Persian Shield, Perennial of The Day

Strobilanthes dyerianus
    Persian Shield

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    9A to 11
Height    24" to 4' / 60cm to 1.20m
Spread    36" to 6' / 90cm to 1.80m
Growth rate    Fast
Form    Irregular or sprawling and rounded
Exposure    Full shade
Persistence    Evergreen and semi-evergreen

Bloom Color    Purple
Bloom Time    Summer and Fall

Environment
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color    Green, purple, silvery and variegated
Fall Color    No change in fall color
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
This tropical shrubby perennial is grown for its beautiful purple silver leaves.  Stem cuttings can be taken in the summer and rooted. Persian Shield graces the landscape with rich, purple and silver, variegated foliage in the shade.  Foliage bleaches to a less attractive, washed out silver when leaves are exposed to full sun after the noon hour.  Green stems emerge square, then develop a more rounded cross section as the base of the stems become woody latter in the year.  Purple flowers develop later in the summer and stand above the foliage, but they go largely unnoticed among the colorful foliage.  Plants reach about 4-feet-tall and slightly wider by the end of the first growing season.

Persian Shield can be used as a small shrub for next to the foundation, or in a shrub border to accent the area.  The foliage is sure to attract attention away from other parts of the yard.  It combines nicely with light-gray house siding.  Plant about 4-feet apart to allow for rapid growth.  It is a wonderful accent for the shaded landscape, but is not suited for planting in the full sun.  Morning sun appears to be fine afternoon sun causes extensive wilt.

In hardiness zone 8B and in the coldest parts of hardiness zone 9, winter temperatures often knock the plant to the ground, but warm weather in the spring brings the shrub back from the base of the stems.  Visitors to your garden will comment on this plant and ask for cuttings.  It is a very attractive plant.  Flowers develop later in the season.  They can be pinched off to help keep the plant growing.

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Mountain Fleece, Perennial of The Day

Polygonum amplexicaule

Knotweed,  Mountain Fleece,  Smartweed

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    5B to 9A
Height    24" to 5' / 60cm to 1.60m
Growth rate    Fast
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Full sun

Bloom Color    Pink, purple, red and white
Bloom Time    Summer and Fall

The flowers are showy.

Environment
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    No change in fall color
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
This plant grows best where summers are not too hot and winters are not extremely cold.  It produces slender spikes of red flowers in summer.  The name knotweed comes from the fact that the stem of this plant has swollen nodes.  This is considered a dwarf Polygonum species.

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Treasure Flower, Perennial of The Day

Gazania rigens 'Daybreak Red Stripe'

Treasure Flower,  Gazania

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    7A to 9A
Height    6" to 12" / 15cm to 30cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Full sun

Bloom Color    Red and yellow
Bloom Time    Summer and Fall

The flowers are showy.

Environment
This plant tolerates drought and salt well.
This plant will grow in dry to moist soil.
Suitable soil is sandy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green and silvery

Culture Notes
The well known garden plant Gazania splendens (or "rigens") originates in South Africa. The petals are usually orange, yellow or white, but sometimes bronze or pink. At the base they are often brown forming an attractive ring at the center. The flowers close in darker weather and opens again with the first rays of the sun. "Daybreak", called after this surprising effect of the sunlight, is one of the most well known Gazania hybrids.

'Daybreak Red Stripe' is a really unique variation of this Gazania series, with a red stripe dissipating out over each deep yellow petal. This gives the startling effect of a radiating sun when the flowers open.

It is the third Gazania from the 'Daybreak' series to win a Gold Medal from Fleuroselect, the international organization for testing new flower seeds. The golden-yellow 'Garden Sun' from 1990 was only emanated in 1996 by 'Bright Orange' which bloomed earlier, richer and more uniformly than any other seed Gazania. The new 'Daybreak Red Stripe' yet again beats its predecessors in beauty, keeping the compact form, and countless, large, single flowers, which open earlier than other Gazanias. This richly flowering and unusual plant therefore shines in the garden, even before the penetration of the first sun's rays.

If sown in January, 'Daybreak Red Stripe' can be planted out from May (end of the frosts). To germinate, the seeds should be covered lightly and kept damp at 21 ° C. After 3 weeks the seedlings can be transferred to 9 cm pots or sets (16 or 24). Growth regulators are not required. Hobby gardens can expect later flowering due to lower temperatures during the growth period. Gazanias perform well in borders, rockeries and in pots. They can withstand dry conditions, salty air and wind and have a preference for a sunny spot and well-drained soil.

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