Plant of the Week

Lilium ‘Black Beauty’ is undoubtedly one of the most striking and hardy garden lilies. Its brilliant, deep raspberry-red, white-edged flowers with elegantly reflexed petals float above the flower beds in midsummer, when many other garden perennials are already looking a bit tired. It thrives best in a sunny to partially shaded location in humus-rich, well-drained soil. With its upright growth habit, it adds height and structure to the planting and can be combined in many ways with perennials. It is also highly competitive—at HORTVS, these exquisite summer bloomers have been growing for many years amidst dense stands of ostrich fern (Mattheuccia strutiopteris). From July through August, numerous large flowers appear on stems up to two meters tall. They attract bees and butterflies and also make excellent long-lasting cut flowers. Lilium ‘Black Beauty’ becomes more and more impressive as the years go by. Well-established plants produce an increasing number of flower stalks and ensure abundant blooms every summer. It is one of the long-lived lilies that thrive in the same location for many years, steadily gaining in presence.

Santolina etrusca is a Mediterranean subshrub with silvery-gray, finely pinnate foliage. From June through August, numerous cream-white to pale yellow flower heads adorn the upright stems, creating a beautiful contrast to the decorative foliage. These aromatic plants are attractive throughout the gardening season and lend an elegant air to gravel gardens and sparse, sunny beds. This low-maintenance plant prefers a sunny location and well-drained, somewhat dry soil. Thanks to its high tolerance for drought, it is ideal for natural and Mediterranean-style plantings and also provides a valuable food source for numerous insects. Pruning it back by about one-third immediately after flowering maintains its compact form and increases the number of flowers the following year.

The acanthus hybrid ‘Morning Candle’ delights with its reliably abundant blooms and decorative, deep-green foliage. From June through August, numerous white flowers with delicate pink bracts appear, giving the plant an exotic charm. These develop into fantastic fruit clusters that remain an eye-catcher in the sunny flower bed well into winter. The decorative foliage remains a focal point throughout the entire gardening season and adds structure to the flower bed. In a sunny to partially shaded location with nutrient-rich, well-drained soil, ‘Morning Candle’ grows into a long-lived and low-maintenance perennial. Whether in a perennial bed or as a specimen plant, it adds stylish accents and is also a valuable food source for bees and other insects.

Native to the southern prairies of North America, this perennial is one of the most rewarding garden plants there is. The first flowers appear as early as June, and the blooming period often lasts well into the fall. The numerous white flowers, tinged with pink, grow on loosely branched stems and give the plant its distinctive airiness. This effect is particularly striking when the plant is placed among robust perennials or grasses. Thanks to its deep roots, Oenothera lindheimeri tolerates drought surprisingly well and also copes exceptionally well with hot summers. When it thrives, its flowers grace the garden for many months.