Baptisia australis

Blue False Indigo, Wild Blue Indigo

Family: Fabaceae (Pea Family)                                                                                                          

       

·         Hardiness Zones:  3-9

·         Height: 3-4 feet

·         Spread: 3-4 feet

·         Bloom Time: June to July

·         Bloom: violet-blue pea-like flowers atop 4-16 inch long woody stems above foliage mound; inflated seed pods (2-3 inches long) ripen to charcoal black and rattle

·         Light: full sun to part shade

·         Soil: gravelly, sandy, or loamy well-drained; tolerates poor soils

·         Moisture: dry to medium; drought tolerant

·         Use: naturalized areas; cottage, meadow, or pollinator gardens; specimen plant; backdrop to other perennials; attracts butterflies and hummingbirds; cut flowers; seed pods in dried arrangements

·         Care: low maintenance; if desired, trim or shear after bloom to maintain rounded form and prevent seed formation; cut back stems before spring growth

·         Concerns: no serious insect or disease problems except weevils in seed pods; taller plants may need to be staked for support, especially in part-shade locations

·         Native to: eastern United States; Wisconsin native

·         Notes: perennial legume; bush-like foliage with trifoliate blue-green leaves (each leaflet to 2 inches long) turn silver gray in late fall; has deep roots once established; division during dormancy is possible after 4-5 years; black walnut tolerant; salt tolerant; deer and rabbit resistant

·         Supplier: The Flower Factory

·         Teaching Garden Location & Code: Naturalistic Garden H133

       Content produced through:

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Sanguisorba officinalis var. microcephala 'Little Angel’

Burnet 'Little Angel’

Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)

       

·         Hardiness Zones:  4-8

·         Height: 7 inches

·         Spread: 12-15 inches

·         Bloom Time: mid to late summer

·         Bloom: tiny oval ruby-red catkin-like flowers on strong stems; turn burgundy as they age

·         Light: full to part sun

·         Soil: average well-drained; moderately alkaline

·         Moisture: evenly moist to wet; tolerates slightly drier conditions once established

·         Use: pollinator, rain, moist rock, and cottage gardens; moist borders; mass plantings; containers; cut flowers

·         Care: low maintenance; remove spent blooms to prevent unwanted spread; benefits from some afternoon shade in hot locations

·         Concerns: no serious insect or disease problems

·         Native to: species native to northern Asia, Europe, and North America

·         Notes: deciduous dwarf perennial; foliage of dark green leaves with creamy borders forms mound 4 inches tall; spreads by rhizomes; may be propagated by division; deer and rabbit resistant; leaves edible as salad green

·         Supplier: Klein's Floral and Greenhouse

·         Teaching Garden Location & Code: Wet Garden D130

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Verbena stricta

Hoary Vervain

Family: Verbenaceae (Verbena Family)

       

·         Hardiness Zones:  3-8

·         Height: 2-3 feet

·         Spread: 18-24 inches

·         Bloom Time: June to September

·         Bloom: showy spikes with blue-violet five-lobed 1/2 inch flowers in upright clusters which bloom gradually from bottom to top; four nut-like seeds produced per flower

·         Light: full sun

·         Soil: well-drained sandy and loamy soils; tolerates dry, shallow rocky soil

·         Moisture: dry to medium; drought tolerant

·         Use: naturalizing; borders; meadow, pollinator and wildflower gardens; nectar source for pollinators, butterflies, and hummingbirds; seeds eaten by birds and small mammals; leaves are larval hosts for Common Buckeye Butterfly and others

·         Care: low maintenance; to prevent  self-seeding, remove spent flowerheads

·         Concerns: no serious insect or disease problems

·         Native to: North America; Wisconsin native prairie plant

·         Notes: short-lived herbacious perennial; self seeds readily; named for its covering of short white hairs on stems and leaves; readily self-seeds; gray-green, sharply toothed leaves up to 4 inches long; fibrous root; deer and rabbit resistant

·         Supplier: Agrecol Native Nursery

·         Teaching Garden Location & Code: Rain Garden J038

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Monarda bradburiana

Bee Balm

Family: Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

       

·         Hardiness Zones:  5-8

·         Height: 1-2 feet

·         Spread: 1-2 feet

·         Bloom Time: early June to mid-July

·         Bloom: compound bloom 2-3 inches across; up to 50 tubular, two-lipped flowers, pinkish-white with purple spots per flowerhead; flowers nest on a whorl of purple-tinged leafy bracts; nut-like seed per flower

·         Light: full sun to part shade

·         Soil: average well-drained; tolerates shallow rocky soil

·         Moisture: medium to medium dry; drought resistant once established

·         Use: naturalizing; borders; rain, gravel, rock, meadow, herb and pollinator gardens; cut flowers; attracts butterflies, bumblebees, and hummingbirds; larval host to several moth species; scented foliage used in teas

·         Care: low maintenance; plants need good air circulation; deadhead flowers to prolong bloom

·         Concerns: greater resistance to mildew than most Monardas but somewhat prone to disease (mildew and rust) in stressed conditions; lower leaves drop if dry; aphids, moth larvae, and leaf beetles may damage leaves

·         Native to: southern and central United States

·         Notes: compact clump-forming; square stems with flower head at top; pairs of finely-serrated oblong grey-green and hair-covered leaves (up to 4 in. long) opposite one another on stems;  burgundy fall color; self-seeds readily; clumps spread slowly from rhizomes

·         Supplier: (grown from seed)

·         Teaching Garden Location & Code: Pollinator Garden C152

       Content produced through:

       Dane County UWEX Master Gardener Volunteer Program 

       Questions?  

       Dane County UWEX Horticulture Program