally, travel carriers protect your pet in case of sudden stops or car accidents, ensuring their safety during the journey.

Cat carriers come in a variety of sizes and designs, including comfy soft-sided or sturdy hard-shell ones. Soft-sided carriers are lightweight and easy to store, while hard-shell carriers offer more durability and protection. When selecting a travel carrier, choose one that is the appropriate size for your cat, with proper ventilation and secure closures.

In addition to a travel carrier, seatbelts and harnesses are essential pet car accessories for cats as well. They help secure your pet carrier, reducing the risk of injury or escape. When choosing a harness and seatbelt, make sure it fits properly and is made from durable materials.

Dogs in pickup truck beds

If it’s necessary to keep your dog in a truck bed, there are ways to ensure their safety and comfort. You can use car accessories for pets like dog cargo mats to provide a slip-resistant surface, or crate-style carriers to prevent your dog from jumping out of the truck bed. It’s also essential to ensure your dog is secured with a strong seatbelt and harness, and never leave them unattended.

Remember that it’s much safer to keep dogs inside the car, rather than in the truck bed. This way of travelling with your pet can be dangerous, and many dog owners avoid it for a reason. Prioritise your dog’s safety to ensure a stress-free travel experience for both you and your pet.

Hopefully this guide to the essential car accessories pets need for a secure and comfortable travel experience has helped you understand the various options, and allows you to enjoy happy travels with your furry friends.

There is a tendency to think of plants as delicate things that require coddling, but some demand the opposite treatment.

That’s how I found myself in a full-on assault a couple weeks ago as I engaged in the abuse of Brazilian fern tree seeds. The three-quarter-inch long, flat seeds were hard as a rock and the package they came in suggested it could take up to 180 days to germinate. I have better things to do than wait half a year for seeds to germinate so to speed up the process, some scarifying was in order.

This process of breaking down a seed’s hard outer coating, which protects a seed against harsh environmental conditions in its natural habitat, is necessary for germinating seeds “in capitivity” and involves several methods including nicking, soaking and scratching.

The rock-hard seeds of the Brazilian fern tree, also called Brazilian firetree (Schizolobium parahyba), received a combination treatment of sanding the edge with 80-grit sandpaper followed by a one-minute soak in boiling water. Sanding is a common method of scarification, but the boiling water method is reserved for the toughest seeds. Soaking for a few hours in tepid water is a widely used practice for seeds such as nasturtiums and peas. 

My decision to attempt to grow this plant happened within about two minutes of seeing it for the first time. I was intrigued by the plant mentioned in a gardening webinar by Janet Draper, a horticulturist at the Smithsonian Gardens. She’d picked up a spare plant from Chanticleer Gardens in Pennsylvania and watched it grow into a monster specimen in a single season.

It’s not a fern, but its long leaves, covered  with 40 to 60 leaflets, resemble a fern. Native from Central America to Brazil, it can grow up to 10 feet in a single season. I’m intrigued by incredibly fast-growing plants and recognized it immediately as an excellent experiment for this gardening season. I ordered seeds before the webinar ended.

Large, bright yellow flowers cover the tree in tropical areas. Even if it grows well for me, I don’t expect to see flowers.

I haven’t found any information on growing this potential behemoth in Wisconsin, but I know enough about it to have a good guess at the conditions it will appreciate: full sun and rich, moist soil. 

I planted the abused seeds in moist seed-starting mix at the end of February and have had them under a humidity dome and on a heat mat in my best attempt to mimic Brazil’s forest floor. As I waited impatiently I noticed something I’ve never seen seeds do before: the seeds grew. They are actually got longer. I assume this was caused by  the seed coat softening or breaking down in preparation for germination, which did happen for one seed after about two and a half weeks.

Five seeds came in the packet and I only planted two, an heir and spare, if you will.  I can always take another crack at growing this plant with the rest of the seeds, perhaps trying out a different scarification method.

If my seed abuse works, the experiment can continue, and perhaps I’ll have an oddly large, tropical tree growing in my summer garden.

We were driving home from church on Sunday when I spotted some white flowers on a tree a little ways down a hill from the roadside. At first, I thought they may have been pawpaws hiding in the brush, so I did a U-turn and parked the van, then hiked across the road and down the hillside.

As I got a little closer, I realized the leaf and trunk shapes were all wrong for pawpaw.

Instead, I had discovered an old friend.

Tung oil trees!

Back in my North Florida food forest, in the halcyon year of 2012, I planted a tung tree to memorialize my Grandpa Jud, who was a talented woodworker. He used tung oil to finish some of his projects. When I found a tree for sale at a nursery and discovered the species also bore beautiful flowers, I bought it and put it in the food forest.

Here’s the farewell tour:

I greatly miss that old food forest sometimes. It was a beautiful project.

But back to the tung trees.

Here’s a close-up of the blooms:

And the foliage:

And a single bloom.

They’re just leafing out at this time of year, and the leaf color is a weird lime-green.

I’m going to see if I can find a few trees for my food forest here. Not because they’re particularly useful or edible – they aren’t edible! – but because they remind me of Florida and my past food forest project, as well as Grandpa.

I don’t want to move ever again.

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When Arin Der tapped Kate and Ryan Gross, of Los Angeles landscape design firm Kate Anne Designs, to overhaul his Glendale, CA, property, number one on his wish list was to make the sprawling outdoor area more like an extension of his recently renovated interiors. “There was a lot of undefined, unused open space,” says Kate.”Our goal was to prioritize the functionality of the large front yard.”

“We created a natural and organic feel by bringing in that Spanish Courtyard aesthetic to the space. We brought in tall hedging for privacy, and retained part of the front yard hillside, so all of the areas were brought to the same level. This was a huge transformation in itself by bringing all of the areas on the same plane. Our challenge was then to create unique vignettes within the sprawling outdoor space to create what felt like multiple outdoor living rooms for our client.”

Below, a glimpse of one of the conversational areas—and how to get the look.

Photography by Christian DuRocher, courtesy of Kate Anne Designs.

Steal This Look

Hello, I’m Lisa Remby. I have shared photos of my Zone 6b Massachusetts garden on GPOD before  (A New Garden in Massachusetts). Recently, my husband and I visited two gardens in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a small, tropical, Zone 13 island in the Caribbean. The first, St. Vincent Botanical Gardens, is the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, founded in 1765 primarily to provide medicinal plants for the British military. Captain Bligh famously brought the first breadfruit plant to these botanical gardens, and now breadfruit is a staple of the St. Vincent diet. The second, Montreal Gardens, is the private garden of a passionate gardener. The bus ride around the cliffs and over the hills of St. Vincent to this rainforest garden was frightening at times, but I just knew it would be worth the drive. Indeed, it was a leisurely walk through a lush, tropical forest with more flowers and large-leafed plants than I could name or count!

The main allée of the botanical garden—very parklike in its orientation. There are mountains in the distance, but they were obscured by clouds at that moment. (Clouds typically blow by, and sun is shining in the next moment.)

Jacaranda trees (Jacaranda mimosifolia, Zone 10) dot the property at the St. Vincent Botanical Gardens.

As you would expect at any botanical garden, there are quite a few tree species, including palms, pines, and deciduous trees such as the cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis, Zone 11), which was blooming during our visit. The pollinated flowers produce the fruits that give the cannonball tree its common name. The fruits also grow on the vines along the trunk, not from branches.

A St. Vincent scenic lookout on the drive to Montreal Gardens.

A first look at the variety of tropical plants trailside at Montreal Gardens. Coleus is a very popular bedding perennial in the Caribbean.

False birds of paradise (Heliconia, Zone 10), aka lobster claws, were present along the path—and there were other varieties in orange and pink! Just look at the beautiful variegated greenery on the forest floor.

Heliconia psittacorum—so vibrant!

Flower of the red wax apple (Syzygium malaccense)—so pretty, but messy! See the next photo.

Flowers dropping from the red wax apples—still pretty.

This is beehive ginger (Zingiber spectabilis, Zone 9), which I had never seen before. At first I thought it was a garden ornament. Well, I guess it is!

There were several large angel’s trumpets (Brugmansia, Zone 9) or trumpet flower trees at Montreal Gardens. Such a treat!

 

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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In my child’s mind, that houseplant seemed like some mysterious and otherworldly creature – and it always stands out in my memories as the ideal representation of all that a houseplant could be.

These days, my own spider plants aren’t quite that awe-inspiring. Not yet, at least. Just wait – they’re still young.

I’m going to guide you through the best care tips for this lovely and easygoing foliage plant, so you can keep yours happy and healthy, and help it grow into a houseplant worthy of admiration.

Here’s what I’m going to cover:

If you’re a newbie houseplant parent, you’ve made a good choice to start with.

This is one of the easiest plants you can care for in your home – and learning how to give it proper care will set you on a good path toward growing more challenging indoor vegetation.

And just to make sure we’re all on the same page, this houseplant is not to be confused with cleome, the flowering annual that is sometimes known by the same common name.

What Is a Spider Plant?

Chlorophytum comosum, more commonly known as “spider plant,” is an herbaceous tropical evergreen perennial enjoyed for its abundant foliage and ability to produce masses of plantlets.

It’s known around the world by several other common names as well, including “airplane plant,” “ribbon plant,” and “spider ivy.”

Some call it “St. Bernard’s lily” but this common name is used for another member of the asparagus family, Anthericum liliago, as well.

This tropical species is grass-like, with slender, arching leaves that grow in a rosette form. Its leaves are either all green, or variegated in either green and white, or sometimes green and yellow, depending on the cultivar.

