Seed heads give perennials another season of bloom
Gardeners favor perennials that bloom a long time, contributing color to the garden or containers. But there are also perennials whose spent flowers transform into delightful seed heads, adding just as much interest as the flowers before, even more perhaps.
Geum triflorum is an outstanding example. Its nodding, reddish pink flowers bloom from late spring to early summer, but the seed heads are so pretty they are responsible for its common name of prairie smoke. Mother Nature may have given the seeds soft, feathery tails to help the wind carry them, but they are also a beautiful bonus for gardeners. The seed heads resemble fuzzy plumes.
This native prairie plant grows about a foot tall and wide and prefers to be planted in full sun and average to dry soils. It is easy to grow as long as it is not planted in wet soil, especially in winter.
Pasque flower, or Pulsatilla vulgaris, is another perennial with soft, plume-like seed heads. Its purple flowers begin blooming in April — some open upward and others nod shyly. The pretty seed heads appear shortly after flowers fade over fuzzy, fern-like foliage.
Pasque flowers grow up to a foot tall and wide in very well-drained soil in full sun to light shade. Plant them where they will stay because they resent moving once they become established in the garden.
Plant clematis to enjoy fluffy seed heads at eye level. There are many types and cultivars available, but a couple of my favorite large-flowering types are Jackmanii Superba and Nelly Moser.
The large, deep reddish-purple, four-petaled flowers of Jackmanii Superba bloom all summer on vines that grow 10 to 12 feet. Nelly Moser is a bit shorter and flaunts huge flowers with light pink petals, each striped down the center with deep pink, in late spring to early summer and again in late summer to early fall. The centers of clematis flowers hint at the very ornamental, silky seed heads to come.
Clematis prefer to grow in full sun to light shade. Their roots should be shaded by a layer of mulch or other plants to help keep them cool.
Allium Millennium is a bulbous perennial. It is in the small but mighty category of perennials, growing in compact clumps of flattened, grasslike foliage. Slender, but sturdy, 12-inch stems rise and present small, rosy-purple, globe-shaped flowers all summer long. When the color of the blooms fade, the orbs remain.
Alliums are easy to grow if given well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.
Many sedums may not bloom until late summer, but their seed heads keep interest in the garden even into winter. Sedum Autumn Fire is one of my favorites. Clusters of tiny, rosy-pink, star-shaped flowers begin blooming in August, mature to rosy-bronze and turn brick red in fall before the color fades completely, leaving charming brown seed heads to catch snowflakes.
These reliable perennials grow about 2 feet tall and favor a spot in the garden with well-drained soil in part to full sun.
When you choose perennials whose spent flowers become pretty seed heads, your garden delivers an even more magnificent performance — the main show of blooms and a seed head encore.
• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist, garden writer and speaker. She blogs at gardenwithdiana.com.