Tag Archives: Pollinator Plants

Annual Flower: Apricotta Cosmos 

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Apricotta Cosmos 

  • Annual Flower: 85 days.
  • Flower color: pink lemonade; abundant large blooms.
  • Plant in Full Sun
  • Sprouts in 7-14 Days
  • Plant Height: 3.5 foot
  • Ideal Temperature: 65-85 Degrees F
  • Plant Spacing: 10”
  • NOT Frost Hardy
  • Attracts a variety of pollinators
  • Uses: Cut flowers, Pollinator garden, Color spots in the garden

Growing Tips: Sow in place in mid-spring. Plants require full sun, fairly warm temps, moderate moisture. Removing spent blooms prolongs the blooming season. Appicotta Cosmos is the winner of the Fleuroselect Novelty Award for its unusual color and sturdy stems.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds https://www.rareseeds.com/cosmos-apricotta

Hellebore for Winter Flowers

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Plant Name: Helleborus orientalis (Lenten rose)                                      
Plant type: Evergreen perennial
Height:   12” – 15”
Bloom Time: February to April
Flower Color:  Varies  – Purple, Whitish Yellow, Whitish Green,  Pink, Burgundy
Exposure: Full Sun in Winter,  Dappled shade in spring, summer, and fall
Soil Requirements:  Well drained loamy soil; Amend soil with organic matter

Water Needs:  Medium
Attributes:  Late Winter Bloomer, Deer Resistant , Waterwise plant, Long Blooming Season, Flowers have nodding habit.

Firewise status: unknown
Note:   Mulch to maintain summer moisture, Monitor for aphids in the spring and treat accordingly. Hellebores provide a variety of bees with nectar and pollen at a time when few other plants are blooming.

Uses: Borders, Containers, Mass Plantings, Woodland Garden, Cut Flowers, Winter Flowers, Pollinator Gardens, Bee Habitat.
USDA Zone: 2-10

 

Horticulture Report: Polygala fruticosa

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Plant Name:  Polygala fruticosa
Common name: Dwarf Sweet-Pea Bush
Plant type: Evergreen Shrub
Height: 3 feet
Spread:   3 feet
Bloom Time:  Spring-Summer
Flower Color: Vibrant, purple-magenta, pea-like flowers
Sun Exposure:Full Sun to Part Sun (4-6 hours)
Soil Requirements: Well-drained, humus-rich soil
Water Needs: Moderate
Attributes:   Green-Gray Foliage, Attracts Pollinators, Nectar-rich flowers
Firewise:  Status unknown
Note:  Only Hardy above 20 o, NOT a perennial in areas where temperatures drops below 20o, but in Zone 8A it will typically recover.
Uses:  Flowers for Cutting, Long Bloom Season, Repeat Flowering, Showy Flowers, Container Plant, Perennial Garden, Cottage Garden,  Wildlife & Pollinator Gardens
Native to: South Africa
Oregon Native:   NO
USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-10

Photo by: Joanie Kintscher, Past President AGC

Report by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Board Member