Long stalks grow in the midst of its leaves, on which it produces small, white, star-shaped flowers, as well as tiny offsets or “spiderettes,” as its vegetative babies are called.

This characteristic of producing babies that remain attached to the mother plant gives C. comosum yet another name, “hens and chicks” or “hens and chickens” – not to be confused with the various succulent species that go by the same common name.

Spider ivy can grow and nourish multitudes of these babies without seeming worse for wear.

Cultivation and History

These productive houseplants are a familiar sight in our homes, but odds are you know little about where they actually come from. C. comosum is native to a wide swath of sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Cameroon and Ethiopia all the way down to South Africa.

Its wide native range is telling – C. comosum has flexibility built into its genetics.

In its native habitat, it has adapted to a diverse range of locations – growing on cliffs, in river valleys, and in flat thickets – as well as in a variety of different soil types and water conditions. This adaptability is what makes it such a resilient houseplant.

With a glance at its grass-like growth habit, you would probably have a hard time guessing that C. comosum is related to a common garden veggie – asparagus.

C. comosum is taxonomically classified as a member of the asparagus family, and in addition to asparagus, its relatives include agave, hosta, sansevieria, yucca, and monkey grass.

The latter is also known as Liriope, and members of this genus bear a strong family resemblance to the subject of this article.

Other members of the same genus including C. laxum and C. viridescens are also commonly called “spider plants.”

The meaning of this tropical species’ scientific name couldn’t be more literal – “Chlorophytum” means “green plant” and comosum means “tufted” or “leafy.”

Swedish naturalist Carl Thunberg was the first European known to collect this species in the wild, and he gave it its scientific name in 1794.

As for its common name, some sources suggest that its long, thin leaves are the inspiration behind the name “spider plant,” while at least one writer claims the nickname is inspired instead by the offsets, which resemble spiders rappelling down from a spiderweb.

C. comosum has been enjoyed in the home – and shared – since at least the early 1800s. The German writer and poet Goethe reportedly had a specimen of his own and shared its offsets with his friends.

But long before Europeans discovered it, local populations were likely using C. comosum in a variety of ways. The Nguni people, who live primarily in South Africa, use it medicinally, administering it to new mothers and young infants in particular.

And in addition to its traditional medicinal use, this species is also considered edible and can be consumed like a vegetable.

While its grass-like, extremely fibrous foliage can be eaten, the real edible interest of C. comosum lies under the soil, in this species’ fleshy, tuberous roots.

These roots store both nutrients and water, and are the secret to this plant’s resilience. I’ll delve into how the roots help to bolster C. comosum a little later in the article, so keep reading!

C. comosum has naturalized in some countries outside of Africa, and many researchers have published studies looking into this species as an important potential source of locally available food.

One paper published in 2014 in “Nutrition and Food Science Research” by Ali Aberoumand, Associate Professor in the Department of Fisheries at the University of Technology in Behbahan, Iran, asserts that the edible parts of this species contain significant amounts of vitamins C and E.

Another paper by the same researcher, published in the “Journal of Medicinal Food Plants” in 2009, claims the tubers of C. comosum contain “good sources of plant fibre, potassium, zinc, lipid, protein and carbohydrates.”

As a wild food enthusiast, I’m always interested in adding new edible plants to my list, but I’m not quite ready to subject my spider ivy to my kitchen knife just yet.

Perhaps when my home is brimming with extra specimens propagated from offsets, I might sacrifice one in order to have a taste test.

Its edible potential is certainly fascinating, but spider ivy is used primarily as a houseplant, and may be one of the most commonly cultivated houseplants in the world.

It’s enjoyed primarily for its foliage and extensive populations of pups, but its small delicate flowers can appear throughout the year and add to its overall delightful appearance.

While most of us will enjoy this species from the tropics indoors, it can be grown outdoors as an evergreen perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11.

It can also be treated as a perennial in Zone 8, but its foliage will be killed back in winter, and it will start producing new growth in the spring.

Propagation

While propagating C. comosum from offsets is the most well-known method, it can also be propagated through division, and by sowing seeds.

From Seed

Growing spider ivy from seeds isn’t what first comes to mind when one thinks of propagating this species, but seeds are one of the plant’s reproductive strategies, and we can take advantage of this as well to grow new specimens.

Before you launch into such a project, though, consider that if the specimen is a hybrid cultivar, the seedlings may end up looking a bit different from its parent.

If you don’t have a parent plant to start with, make sure to purchase seeds from a reputable source.

In order for C. comosum to produce seed heads, it will need to be pollinated. If your ribbon plant is flowering during the summer, place it outside where some friendly bees, wasps, or hoverflies can find the monoecious flowers and do the job for you.

Once your spider ivy flowers are pollinated, they will produce fruit, which will contain the ripening seeds you’ll be harvesting.

Wait for the fruit to dry out to ensure that the seeds are fully matured.

Once the seed heads are dry, you can harvest the seeds.

Sow the harvested seeds in a sterile potting medium, and water them gently with a mister to avoid oversaturating the soil.

Repot the young plant as needed, as indicated in the repotting section of this article below – and be aware that young plants may need more frequent watering than established specimens.

From Offsets

Propagating C. comosum from offsets is probably the easiest way to create new spider plants.

Since this species is so giving – or from its point of view, so eager to spread its genes – why not take advantage of the situation?

If Mama Spider is covered with babies, and the babies have roots growing from them, your work will be exceptionally easy.

All you need to do is to snip off an offset from the stalk, and pot it up.

Sometimes, your plant might have many offsets on it that don’t yet have roots of their own. In this case, you can help a spiderette grow roots in a few different ways.

One option is to snip it off and set it in a small glass of water. With this method, you want the base of the offset to be touching the surface of the water, but don’t submerge the entire offset.

Another method of propagating unrooted offsets is to mimic what would happen in nature, and root the offset while it is still attached to the parent plant.

Simply place a small pot with potting soil under the offset, and allow it to root while it’s still attached to its parent.

Or, you can snip it off from its stem and pot it up, letting it root in the soil on its own.

When using any of the methods described here that involve soil or potting medium, I recommend watering with a mister or spray bottle. This will help to keep the medium from becoming overly wet, granting your baby a higher chance of survival.

Once your offsets are rooted well, begin caring for them as you would for a potted plant.

Check out our guide for detailed step-by-step instructions for rooting spiderettes.

From Division

Since propagating offsets is so darn easy, you might be wondering – why would anyone bother with division?

Division can come in handy when your plant is outgrowing its pot, and you want to limit its size. Rather than letting it continue to grow wider, you can divide it, creating two smaller specimens – or more, depending on your preference.

To divide spider ivy, you’ll want to remove your plant from its pot and then work a clump away from the main plant, with both leaves and roots intact.

Continue by potting up as described in the repotting section below.

How to Grow

Unlike the high-maintenance prayer plant, spider ivy is fairly undemanding in its care.

Choosing a Plant

You’ll start off on the best foot with your spider ivy if you begin with a healthy specimen.

Here are a few tips on what to look for when choosing yours:

• Make sure the foliage is free of pests, such as scale or mealybugs. You’ll learn more about these pests below.
• Look for specimens without any browning. They should also be free of yellowing leaves, unless the cultivar is supposed to have yellow variegation.
• Pick the best size for your needs, and remember that these houseplants grow quickly.

When you find a healthy-looking specimen, check the pot. Does it have drainage holes? If not, make sure to repot your spider ivy as soon as possible. You’ll find repotting instructions below.

Light

Spider ivy can adapt to conditions ranging from part sun to full shade. But what will give you the best results? Medium to bright indirect sunlight.

Some direct sunlight is okay, just make sure your spider ivy isn’t sitting in full sun all day long, or its leaves will scorch or even fade and loose its variegation.

And while these houseplants can live in shade, their leaves will not be as vibrant when grown in very low-light conditions. Bright, indirect light will give you the best foliage color.

Bright, indirect light is also what you should aim for if you want your spider ivy to produce lots of offsets.

Many people like to place their houseplants outdoors during the summer. If you do this, make sure to put your spider ivy in a sheltered position where it receives dappled sun exposure, and not too much direct sunlight.

Temperature

Being from the tropics, C. comosum does best in a “Goldilocks” temperature range – meaning it appreciates conditions that are not too hot and not too cold. Temperatures between 65 and 75°F are ideal.

If you will be placing your spider ivy outdoors for the summer, remember to bring it back indoors before nighttime temperatures fall to 55°F. Temperatures starting in this range will be a bit too chilly for your houseplant.

C. comosum is not cold hardy, and can be killed when temperatures dip below freezing.

When deciding where to situate your spider ivy in your home, avoid drafty locations such as areas next to exterior doors or drafty windows, as well as spots near heating and cooling vents.

Always try to keep your ribbon plant at a temperature below 80°F, both indoors and out. In hot conditions, spider ivy becomes more susceptible to certain diseases. (I’ll get to that a bit later.)

Water

Now we come to one of the secrets of the spider plant’s resilience:

C. comosum is able to store water in its roots, making it more tolerant of inconsistent watering than some other types of houseplants.

While your spider ivy will be likely to forgive you if you miss a watering, in general, it should be watered when the top inch of its soil dries out.

However, rather than digging my finger into the potting soil, I test these houseplants for dryness by lifting their pots – when they start to feel light, I know it’s time to water.

If the water you give your plants is supplied from your municipality and otherwise unfiltered, be aware that spider ivy is quite sensitive to fluoride, and will exhibit browning tips in response to it.

