Coming from another thread, and discussing Galliardia that fail to return.....this made me wonder what plants classified as perennial have failed to come back season after season, i.e. have been very short-lived or acted as annuals? Some of the newer Echinaceas have been very short-lived for me.....two seasons or less. And you?
What Perennials haven't proven to be "Perennial" ?
Leopards' Bane, Foxglove
some perennials are short-lived by nature--I have some native columbines that seldom make it past 4-5 years, I just have to start them from seed every couple of years
now the list of perennials I've killed is pretty extensive....
I'm so glad you started this thread. I really want my garden to be mostly sustainable -- plants that will last a long time. I don't mind a few short-lived plants especially if they self-seed, but I want to know about it going in to the relationship! I'm glad to know that about Leopards' Bane -- I am putting some in this season.
Lupines, delphiniums, mums, columbines, foxgloves all have short lives for me. Good thing many reseed easily. I've almost given up on delphinium, but put out some of the Double White Innocence ones this Spring and will see how they do. Scabiosa also seems to die out after 4 or 5 years. I just replaced a couple this Spring. I don't even like to think of all the perennials I've killed over the years or gotten rid of because they either just don't do well or are invasive. Most any plant that needs lots of moisure and much shade at all won't make it in my garden. Also they have to be able to tolerate our hot summers.
This message was edited May 18, 2008 1:56 PM
I believe most foxgloves are biennials.
Another for me is Verbena Homestead Purple. It's supposed to be perennial here, but has only last one summer. I've bought them twice and both failed to return, even with winter mulch. Beautiful plants, but too pricey to use as annuals.
Karen
Leopards Bane? I've been working on dividing mine to fill in a long bed for early spring bloom. I'll hope for better luck...
I do wish that the garden centers and on line nurseries would be accurate when calling something a perennial. I recently lost two rudbeckia triloba, only to follow up with some research and learn that they are best treated as bienniels. Foxglove are in the same boat.
Also, there are a number of plants that are supposed to be perennial in my zone 6, but never winter over. I started a separate thread with my recent experience with agastache tutti frutti in zone 6. I agree with folks above, the following never come back for me: scabiosa blue butterfly, verbena homestead purple and lupine. To these I would add rudbeckia hirta toto and viola cornuta.
Joyce
I agree about the scabiosa butterfly blue and verbena homestead purple. I haven't tried the others.
Well, I thought I was just killing plants. Maybe I am on the edge of the zone. I have lost bleeding heart, twice, the columbine, foxglove and scabosia lasted about 2 years. When you have down mulch they can't reseed themselves, so I guess I need to replace them.
Bleeding Hearts do go dormant in hot weather. The first time mine did that I thought they had died. Now I plant lilies around them to help fill in the space when they are gone.
I cut my bleeding heart back to the basal growth after they're done flowering and as the weather turns hot. Doesn't hurt them, and I usually get some new leafy growth to take the place of the sad, dormant foliage. Worth a try! :)
I haven't been able to keep lavender alive for more than one season yet. It should be hardy in my zone but...not for me, and not for a few other upper Midwest folks I've talked to. Still, I love it so much that I keep trying. Maybe I'll try it in a container this year.
Yup, lavender is another one I struggle with. And Gaura.
Is there a thread anywhere on the opposite side of this one: Which perennials are really dependably permanent?
There should be, shouldn't there? Maybe you should go make one, happy_macomb. :)
Kayly: I will -- but I'll wait a bit to see if anyone is aware of an old thread -- it is nice to keep the info in one place.
