Indian pink

Sun

Partial shade, ideally with morning sun. Tolerates deeper shade with fewer flowers, or more sun where the soil stays moist.

Water

Keep evenly moist during establishment and dry spells; established plants tolerate brief dry periods but flower best without prolonged drought.

Soil

Humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil; slightly acidic to neutral soil is ideal. Avoid waterlogged ground.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Late spring to early summer; scarlet-red tubes open into yellow, five-pointed stars. A smaller repeat flush is possible.

Foliage

Opposite pairs of pointed, oval, deep-green leaves on upright stems; dies back in winter.

Growth

Slow to moderate; young plants may take several seasons to form substantial clumps.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.1 ft (0.34 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.2 ft (0.38 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.4 ft (0.42 m)

5. After 5 years

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Slow

• Water deeply after planting and during prolonged dry weather, rather than giving frequent light sprinkles.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring; avoid heavy feeding.
• Mulch with leaf mould or shredded leaves to conserve moisture, keeping mulch clear of the crown.
• Leave established clumps undisturbed unless they need dividing or moving.
• Mark the planting spot before winter so dormant crowns are not accidentally dug up.

Pruning. Remove spent flower clusters after the main display to encourage possible repeat flowering. Cut dead stems to ground level in late winter or early spring before new shoots develop.

Early spring

Remove dead stems and top-dress around the crown with compost.

Spring

Plant or carefully divide clumps as growth starts, then water thoroughly.

Late spring

Check soil moisture as flower stems develop and renew the leaf mulch if needed.

Early summer

Remove faded flower clusters unless you want seed.

Summer

Water during extended dry spells, especially in sunnier positions.

Autumn

Mark dormant clumps and leave a light covering of fallen leaves around them.

• Plant small groups along a woodland edge where the red-and-yellow flowers stand out against green foliage.
• Use near the front of a partially shaded border with ferns and sedges for contrasting leaf shapes.
• Combine with foamflower and woodland phlox for a succession of spring and early-summer flowers.
• Place beside a shaded path where the small, detailed flowers can be seen at close range.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Wildlife garden, Pollinator garden, Cottage garden, Southern and Traditional.

Plant it with: Foamflower, Woodland phlox, Christmas fern, Solomon's seal, Wild ginger and Pennsylvania sedge.

Wildlife: The tubular flowers attract hummingbirds in North America and may be visited by butterflies. Hummingbirds do not occur naturally in the United Kingdom or Australia.

• Slugs and snails may damage emerging shoots: inspect at dusk, remove pests and use an approved iron-phosphate bait if needed.
• Yellowing, wilting or crown rot in wet soil: improve drainage or move the plant to a raised position; do not keep the crown saturated.
• Poor flowering in deep shade: move to brighter filtered light or a position with morning sun.
• Scorched leaves or early dormancy during drought: water deeply and mulch; provide afternoon shade in hot climates.

All parts are poisonous if eaten, particularly the roots. Keep away from children and prevent cats, dogs and horses from eating it; species-specific veterinary information is limited, but ingestion should be treated as potentially serious. Seek medical or veterinary advice promptly after suspected ingestion.

• West Indian pinkroot (Spigelia anthelmia)

  An annual with small, pale pink to whitish flowers, rather than the conspicuous red tubes and yellow star-shaped tips of Indian pink.

Spigelia honours the botanist and anatomist Adriaan van den Spiegel, while marilandica means 'of Maryland'.

Propagation. Divide established clumps carefully in early spring, keeping substantial roots on each division; plants can be slow to recover. Seed is best sown fresh, and germination can be slow and irregular, sometimes requiring a period of winter cold.

Accepted botanical name

Spigelia marilandica

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina and Oklahoma.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.