Blooming Now!

Around here, it seems like everything is “hurrrying”.  It’s only mid-June but I’ve seen some latter summer perennials coming into bloom.   Perhaps they’re making up for lost time because of the very long winter we just had or maybe they know something we don’t—yet.

One perennial that’s blooming now and you should take note of, if you haven’t before is Lysimachia punctata or Yellow Loosestrife.  It’s an old-fashioned heirloom perennial that’s been around for a long time but you don’t see much of anymore.  This is probably because it can be a bit of a thug and overrun the garden if not kept in check.  But thugs aren’t all bad, in my book.  When you have a lot of space to fill and not a lot a money, a few “thugs” can give you a good show quick, you just make sure you pick the right “thugs”.

Last year was the first time that I planted Yellow Loosestrife in my garden and so far I’m very happy with it.   Yellow Loosestrife isn’t a plant you’ll find at the big box store garden centers.  I got mine at the plant sale and it came from another gardener who probably got it from someone else’s garden, etc. etc.

The nice thing about this perennial is that it tolerates a broad range of growing conditions.  Mine is growing on a very sunny hill that drains fast and dries out quickly but I have a friend who grows hers under a tree in partially shaded garden that only gets morning sun for a few hours a day. 

There are a few fancy varieties with variegated leaves and even dark red leaves (I have another one called “Firecracker”) but all of them make a wonderful statement when grown in a decent sized patch and that  won’t take long since they spread reasonably fast.