Narcissus

Nepeta

Nigella

Nelumbo

Nicotiana

Nymphaea

Narcissus pseudonarcissus - Daffodil, Jonquil, Trumpet Narcissus

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

white, yellow

12"- 24"

early spring

few

bedding, border

bulbs, offsets

Performance - Narcissus or daffodils are one of the best and most reliable perennials to add to a Kentucky garden or landscape. They perform best in full sun sites with well-drained soils, but they are suitable under the shade of deciduous trees as well. It is best not to plant them into the lawn, because the leaves will not mature and turn yellow before it is time to mow the grass. If the leaves are mowed too early, plants will not flower the next year.

Daffodils on US 60 in Nelson Co.

Daffodils remain long after house is gone.

Comments - Daffodils or jonquils have been part of Kentucky landscapes for many years. Plantings can last for more than 100 years as evidenced by travels through the state in March when flowers are open in fields and no sign of a home is present.

  • Bulbs are planted in the fall, preferably before November 1.
  • It is best to dig the hole 3-4 times deeper than the height of the bulb (usually 8-10" deep) to reduce damage from moles and voles.
  • Replace 1/2 of the soil and water the soil and bulbs thoroughly, replace the remainder of the soil and water thoroughly again.
  • Cover the site with organic mulch.
  • It is best not to plant daffodils in the lawn because the leaves will not be dormant by the time the lawn needs to be mowed in the spring. Mowing the foliage before the leaves have died naturally will result in no future flower production.

Varieties - There are many daffodil cultivars available. You can purchase 100 or more cultivars from specialty bulb mail order or internet companies. The commonly available daffodils are the best performers and easy to obtain at most garden retail stores in Kentucky in the fall.
'Actaea', 'Apricot Surprise', 'Barrett Browning', 'Beersheba', 'Carlton', 'Cragford', 'Dutch Master', 'February Gold', 'Geranium', 'Ice Follies', 'Ice Wings', 'King Alfred', 'Limerick', 'Mount Hood', 'Peeping Tom', 'Roulette', 'Scarlet Royal', 'Texas', 'Thalia', 'Unsurpassable', 'Yellow Cheerfulness' - These common cultivars performed well in trials (1983-1987) at the UK Arboretum in Lexington.

‘Carlton’

‘Geranium’

‘Ice Follies’

 

N. nucifera, Sacred Lotus

Nelumbo lutea - Lotus, American Lotus, Water Chinquapin

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

soft yellow

3' - 5'

summer

few

large water gardens

seed, division

Performance - Lotus is a classic large plant for a water garden. These are native to the Kentucky so they are reliable perennials in water gardens and natural landscapes. Plant in large containers of soil and submerge the pot below 4" to 15" of water in a full sun location. Plants will flower after a period of warm temperatures and continue to flower throughout the summer.

Comments - Lotus is a large plant and can be overwhelming in small water gardens. These plants have an underwater rhizome and can spread dramatically if enough space and fertilizer is available. Dwarf varieties are available.

 

Catmint ‘Six Hills Giant’

Catmint ‘Subsessilis’

Nepeta - Catmint

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

light blue

24"- 36"

summer

few

border

cuttings

Performance - Catmint is a reliable perennial for Kentucky gardens.

They tolerate our summer conditions well and should be planted in full sun locations in well drained soils. They flower profusely all summer but it is necessary to remove the spent flower spikes occasionally to keep the plants colorful.

Comments - As you might expect, cats are attracted to this plant. If you have cats in the neighborhood, you may find that they enjoy laying or sprawling in this plant on a regular basis. So consider this before planting.

Varieties -
Nepeta x faassenii 'Dawn to Dusk' and 'Six Hills Giant' and Nepeta ‘Subsessilis’ performed well in trials at the UK Horticulture Research Farm each summer from 2000 to 2006.

Nicotiana alata - Flowering Tobacco

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

white, red, pink

12"- 30"

summer

few

border, bedding

seed

Performance - Flowering tobacco is a reasonably good annual flower grown in Kentucky gardens. They grow best in full sun and well drained soil. It is best to plant non-flowering plants, so they can get well established in the garden before flowering. They are not commonly sold, because most gardeners want to purchase them in flower, but they are disappointed with their performance.

Comments - Kentucky greenhouse operators don't grow flowering tobacco very often because the plants are susceptible to blue mold, an enormous problem for the commercial tobacco industry.

Varieties - 'Avalon' series, 'Domino' series, 'Havana' series, 'Hummingbird' series, 'Merlin' series, 'Nicki' series, 'Saratoga' series, 'Starship' series. Nicotiana sylvestris is a tall flowering tobacco species with long pendulous white flowers that are extremely fragrant, especially at night.

‘Havana Appleblossom’

‘Hummingbird’ White, Red, Green

Nicotiana sylvestris

Nigella damascena - Love-in-a-Mist, Wild Fennel

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

blue, white, pink

8"- 20"

summer

few

border, dried pods

seed

Performance - Nigella is an uncommon annual flower grown in Kentucky gardens primarily for the dried seed pods. These plants grow best in full sun and well drained soil.

Comments - The plants flower quite well into mid summer then begin to deteriorate as more and more pods form on the plant.

Varieties - 'Blue Midget', 'Cambridge Blue', 'Miss Jekyll' series, 'Persian Jewel' series.

 

Tropical water lilies

Nymphaea odorata - Fragrant Water Lily, Water Lily, Pond Lily

Flower Color

Height

Season

Pests

Uses

Propagation

white

3"- 8"

summer

few

water garden

cuttings, division

Performance - Fragrant water lily is a reliable perennial flower for water gardens in Kentucky. This plant is native to the state so it performs well in water gardens or ponds as long as the water is deep enough to keep them from freezing in winter. Water lilies should be placed in full sun water gardens with 10"-18" of water above the rhizome and container. The floating heart-shaped leaves will appear all summer and flowers should appear every 7-10 days when plants are growing well.

Comments - Native water lilies may not be as showy as their tropical relatives with more flower colors and larger flowers. Unfortunately, the tropical water lilies need to be replaced every year or stored indoors in a water tank.

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