I hunted a bit and didn't find an old thread on point. I did find this site http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_perennials/article/0,,HGTV_3602_3826795,00.html, which advises:
Love-lived perennials:
peony
hosta
bearded iris
Siberian iris
daylily
hellebore
euphorbia, spurge Euphorbia
red-hot poker or torch lily (Kniphofia)
monkshood (Aconitum)
bugbane (Cimicifuga)
gas plant (Dictamnus)
balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus)
false indigo (Baptisia australis)
lily-of-the-Nile
astilbe (Astilbe)
purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta, R.fulgida)
Helianthus
butterfly weed (Asclepias)
goldenrod (Solidago)
bee balm (Monarda)
goatsbeard (Aruncus)
ironweed
Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium)
sneezeweed (Helenium)
sedum
trillium
Delphiniums
Short-lived perennials
These plants typically last for three to five years before fading away.
columbine*
scabiosa
wallflower (Erysimum, or Cheiranthus)
basket-of-gold (Aurinia saxatilis)
hardy mum
lupine
leopard's bane (Doronicum caucasicum)
feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)*
geum
cardoon
fire pink (Silene virginica) and many other pinks
blanket flower (Gaillardia)*
Coreopsis grandiflora, C. lanceolata*
lavender
Phlox divaricata*
* reseeds freely
I am always on the hunt for plants that will form a nice permanent colony without being down-right invasive . . .
Good thread idea, yotedog!
I grew double flowering forms of Hollyhock last year, that I'd been forewarned typically behaved as biennials. I wintersowed them and they bloomed great that year, but didn't return at all. I expected a one time show this year from them, but luckily I planted old fashioned single varieties (that I understand are more reliably perennial) between them, and those are budding now.
Same experience here on "perennial" viola cornuta. Really kicked myself for paying $11.00 for 3 when I could have picked up a 6 pack of pansies for a couple of bucks!
With hardy mums I've only found them truly perennial with attention. If I keep the clumps divided every year or so, they'll typically keep going. But if I go too long, they start dwindling. Seems to me some varieties are naturally more vigorous and hardy than others too.
Delphiniums are naturally a challenge in hot, humid summer areas like here, but I have found a few that will at least bloom nicely 1 year. I think it was 'Summer Skies' from Bluestone that behaved as an annual for me. I have some tiny D.belladonna and another shorter, looser flowered variety that I wintersowed this year. Hoping to find one that will have some persistence in the garden.
Silene dioica have diminished since year 2 in my garden. The 3rd year, when I was down to one clump, I moved and divided it. All 3 divisions are vigorous and blooming well now, and I'm finding self sown seedlings around too. I moved to a different county with different soil and sun conditions, so it may just be that they're going to be happier here (I never saw any seedlings in the old garden). I was so sure I was going to lose them, I wintersowed seed I saved. Those have done well, so it looks like I'm suddenly from 1 to lots!
Digitalis mertonensis, which is a perennial. You have to get them through the first winter to see if they bloom. When they do, it's spectacular! I have one that has made it through two winters and is growing, and therefore behaving like a perennial. I say one because I installed three. I started growing them from seed (JL Hudson) and I find that perhaps 1 of three survives to bloom. So I install five at a time. MUCH too expensive to repeatedly purchase.
Heuchera Cherries Jubilee. Loved it, and I would replace the ones that keeled, when they cost $7.99. I drew the line at $11.99 (now $13.99 at my favorite nursery!). I discovered that Heuchera Firefly actually makes it through the winter to rebloom. I bought some that made it through their third winter, with a survival rate of about 80%. So I got it from JL Hudson this year, and I have six very cute seedlings in the basement. I'm actually going to use it as a ground cover in a semi shady spot.
Donna
Let's see......
Scabiosa (many tries, never makes it no matter where I live..)
Geum--but love them so much, I keep trying (These actually die for me in the late summer, I believe, due to heat--not over the winter)
Every hybrid Coneflower known to man (the native ones do fine..)
Most Mums
White Liatris - one great season, huge plants, tons of flowers - now, nothing!
Samantha
I've tried and failed on just about every plant mentioned above!
cant seem to keep salvias going here. suppossed to be hardy, but most just croak after the first winter. or the million bells and verbena.........sigh, marigolds i have totally given up on! oddly enough i have had a group of pansies that i trim down and they come back every spring.. never fully die out!
Are there perennial marigolds? The annual ones do fine for me (or used to -- I don't grow annuals anymore).