Diamonds in dirt: Arkansas program recommends hardy flowers grown in state

“Dragon’s Breath” celosia
“Dragon’s Breath” celosia

A cool spring and a freeze in April were setbacks for gardeners anxious to plant their summer gardens, but brighter days are coming. Time to shop for color.

If you walk into a nursery, there are so many annual plants to choose. Deciding what to plant can be daunting. Seedlings that promise carefree beauty at the garden center can be disappointing in the ground.

One way to avoid poor choices is to look for the blue logo of the Arkansas Diamonds program.

Arkansas Diamonds is a partnership of the Arkansas Green Industry Association, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, in-state growers and independent garden centers. The goal of the program is to educate Arkansans about annual ornamental plants that consistently perform well in our state and that are grown here, too -- born and raised in Arkansas.

This is the program's fourth year, and four plants have been added to the list of Diamonds. The 2018 summer annual choices are Cuphea "Vermillionaire," "Wasabi" coleus, "Bouquet Deep Blue" torenia, and "Dragon's Breath" celosia.

CUPHEA

Cuphea "Vermillionaire" is taking the place of the old cigarette or cigar flower that was popular years ago. This heat-lover will produce hundreds of small, tubular blooms in red and orange all summer long. The more sunlight it gets and the hotter it gets, the better this cuphea blooms.

Give it ample moisture to get established, and then it will be quite drought tolerant. The plant will grow 18-30 inches tall or taller in one season. It will continue to bloom until a killing frost.

In southern Arkansas it should be a perennial (in a normal season) but from central Arkansas north we will consider it an annual. The hummingbirds and butterflies love this plant.

COLEUS

"Wasabi" coleus is one of the strongest coleus plants on the market. Its bright chartreuse foliage will take full sun to partial shade. "Wasabi" will grow in the shade, but the intense color will fade with heavier shade.

The plant will grow 24-36 inches tall and wide. It has large, serrated leaves with very few, if any, blooms late in the season. Its foliage alone will make a dramatic statement in the garden.

It likes warm soils and even moisture.

TORENIA

"Bouquet Deep Blue" torenia is an outstanding performer in the shade garden. Wishbone flower is the common name for this plant, since the stamens form a small wishbone in the center of the bloom.

The plant will be covered in small, deep blue flowers with a pale throat all summer into fall. To keep it blooming, fertilize every few weeks and water regularly.

It performs best where it gets morning sun and afternoon shade or filtered sun throughout the day. While it will bloom in heavy shade, the flowers will be fewer.

The plant does well as a border or edging plant, growing 6-8 inches tall with a 20-inch spread. It will do well in the ground or in hanging baskets.

CELOSIA

Last, but definitely not least of the new introductions is "Dragon's Breath" celosia. This is not the cockscomb your grandmother grew.

This plant's reddish green foliage is topped by show-stopping, bright red plumes -- all summer. It is great in containers or planted in the ground in full sun.

The hotter and more humid it gets, the better it blooms. Water the plant to get it going, but once its roots are established, it will be fairly drought tolerant. If the weather gets bone dry, consistent watering will help this celosia grow and bloom. The plant reaches 24-36 inches tall.

A SWEET 16

With these four new additions there are 16 great plants in the Arkansas Diamonds program, all worth planting in your garden. To recap the earlier selections:

2017 plants include "Big" or "Whopper" begonia, "White Christmas" caladium and "Vista Bubblegum" petunia.

• The "Big/Whopper" begonia is basically the same variety with two different names, depending on the grower's preference. The plants come in pink or red with green or bronze foliage. They will do well in full sun to partial shade. They get large, growing to more than a yard tall with a 2- to 3-foot spread. They rival a dragonwing begonia for size. There are no pest problems, but as with any begonia, they prefer a well-drained soil.

• "White Christmas" caladiums have been on the market for quite a while. They are a tough caladium and won't stop all summer. This caladium will brighten a dark, shady spot in the landscape. With pure white leaves with green veins, it will grow in partial sun to deep shade. It grows 12 to 24 inches tall. Bulbs can be lifted in the fall to replant next season, or you can buy new bulbs every year. Don't be too quick to plant caladiums in the spring as they like warm soil to get growing.

• "Vista Bubblegum" petunia is a beautiful bubble gum pink on a summer plant that just won't stop blooming. They typically grow 12-18 inches tall with up to a 36-inch spread. They can do well in the ground or in containers or hanging baskets. As with most petunias, they will bloom best if given frequent fertilizer, but this one is not so demanding as some of the other varieties. Grows best in full sun with average water and fertilization.

