Trachelium caeruleum

Flossflower- this short lived perennial is a wonderful long blooming plant. Umbels of blue flowers rise to 20″ tall. Remove the first set of blooms and it will sprout vigorously from the sides, rows of flowers. Loved by butterflies and pollinators in general. This Mediterranean native has been raised as a cut flower forever, blooming continues to October if you remove spent flowers. They last in a vase for a week or more and deliver a light, sweet fragrance. Freezes to the ground below 20ºF, and is root hardy to about 10ºF. Typical lifespan for an individual plant is 3-5 years but it almost always guarantees seedlings which will sprout in adventitious places. Full sun to very light shade and rich soil with light consistent summer water. It may go very dry and recover from a deep soak. Very easy to grow plant for spectacular effects. Perennials borders, cutting gardens. Hummingbird manna. Forms arching clumps. A distant relative of Campanulas. Rich soil and regular water guarantees a much larger, bloomier plant that will have a longer lifespan.

 

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Trachelium caeruleum ‘Dark Purple’

Florists variety of Flossflower that we think makes a nifty garden plant too. Large rich violet umbels repeat through summer. Remove spent flowers to encourage more. Full sun and rich, well drained soil. Lightly fragrant and a stupendous cut flower. To 30″ tall and 20″ wide. Deep green foliage and black stems are handsome. Short lived perennial- approximately 3-4 years per plant. Freezes to the ground below 20ºF- resprouts from the base if temperatures never drop below about 10ºF. Often self sows in open disturbed sites- even following hellacious winters that compromise the parent plant. Best in rich, soil that drains, double dig the soil to incorporate oxygen into the root zone and allow water to penetrate deeply.  Light summer water- extends bloom. If you cut the main bloom on each stem- and it will last for 10+ days in a vase, the sides of the plant will erupt in further bloom  and continue to autumn. Loved by butterflies who find an accommodating landing pad and copious amounts of nectar filled flowers. Iberian peninsula  and Mediterranean.

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Plant type:  |  Sun exposure:
Biome: ,  |  USDA Hardiness zone: Zn8a 15º to 10ºF
Foliage color:  |  Foliage season: