Antirrhinum majus - Snapdragon, Common Snapdragon, Garden Snapdragon

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

red, pink, yellow,  orange, bronze, and lavender

6" - 48"

summer to fall 

leaf blights, downy mildew, aphids, mites

cut flower, border, bedding, edging

seed

Performance - Snapdragons produce a wide range of bright clear flower colors. Snapdragon is a cool season annual that is best grown in spring and fall in Kentucky. Some years it may be hardy through the winter. Some summers may be too hot and dry for normal performance. It grows best in full sun to partial shade with well drained soil. Old flower stalks should be removed to initiate new growth. Fertilizer applications will also cause new growth to appear. Snapdragons may self sow and will come back the following spring.  Providing winter protection can also allow the plant to survive over the winter.

Comments - There are many varieties and colors available that produce dwarf plants for edging or medium size plants for bedding and borders or tall plants for borders or cut flowers.

Varieties - Dwarf - 'Floral Carpet' series, 'Floral Showers' series, 'Bells' series, 'Montego' series
Medium - 'Freesong' series, 'LaBella' series, 'Ribbon' series, 'Sonnet' series, 'Liberty' series, ‘Soltice’ series
Tall - 'Rocket' series and many greenhouse varieties

Open-flower type snapdragon

Antirrhinum ‘Soltice’ series

Aquilegia x hybrida - Hybrid Columbine

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

blue, white, red, pink, yellow

18"- 36"

spring, early summer

leaf miner, powdery mildew

border

seed, division in late summer

Performance - Columbines are a striking garden flower with unique flowers and waxy green foliage. These plants are cool season, short-lived perennials. The hot, dry summers of Kentucky prevent columbines from being a reliable perennial here so many gardeners may be disappointed when they can only be used as annuals. The plants will grow in full sun or in partial shade. They require excellent drainage but do not tolerate an overly dry soil; mulch would seem to be a must for their culture. Plants may reseed, but they may only revert to the wild type colors and form when this happens.

Comments - There are several species of Aquilegia. Canada columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, with scarlet red and yellow flowers and yellow columbine, Aquilegia chrysantha, are native to Kentucky. These species are appropriate for shady areas of Kentucky landscapes. The hybrids of the western U.S. and European species are popular because of the wide range of colors available and the large upright blooms.

Varieties -
A. caerulea - 'Olympia' series, 'Music' series, 'Songbird' series, 'McKana Giants' series.

A. flabellata - 'Cameo' series.

Aquilegia ‘Music’

Aquilegia ‘Clementine’ series

Argyranthemum frutescens - Boston Daisy, Marguerite Daisy, Cobbity Daisy

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

yellow, white, pink

8"- 24" 

spring, summer

few

bedding, borders, containers

cuttings

Performance - Boston and Marguerite daisy have been used as bedding and container plants for many years. In the early 1990’s a group of new selections of these daisies were added to the product mix of garden centers. These daisies were smaller and flower freely in the spring and fall. Unfortunately many of the varieties will not flower well under the long days and warm temperatures of Kentucky summers as shown in the photo below taken in early August at the Master Gardener trial gardens in Marshall Co. Overall, the plants are easy to grow in Kentucky landscapes, but expect few flowers in mid summer.

Comments - The new daisies are patented and unlicensed propagation is prohibited.

More information and photos in HortFacts 50.11 06 – Mums and Daisies.

 

‘Molimba Mini White’

Aug. 5, 2004, Marshall Co., KY

Arisaema triphyllum - Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Indian Turnip

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

green or purple

12"- 24" 

mid spring 

few

woodland garden, marshy area

seeds

Performance - Arisaema is a plant that is native to Kentucky woodlands and is a reliable perennial in Kentucky gardens. It grows best in moist to wet sites in the partial shade. It will perform poorly if the soils are not moist. It develops red berries 5-6 months after flowering that are eaten by wildlife.

Comments - Seeds are the best way to propagate and should be gathered just after they have turned red.  The pulp should be removed immediately and the seeds placed in sphagnum moss for 2 months.  If they dry out it may take up to a year to germinate.  It will then take 3 growing seasons before the plant will flower.

 

‘Ministicks White’ and ‘Rose’ at Kieft Seed Co.

Armeria maritima - Common Thrift

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

pink, lilac, white

6"- 12"

early summer

few

border, rock garden

division, seed

Performance - Common thrift is a cool season perennial that is often reliable in Kentucky gardens. The gray-green clump of foliage is evergreen. Thrift prefers a dry location; a wet location causes the plant to rot. Divide often to promote flowering.

Comments - Several species and cultivars of thrift are available

Varieties - 'Vindictive', 'Alba', 'Splendens', ‘Mini-Sticks’

Artemisia - Wormwood, Sagebrush, Mugwort

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

yellowish white, whitish-green

12"- 60"

summer

few

border, garden path, rock garden, dried foliage

cuttings, division, seed

Performance - Artemesias are traditional landscape perennials that are quite reliable in Kentucky. They are grown for their silvery grey foliage and ease of maintenance. Some have been used as herbs or medicinal plants as well.

Artemisia abrotanum - Southernwood, Old-Man, Lad's Love - Southernwood grows like a shrub and prefers dry, well drained soils in full sun.  Pruning the plant is necessary each spring to prevent a weedy look. Southernwood is very fragrant and should be placed along a path where people will brush up against it.  It has a natural repellent against moths and insects.  It can be used as a mosquito repellent if made into an oil or dried and hung in a cedar closet to keep moths out. Cuttings should be treated with a rooting hormone or it will take a long time to become established.

Artemisia absinthium – Wormwood – The variety ‘Huntington Gardens’ was a very nice plant but not winter hardy in trials at the UK Horticulture Research Farm. ‘Powis Castle’ is one of the best artemesias; one to consider for your garden.

Artemisia dracunculus - Russian Tarragon - Russian Tarragon grows best in full sun and well drained soils.  It will be stunted in wet or acidic soils. Russian Tarragon is not a plant to be used in cooking.  It is grown primarily for the delicate silvery foliage.

Artemisia ludoviciana - White Sage, Wormwood - This plant can be very invasive. It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions but will not tolerate a wet location. The foliage can be harvested throughout the growing season and dried to use in wreaths or arrangements. 'Silver King', 'Silver Queen',

Artemisia schmidtiana 'Silver Mound' - Silver Mound Artemisia - Under extremely hot conditions, the plants may become leggy and unattractive. Promote new growth by lightly shearing the plants. This plant is grown for the fine-textured foliage.

Artemisia vulgaris ‘Oriental Limelight’ – This variety has strongly variegated leaves and stems. It has been winter hardy in trials at the UK Horticulture Research Farm, but is much too invasive with rhizomes to recommend it for use in Kentucky gardens and landscapes.

‘Huntington Gardens’

‘Silver Mound’

‘Oriental Limelight’