The 2016 plants are two sun lovers --"Graffiti Red" pentas and "Sriracha Pink" cuphea -- and the shade-loving "Velvet Elvis" plectranthus.

The 2015 choices include red dragonwing begonia, purple angelonia, "Cora Cascade" polka dot vinca, "Redhead" coleus, blue scaevola and gold/yellow lantana.

• "Graffiti Red" is newer, compact pentas with bright red flowers. Reaching as much as 10 inches tall, it has a very uniform growth habit and rarely needs pinching. It will do well in containers or mass-planted in the ground. It needs a minimum of six hours of sun but will take more. As with most annuals, regular fertilizer will keep it at peak bloom. While it's not water-needy, regular watering will keep it looking its best. This plant is a favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds.

• Cuphea "Sriracha Pink" has blossoms almost as large as quarters, giving you a much more dramatic display of color than most cupheas. Like the spicy chili sauce for which it is named, "Sriracha Pink" adds a lot of color with large, wide-open pink blooms from late spring through fall. The hotter it gets, the better it performs. The plant grows 24-30 inches tall and wide and works well in containers or planted in the ground. Once established, it is very drought tolerant.

• "Velvet Elvis" plectranthus has deep green leaves with a deep purple underside, but it also has beautiful purple flowers all summer through fall -- in light shade. The plant has an upright growth habit, maturing at 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. It is great in containers or in mass plantings in the shade garden.

• Red dragonwing begonia is a great all-season bloomer. This plant does best in full morning sun with protection from the hot afternoon sun or in filtered sunlight. Give this plant room to grow as it does get 2 to 3 feet tall and wide by the end of the season.

• Angelonia or summer snapdragon is another great summer performer in full sun to partial shade. These spike-forming blooms will continue all summer -- provided they get regular fertilization. It is very heat and drought tolerant, but will bloom best if given supplemental irrigation in dry weather. Mature size will vary by variety, but they have a range between 1 and 3 feet tall and a spread of 6 to 12 inches.

• "Cora Cascade" polka dot vinca is an annual periwinkle. While it only grows 6 to 8 inches tall, Cascade spreads 32 to 36 inches wide, flowering from frost to frost. The blooms are very evenly distributed, eliminating the "bald spots" that plague some vincas. It has large white to pale pink flowers with a red center bloom on a plant with glossy, dense green foliage. This plant thrives in full sun and is quite drought tolerant. This series is also very disease resistant.

• "Redhead" coleus ranks among the deepest red of any of the coleus plants on the market. Although it will grow in full sun, it would benefit from a bit of shade in the hottest part of the day, unless you keep it well watered. It can also do well in partial shade. The mature plant can be 2 feet tall and wide.

• Blue scaevola or fan flower is another full-sun bedding plant that will tolerate partial shade. The fan-shaped flowers are produced all season on low, spreading plants. It is heat and drought tolerant. The plant grows 8-10 inches tall with a spread of 12-24 inches depending on variety.

• Lantanas are among the most heat-tolerant bedding plants we have for Arkansas gardens. In south Arkansas, these plants are perennials, but in central Arkansas they are hit and miss; and in the northern tier, they are annuals. Size can vary tremendously by variety, but all thrive in full sun and warm conditions. Although they often can survive on their own, in the hottest, driest months, a little extra water is appreciated.

While you will find these same plants sold without the Diamonds logo, that means they were not grown by a local grower or the nursery is not a member of the Arkansas Green Industry Association.

To find a list of local retailers participating in Arkansas Diamonds and more about the program, visit the website at arkansasonline.com/42118/gems/.

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The logo of the Arkansas Diamonds program, a cooperative marketing effort to promote plants that thrive and are grown by farmers in Arkansas.

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

Cuphea “Vermillionaire”

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

“Wasabi” coleus

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

“Bouquet Deep Blue” torenia

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JANET B. CARSON SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

“Cora Cascade” polka dot vinca

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

“Vista Bubblegum” petunia

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JANET B. CARSON SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

“Graffiti Red” pentas

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

Big/Whopper begonia

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

Red dragonwing begonia

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

Purple angelonia

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

Yellow lantana

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

“White Christmas” caladium

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

Cuphea “Sriracha”

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

“Velvet Elvis” plectranthus

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JANET B. CARSON

“Redhead” coleus

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JANET B. CARSON SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Blue scaevola

HomeStyle on 04/21/2018

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