Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 29, 1994 TAG: 9404290094
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-10 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Joe Hunnings
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Cushion Spurge (Euphorbia epithymoides) branches to create a symmetrical mound 12 to 18 inches tall. In April and May, it is covered with bright-yellow, one-inch flowers. It has no serious pest problems.
Myrtle Euphorbia (Euphoria myrsinites) has fleshy, blue-green leaves borne in close spirals which appear whorled. The evergreen leaves retain their attractiveness through the winter if protected form the sun and wind. Greenish-yellow flowers appear in April and May. The plant has trailing stems three to six inches tall and reaches a diameter of 12 to 18 inches.
Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias) has very soft, narrow, linear foliage. It grows to 12 inches tall and has a spreading habit. It exudes a milky sap from broken stems as is characteristic of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It is primarily grown for its foliage effect through the season, but does produce yellow flowers in May and June. Cypress Spurge can be left undisturbed indefinitely, so it is particularly effective on slopes. However, it can become invasive.
Sea Pink (Armeria maritima) forms a dense, rounded mat approximately four inches tall. Its evergreen foliage resembles a fine-textured grass. In May and June, pink or white flower heads are borne on leafless scapes up to 12 inches tall. Avoid moist soils and high fertility, which cause the dense mats to rot in the center.
Snow-In-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum) gets its name from its white-woolly (tomentose) leaves which form a six-inch tall mat. It is covered with small, white flowers in May and June. If grown in moist, fertile soil, it spreads rapidly, requiring annual division to prevent it from overrunning other perennials. It has few pest problems.
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) produces flowers in shades of yellow to bright orange with peak flowering from June through August. Native over much of the U.S., it can be used in the landscape as a specimen, border plant, or part of a wildflower meadow. The seed pods are attractive in dried flower arrangements. Asclepias has a taproot and is difficult to move as a mature plant, so establish seedlings in site.
Coreopsis or tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata) blooms throughout the summer. The two- to three-foot tall plants bear yellow flowers on long stems. Removal of flowers encourages continuous bloom. It tends to sprawl unless supported. For compact plants, select cultivars such as Baby Sun, 18 to 20 inches. Coreoposis is an excellent selection for cut flowers. In naturalized areas, coreoposis can remain untended for years and still thrive.
Threadleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata) has very finely dissected foliage and clear-yellow flowers on dense, two-foot tall plants. It is quite drought-tolerant. Sometimes sold as Golden Showers, it is smaller and does not spread as rapidly nor as easily as C. lanceolata.
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora) is one of the most enduring and persistently flowering perennials during the hot, summer season. The species has yellow ray flowers with yellow or purple disk flowers. However, the cultivars vary. Baby Cole and Goblin have red flowers with yellow margins on compact plants 12 inches tall. Monarch produces a combination of red and yellow, and Burgundy has wine-red flowers. Blanket Flower is a two- to three-foot tall plant with erect stems which tend to fall over and sprawl across large areas. It requires dead-heading to remain attractive.
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima) provides bold splashes of color through the entire summer and into fall with its golden-yellow ray flowers and brown to black disk flowers. Black-Eyed Susan grows two to three feet tall with an erect, rounded growth habit. Powdery mildew can be a problem.
Rock Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides) forms a broad mound four to 10 inches tall with loose clusters of pink flowers in June which continue to flower sporadically until September. Although it will tolerate poor soils, Saponaria is unable to survive in a wet site during the winter. It is well-suited to the rock garden or dry stone wall as well as to the perennial border.
The bold texture of Sea Holly (Eryngium amtheystinum) is characterized by deeply lobed, spine-toothed leaves. If picked when fully open, the blue flowers are excellent as dried flowers. Eryngium, a perfect plant for harsh sites, grows very well in sandy soils and is pest- free. It develops a taproot, which makes transplanting difficult.
Liatris or Gayfeather (Liatris spicata) has a stout, erect stem with a spike of rose or lavender flowers up to three feet tall. Flower spikes dry well and hold their color for winter arrangements. Soggy conditions in winter can cause rotting. For a smaller cultivar, try Kobold, which grows 18 to 24 inches tall. Liatris has no serious pest problems.
Lavender Cotton (Santolina chamaecyparissus) is characterized by sliver-gray foliage that is very striking when contrasted against a plant with green foliate. The yellow flower heads in August and September are not especially showy and may be sheared to maintain the foliage in peak condition. The plant has a spreading growth habit 18 to 24 inches across. It is useful as a low hedge in the rock garden and is used in knot gardens and carpet-type plantings.
Joe Hunnings is the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service agent for agriculture in Christiansburg. If you have questions, call the Montgomery County extension office at 382-5790.
by CNB