In fact, a variety of grass-like monocots (short for “monocotyledons,” plants with seeds that contain only one embryonic cotyledon) can suffer fluoride toxicity that may lead to tip burn. Others include dracaena, and lilies.

Watering with rainwater instead, or filtered or distilled water, can help to prevent this. If you are using filtered water, double check to make sure your filter is able to remove fluoride – not all water filters do.

If you’ve been watering with tap water containing fluoride and your houseplant’s foliage has lots of brown tips, go ahead and switch your water supply.

You can also help the plant recover by removing the potting soil around its roots, soaking them in fresh filtered or non-fluoridated water, and then repotting with fresh soil.

Humidity

Spider ivy isn’t as picky as orchids are when it comes to humidity. It will thrive in environments where the relative humidity is between 25 and 49 percent.

Unless you live in an extremely dry climate, or your plant is in a warm, dry room, you probably won’t need to take any additional steps to provide it with extra humidity.

On the other hand, if you do live in an arid climate or your indoor air is extremely dry during the winter, go ahead and give your spider ivy a morning mist from a spray bottle.

Just make sure to do this in the morning while temperatures are warming up, instead of at night when they are cooling.

Fertilizer

With spider ivy, you’ll want to limit your applications of fertilizer. There are a couple of reasons for this.

The first is to avoid unwanted side effects. This plant is sensitive to the buildup of salts and other minerals that can occur if it is fertilized heavily, and it can exhibit brown leaf tips as a result. Overfertilizing can also prevent C. comosum from producing offsets.

Maintenance

Being the low maintenance houseplants that they are, spider ivy really only requires occasional repotting, and a bit of trimming if leaf tips turn brown.

If you’re aiming to cultivate a lush plant with trailing babies, you’ll also want to know what to do to encourage offset production. Let’s take a look, starting with this desirable feature.

Encouraging Offsets

If, like me, your plans for your spider ivy include encouraging it to produce cascades of spiderettes that trail down from the parent plant, there are a few things you can do to encourage offset production.

First, these houseplants respond to changing day length, much like poinsettia and Christmas cactus.

When C. comosum is exposed to short days and long, dark nights for at least three weeks, it takes those long nights as a cue to reproduce. These conditions will trigger your plant to send out a long stalk, on which it may produce both flowers and offsets.

To replicate these natural conditions, try to keep your spider ivy in a location where it isn’t exposed to artificial light in the evening and throughout the night.

The next thing you can do to encourage offset production is to refrain from repotting frequently. Specimens that are slightly pot bound are more likely to produce offsets.

Why?

From the plant’s point of view, if it’s unable to continue to stretch its roots through the soil, then it had better get busy ensuring another way of spreading its genes. And that way is through producing offsets.

Repotting

There will come a time, however, when you’ll need to repot your plant.

If it has become so pot-bound that its roots are bursting through the drainage hole in the bottom, or emerging above the surface of the soil, these are clear signs that it’s time to repot!

In general, you should plan to repot young plants once a year and more mature specimens every two years, but adjust this schedule to your plant’s surroundings – those placed in lower light conditions won’t grow quite as fast.

Before you begin your repotting project, make sure you have a new pot that is only one or two inches larger than the current pot.

When the level looks good, fill in with potting soil around the edges of the plant.

When filling in with fresh potting soil, make sure you don’t bury the crown of the plant – keep the soil surface at the same level.

Water the soil, and return your houseplant to its previous location.

Pruning

Your spider ivy won’t need to be pruned, per se, but you will want to trim any brown tips that appear.

Since the leaves of these houseplants are very fine and thin, a pair of garden pruners will likely be overkill for this task. Instead, use a pair of sharp, sterilized scissors.

If you are seeing a lot of brown tips on your plant, make sure to review the sections on watering, temperature, and fertilizer above – the most likely causes of this browning are underwatering, fluoridated water, exposure to cold drafts, or too much fertilizer.

Managing Pests and Disease

These easy-care houseplants aren’t terribly prone to pests or disease. However, it’s important to know what to be on the lookout for.

Pests

Here are some of the most common pest problems for C. comosum:

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are one of the most common houseplant insect pests, and they sometimes attack spider ivy too.

Luckily, they’re easy to recognize and stand out like a sore thumb, so you’ll be likely to catch them before they cause much damage.

Have you ever seen a white fluffy residue on the stems of a houseplant? That was actually an insect: the infamous mealybug.

Members of the scale family, mealybugs can make foliage look like it has little pieces of cotton stuck to it.

Mealybugs will latch onto and feed on your houseplant, stealing valuable nutrients. This will weaken the plant in turn, and can eventually kill it if the problem goes on too long.

Making matters worse, mealybugs secrete honeydew, which can give a foothold to fungi, causing further risk to your plant’s health.

You can control these cottony-looking pests by wiping them away with a paper towel moistened with rubbing alcohol. Be sure to inspect the base of the leaves as well as the leaves themselves.

If rubbing alcohol isn’t enough to wipe out an infestation, your next mode of recourse is an application of neem oil, an organic treatment that can wipe out both pests and fungi.

Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for applying this product.

Read more tips on controlling mealybugs.

Spider Mites

It would seem fitting, wouldn’t it, if the spider mites found your spider ivies?

Fitting, perhaps, but also frustrating.

If you notice yellow spots on the foliage – or worse, webs – inspect it well, because you may have mites. You may also be able to see tiny colonies of red or brown mites moving about the webs and the undersides of the foliage.

These pests also suck nutrients from the leaves, and can leave your plant sick and malnourished.

To treat an infestation of these pests, first wipe them off of the foliage with a damp paper towel, then treat with rubbing alcohol or neem oil.

Read more about combating spider mites.

Other Insects and Pests

Aphids, root knot nematodes, whiteflies, and fungus gnats can all infest spider plants (as well as other houseplants).

Disease

C. comosum isn’t very prone to disease, but it does sometimes exhibit signs of illness. Here are a couple of problems to look out for:

Root Rot

If the foliage on your specimen starts to turn yellow or wilt, and its soil looks a little wet, root rot may be the problem.

Root rot is often caused by overwatering, insufficient drainage, poorly draining soil, a pot that’s too large – or all of the above.

When your houseplant’s roots sit in soggy soil, they can’t get the oxygen they need. This causes them to fail to transport water to the foliage, and they will eventually die off.

Ironically, plants with oversaturated roots that succumb to root rot will eventually start to suffer from dehydration. And meanwhile, fungi and bacteria can easily proliferate in that soggy soil, just making matters worse.

If root rot seems to be a problem for your plant, try to determine what the cause is:

Are you overwatering? Is the soil holding too much water? Is the pot oversized? Does the pot – heaven forbid – lack drainage holes? (Gasp!)

If your plastic grower pot lacks holes, or seems to have otherwise insufficient drainage, drill more holes into the bottom of the pot. (Do remove the plant from the pot first, please.)

If root rot is a problem, it’s a good idea to switch out the potting soil to remove any fungi or bacteria that have been given a foothold. If you’re reusing the same pot, go ahead and clean it, then sterilize it with some hydrogen peroxide while you’re at it.

Inspect the roots of your plant, and trim any that are rotten with a pair of sterilized garden pruners or scissors.

Repot the plant in the same sized – or smaller – pot as indicated in the repotting section above.

Southern Blight

Southern blight is a disease caused by a fungus, Sclerotium rolfsii, which can affect many garden species, such as apples and tomatoes. Spider ivy is prone to this fungus too, which is also referred to as Athelia rolfsii.

Symptoms of Southern blight include wilting or collapse of the foliage. The fungus is more active in hot weather, so keeping your houseplant indoors in its preferred temperature range is a good preventive measure.

If your specimen seems to be infected with Southern blight, remove all infected plant material, and switch out the soil.

Rather than placing infected materials in your compost bin, dispose of them in the trash to avoid inadvertently spreading this disease throughout your garden.

And if your spider ivy is wilting and you’re not sure why, be sure to check out our article on why spider plants wilt!

Best Uses

As far as houseplants go, this species looks beautiful in a hanging basket.

And it also works wonderfully on a stand, where its offsets can spill down.

But that’s not all you can do with it. It also looks great in decorative pots, grouped together with other houseplants.

Outdoors, in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11 C. comosum makes a nice ground cover, or it can be used to cascade over a low stone wall. It can also be grown outdoors as an annual in zones with cold winters.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:	Evergreen perennial	Foliage Color:	Green, white and green, yellow and green
Native to:	Africa	Soil Type:	Potting soil
Hardiness (USDA Zone):	9-11	Soil pH:	6.0-6.5
Exposure:	Medium to bright indirect light	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Time to Maturity:	5-10 years	Companion Planting:	Asparagus fern, Christmas cactus, inch plant, philodendron, pothos, prayer plant, rubber plant, snake plant
Height:	1-2 feet	Uses:	Ornamental houseplant, evergreen ground cover (in USDA Zones 9-11)
Spread:	2-4 feet	Order:	Asparagales
Tolerance:	Drought, humidity, low light	Family:	Araceae
Water Needs:	Medium	Genus:	Chlorophytum
Maintenance:	Low	Species:	comosum
Common Pests:	Aphids, mealybugs, root knot nematodes, scale, spider mites, white flies	Common Diseases:	Root rot, southern blight

Rhododendron spp.

There’s a reason why rhododendrons are so popular. The riot of color that a well-placed plant can produce is replicated by few other shrubs out there. But beyond that, they come in a massive range of sizes, leaf shapes, and growth habits as well.

