Caladium hortulanum - Fancy-leaved Caladium

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

not showy

12"- 24"

not significant

few

specimen plant, containers

removing tubers from parent plant


Performance - Caladium is a relatively common annual garden plant grown for its striking colored and patterned foliage in Kentucky. They prefer well-drained, fertile soils and are commonly grown in shad or partial shade gardens. The plants will tolerate full sun but they must receive regular irrigation and fertilizer.

Comments - Caladium plants develop from tubers that will freeze during Kentucky winters. The plants need to be dug in the fall and the tubers separated from the parent plant and cut into sections with at least two buds (eyes or growing points) on each section. Store them dry over winter at moderate temperatures (45-55oF) and plant in the spring after the danger of frost has past.

Varieties - Many varieties are available.

 

Calendula at Bodger Botanicals

Calendula officinalis - Calendula, Pot Marigold

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

yellow, orange

12"-18"

spring, fall

fungal leaf spot, powdery mildew, root and stem rot

cut flower, bedding, border plant

seeds, often times will self-sow

Performance - Calendula is a cool season annual that performs well during the cool seasons, spring and fall, in Kentucky. This plant generally does poorly in hot garden areas, but once established may bloom for many months. Plant calendula in full sun locations in well drained soils. Pot marigold may self-sow in a Kentucky garden.

Comments - Once dried, Calendula can be used in soups and stews. It has been used medicinally to treat ulcers and healing wounds.

Varieties - 'Gitana Fiesta', 'BonBon' series, 'Calypso' series

Calibrachoa x hybrida – Trailing Petunia

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

yellow, white, pink, red, lavender, purple

6"- 18" 

spring, summer, fall 

aphids, iron deficiency, root disease

containers, baskets, bedding plants

cuttings

‘Celebration Red’

‘Trailing White’

 

Performance – Calibrachoa is an outstanding, all purpose annual flower that performs well during spring, summer and fall in Kentucky. This plant is a close relative of petunia and has small petunia-like flowers. Be sure to fertilize these plants regularly. Typical fertilizers have an acid effect on potting soil and trailing petunia needs acid conditions in the potting soil.

Comments - Trailing petunia is one of the best hanging baskets sold. It produces a great show and is easier to care for than ‘Wave’ petunia baskets.

Varieties – ‘Million Bells’ series, ‘Superbells’ series, ‘Liricashowers’ series, ‘Celebration’ series, ‘Trailing’ series.

More information and photos in HortFacts 51.13 06 – Petunia.

 

‘Sea Star Blue’

Callistephus chinensis - China Aster, Annual Aster

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

yellow, white, pink, red, lavender, purple

12"- 36" 

early, midsummer and late summer 

leaf hoppers, aphids, spider mites, aster yellows, stem rot

cut flower, bedding plants

seed

Performance - China aster is an annual in Kentucky gardens. It grows best in full sun and prefers a neutral to basic soil.  It is excellent as a cut flower and continues to be a popular summer cut flower because of the distinctive mix of clear colors.

Comments - Asters have a distinct photoperiodic response for flowering depending on the variety and time of year. Effective management practices to prevent disease are to select resistant varieties, apply fungicides, and discard any diseased plant material.

Varieties - Pots and gardens - 'Dwarf Queen' mix, 'Milady' mix, 'Pixie Princess' mix, 'Pot 'n' Patio' series,
Cut flowers - 'Ball Florist', 'Florette', 'Matsumoto' series (14 colors), 'Meteor', 'Serenade' series.

Campanula - Bellflower

Bell flowers are cool season perennials in Kentucky gardens. There are many species and varieties available, but the ones listed below will probably perform better in a Kentucky garden. Be sure to plant in good soils and keep evenly moist for best performance. An organic mulch is a good idea, because these plants prefer that their roots remain cool in summer. Partial shade will help the plants tolerate our hot summers. Taller varieties may need staking in the garden.

Campanula carpatica - Carpathian Harebell, Carpathian Bellflower, Tussock Bellflower

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

blue, white

4-12"

spring

few

border, cut

division in spring or fall, seed

Varieties 'Blue Clips', 'Bressingham White', 'China Doll', 'White Clips', ‘Stella Blue’, ‘Stella White’.

C. carpatica ‘Stella Blue’ & ‘Stella White’

‘Divine’

 Campanula glomerata - Clustered Bellflower

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

purple

1-2 ft.

summer

few

border, cut

cuttings after bloom, seed

Varieties - var. acaulis, 'Crown of Snow', 'Joan Elliott', 'Superba'.

Campanula medium - Canterbury Bells, Cup and Saucer

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

blue, white, pink

1-2 ft.

summer

few

border, cut

seed

Comments - Canterbury Bells is the single form and Cup and Saucer is the double form of this old fashioned biennial garden plant. It self-sows relatively easily so you may see it in older landscapes across the state. These plants make quite a good cut flower and flower under long day conditions.

Varieties - 'Champion' series.

Campanula persicifolia - Peach-leaf Bellflower, Willow Bellflower, Paper Bellflower

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

blue, white

2-3 ft.

late spring, early summer

few

border, cut

division, cuttings, seed

Comments - Tolerates partial shade. Good for cutting and plants re-bloom if cut.

Varieties - 'Alba', 'Pride of Exmouth', 'Telham Beauty'.

Canna x generalis - Canna

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

red, yellow, orange, pink, or white

2'- 8'

summer

   few 

container plants, background, formal flower beds

seed, division


Performance - Cannas are a medium to large sized annual plant for Kentucky gardens. They prefer full sun and rich fertile soil. Cannas growth will be enhanced by fertilizing once per month with liquid fertilizer.

Comments - The rhizomes of cannas will freeze in northern Kentucky gardens (Florence, Louisville, Lexington) most winters, but are hardy in the southern and western counties of the state. If necessary, rhizomes are dug after a heavy frost and stored dry at moderate temperatures over winter. When dug, the stems are cut off 6"-8" above the rhizomes. The rhizomes can be divided in the spring to produce more plants. If propagating from seed, the seeds must be scarified for good germination.

Varieties - Seed - 'Tropical' (Pink, Rose, Yellow) series; Division - 'Bengal Tiger', 'Lucifer', 'Orange Beauty', 'Pink President', 'Wyoming'.

‘Bengal Tiger’

Dwarf canna – ‘Tropical Rose, Pink, Yellow’ – from Takii Seed Co.

Capsicum annuum - Ornamental pepper, Bush Red Pepper

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

white

10"- 20"

summer, fruit in late summer and fall 

few

bed, border, or edging

seed


Performance - Ornamental peppers are warm season annual plants that perform very well in Kentucky gardens. The plants are prized for their creamy yellow, orange, purple, or red fruit.  They grow best in full sun in soils with good organic matter and they are heat and drought tolerant.

Comments - Capsicum is from the Greek word, kapto, meaning to bite. This is derived from the spicy and hot sensation one gets from eating a pepper. The fruits are edible, but typically very hot. Most people would not eat them. Peppers are always rated very high in the UK flower trials for plant performance. Unfortunately, transplants are not commonly available to gardeners because the seed is relatively expensive and the plants are not colorful in the spring, when plants are sold.

Varieties – ‘Black Pearl’ (2006 best plant in Master Gardener ratings), ‘Explosive Ember’, 'Holiday Flame', 'Masquerade', 'Medusa', 'Red Missile', 'Treasures Red'.

‘Black Pearl’

‘Medusa’

‘Explosive Ember’