KY Garden Flowers - Alcea to Angelonia

Alcea

Allium

Amaranthus

Amsonia

Anemone

Angelonia

Alcea rugosa –

Russian Hollyhock

Alcea rosea - Hollyhock

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
yellow, pink, lavender, red	2' - 9'	summer	rust, spider mites, Japanese beetle	border, specimen	seed

Performance - Hollyhock is a traditional perennial that has been grown in Kentucky gardens for many years. It grows well in full sun with soil that is well drained. Hollyhock may act as a typical perennial, where plants remain for year after year or as a half hardy biennial, that comes back from seed each year. This depends on the winter weather and the hollyhock variety.

Comments - The brightly colored flowers look excellent in the back of a perennial border, along fences and walls and as a specimen plant.

Allium - Ornamental Onions

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
lavender, purple, white, yellow	1 - 5'	spring, late summer	few	border, cut flower, herb	bulbs, division, seed

Performance - Ornamental onions are excellent perennials in Kentucky landscapes. Those that flower in the spring, begin as bulbs planted in the fall. Others may be propagated by seed. These plants with their unusual globe of flowers are a unique addition to gardens.

Drumstick Allium

Allium christophii - Large globe (umbel) of light lavender, star-like flowers on an 18 inch stem in late April.

Allium giganteum - Giant Allium - Large globe of lavender flowers on a 4' - 5' stem in early May.

Allium karataviense - Small globe of lavender flowers on a 6 inch stem in mid April that contrasts with the green foliage with a purple margin.

Allium moly - Small globe of yellow flowers on a 6 inch stem in May.

Allium sphaerocephalum - Drumstick Allium - Small, elongated globe of lavender flowers on a 30 inch stem in early June.

Allium tuberosum - Garlic Chives, Chinese Chives - Small globe of white flowers on 12 - 18 inch stems in August. The plants are very hardy and produce bloom at a time when most other perennials do not bloom. To control the spread of this plant, remove the declining blooms because it will self-sow each year and can be invasive. The foliage is edible and used for its mild garlic flavor.


Allium christophii	Allium giganteum	Allium karataviense

Amaranthus - Summer Poinsettia, Joseph's Coat Amaranth, Fountain Plant

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
brown (not significant)	1.5' - 5'	summer	root rot and stem borers	background, specimen, cut flower	seed

Performance - Amaranthus is a warm season annual that is grown primarily for its brightly colored foliage. These plants grow best in full sun with average dry soil. Watering sparingly will deter root rot. This plant can become overwhelming in color, so planting site should be chosen carefully.

Comments - This is a cousin to pigweed, so it is drought and heat tolerant. If planted in soil that remains too wet, root rot is sure to become a problem. Often times they will need to be staked.

Amaranthus caudatus – Love-lies-bleeding - 'Red Tails',

Amaranthus cruentus – Red amaranth – ‘Golden Giant’

Amaranthus hypochondriacus – ‘Green Thumb’, ‘Pygmy Torch’

Amaranthus tricolor – Chinese spinach - 'Early Splendor', 'Scarlet Torch', 'Tricolor'

Amsonia tabernaemontana - Willow Amsonia, Blue Star

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
blue	2' - 3'	Spring	few	mass planting in borders	seed, cuttings, divison

Performance - Amsonia is an outstanding and reliable perennial flower in Kentucky. This Kentucky native grows best in full sun with moderately fertile soil. Cutting the plant back, 6" from the ground will increase the density. If planted in too fertile soil, the plants will tend to flop and need staking.

Comments - It has a slow growing habit, so division is seldom needed. Amsonia flowers for only 3 weeks in late spring, but is an outstanding plant for the garden; both species have been excellent in trials at the UK Horticulture Research Farm. Yellow to red fall color adds interest in the fall.

Amsonia hubrectii – Blue Star – Blue star is an excellent perennial garden flower in Kentucky.

‘Honorine Jobert’ at the UK Arboretum

Anemone x hybrida - Japanese Anemone

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
white, pink, violet	3’-4’	late summer, fall	few	border, shade garden	division, root cuttings, seed

Performance - Japanese anemone is an outstanding perennial for shade gardens in Kentucky. The light, airy, pastel blooms are attractive in late summer and fall. Like astilbe, these plants must receive adequate water during the summer in order to produce a normal floral display. The plants spread by underground rhizomes, so they may seem invasive in some garden sites.

Comments - These plants are often sold under the name Anemone japonica. Many of the cultivars available are probably hybrids.

Varieties - 'Lady Gilmour', 'Luise Uhink', 'September Charm', 'Margarette', 'Honorine Jobert'.

Angelonia angustifolia - Summer Orchid

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
purple, purple and white, white, pink	18-30"	summer	few	cut flower, border, containers	seed, cuttings

Performance – Angelonia was introduced to the flower business in the late 1990s. Our initial summer trials at the UK Arboretum were not too successful. The plants grew well but few flowers were visible. Plants flowered well in containers when they received more water and fertilizer. Plants are a spectacular cut flower when grown in the greenhouse. New selections introduced from 2003 to 2006 are excellent summer garden flowers in Kentucky.

Comments - Angelonias have unusually good life as cut flowers in a vase indoors. Cut flowers could last 15-20 days in a bright location indoors. The foliage and stems are covered with glandular hairs that give the plant a distinctive fragrance. These hairs make the stems and leaves uncomfortably sticky, but this has no effect on the plants.

Varieties - 'Purple', 'Blue Pacific', 'Alba', and 'Pink' are sold at various "unusual plant" retailers as unpatented plants. Ball FloraPlant introduced AngelMist^TMWhite, Pink, Purple Stripe, Lavender, Deep Plum and Purple Angelonia in 1999 after removing cucumber mosaic virus from these varieties. Proven Winner’s ‘Angelface’ series has larger flowers. Ball FloraPlant introduced seed propagated ‘Serena’ Angelonia in 2005; these varieties had excellent performance in trials at the UK Horticulture Research Farm.


Angelonia ‘Angel Face’	Angelonia ‘AngelMist Pink’	Angelonia ‘Serena Lavender’ & ‘Serena White’

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