Wallflower Plant Profile

Wallflower Plant Profile

Wallflowers (Erysium spp.) are cool-season annuals, perennials, or biennials depending on where they grow. They have low, mounding foliage and flower from late spring to early summer.

The blooms are fragrant and are dense, colorful clusters of four-petaled flowers in shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, or purple.

Wallflowers are in the Brassicaceae family with 150 different species and the garden varieties are native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Several species are native to the United States, including the western wallflower (E. asperum), sanddune wallflower (E. capitatum), and shy wallflower (E. inconspicuum).  They are generally found in rocky areas, cliffs, and slopes. 

They are hardy to USDA Zones 5 to 11.

Wallflowers do best in full sun and thrive well-drained, sandy, or rocky soils.

They are drought-tolerant once established and should not be overwatered.

Wallflowers are deer- and rabbit-resistant due to their strong scent and, sometimes, bitter taste.

They are low-maintenance. Trim back flower stems after blooming to encourage further blooming or prevent self-seeding. Avoid too much fertilizer, as wallflowers are not heavy feeders, and too much fertilizer can lead to leggy growth.

Wallflowers are excellent for pollinator gardens, attracting hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and moths.

They are ideal for covering rocky, sunny, or poor-soil areas that other plants cannot tolerate.

They are often used in containers, rock gardens, along paths, and in raised beds.

Propagate wallflowers by taking semi-ripe cuttings in early summer. They can also be grown from seed sown in summer for flowers the following spring

Wallflower: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Video, Photos, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Aicha Bangoura

 

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If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Astilbe Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/06/astilbe-plant-profile.html

~ Daylily Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2019/07/video-plant-profile-daylily.html

~ Bletilla Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/05/bletilla-plant-profile.html

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What is Folicision?

A few years ago, I observed this phenomenon of emerging bulb foliage punching right through leaves and asked our social media followers for a name for this phenomenon. @katmoonblue on Instagram suggested “folicision”and I think she nailed it — new horticultural term is born! Shown here is one examples from my garden yesterday of folicision. Do you have any examples of folicision in your garden?

Monday Thoughts: "Daffodils, that come before the swallow dares, and take the winds of March with beauty." ~ William Shakespeare

"Daffodils, that come before the swallow dares, and take the winds of March with beauty." 

~ William Shakespeare

GardenDC Podcast Episode 277: Revolutionary Tomato Growing Tips

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with horticulturist Frank Hyman all about tomato growing tips*. The plant profile is on Hepatica and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on "The Surprise Potato" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

*You can order Ripe Tomato Revolution at https://amzn.to/4lsDiic
This link is to our Amazon affiliate accounts and we may earn a few pennies from their sales, but this does not impact your purchase price.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 4: All About Tomatoes

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/03/gardendc-podcast-episode-4-all-about.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 26: Heirloom Tomatoes

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/08/gardendc-podcast-episode-26-heirloom.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 68: Summer Vegetables

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/07/gardendc-podcast-episode-68-summer.html

Show Notes will be posted after 3/21/2026.

Frank Hyman's Substack is at https://frankhyman.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is archived at: 

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We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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*You can order Ripe Tomato Revolution at https://amzn.to/4lsDiic

This link is to our Amazon affiliate accounts and we may earn a few pennies from their sales, but this does not impact your purchase price.

Sundrops Plant Profile

Sundrops Plant Profile

Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa) are a perennial plant. They are also known as the Narrow-leaf Evening Primrose and are a day-flowering cousin of the Common Evening-Primrose (Oenothera biennis L.)

Sundrops flowers are yellow cups of golden sunshine that bloom from late spring into summer.

They are native to the Eastern half of North America and were named a North Carolina Wildflower of the Year.

They are hardy to USDA zones 4 to 8.

They grow up to 1 to 2 feet tall. They do best in part- to full-sun conditions. Sundrops do well in poor soils.and they need no fertilizing.

Sundrops attract pollinators and can be visited by hummingbirds.

They are easy to propagate from division. They can also spread prolifically by seed, so deadhead the flowers after they finish blooming for the season if you want to prevent that.

