These are Blooming Secrets Plant Of The Week selections for September. If you have any flowers or plants you would like us to add to our list, please let us know.

False Indigo

False Indigo is a Native American perennial flower and is also known as Baptisia australis. This beautiful low-maintenance flower does best in well-drained soil in hardiness zones 5-9. This flower was once used by Native Americans and early European settlers to dye cloth. False Indigo is a member of the pea family and has pea-like blossoms and comes in several different colors.  While the blue is most popular, the plant also comes in white and is known as Baptisia alba and yellow and is named Baptisia tinctoria. The plant needs 6 hours of sun or it will get floppy. The plant blooms from late spring through early summer. If you do not deadhead the flowers, you will see seed pods that look like pea pods.

Centaurea

Centaurea is a genus of about 450 species of flowers from mostly dry sites, mainly in Europe and the Mediterranean. These flowers are known for their fringed flowers and come in colors of pink, yellow, white, and true blue.  They are also known as cornflowers, bachelor’s buttons, basket flower, or the old-fashioned blue-bottle. These flowers will look great in your garden and can be used in borders, a rock garden, or part of a wildflower garden.  These flowers are very attractive to bees and butterflies. They are very easy to start indoors or outdoors from seeds.  They do best in well-drained soil in full sun and some varieties will tolerate drought.

Cimicifuga

Cimicifuga is considered the older or previous name for Actaea. Other names you can find this plant under include Bugbane, Cohost, or Snakeroot. Bugbane comes from the scent of the flower, which is supposed to repel insects.  Cimicifuga is a member of the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family. Cimicifuga can add great drama to your garden with its fernlike foliage and flower spikes that rise up to 5 – 6 feet. This plant is a perennial and blooms in the summer.  Cimicifuga prefers partial shade and rich, slightly acid soil.  It tolerates poor drainage and prefers moist to wet conditions. Cimicifuga can be slow to establish, and frequently do not bloom until the second year. Hardiness zones 3-8.

Dictamnus

Dictamnus is also known as Burning Bush, Dittany, Gas Plant and Fraxinella. The plant is a perennial and native to Southwestern Europe and Asia and grows around 16-36 inches high. The flowers on Dictamnus are fragrant and come in white, pink, red, lilac and sometimes veined or dotted red. The light green leaves are attractive during the growing season and emit a pleasant lemon fragrance when rubbed or crushed. The foliage does contain an oil which people has been known to give some individual an allergic reaction. The plant is easy to grow in full sun and well-drained soil. It will tolerate light shade. This plant is difficult to divide and best left undisturbed.

Leopard’s Bane

Leopard’s Bane is the earliest blooming daisy. While daisies usually bloom in the summer, Leopard’s Bane flowers in late spring.  These perennial flowers have large yellow heads with yellow disks in the center.  These flowers are easy to grow and will dazzle your garden for months.  Leopard’s Bane will grow best in part shade and moist, well-drained soil. If planted in full shade, flowering will decrease with the limited sun exposure. It can also grow in full sun but need to have afternoon shade or cool temperatures later in the day. Provide the plant some moisture during dormancy. This plant should be divided in the early fall every 2 to 3 years.

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