WHAT: Night Heron, a sleek, sophisticated evergreen perennial variety of Chinese fairybells, is all but guaranteed to add a certain mystique to your landscape.
Local plant explorer Daniel Hinkley brought seeds of this plant back from Sichuan, China.
WHY PLANT IT: In spring dark, black-purple stems rise like asparagus spears, reaching heights of 4 to 6 feet.
Each lustrous stem develops gracefully arching side shoots, giving an exotic, bamboolike appearance.
In April, clusters of pale, chartreuse-yellow flowers nestle among the chocolate-purple leaves on each branch tip.
By late May, the foliage matures to a shiny, purple-tinted deep green, remaining evergreen, seemingly oblivious to winter, until the new growth starts next spring.
WHERE: Chinese fairybells grows best in bright, open shade or as much as a half-day sun. Avoid hot afternoon sun.
If Night Heron is grown in too much shade, its purple coloring will fade quickly and the stems will not stand upright. Provide well-drained, fertile, rich soil in an area that receives regular summer watering.
HOW: Night Heron works well in containers and can also be used as a vertical element in a perennial border.
It pairs well with Chinese dogwood (Cornus kousa), which flowers at the same time in the same yellow-green shade.
Although the stems and leaves are evergreen, they gradually decline as winter wears on.
Cut them to the ground in late February to highlight the new growth. Once Night Heron is established, it needs little fertilizer but appreciates an organic mulch in spring to keep the soil moist.
ACTUAL SIZE: This plant, also known as disporum cantoniense, is a slow-growing, clump-forming evergreen perennial with dark stems that reach 6 feet on mature plants. Well-established clumps have a similar spread.
LEARN MORE: See www.greatplantpicks.org.
Source: Great Plant Picks
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