There are rhododendrons for shade and some for full sun. Some do well in hot, dry locales, while many others are perfectly content in soggy, cool soil. In other words, there’s a rhodie for pretty much everyone.

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When it comes to versatility, rhododendrons have it made. There’s just one catch. They need acidic soil. However adaptable they might be, that’s one thing they won’t compromise on.

Fortunately, there are ways for even those with the most alkaline soil out there to grow rhododendrons. No one should be without their stunning display.

To help you achieve your floral dreams, this guide will help you through the challenges and joys of growing these marvelous plants. Here’s what you can expect, coming up:

There’s a lot to love about rhodies – and a lot to know about raising them, so let’s jump right in.

Cultivation and History

Rhododendrons are found growing wild around the world in various places including China, Japan, India, Nepal, Korea, Europe, and North America.

They grow in areas from the Arctic to the tropics, from Canada to Mexico, which should tell you that these are some incredibly versatile plants. The largest concentration of wild rhododendrons is found in southwest China.

Rhododendrons have been around in the wild for centuries, but they started to appear in modern records during the 1500s and 1600s.

Flemish botanist Charles L’Ecluse is credited with the first botanical classification of a rhododendron (R. hirsutum), which he identified in the Alps during the 16th century.

We know that they were cultivated in China in the 1600s and James Cunningham, a surgeon with the East India Company, was the first recorded amateur collector from the West. He began picking up specimens during his assignment in China in 1698.

Missionaries and other travelers visiting China continued to collect specimens from that period on and brought cultivated plants to Europe and the US. People also began cultivating and growing European and North American species.

Today, there are thousands of Rhododendron species within the genus and thousands of cultivars, ranging from tiny plants with petite flowers to massive bushes with proportionally large blossoms and leaves.

A single rhododendron can grow up to 40 feet wide and 30 feet tall, as the massive ‘Old Cornish Red’ cultivar in Britain demonstrates.

Groups of wild plants can grow so large and thick that they’ve earned the name “laurel hell,” “rhododendron hell,” “laurel slicks,” or “yaller patches.”

In the Appalachian region, R. maximum can grow so dense and aggressively that it has taken over the understory of thousands of acres of woodlands. If you ever find yourself tangled up in a yaller patch, take pictures! From what I’ve seen, it’s beautiful (if a little disorienting).

Flowers emerge in the early summer and last for weeks, and all species are evergreen. There are a few species that are repeat bloomers.

They spread via suckers and seeds, and they reproduce so well that some species are considered invasive.

That’s why it’s a good idea to do a little research before you place your plant in the ground. R. ponticum, for example, is a beautiful, if invasive pest in some regions in the US, EU, and UK.

The entire plant is toxic to humans, cats, dogs, livestock, and horses. While the toxins can be deadly, some people have managed to make odd use of them.

The honey made by bees from certain species of rhododendron flowers has earned the nickname “mad honey.”

It contains a neurotoxin that can bring on hallucinations, to the delight or dismay of the person ingesting it. In high enough doses, it can also cause seizures and death (to the delight of no one).

We don’t recommend ingesting any part of the plant, nor the honey made solely from it.

Before we go any further, let’s clarify one thing: rhododendrons aren’t azaleas (though azaleas are rhododendrons). Clear as mud? They are closely-related plants in the same genus. Azaleas are certain species in the Rhododendron genus (subgenera Tsutsusi and Pentanthera). 

Rhododendrons (hybrids, as well as subgenera Azaleastrum, Choniastrum, Hymenanthes, Rhododendron, and Therorhodion) are larger overall with thicker, bigger leaves and larger flowers than azaleas.

Rhododendrons have fewer stems, more stamens, and the leaves are smooth, not hairy. Azaleas bloom earlier and have a wider range of colors.

Azaleas can be deciduous, but rhodies never are. Both famously require acidic, somewhat shady growing conditions.

Rhodies can have smooth or rough bark. You can grow either in the same way, but it helps to know which you’re growing because there are some differences, which we will talk about up ahead.

When botanists refer to rhododendrons, they mean both azaleas and rhodies, but here we are just talking about the latter, the true rhododendrons.

These plants can grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 8, but there are some that can do well in Zones 4 and 9, as well.

Rhododendrons start blooming in spring, and I always get excited when I see the buds start to swell in the late winter. I know that spring and that majestic floral display is right around the corner!

Propagation

Rhodies propagate easily from seed, cuttings, and layering, depending on what your goals are and which type you choose.

From Seed

You can grow rhododendrons from seed, but you must use the species types. You can’t grow hybrids or named cultivars true from seed. Seeds should be planted in January or February and kept on a heat mat.

Fill five- or six-inch pots or a seed tray with a seed-starting medium.

CowPots Biodegradable Pots

I like to use biodegradable starter pots like CowPots, and you can grab packages of 60 or 192 pots at Arbico Organics.

Any water-retentive seed-starting medium will do, but I’m a fan of Tank’s Pro-Lite Seeding & Potting Mix.

Tank’s Pro-Lite Seeding & Potting Mix

You can find 16-quart bags available from Tank’s Green Stuff via Amazon.

Place two or three seeds in each container on the top of the mix, but don’t cover the seeds. Water well with a spray bottle to thoroughly saturate the soil.

Once the seeds are in the soil, the work really begins. You can’t let the medium dry out at any point. If the medium does dry out, the seeds (or young seedlings) will die.

That means visiting with your spray bottle at least once a day. You’ll also want to place plastic or a cloche over the containers to help seal in moisture.

Place the containers under grow lights or in a window where the seeds will receive at least eight hours of sunlight per day. Sixteen hours of light under a grow light is even better.

Expect to see germination in 10 days to three weeks, depending on the plant. After a week or two, you can remove the cloche or plastic cover. Then, in four to eight weeks, the plants should have developed two true leaves.

Once this happens, you can transplant if the weather is appropriate and the last projected frost has passed. If not, continue to grow in the containers indoors.

Keep the soil moist at all times throughout this process. Remember, dry soil is a death sentence for your seedlings.

Once you’re ready to plant, harden off the seedlings over a period of 10 days or so.

Place the plants outside in an area where they will receive direct light with protection from any wind for one hour. The next day, add an hour. Continue to add an hour each day until the plant is sitting outside all day long.

Keep the soil moist at all times. Once you transplant, you can gradually start reducing the water over a few weeks so the surface dries out slightly between waterings.

From Cuttings

Propagating from cuttings is ideal if you want to grow hybrids and cultivars.

Take heel cuttings in the early morning during the late summer, or ideally in the fall.

The goal is to remove young, new growth that is just barely starting to harden. This type of wood is less likely to rot and roots readily, whereas softwood is prone to rotting and hardwood doesn’t root well.

Look for a stem that has at least two leaves. Remove any flower buds or spent flowers, and any leaves beyond the top two.

Slice off the thin outer green part on the bottom inch of the stem on one side to expose the interior and encourage rooting.

Dip the stem an inch deep into a rooting hormone such as Bontone II Rooting Powder, which you can grab at Arbico Organics.

Bonide Bontone II Rooting Powder

Use an equal mix of peat moss and vermiculite, perlite, or rice hulls to fill a six-inch container. This is one time when peat moss is a good choice, despite its environmental impact, because it has the acidic characteristics that rhododendrons love.

Water the medium until it is wet but not soaking.

Place the cutting an inch deep in the growing medium and cover the pot with a cloche or plastic bag. Then, put the cutting on a heat mat to encourage root growth. Keep the medium moist, but not wet, and spray inside the cover once a day.

Within six weeks, you should see root formation. Give the cutting a gentle tug. If it resists, roots have formed.

If not, keep watering and misting for another week or two. If the cutting hasn’t rooted at that point, it’s time to toss it. You can plan to start again next year.

If your cutting has rooted, treat it as a transplant.

By Layering

Rhododendrons layer well. During the late summer, select a low-growing branch and pin it to the ground with a rock or piece of wire pushed into the soil.

Remove any leaves in the section that you pin to the ground. Then, water and feed the section as you do for the rest of the plant. There’s really no more to it than that.

It can take up to three years for a layered branch to root, especially for the smooth-barked types, so be patient.

Check once every year to see if roots have formed by removing the rock or wire and giving the branch a gentle tug. If it resists, you have roots. If not, just pin it back down and keep letting it do its thing.

If you don’t see roots within four years or so, it’s probably not going to happen. Try again with a different branch.

Once roots have formed, simply clip away the side of the branch closest to the bush and dig up the new plant. Clip the branch on both sides near the ground using pruners to remove the excess growth and release the section from the parent plant.

Then, dig up a section of earth  about nine inches in circumference around the rooted part, and four inches deep. Plant as you would a transplant.

Transplanting

You can find transplants at pretty much any nursery, but I’d encourage you to visit the American Rhododendron Society to find your local chapter.

Most local chapters have a yearly plant sale where you can not only find affordable options, but you’ll be able to nab plants that do particularly well in your area.

Plus, you can usually get some helpful advice from knowledgeable growers that know the specific needs of plants grown in your climate.

Transplants should be placed in the ground in the fall or the spring. Dig a hole that is twice as large and just as deep as the container that the plant came in.

If you don’t have the perfect soil, work in lots of well-rotted compost before digging the hole. Focus on amending the soil laterally rather than deep down.

You can never amend the soil in an area that’s too wide, but try to work the soil at least four times as wide as the diameter of the original container.

Take care not to plant too deep. This can smother and kill your rhododendron over time. The roots should be right near the surface.

