Plant Care
Light: For gardens at the cooler end of the hardiness range, it will thrive in areas with anywhere from four to six hours of sun and does benefit from shade. For gardens at the warmer end of the range, it benefits from placement in afternoon shade. It can experience some browning on the tops of the leaves called sunburn if it’s exposed to too much sun, this is a good hint that it needs transplanting to a shadier spot.
Soil: Prefers moist soil that drains easily. Soil pH and the presence of aluminum do affect flower color. In basic soils, also called alkaline, (pH of 7.5 or higher) the coloring will be pink. In acidic soils (pH of 6.5 or less), where the chemical element aluminum is present, the coloring will be blue or purple, depending on the plant.
Water: Has average water needs. It does not respond well to any period of extended sogginess, like overwatering or heavy continuous rain events.
Fertilizing: Nothing special required. If desired, you may apply a granular fertilizer formulated for flowering woody plants in late winter/early spring when the soil is workable.
Pruning: Pruning is not generally recommended. Flower buds are formed on old wood, so any cuts will likely remove flowering potential. Dead or damaged wood can be removed at any time, just cut back to a set of leaves. If you’d like to prune to shape the plant, this can be done when the plant is starting to break dormancy in early spring or late winter, just look for swelling green leaf buds. Deadheading can be done after bloom, just follow the stem down to the first set of leaves and cut ¼ of an inch above them.
Other: Although they make a beautiful cut flower, keep in mind that harvesting can impact the future flower display.
