Verbascum 'Cherry Helen' - Königskerze, Wollkraut - LumiBlumi

Mullein 'Cherry Helen'

CHF 19.95
CHF 19.95
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Verbascum 'Cherry Helen' - Königskerze, Wollkraut - LumiBlumi
  • Verbascum 'Cherry Helen' - Königskerze, Wollkraut - LumiBlumi
  • Verbascum 'Cherry Helen' - Königskerze, Wollkraut - LumiBlumi
Mullein 'Cherry Helen'

Mullein 'Cherry Helen'

Verbascum 'Cherry Helen'

CHF 19.95
CHF 19.95
  • Cherry-red flowers on upright spikes
  • Long flowering season from June to October
  • About 70–90 cm tall
  • Rosette of grey-green leaves
  • Bee-friendly, good for the vase

Verbascum 'Cherry Helen' is a mullein with an unusually strong colour. Its flowers glow a rich cherry red and open from June to October on upright spikes. The plant grows from a rosette of soft, grey-green leaves and loves sunny, dry positions.

About this variety

Red mulleins are a rarity. 'Cherry Helen' bears densely packed spikes of flowers in deep cherry pink to red, with dark stamens in the centre. The flowers open one after another from the bottom upwards, so each spike shows colour for weeks. The ground-hugging rosette of grey-green leaves stays attractive outside the flowering season too.

At about 70–90 cm tall it suits the middle of sunny borders and gravel gardens. Full sun and a free-draining, chalky or loamy soil are essential. Good neighbours are lavender, woodland sage, silver-leaved plants such as lamb's ears and grasses such as feather grass. In groups of three it adds vertical accents.

Bees and bumblebees visit the flowers all summer. The spikes are also suitable for the vase. The variety is fairly short-lived and suited to mild, sheltered areas where the soil stays dry in winter. Cutting back after flowering encourages new spikes.

Planting

Plant in spring from March to May in a sheltered spot in full sun; September or October is also possible in autumn. The soil must be very free-draining. Dig a planting hole twice the size of the root ball and set the root collar just below the surface. Space plants 35–50 cm apart and water in.

Care

Water only during dry spells; winter wet is the greatest risk. Feeding is hardly necessary. Cut off faded spikes and new ones will follow. In exposed areas a covering of brushwood protects against winter wet.

Specifications

  • Botanical name: Verbascum 'Cherry Helen'
  • Genus: Perennials
  • Class: Various
  • Supplied as: Bare roots
  • Flower colour: Red
  • Flowering time: June, July, August, September, October
  • Flowering season: Early summer, High summer, Late summer and autumn
  • Height: 80 cm
  • Spread: 50 cm
  • Habit: Bushy
  • Position: Sun
  • Suitable for: Bed, Pot and container, Rock garden, Wildlife garden and meadow, Cutting garden
  • Soil type: Chalky, Loamy
  • Drainage: Well-drained
  • Soil moisture: Moist
  • Soil pH: Alkaline, Neutral
  • Soil note: Prefers chalky or loamy soil.
  • Planting time: March, April, May, September, October
  • Planting depth: Just cover the root collar
  • Spacing: 35–50 cm
  • Number per m²: 4
  • Hardiness in Switzerland: Only for mild, sheltered sites
  • Overwintering note: Generally hardy in garden soil in Switzerland. At high, windy sites and in containers, plan extra winter protection and avoid winter wet.
  • For containers: Only partly suitable for containers
  • Container note: Only recommended in a sufficiently large, stable, well-drained container.
  • Cut flower: Suitable as a cut flower
  • Naturalising: Not suitable
  • Naturalising note: Persists for several years in a suitable spot, but does not normally spread over larger areas on its own.
  • For bees and butterflies: Pollinator-friendly
  • RHS hardiness: H4

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