Do not remove any of the soil around the roots when you remove the plant from the container. Rhododendrons need lots of mycorrhizal fungi around their roots to help them thrive, and the more you mess with the existing soil, the more you’ll kill off these beneficial fungi.

If you plant a rhodie that was grafted, take care to be absolutely sure that the graft point is well above ground. By the way, almost all grafted plants have scions attached to R. ‘Cunningham White’ rootstock.

The tag on the plant might tell you if it was grafted, or you can look for a knobby joint about an inch or so above the crown.

How to Grow

While they’re famous for their ability to grow in shade, rhododendrons can also handle full sun and everything in between.

You will typically see more numerous, larger, and longer-lasting blossoms on plants in partial to full sun, depending on the cultivar. In fact, buds won’t break on plants that are in too much shade, but you can still enjoy them as some nice greenery in your garden.

In areas where the weather can become hot in the summer, protection from any afternoon sun is necessary.

In a perfect world, you’ll put them somewhere they’ll have a few hours of sun in the morning, a few hours of shade in the afternoon, and a few hours of sun again in the evening. Dappled or filtered shade works well, too.

Protect them from wind. The perfect spot would be on the eastern side of a mature tree in the shade of oaks and pines where they could get morning sun, dappled shade during the day, and protection from wind.

Slopes are ideal because the drainage is usually good in these areas and the plants are protected from wind, which can cause leaf burn.

Don’t plant them near black walnuts, because they’re sensitive to juglone.

They need acidic soil, and do best in humus-rich, well-draining earth. That said, they can survive in sandy or clay soil, as well. You might sacrifice some of the floral display, though.

The soil pH needs to be between 4.5 and 6.0. If the soil isn’t close to this pH already, you will need to grow your rhododendron in a container or a raised bed filled with lots of pine bark. There are compact hybrids that are perfect for pots.

If you need to use potting soil, look for something labeled “ericaceous,” which is formulated for acid-loving plants. You can find ericaceous fertilizer as well, by the way.

You’ll need to adjust the soil if it’s too alkaline. Sulfur is an excellent option to lower pH. Use three and a half pounds to adjust the pH of 100 square feet of average, loamy soil dug six inches deep from a neutral pH of 7.0 to an acidic 5.5.

Note that results may vary, however, if your soil is comprised of more sand or more clay than average loamy soil. Do this at least a few weeks before planting. Adjusting the pH can be a process of testing and adjusting as you go.

Never use aluminum sulfate because it can eventually cause the death of your plants. Elemental sulfur is a natural element that is present in soil, and that’s the product you want to look for.

Aluminum sulfate is a sodium-based product, and while it has its uses, it isn’t right for rhodies.

If you need to amend your soil, consider planting in large groupings with other acid-loving plants. It’s easier to group plants with similar needs from a planting and maintenance standpoint.

If you have a single specimen, you’ll be constantly battling to amend the soil to keep the single plant healthy.

Rhododendrons have shallow, delicate roots. Heavy mulch can be helpful, but don’t let the mulch build up around the stem. A smothered stem, whether in soil or mulch, will kill your plant eventually.

Shredded pine bark, pine straw, or composted oak leaves work best. Use a layer of about two to four inches and extend the mulch beyond the drip line.

I can tell you from experience that rhododendrons can handle a ton of water, but it is possible to overwater them. Chronic overwatering or extremely poor-draining soil will kill your plant. But so can underwatering.

Just remember that rhododendrons grow wild in places like the Pacific Northwest. That should tell you how much water they need – quite a lot! Young plants need more water than established ones.

If they don’t receive the water they need, these plants may fail to form buds. You’ll usually see the leaves rolling and browning at the tops if your plant is too dry.

Taper off irrigation during the fall to help harden up the bushes for winter weather. That said, the soil should be moist a day or two before the first freeze arrives to protect the roots.

During the majority of the growing season, don’t let more than the top half-inch of soil dry out. In the month before the first expected frost date, allow the top inch to dry out.

Then, offer a good, deep soaking when the first freeze is expected within the next day or two.

Growing Tips

• Don’t allow more than the top half-inch of soil to dry out during the spring and summer.
• Apply several inches of mulch to protect the roots and retain water.
• Give the plants shade during periods of afternoon sun.

Pruning and Maintenance

The best part of rhododendron maintenance? No deadheading necessary! Your plant will bloom prolifically and for an extended period whether you prune it or not.

You can deadhead if you don’t like the look of spent flowers on your plant. And you should also remove any dead branches.

In the summer, remove the dead flower bunches to encourage a larger display the following year. Don’t remove any spent blossoms from August on, though.

If you want, you can prune rhododendrons to keep them compact. You can even cut them back dramatically and they’ll be fine. Rough-barked types can handle tougher pruning than smooth-barked types.

Repot every few years if growing in containers, especially if you’re using a soilless potting medium, which tends to compact fairly rapidly.

The plants will shed older leaves during the late spring and summer. Don’t panic, this is normal. As long as the leaves aren’t diseased and your plant doesn’t lose more than a quarter at once, things are fine.

During the winter, a prolonged freeze or heavy snow can cause leaves to curl and droop, but rhodies are thermotropic, and they’ll pop back up.

Leaves may also drop if the temperature falls below about 17°F. The plant will likely survive, so long as the freeze isn’t too prolonged, but you’ll need to wait for spring for the leaves to return.

Frost and snow can also cause some burning or damage to the leaves. These will typically drop off in the spring and be replaced with healthy foliage.

The foliage will become yellow if plants don’t receive the iron they need.

This can be a problem caused by inadequate fertilizing, but it’s caused more often by poor drainage, damaged roots, or alkaline soil. Add iron to the soil to help the yellowing leaves recover and then work to improve the drainage or soil pH, if you can.

If buds fail to form or break, this can be due to a number of things. Too little or too much water, or too much fluctuation between heat and cold in the winter, are common culprits.

Splitting bark is caused by rapid fluctuation between warmth and freezing.

There’s nothing you can do to prevent it other than wrapping the entire plant in cloth each time the weather fluctuates, and it may kill some of the branches. Fortunately, rhodies are so resilient that you can trim away the split areas and the plant will fill back in.

Fertilize in May and June, but not from July on. Fertilizing in the summer forces new growth, which can be damaged or killed when cold weather hits.

Down to Earth Acid Mix

The fertilizer needs to be mild and you don’t want to work it into the soil, as this can damage the roots. Down to Earth’s Acid Mix is perfect for rhodies. It’s available at Arbico Organics in one- or five-pound boxes.

Regularly replace the mulch around the plant and hand pull weeds – don’t till or dig them out. You’ll also need to check your soil pH annually if your soil isn’t naturally acidic.

The pH will start to creep out of range over time and you’ll need to re-apply sulfur to keep it acidic.

Cultivars to Select

It’s an impossible task to recommend one cultivar or even one species that will work for everyone. That’s part of what’s great about rhodies.

They’re so incredibly diverse that there’s an option for nearly any garden, but that makes narrowing the options down a bit of a challenge.

When you go to select a cultivar, talking to your local chapter of the ARS will help immensely. Here are the factors to take into consideration:

• the location where your plant will grow
• your local climate
• the amount of available space

Rhodies are considered mature at 10 years, so research the mature height and width of the particular plant you’re considering.

Here are some exceptional options that are worth a look:

America

‘America’ was bred in the Netherlands in 1902 using ‘Parsons Grandiflorum’ and an unnamed second parent, and it’s an extremely cold-hardy option.

It likes lots of sun and grows to about six feet wide and four feet tall. The flowers are purplish-red.

Augfast

‘Augfast’ is a dwarf plant that stands out with its lavender-blue flowers.

It never grows more than three feet tall and wide, and is one of the earliest to bloom.

Janet Blair

‘Janet Blair’ has an open growth habit with medium pink flowers.

It grows about six feet tall and wide and is tolerant of dry conditions, so it’s perfect if you live in a drier climate.

Nancy Evans

‘Nancy Evans’ is a popular hybrid with bright yellow and salmon flowers. It blooms so prolifically that you can hardly see the leaves for all the blossoms.

This cultivar grows to about four feet tall and wide, and she’s a mix of R. x ‘Hotei’ and R. x ‘Lem’s Cameo.’

Nova Zembla

‘Nova Zembla’ is both cold- and heat-hardy, with masses of bright red flowers on a five foot tall and wide shrub.

‘Nova Zembla’

Plants are available in one-gallon pots from Home Depot.

Managing Pests and Disease

Rhodies don’t suffer from as many problems as their friends the rose, but they still have a handful of issues that may try to come between you and that beautiful floral display you’re looking for.

Herbivores

Oh, deer. Deer dig rhododendrons. Fortunately, other herbivores such as rabbits, voles, and moles don’t seem interested.

Deer

Deer reportedly love rhododendrons, though  I say “reportedly” because they don’t come near mine.

They’ve got better stuff to eat, like the veggies in my raised beds, the compost in my pile, and the hostas under my trees. My neighbors all reported the same thing in the very informal survey I took.

But I’ve known people who can’t keep hungry ungulates from treating their rhodies as an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Until you figure out whether the deer in your ‘hood have a taste for your particular species, it’s best to take some preventative measures, particularly with young plants. Read our guide to controlling deer for more info.

Insects

Insects aren’t the biggest challenge with growing rhododendrons, but they can spread disease, which can become a much more challenging issue.

Aphids

Aphids (Macrosiphum rhododendri) won’t kill your rhodie, but they can distort new leaf growth. Unless you’re out looking for them, though, you might not even notice that they’re around.