Sundrops are fairly drought-tolerant once established and are said to be deer-resistant.

Sundrops: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Video, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Aicha Bangoura

 

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

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~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Shasta Daisy Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/08/shasta-daisy-plant-profile.html

~ Golden Ragwort Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2023/05/golden-ragwort-plant-profile.html

~ Lyreleaf Sage Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2025/04/lyreleaf-sage-plant-profile.html

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Monday Thoughts: "It’s not just the seeds. It’s the stories and places that they come from." ~ Ira Wallace

"It’s not just the seeds. It’s the stories and places that they come from." 

~ Ira Wallace

GardenDC Podcast Episode 276: How to Botanize

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening, we talk with authors Ben Goulet-Scott and Jacob S. Suissa all about botanizing. The plant profile is on Peas and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on "Dancing with Marigolds" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

*You can order Let's Botanize at https://amzn.to/4u9gfgp
This link is to our Amazon affiliate accounts and we may earn a few pennies from their sales, but this does not impact your purchase price.

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month! 

See how at: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/subscribe

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 43: Galanthus

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-43-galanthus.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 219: Native Ferns

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/11/gardendc-podcast-episode-219-native.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 106: Ancient Plants

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-106-ancient.html

Show Notes will be posted after 3/17/2026.

This episode is archived at: 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0DRArGZLnDVDI7dGcoFm8c?si=8AP0QnItRa2IO-hbfG7-XA

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

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We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gardendc/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

And be sure to leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform plus share us on social media with #GardenDC, so other gardeners can find us too!

Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

*You can order Let's Botanize at https://amzn.to/4u9gfgp

This link is to our Amazon affiliate accounts and we may earn a few pennies from their sales, but this does not impact your purchase price.

March 2026 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine: Winning Photos, Skunk Cabbage, Lilies, Staghorn Fern, and much more…

 

The March 2026 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is out.

It is posted and archived online at: 

https://issuu.com/washingtongardener/docs/washington_gardener_magazine_march_2026

 

Inside this issue:

·         17 Award-winning Garden Photos

·         Did the Harsh Winter Affect  Native Plants?

·         Tips for Healthy Staghorn Ferns

·         Dealing with Weedy Mallow Plants

·         Enjoy Lilies in Containers

·         Year of the Impatiens

·         Garden Book Reviews

·         How to Grow Skunk Cabbage

·         Changes at the Bonsai Museum

·         A New Daylily

·         What We Learned at the GreenScapes Symposium

·         Are Sterile Versions of Invasive Species Okay to Plant?

·         and much more…

 

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the April 2026 issue are due by March 15.

>>  Subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine today to have the monthly publication sent to your inbox as a PDF several days before it is available online. You can use the PayPal (credit card) online order form here: https://www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm

Spiderwort Plant Profile

Spiderwort Plant Profile

Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginia) is a perennial plant with blue-purple flowers on grass-like stalks. It is native to the Eastern United States into Canada. Some rare varieties bloom with pink, white, or red flowers.

The flowers open in the morning and close in the afternoon or evening. The bloom period is from spring to early summer. You can cut back the plant after the first flush of flowers are done to get it to rebloom in late summer and early fall.

It does well in full sun to part shade in moist but well-draining soils. It is hardy to USDA zones 4 to 9.

Spiderwort grows to about 18 inches tall.

Spiderwort attracts pollinators such as long-tongue bees.

The plant is said to edible but can cause allergic reactions in pets and humans. It was used in indigenous medicine for insect bites – which is where its common name stems from.

Another common name is Inkweed due to the Spiderwort flowers containing a strong pigment that can be used as a dye. They can also stain your skin and clothing.

It reseeds around a bit and can be dug and moved to a better location, if desired.

Spiderwort: You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Audio, Videos, and Text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Aicha Bangoura

 

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE

~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com

~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

 

If you liked this video, we think you will like these other Plant Profiles:

~ Cup Plant Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2020/08/plant-profile-cup-plant.html

~ Sunflower Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2019/07/plant-profile-sunflowers.html

~ Daylily Plant Profile

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2019/07/video-plant-profile-daylily.html

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