KY Garden Flowers - Limonium to Lunaria

*Limonium*	*Liriope*	*Lobularia*
*Linum*	*Lobelia*	*Lunaria*

Limonium - Statice, Sea Lavender

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
white, red, pink, blue, purple	18"- 36"	summer	few	border, cut, dried	seed, division

Performance - A number of types of annual and perennial statice are grown in Kentucky gardens. They prefer to be grown in full sun locations in well drained soils. These plants do not tolerate a wet location and they do not like to be disturbed once they are established.

Sea Lavender

Comments - The loose, airy stems are a good substitute for baby's breath in cut flower arrangements. The cut stems can be used both fresh and dried. Flower stems are easy to dry; simply collect into bunches of 8-10 stems and hang upside-down in a dark, well-ventilated location.

Varieties –

Limonium latifolium - Sea Lavender - Excellent perennial for Kentucky gardens.
L. sinuatum - Annual Statice - An annual in Kentucky. Plant early to get it established before the summer heat arrives. This is the common cut flower for both fresh and dried uses. This plant is grown for the effect of the calyx rather than the petals. The petals drop quickly, but the calyx persists on the plant for most of the summer. 'Arrow' series, 'Compindi' series, 'Excellent' series, 'Forever' series, 'Fortress' series, 'New Era' series, 'New Wonder' series, 'QIS' series, 'Splendor' series, 'Turbo' series
L. suworowii - Rat Tail Statice
L. tatartica - German Statice - Excellent perennial for Kentucky gardens. Also called Goniolimon tatarica.

Linum perenne - Perennial Flax

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
sky blue, white	24"	late spring	grasshoppers, cutworms	rock garden, perennial border	seed or cuttings

Performance - Flax is a short live perennial flower for Kentucky gardens. The plants grow best in full sun, but are not picky about its location. Moist soils often lead to plant decline due to winter damage.

Comments - Flax will only live between 3 to 5 years, but the seeds are easily propagated. The flowers should not be used as a cut flower because the petals will usually fall within a day. The roots of flax were often used to make fiber for clothing which derives its name, Linum, meaning linen.

Varieties - 'Alba', 'Caerulea', 'Saphyr'.

Liriope - Lily Turf, Liriope

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
violet-blue, white	8" - 12"	late summer	few	ground cover, edging	division, seed

Performance - Lily turf is a reliable perennial plant for Kentucky landscapes. This plant is common in landscapes across the Southeast U.S. and its use has expanded rapidly in Kentucky. The plants will grow in sun or shade with moist, fertile soil. Winter-damaged foliage should be removed in the spring to promote new growth.

Comments - The primary use of liriope is as a ground cover. It will grow in areas where most plants cannot grow due to large trees with thick root systems. It is also an excellent plant to prevent soil erosion.

Varieties -
Liriope muscari - Lily Turf - The most common type available in the state. 'Big Blue', 'Gold Banded', ‘John Burch’, 'Lilac Beauty', 'Majestic', 'Munroe's White', 'Silvery Midget', 'Variegata'.
Liriope spicata - Creeping Lily-Turf


‘John Burch’	‘Variegata’

Lobelia - Lobelia, Cardinal Flower

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
blue, lavender, scarlet, pink, white	6" to 4'	early to late summer	few	border, containers, hanging baskets, naturalized area	seed, division, cuttings

Performance -


Annual lobelia ‘Riviera’	Annual lobelia ‘Periwinkle Blue’ in the Extension Master Gardener annual flower trials.

Lobelia is a diverse group of annual and perennial flowers grown in Kentucky gardens. They grow best in partial shade and moist soil. Mulch should be applied to maintain moisture if it is not planted along a stream or damp meadow.

Comments - Hummingbirds are strongly attracted to the native lobelias when they are in flower.

Varieties -
Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower, Indian Pink - A Kentucky native that is a reliable garden perennial in the state. It is well suited for naturalized garden areas.
L. erinus - Edging Lobelia, Annual Lobelia - A trailing to somewhat upright annual flower for edging around flower beds or for use in containers. Excellent small, blue flowers are the main attraction.
L. siphilitica - Great Lobelia, Blue Cardinal Flower -
L. x speciosa - 'Compliment' series, 'Fan' series.

Sweet alyssum cultivars at Bodger Botanicals

Lobularia maritima - Sweet Alyssum

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
white, pink, rose or lavender	4" - 8"	late spring through frost	damping off	edging, rock garden, bulb beds	seeds

Performance - Sweet Alyssum is a common annual flower used in Kentucky gardens. It is easily grown in full sun to partial shade. It is not picky about the soil as long as it is well drained. It is excellent planted as ground cover for bulb beds to hide the dying leaves after the daffodils and tulips have bloomed.

Comments - Damping off during seedling stage can be a problem. When germinating the seeds water control may be the best method for preventing damping off. In hot areas and during the summer, alyssum tends to decline.

Varieties - 'Basket' series, 'Carpet of Snow', 'Easter Bonnet' series, 'Rosie O'Day', 'Royal Carpet', 'Snow Crystals', 'Wonderland' series.

Lunaria annua - Money Plant, Silver Dollar, Penny Flower, Honesty Plant

Flower Color	Height	Season	Pests	Uses	Propagation
purple, white	20"- 36"	late spring	few	dried flower, wild flower area	seed

Performance - Money plant is a relatively permanent addition to Kentucky gardens once it has been added. Some gardens would prefer not to have it after a few years. These plants grow in sun or partial shade as long as the soil is well drained.

Comments - Lunaria is primarily grown for its fruit, which resembles a silver dollar when dried. It is considered a biennial, but will easily self seed, so plants are expected each year. It is a weedy plant and often not recommended for an ornamental garden. To some, this is an invasive exotic plant that should not be used in the landscape.

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