They’re usually pink or green, wingless, and three and a half millimeters long.

If you don’t see the bugs themselves, you might notice a sticky coating on the flower buds and leaves. If you see exoskeletons stuck in this honeydew, they’ve already come and gone, so treatment isn’t necessary.

But if you see live insects, you may choose to treat them. Don’t stress yourself out about it, though. They won’t kill your plant and they don’t feed on too many other landscape shrubs.

Our guide to controlling aphids can shed more light on the situation.

Black Vine Weevils

When I purchase a plant, I’m always super excited to put it in the ground to enjoy it. But sometimes I forget to do the important prep work like checking the roots for pests or disease. Don’t make that mistake with rhodies.

Black weevils (Otiorhynchus saleatus) like to hitch a ride from the nursery to your garden on the roots or in the soil of purchased plants. Once they’re in your garden, you’re in for a rough time.

While nurseries have gotten better about preventing these little jerks, they can still be a real pain. So while you want to do your best not to disturb the roots of your rhodie before planting, don’t be afraid to use a chopstick to poke in there and look for any movement or signs of worms.

Unfortunately, even if you prevent them from sneaking into your yard, they may find a way to your garden anyway. If they do, the adults can eat the foliage of your plants ragged. They notch the edges of leaves before moving in to eat even more.

The larvae munch on the roots and stems. Beyond looking bad, this can make moving water and nutrients throughout the plant difficult.

Grab a flashlight and examine your rhodies at night to look for the adults. They’re black, gray, or reddish-brown and under half an inch long, with pitted backs and fine yellow hair.

The grubs live underground during the winter and emerge as adults in the spring. Usually, you’ll see the little notches they form on the lower leaves before moving up as the adults crawl their way up the plant.

It’s easiest and safest to control these pests by killing the larvae with beneficial nematodes. You mix these tiny powerhouses into the soil with water and let them do their thing.

NemAttack Beneficial Nematodes

Arbico Organics can make you the proud parent of five million Steinernema riobrave nematodes, should you need them.

Failing that, break out the pesticides.

A spray containing pyrethrins like Monterey Take Down Garden Spray is usually effective. Treat the plant during the late spring and all summer, following the manufacturer’s directions.

Monterey Take Down Garden Spray

If you’re seeing signs of weevils, pop over to Arbico Organics to nab some Monterey Take Down in 32-ounce ready-to-use or 16-ounce concentrate containers.

Leafhoppers

Rhododendron leafhoppers (Graphocephala fennahi) suck the sap from your rhodies, but that’s not why they’re bad. Or at least it’s not the only reason. They also spread the fungi that cause bud blast, and you don’t want your plants to have that disease.

I think the adults are kind of pretty. They’re medium green with narrow red bands extending down their wings. Their heads are yellow and they’re about a third of an inch long.

They feed on the sap of the plants from midsummer on, and the easiest way to control them is to simply pick them up and plop them in a jar of soapy water.

I make it a habit to always go out with a bucket of soapy water when I walk my garden so I can toss in any annoying critters I find as I’m strolling about.

You can also hang a bird feeder near your plants to encourage birds to visit – and perhaps pick up a leafhopper or two while they’re there.

Disease

There are just a handful of diseases that are likely to strike, and while they usually won’t kill your plant, they will ruin your floral display.

Bud Blast

A disease caused by Seifertia azalea fungi, bud blast is spread by leafhoppers, and it’s not fun to see your plants suffering with this one. It makes the buds on the plant turn brown or silvery before they die, and that means no flowers!

The good news is that it’s rare for every bud to be impacted, so you’ll still have a lovely floral display, just a smaller one than you would otherwise.

There’s no cure, so the only thing you can do is either remove a badly infected plant, or trim away any infected buds to reduce the chances that the fungus will spread.

Leaf Spot

Leaf spot (aka anthracnose) is a fungal issue caused by Glomerella cingulata that generally won’t kill your plants but it can make them look ugly. It causes foliage to drop and unsightly black and yellow spots appear all over the leaves.

The best ways to deal with leaf spot are to prune away infected branches, reduce the amount of nitrogen that you give your plants, and ensure that they are growing in well-draining soil. Healthy plants are rarely troubled by this issue.

Root Rot

Root rot or Phytophthora rot is caused by the water mold Phytophthora cryptogea. It’s the worst disease on this list because it can actually kill your plant in the worst-case scenario.

More often, it causes slow growth and wilting, even when the soil is appropriately moist, and leaves the plant susceptible to other issues.

Plants that are in shady areas, placed too deep in the soil, or growing in poor-draining soil are particularly susceptible. Treat the soil using a copper fungicide once every six weeks for as long as symptoms are present.

Bonide Copper Fungicide Dust

Bonide Copper Fungicide Dust can be mixed with water and applied to the soil. Arbico Organics carries this handy option for your gardening toolkit in one-pound or four-pound containers.

Best Uses

Rhodies serve multiple purposes in the garden. They make an excellent accent or work as mass plantings.

You can use them to create a wall, as a foundation planting, or for some color in a partially shady spot. And smaller cultivars work well in containers.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:	Woody flowering shrub	Flower/Foliage Color:	Carmine, blue, lavender, orange, pink, purple, red, white, yellow/green
Native to:	Asia, Europe, North America	Maintenance:	Moderate
Hardiness (USDA Zone):	4-9	Tolerance:	Frost, some shade
Bloom Time:	Spring, summer	Soil Type:	Organically-rich, loose
Exposure:	Full sun, partial sun, partial shade	Soil pH:	4.5-6.0
Spacing:	2-10 feet, depending on cultivar	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Planting Depth:	Surface sow seeds, transplants at the same depth	Companion Planting:	Azaleas, pines, oaks, wildflowers
Height:	Up to 30 feet	Avoid Planting With:	Black walnut
Spread:	Up to 40 feet	Uses:	Beds, borders, specimen, containers
Growth Rate:	Moderate	Family:	Ericaceae
Time to Maturity:	10 years	Genus:	Rhododendron
Water Needs:	Moderate-high	Subgenus:	Azaleastrum, Choniastrum, Hymenanthes, Rhododendron, Therorhodion
Common Pests and Disease:	Deer; aphids, black vine weevils, leafhoppers; bud blast, leaf spot, root rot	Species:	Aberconwayi, arboreum, augustinii, bureavii, calostrotum, decorum, elliottii, keiskei, niveum, ponticum, pubescens, thomsonii, wardii

Make Rhodies Your New Garden Crown Jewel

When you see a healthy rhododendron in full bloom, it’s not a sight you’ll soon forget. They’re positively stunning.

In order to have the full effect, however, you need to give these plants exactly what they crave. The right exposure, some acidic soil, good drainage with lots of water, and some yummy plant food will have your rhodie in full display.

Once you have your new beauty in the ground, come back and let us know in the comments which kind you ended up selecting and what location you live in, so your fellow rhodie lovers can share the fun.

If this guide made you feel like you could confidently raise beautiful plants, you might want to check out a few of our other guides to flowering shrubs next:

Collaborative post

Every parent wants to keep their young baby safe and healthy. One of the critical aspects that parents should consider when creating a safe environment is proper ventilation. We all know that sluggish feeling after spending too long in a room without fresh air – and it’s just as relevant to children.

This article will discuss why good ventilation in your baby’s nursery or bedroom is essential for his or her health and development.

1. Improved air quality

When air circulates freely through a room, it helps to remove pollutants like dust mites, pollen, pet dander, and other allergens that can cause respiratory issues such as asthma attacks in small children.

In addition, the more fresh air brought into a living space by an effective ventilation system, the more this allows oxygen-rich blood flow. This can help with overall brain functioning, and healthy growth of the body.  Especially in the first years of our lives, our oxygen levels are essential.

If you are worried about the noise that can be a by-product caused by extractor fans, you could look for a silent bathroom extractor fan.

2. Reduced moisture levels

Proper circulation of air not only reduces humidity, but also prevents excess moisture buildup inside cramped spaces. Stagnant conditions are common causes of mould growth & bacterial infections, so it makes sense to avoid these by keeping the airflow good in your home.

As well as helping to keep moisture under control, good air circulation will reduce lingering smells in the kitchen and bathroom. Opening up a window for a short amount of time can help everyone feel fresh.

3 . Temperature control

Poorly ventilated rooms tend to be hot spots on sunny days. High indoor temperatures can pose a risk to small babies whose bodies struggle with regulating internal body temperature. We all know not to leave a child in a car with the windows closed, and the same goes for bedrooms or other spaces in the house.

Good ventilation is beneficial for anyone, regardless of age group. However, its importance reaches a whole new level when it comes to taking care of our little ones, who have yet to equip themselves both physically and mentally against everyday difficulties. Thankfully, it’s really straightforward to take care of ventilation inside your home. Take a look at this ventilation store for lots of ideas.

Something unique happened this year when the editors here at Fine Gardening started reviewing the new offerings from various plant breeders: We found ourselves adding more items to our spring shopping lists. That may not sound earth-shattering, but it takes a lot to get us jazzed enough about a plant in its first year at the nursery that we’ll go through the trouble of trying to track it down. You see, new plants can be hard to find in their initial seasons of availability, so our staffers will often wait for a year or two before actively committing to the hunt. But when it came to several of these new varieties, we decided that we just can’t wait that long to get our hands on them. Below, you’ll read about these standout ­options—and when you do, we’ll race you to the garden center.

