Re: Prunella cautions?

John, you are ever-helpful. I am forwarding this to the list so everyone can read your response.

I have Prunella incisa. It is a very pretty little rose/lavender color. Reminds me only a bit of Ajuga (the cursed ground cover of my childhood) only more rosy colored flowers and greener leaves.

Do you think I'll have a problem growing this in a dry, sunny garden - either by its hesitation to grow or by exuberant and too enthusiastic growth?

Nan


On Jul 31, 2005, at 4:54 PM, John MacGregor wrote:

on 7/31/05 11:06 AM, N Sterman at TalkingPoints@PlantSoup.Com wrote:



Any warnings before I plant prunella into a dry garden area?  My info
says they spread by underground runners, slow in dry conditions, fast
with more water.

Is this one of those "wish I hadn't planted it!" plants?
Nan,

Which prunella?

Prunella vulgaris ("self-heal") has more-or-less oval to heart- shaped leaves
and flowers on 6-9 inch spikes varying in color from white to pink to
plum-purple. Its root system is very diffuse and fleshy, and it spreads to
cover the ground densely. I would not plant it with small, delicate plants
that resent competition, but I have not had any trouble digging it out where
I did not want it. You may have to separate it out carefully from the roots
of neighboring plants when you dig them if you don't want to transfer it
elsewhere when dividing and transplanting. Also, it does seed around a bit,
but not excessively.

For a few years I have been growing a nice cut-leaf form of P. vulgaris var.
incisa with deep plum-pink flowers that was originally sold under the
erroneous name, Prunella laciniata.

I am much more fond of a deep, electric blue-violet form of Prunella
grandiflora, with larger corollas on plants about the same height. I find
it much less aggressive, spreading very slowly (I wouldn't mind if it spread
faster). I have not had any seedlings, but I try to keep it deadheaded to
spur more flowering.

Both P. vulgaris and P. grandiflora look best if the faded flowers are
removed. With grooming, they will bloom in late spring and repeat
sporadically throughout the summer.

You are closer to the ocean than we are in Pasadena, with probably a little
less heat in summer. I suspect both would use fairly regular watering. P.
vulgaris would probably survive in a dry garden, but I doubt would be very
floriferous or showy. P. grandiflura likes water, and sulks when it is dry.

John MacGregor
South Pasadena, CA 91030
USDA zone 9 Sunset zones 21/23













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