Smallish blue-violet flowers ride light, undulating panicles a foot long above thin green-grey leaves that smell of sage when rumpled. Perovskia (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is prized in coastal gardens, untroubled by salt, chalk or drought; give it full sun and light, well-drained soil and it flowers on and on for bees.
| Name | Perovskia artplicifolia |
|---|---|
| Family | Lamiaceae |
| Type | Bushy herbaceous plant |
| Height | 2½ to 5 feet (0.7 to 1.5 m) |
| Soil | Rather dry and well drained |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Exposure | Full sun |
| Flowering | Summer to mid-autumn |
| Feature | Nectar-rich |
Very much appreciated in coastal areas, the Perovskia flower’s unusual blue color brings a refreshing touch to flower beds in full sun.
Perovskia is a bush that is best planted in fall or at the beginning of spring. The ideal planting season for most shrubs is always fall.
To set up a perovskia hedge, place plants at least 20 inches (50 cm) apart, this will produce a very ornamental result.
Once planted, water abundantly and let the soil dry up before watering again, only if it doesn’t rain.
Perovskia can cope with drought very well, and will thus have very low needs in terms of water, even less so as time goes by.
All perovskias want the same thing — full sun and light, well-drained soil — so the choice comes down to height and how well the stems hold themselves up. The compact sorts suit pots and low edges, the taller ones suit airy beds and hedges.
| Variety | Height | Habit | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Blue Spire’ | About 4 ft (1.2 m) | Upright spires, deeply cut leaves | Back of sunny borders, low hedges |
| ‘Lacey Blue’ | About 20 in (50 cm) | Very short, stems stay upright | Front of border, balcony containers |
| Denim ‘n Lace | About 32 in (80 cm) | Sturdy stems, dense sky-blue panicles | Mixed borders where taller sorts flop |
| ‘Filigran’ | About 4 ft (1.2 m) | Erect, finely dissected silver leaves | Airy gravel and prairie plantings |
| ‘Longin’ | 3 to 4 ft (1–1.2 m) | Narrow and rigidly upright | Formal low hedges, windy sites |
Perovskia fears neither disease nor drought, and chalky soil doesn’t make it afraid, either. Plant it in light garden soil, even rocky soil, with a lot of chalk. Salt won’t disturb it in any way, so it is great along coastal areas. If your soil is heavy, mix coarse sand to the original garden soil when planting. You can also add lime to break up clay.
In spring, pinch the young stems when they reach a height of 12 to 16 inches (30 to 40 cm). This step helps them increase in vigor, which gives the plant a bit less bend.
At the end of the season, in harsh-wintered climates, you can protect the perovskia clump by ridging it with light earth, or a 6-inch (15 cm) layer of dead leaves. This is a plant that will easily hold down to 14°F (-10°C). Below 14°F (-10°C), the airborne part of the plant dies off, but the clump itself will survive well, and the plant will start growing again in spring.
In February, cut back all the vegetation practically down to ground level. This severe pruning is needed every year, because the younger stems are always much more beautiful.
Leave a short woody framework of a few inches when you cut, taking the stems back to just above the lowest visible buds rather than into bare old wood.
Leave the dry flower stems standing through winter.
Wait until the buds at the base of the stems begin to swell before pruning, as this shows which wood is still alive.
The smallish blue-violet flowers are grouped in light, undulating panicles that are about 12 inches (30 cm) long. The blooming lasts for a long time, sometimes all the way to the first frost spells.
The blue-flowered plant has silvery foliage that is one of the major assets of this deciduous plant. The small green-gray leaves are thin and oval-shaped, with a lot of details. When rumpled, they produce a nice sage-like fragrance.
The panicles are heavily worked by bees, bumblebees and butterflies throughout the long flowering spell, which makes perovskia a valuable late nectar source.
Deer and rabbits usually leave the aromatic grey foliage alone.
No deadheading is needed, as the plant keeps opening fresh flowers along the panicles without any help.
Leave the faded stems standing over winter: they turn pale and whitish, catching low light until the hard cut back.
Thanks to its lightness and to the flexibility of its stems, perovskia is very often used to create natural scenery.
It fits right into perennial flower beds and shrub beds. You can also plant it in denser ranks, every 20 inches (50 cm), to set up a cute land border hedge. It is recommended to plant at least three specimens in close arrangements so that the bunch, when it grows, may look dense enough.
Perovskia doesn’t grow very tall, so it can merge into diverse types of scenery (5 feet (1.5 meters) tall and wide at most, usually reached after about three years).
Perovskia is perfectly at ease on a sun-covered balcony. Pair it with white, yellow or blue annuals. Use, if this is the case, a pot that is at least 10 inches (25 cm) deep.
Perovskia is the perfect plant for low-lying hedges and edges, and it is much sought after by gardeners who like plants requiring very little care.