Best New Perennials

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Grow it for the flowers as much as the leaves

‘Sun Flower’ hosta (Hosta ‘Sun Flower’)

Zones: 3–8

Size: 8 inches tall and 22 inches wide

Conditions: Partial to full shade; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: China, Japan, Korea

Most hostas aren’t grown for their flowers. This is not news to any gardener. But that might change when you spy the eye-catching blooms on this new variety. In fact, at quick glance we thought this was a clematis. The foliage is a bright chartreuse, which offsets those amazing flowers beautifully.

Introduced by Plant Delights Nursery

If veronicas have disappointed you in the past, give this one a shot

‘Ever After’ veronica (Veronica ‘Ever After’)

Zones: 4–8

Size: 14 to 16 inches tall and 16 to 20 inches wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: Northern Europe, Asia

If you’ve planted any veronica over the past decade, chances are it blooms for a hot minute—leaving you with a nondescript green mound of foliage for the next seven months or so. ‘Ever After’ may be the
exception, with breeders claiming the foot-long flower wands keep going for weeks and weeks. The best part? No deadheading is needed for the show to keep going.

Introduced by Proven Winners® and Walters Gardens

Now this is a statement plant!

Redemption™ elephant’s ear (Colocasia ‘Corede’)

Zones: 7–9

Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Partial shade; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: Tropical areas of the Southern Hemisphere

Wow—just wow. This boldly colored elephant’s ear is an impressive plant if ever there was one. The outer portion of the leaf is a deep purple, and it surrounds an otherworldly bright magenta midrib area. Plants that are given an adequate amount of water and good fertile soil can reach mammoth heights in one growing season. You’re going to want to overwinter this one if Redemption™ isn’t hardy in your zone.

Introduced by Plants Nouveau

A native pollinator magnet gets a foliage face-lift

‘Midnight Oil’ bee balm (Monarda bradburiana ‘Midnight Oil’)

Zones: 5–8

Size: 1 to 2 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil

Native range: Central and southern United States

What’s not to love about Monarda bradburiana? It’s a pollinator magnet with gorgeous lavender spotted blossoms. The one drawback may be its fairly ordinary green leaves. But that’s where ‘Midnight Oil’ comes in with its unique chocolate foliage that has a slick, oil-like sheen. Even when this native powerhouse isn’t in bloom, it’s still a stunner.

Introduced by Intrinsic Perennial Gardens

Four-seasons of interest give this grass an edge

‘Water to Wine’ fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Water to Wine’)

Zones: 5–9

Size: 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil

Native range: Eastern Asia

The blades of this warm-season grass emerge a bright kelly green in early spring and transition to a light gold in summer before eventually taking on a bronze-beige color in fall and winter. In fall you’ll also be treated to some of the darkest, merlot-purple flower panicles you’ve ever seen on an ornamental grass. A polite clumping habit is a bonus.

Introduced by Must Have Perennials®

This native wetland plant will give your hostas a run for their money

‘Purplicious’ arrow arum (Peltandra virginica ‘Purplicious’)

Zones: 5–9

Size: 2 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist soil

Native range: Eastern and central North America

Plant Delights Nursery calls this “one of the most amazing native plant selections we’ve ever grown.” That’s high praise from an operation that has likely seen hundreds of native plants come across its benches over the years. The dark purple stems of this moisture-loving plant are gorgeous and stand out starkly against the bright green, arrow-shaped leaves. We can only imagine how beautiful clumps of ‘Purplicious’ would look alongside an array of spring ephemerals or groups of native ferns.

Introduced by Plant Delights Nursery

A fall perennial that acts (and looks) like a shrub

‘Bridal Veil’ aster (Symphyotrichum ‘Bridal Veil’)

Zones: 5–8

Size: 2 feet tall and 4-1/2 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil

Native range: Hybrid

If you are familiar with the popular ground cover ‘Snow Flurry’ heath aster (Symphyo­trichum ericoides ‘Snow Flurry’) but want a version that’s a little beefier, look no further. ‘Bridal Veil’ is a show-stopper. Thriving in dry, lean soil, this aster forms a shrubby mound of arched stems that get absolutely covered in white daisy-like flowers in early fall. Pollinators flock to it in droves too.

Introduced by Plants Nouveau

 

Best New Trees and Shrubs

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If we could pick one must-have new plant, this would be it

Golden BellTower™ ironwood (Parrotia persica ‘Chrishaven1’)

Zones: 4–8

Size: 25 feet tall and 10 to 12 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: Northern Iran, Caucasus

Oh. My. Goodness. We’ve been following the trajectory of this tree for years now, waiting patiently for it to make its way into retail nurseries. And it has finally arrived. Unlike other ironwoods, this selection stays reliably columnar as it ages. Each year you’ll be treated with stunning golden fall foliage. This is an ideal specimen to mix into a border, place in a tight narrow spot, or use in an urban situation where it will thrive despite punishing conditions.

Introduced by Plants Nouveau

You know it, you love it—now meet the latest version of smooth hydrangea

Invincibelle Sublime® smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘SMNHRL’)

Zones: 3–9

Size: 3-1/2 to 5 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Partial shade; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: Eastern North America

From the same folks who brought us the popular Invincibelle® Spirit and Invincibelle Wee White® comes this margarita-green variety that is sure to become just as beloved. This is a midsize nativar that prefers a shadier location to hold its chartreuse bloom color longer. This new edition supposedly has strong stems too, so flopping should be minimal even in rainstorms.

Introduced by Proven Winners® Color Choice®

This attractive pseudo-edible is a good boxwood replacement

Orangena™ blueberry (Vaccinium ‘HINOGV’)

Zones: 7–10

Size: 4 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist, acidic, well-drained soil

Native range: Hybrid

Yes, this is indeed a blueberry. But it is not grown for its fruit. Instead, this is a new shrub that is joining the ranks of choices for those seeking boxwood alternatives. The soft green foliage is evergreen in warmer zones and is tipped with orange-red new growth in early spring. As temperatures drop, the foliage flushes pink. Happily, rocky soil is no match for this tough shrub.

Introduced by Monrovia®

Mottled foliage gives this spring beauty lasting appeal

Illuminati Sparks™ mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius ‘SMNPVB’)

Zones: 4–7

Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil

Native range: Northern Italy, Austria, central Romania

There’s no denying that mock orange has lovely spring blooms with a subtle, sweet fragrance. But after that, not much happens. The shrub turns into a forgettable green blob. Illuminati Sparks™ changes the game, though, with lovely variegated foliage. Even if it never flowered, which it does, we’d still plant it for the leaves alone. Mock orange will never be labeled a one-season wonder again.

Introduced by Proven Winners® Color Choice®

Add instant contrast to any bed with this woody

Wine & Spirits® weigela (Weigela florida ‘SMNWFGC’)

Zones: 4–8

Size: 3 to 5 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil

Native range: Northern China, Korea, Japan

Black and white is a color contrast that will stop anyone in their tracks. So when a plant like Wine & Spirits® weigela comes along with black foliage and white blooms, you can be sure it will turn some heads. Weigelas are tough plants; they are tolerant of lean soil, drought conditions, and even salt spray. If you have an inhospitable spot in full sun that needs an attractive plant, try this new option.

Introduced by Proven Winners® Color Choice®

A stalwart shrub gets a color enhancement

Red Sky™ Japanese holly (Ilex crenata ‘RutHol8’)

Zones: 6–9

Size: 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; average, well-drained soil

Native range: Japan, Korea, China, eastern Russia

‘Sky Pencil’ Japanese holly has been a staple of landscapes for years, but it has a significant drawback—namely, a proclivity to splay unpredictably with age. Red Sky™ keeps a tighter silhouette and, notably, gets lovely reddish new growth in spring as well. You can still expect black fruit in winter to add an extra level of interest.

Introduced by Southern Living Plant Collections

It’s not just beautiful—it smells heavenly too

Banana Split® daphne (Daphne odora ‘Monzulzay’)

Zones: 7–9

Size: 4 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Partial to full shade; moist, well-drained soil

Native range: China, Japan

This shrub may truly have it all. Gorgeous two-tone green-and-gold evergreen foliage—check. Refined, fragrant, light pink blooms in winter—check. Cute name that reminds us of a favorite sweet treat—double check. Be careful with your site ­selection, though, because just like every daphne, this one resents being moved or transplanted.

Introduced by Monrovia®

Hummingbirds are going to lose their little heads over this beauty

Estrellita Little Star® firecracker bush (Bouvardia ‘WINBUESLST’)

Zones: 8–10

Size: 2 feet tall and wide

Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil

Native range: Southwest North America

Many gardeners won’t be able to grow this beauty as a perennial, but just imagine how amazing it would be as the thriller in a full-sun container. This is a well-behaved, petite shrub with incredible tubular coral flowers. Based on the blooms’ shape and color, it won’t be any surprise that this is a hummingbird plant like no other.

Introduced by Proven Winners® Color Choice®

 

Best New Edibles

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Finally, a squash that won’t eat up too much real estate

‘Rise and Shine’ summer squash

Days to maturity: 55

This is a bush variety that likes to grow more vertical than horizontal. For those looking to save some space in the vegetable garden, ‘Rise and Shine’ summer squash could be a game-changer. Despite its dwarf habit, the fruit is full-size. As with almost every squash, direct-sowing is best, and protection from squash borers—which can ruin the harvest—is vital.

