It’s a great month for blossoms
July is a great month for blossoms — on trees, shrubs and perennials. Here are a few of my favorite July plants.
The most dramatic of my July bloomers are my Itoh peonies. These are hybrids of herbaceous and tree peonies that were developed in the mid-20th century by a Japanese plant breeder named Toichi Itoh. Unlike their parents, the blossoms of the most commonly sold ones are yellow, not pink, red or white. In fact, I’ve never seen anything but yellow ones for sale.
I have a “Garden Treasure” Itoh, and counted 46 buds on it earlier this summer. The stems of Itoh peonies are stronger than on ordinary peonies, so I don’t feel the need to support them. The blossoms on mine are 5 to 7 inches in diameter. And instead of blooming all at once, they bloom over a period of several weeks. These perennials are very pricey, but worth every dollar. And they last well in a vase.
Another favorite July bloomer is a small tree called Stewartia. I only got mine four years ago as it is a Zone 5 plant, and I was previously in a cold Zone 4 location and unwilling to take a chance on it. I’m still here in Cornish Flat, N.H., but our winters “ain’t what they useta be,” so I got one four years ago. It has a plethora of 1-inch creamy-white flowers with yellow centers that are lightly fragrant, and exfoliating bark with patches of gray, orange, white and brown that is pleasing all year. I plan to prune mine to keep it around 12 feet tall, though it could go to 20 feet tall or more if I let it.
Then there is sea holly (Eryngium amethystinum). This was a challenge for me to grow. Not because it is delicate, but because it really only thrives in dreadful soil — sandy, infertile and dry. My soil is normally high in organic matter, moist and great for most plants. The flowers are blue, numerous and spiky — and great in dried arrangements. Florists love it. If you have crummy soil, this is for you. Never fertilize it!
This year my two wisteria vines started blooming on June 19, though they usually do not bloom until July 4. For decades gardeners in northern climates lamented they could grow wisteria but couldn’t get any blossoms. That is because those vines bloom on buds set the previous summer. But ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Amethyst Falls’ bloom on new shoots that grow in the spring. Wisteria need trellises or supports and are vigorous growers. In southern climates some wisteria can be invasive, spreading out everywhere, but I have never had a problem with mine. They produce hundreds of blue flowers, though to me, the blossoms smell vaguely of cat pee. Blue Moon re-blooms again for me later in the summer, though not profusely.
By now we’re all aware that native trees and shrubs support our birds and pollinators. According to research done at the Mount Cuba Center, a botanic garden and research center for native plants in Delaware, the best of the hydrangeas is a native one called ‘Haas Halo’, a variety of Hydrangea arborescens, or smooth hydrangea. I have it, and love that caterpillars eat the leaves. After all, it takes 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars to feed a clutch of chickadees from hatching to fledging. It blooms well in shade, and is fast growing.
For exuberant perennials that spread, bloom well in July in sun or part sun, and serve as great cut flowers, it is hard to beat the clustered bellflower (Campanula glomerata). Yes, some people consider it a thug as it can spread by root or by seed, but I find it easy to remove if it oversteps its welcome. The clusters of small blue-violet blossoms form 2-inch balls on 24-inch stems and are a delight to grow.
I grew up in Connecticut, where the mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is the state flower. There it grows in the wild under the high canopy of oaks and other deciduous trees. It has small, dark evergreen leaves that look good all winter. The small blossoms are usually pink to white with stripes of pink, though now growers have varieties that are deep pink or even red. It does best in acidic soil. It will grow in full sun to full shade, but flowers best with moderate amounts of sunshine. Mine get morning sun only.
Another flower I love is called Knautia macedonica, a perennial with no common name. Unlike most perennials, it blooms all summer, producing wine-red 1-inch flowers on thin stems. Each flower resembles a tiny dahlia or double peony. It loves sun and rich soil, but blooms in part shade, too. Not a great cut flower, but a worthy addition to any garden.
A great shade perennial I grow for its foliage is called ‘Sun King’ Aralia. This plant has bright yellow-green leaves that just pop in a full or part shade garden. Mine gets bigger every year. Now, five years old, it stands almost 5 feet tall and more than 5 feet across. It’s in rich, fairly dry soil and gets some morning sun.
So if July in your garden is just ho-hum, get thee to a garden center and try something new.
Henry can be reached by email at henry.homeyer@comcast.net. His articles appear near the beginning of each month.
