FOCUS ON NATIVES
Indian Pink
Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica) is native in the Piedmont/Mountains of Southeastern United States. The native plant nursery trade has taken some interest in cultivating Indian Pink because it is perennial, will grow in shade, and has a fairly long blooming period. The blooms are very attractive to hummingbirds and they make an excellent cut flower for fresh arrangements due to their upright, sturdy stems and bright red, tubular flowers with bright yellow interiors
It is easily grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soil. It is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial reaching a height of 12 to 18 inches. ‘Little Redhead’, shown in the featured photo, is a superior selection of the species and is vegetatively propagated to ensure uniformity. It reseeds, but you will find a variance in plant properties. What I notice most is a variance in the intensity of bloom color. It produces the best display of flowers under full sun to part shade conditions.
‘Little Redhead’ started blooming in my garden in May. I will deadhead the first bloom before it goes to seed and the plants will bloom again. After the last bloom, I leave a few stems to reseed. This bright and cheerful looking plant always makes me smile and it will pop up in different areas of your garden if you do let it go to seed.