Introduced by W. Atlee Burpee Company

Its perfect size makes this the ideal snacking tomato

‘Mochi’ tomato

Days to maturity: 60

A tomato that has a gumdrop texture? It’s certainly a novel idea, and we’re intrigued. Typical cherry tomatoes tend to burst in your mouth and to be more watery than meaty. ‘Mochi’ has a uniquely dense makeup that allegedly makes it both amazing as a fresh snack and a good candidate for sauces. The skins are thin too, so don’t worry—you won’t need to peel handfuls of tiny fruit if you plan to cook with them.

Introduced by Johnny’s Selected Seeds

Fresh, dried, or fermented in a custom hot sauce, this pepper has endless appeal

‘Bottle Rocket’ cayenne pepper

Days to maturity: 65 (green); 90 (red ripe)

Since 2016, plant breeders have been working to make this pepper the best it can be. And we can’t thank them enough. ‘Bottle Rocket’ grows into a compact, upright plant and produces scores of uniform Thai peppers early in the season. This is especially key in cooler areas of the country where many hot peppers take 120 days or more to produce a decent harvest. We’ll be drying these by the handful this year and using the rest to make a custom Fine Gardening hot sauce for the staff.

Introduced by Johnny’s Selected Seeds

You can trust this lettuce to go the distance

Salanova® Red Tango lettuce

Days to maturity: 55

This is a lettuce that might be best described as a cross between leaf and headed varieties. Salanova® Red Tango has tender, sweet leaves that taste like the former type, but the foliage forms a tight rosette that is almost headlike in habit. That makes it easier to clean and also allows it to last longer in the garden. Johnny’s Selected Seeds is a master of new lettuce varieties, so we can’t wait to try this latest offering.

Introduced by Johnny’s Selected Seeds

Once you’ve seen its showy yellow hibiscus-style blooms, burgundy stems, and mottled red and green leaves, a flower gardener may experience a second revelation.

Ornamental okra? Well, I’ll be.

Even if red okra and beautiful vegetable plants growing in the flower bed are old news to you, I’d like to give you more information about ‘Burgundy,’ with the hope that it might find its way into your garden.

Here’s what I’ll share:

What Is ‘Burgundy’ Okra?

Sometimes called ‘Red Burgundy,’ this variety is an open-pollinated, heirloom cultivar of the Abelmoschus esculentus species.

All okra varieties are of unknown origins, but horticulturists believe they most likely originated in tropical Africa and Asia.

This type was bred by Leo Robbins at Clemson University in the 1970s and 80s and gained favor for its high yields and dashing colors, along with the uniform proportions of its flowers, foliage, and crimson pods.

A couple of side notes if you’re considering growing ‘Burgundy’ instead of a more typical green variety:

First, it does yield lots of edible pods, but only in comparison to other red okra types. All the reds produce less than the green varieties.

Second, the fun color of the pods will only make it as far as the salad bowl. Once the red pods meet the heat, they tends to turn more of a light brick red or green color.

And third, you may want to give this type a go even if you’re not a fan of okra. The plants are quite attractive, from the burgundy-hued stems to the two- to three-inch yellow flowers with their red centers.

For the price of a packet of seeds, you could grow dozens of blooming okra plants in place of far fussier annuals with less appealing flowers.

Or, you can grow the crimson pods long past the stage where you’d want to eat them, and let them dry on the plants for a showy, colorful addition to fall flower arrangements.

Best of all, you can combine the vegetable and ornamental functions if you like. No need to choose!

Here’s how to get started:

Propagation

You may be able to find ‘Burgundy’ starts at a local nursery, but even here in the South, I’ve found that’s a rare occurrence.

No worries, though, since you can readily grow these plants from seed.

How many should you plant? That depends on how you intend to use the harvest.

If you’re like me – devoted to okra pickles and planning to put up a couple of cases of pint jars – you may want to start about a dozen plants for several bushels worth over the season.

If your goal is to dehydrate whole pods or freeze breaded or blanched slices, you might want as many as 20 to 30 plants to preserve enough for the whole family.

Keep in mind that while it’s a heavy producer among the red okra varieties, ‘Burgundy’ is far less prolific than the agriculture industry favorites like ‘Clemson Spineless.’

In other words, plants will yield dozens of pods each, but not hundreds.

When planting ‘Burgundy’ for its edible blooms you may want to plant a few seeds every couple of weeks, so you’ll have flowers throughout the warm months.

If your aim is pretty, dried red-purple pods for floral arrangements, you could probably get away with just three or four plants.

For outdoor cultivation, you’ll want to wait until the soil is good and warm, at least 60°F, before sowing.

It will help to soak the seeds for 12 hours ahead of time or to use a paring knife or emery board to roughen up the seed coatings to help them sprout more quickly.

You can opt for indoor starts when gardening in an area with a short growing season or if you’re anxious to be the first to harvest in your neighborhood.

I’ve had decent luck with transplants, but they’re not nearly as reliable as direct sowing, especially if you start or purchase them too far ahead of the date when you can plant them out.

Okra seedlings don’t like having their roots disturbed, so improve your odds of success by starting seeds in biodegradable pots you can transplant directly into the soil.

Also, make sure to harden off the plants ahead of moving them into raised beds or in-ground gardens. They have difficulty coping with temperature fluctuations, so introduce them to outdoor temperatures gradually over the course of a week or so.

For more extensive propagation methods for all okra varieties, see our growing guide.

How to Grow

If you’ve heard tales about okra that grows a trunk as thick as a sapling and has two-foot taproots that could survive hurricanes, I’m here to tell you – that can be true!

These sturdy plants grow up to four feet tall and both the lateral roots and branches can spread about two and a half feet.

So they need plenty of room to grow, at least two feet apart in their final spacing.

They do best growing in full sun.

You’ll also want to plant ‘Burgundy’ in well-draining, loamy soil amended the season before with plenty of aged organic matter, like mushroom compost.

Okra can tolerate soil that’s not as rich in nutrients, but the yield won’t be as great and the plants won’t be as full and pretty.

During the season, okra needs ample water – about an inch per week between rain and supplemental watering is ideal.

Of course, the plants are drought-tolerant and can go without water for several weeks in warm weather.

But since you’re attempting to achieve maximum growth and yields (aren’t you?!), you’ll want to water as needed so the plants will be healthy, not just surviving.

They also appreciate a thin layer of mulch when they’re a few inches tall. Be sure to use mulch that hasn’t been treated with herbicides since that will kill the plants.

And make sure the straw, lawn clippings, or your choice of material doesn’t touch the stems or leaves of the plants since that increases the risk of disease.

Growing Tips

• Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart.
• Plant in full sun.
• Sow seeds only after the soil temperatures reach 60°F in spring.
• To suppress weeds, apply a thin layer of mulch when seedlings are a few inches tall.

Pruning and Maintenance

When the plants reach four or five feet tall and are nearing the end of pod production, you may want to prune the lower leaves. This will encourage ‘Burgundy’ to grow more flowers and ultimately form more pods.

Harvest and Storage

Like all types of okra, ‘Burgundy’ requires a bit of babysitting as it nears maturity.

You won’t be coddling the plants but making sure they don’t zoom from buds to brittle, overgrown pods in a matter of days.

Start by noting the probable number of days to maturity, 50 to 60 days, in your gardening journal or set a cell phone reminder.

Then look for blooms starting a week or so ahead of that date. If you like, you can pinch some of the flowers and enjoy them shredded into salads or batter-fried, much like squash blossoms.

Naturally, the blooms you eat won’t also produce pods, so don’t pick too many!

Learn more about harvesting in our edible flowers guide.

Once you spot flowers, you’ll need to hustle for a viable harvest of the pods.

You see, ‘Burgundy’ okra is best picked when the pods are immature, maybe three or four inches long, and that state of perfection occurs just a few days after blooming.

You’ll want to use the smaller tender pods for dehydrating, freezing, or pickling as well as fresh eating.

Note, ‘Burgundy’ pods are still edible when they are six to eight inches long, but they start to get tougher and require longer cooking at those stages.

They’d be too tough to pan-fry, for example, though they could still feature as an ingredient in a stew if you chopped them finely and cooked them for an hour or more.

So pick ‘em while they’re young, using clean scissors or a paring knife. Never attempt to twist the pods from the stems because that can damage both pods and plants.

Recipes and Cooking Ideas

Oh, yum. It’s time to eat the okra!

If you’ve diligently picked them when they’re young and ever-so-tender, you can snack on ‘Burgundy’ pods straight from the garden, much like you would nibble on a fresh green bean.

Beyond those garden forays, I’d recommend trying grilled okra as a snack or side dish.

Simply brush on a little olive oil, sprinkle on some kosher salt and Italian seasoning, and grill for five minutes until they’re crisp and tender and have char marks.

Even reluctant veggie eaters like my husband enjoy these vegetal treats, especially with your favorite dipping sauce at the ready.

My other favorite preparation is pan-frying battered red okra rounds.

If you’re expecting vegetarian or vegan guests for a weekend or potluck this summer, I heartily recommend these savory morsels as a substitute for chicken tenders in a crunchy dinner salad.

You will quickly notice that your crimson okra tends to turn very light red or even green during cooking. That’s just the nature of ‘Burgundy,’ nothing to worry about.

A more valid worry is of course the slimy reputation cooked okra has. Quick steaming, air frying, pickling, and pan frying eliminate the viscous reaction when okra meets hot water.

Of course, with traditional gumbo, the okra’s somewhat-slimy thickening properties are part of the appeal. If you’d like a first-hand experience with this popular low-country stew, try Foodal’s recipe for New Orleans style seafood gumbo.