Summary
H. americana has medium green foliage with varying degrees of silver markings. Red venation was also variable among individuals during cool weather. Such variability is common in plants grown from seed. Cultivars like H. americana ‘Dale’s Strain’ and H. ‘Green Spice’ have a similar aesthetic but the silver veil is much more uniform. During its first two growing seasons, H. americana was very slow to create full and dense mounds of foliage. In 2014 however, full mounds were produced early in the season. Floral performance was consistently poor; inflorescences were very tall, floppy, and pulled the plants open as they fell. However, once H. americana finished flowering, the plants quickly filled in with a new flush of growth. Powdery mildew was a problem in both 2012 and 2013, but no foliar disease was observed in 2014. One plant did die from root rot in summer of 2014, but this did not affect its final rating. During our sun trial, H. americana did experience some leaf scorch, and thus is only recommended for part shade – full shade conditions.
Details
- Rating
3.1 - Common Name
American alumroot - Bloom Period
late May – late June - Size
10” x 30” x 48” (h x w x flower hgt.) - Flower Color
none - Floral Display
insignificant - Sun Tolerance
4 hours or less