What Are Your Longest Flowering Perennial Plants?

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by longk, Nov 15, 2016.

  1. longk

    longk Total Gardener

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    In our gardens we all have perennial plants that bloom over an extended period. For me the one that blooms for the longest is Eccremocarpus scaber...................
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    It is a climber that comes into bloom in April and will bloom profusely until the first hard frost.

    Amongst the Salvias there are a few candidates. The winner here though has to be Salvia "Nachtvlinder" which comes into bloom in May and is still going string in mid November...............
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    Salvia "Amistad" is borderline hardy here. It blooms profusely from mid/late May until the frosts knock it back...............
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    Kept a few degrees above freezing it can bloom all year!

    Canna paniculata was planted out last year and this season it started to bloom in the first week of June and carried on until last weeks frosts took the top growth out.............
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    Another plant that was planted out last summer was Solanum laciniatum. As it's hardiness is supposedly a little iffy I was surprised when it was in bloom by mid May. Better still it carried on blooming until the start of November................
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    Bulbine frutescens is a surprisingly hardy succulent which I grow in a pot. It came into bloom in May and is still going strong in a sheltered spot. The flowers are small (about 12mm) but really interesting..................
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    Impatiens niamniamensis is a tender perennial but it can bloom all year long..............
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    So what are your longest blooming perennials (piccies please!) ?
     
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    • Anthony Rogers

      Anthony Rogers Guest

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      Hi Longk,

      Good idea for a thread :)

      We still have Salvias flowering as well so they'd probably be near the top of my list as well however here are a few more.........

      Cymbalaria ( Kenilworth Ivy )

      WP_20161025_015.jpg

      Although this mainly flowers from May to about October we usually have flowers on it all year round.

      Ornithigalum Thyrsoides ( Chincherinchee )

      This started flowering in late May and as each stem grows more and more flowers are produced. We still have the original stems producing flowers plus new stems are now appearing. I'm not sure on its hardiness rating, but, so far it seems unaffected by the cold.

      WP_20160724_004.jpg

      WP_20161025_010.jpg

      If we're talking tender as well then I'd have to put forward Fuchsia " Space Shuttle ".
      This usually starts in November and goes in to May but if kept somewhere a bit cooler during Summer will flower all year round, mines now in its 13th month of flowering :)

      WP_20160218_002.jpg

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      • NigelJ

        NigelJ Total Gardener

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        Salvia microphylla flowers for about 9 months of the year with me. Fuchsia microphylla can flower year round and only took a break in September due to the dry weather and is now back flowering.
         
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        • misterQ

          misterQ Super Gardener

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          Funny you should say Salvia microphylla (aka Blackcurrant sage), NigelJ.


          Late June - beginning to flower in amongst the Lemon Verbena.
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          Today in the wet, biting cold of November.
          [​IMG]


          I am very pleased with how it turned out considering that it was just a matchstick thin, finger length cutting last October.
           
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          • noisette47

            noisette47 Total Gardener

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            A bit boring after all these exotics, but roses are definitely the longest-flowering plants here. First blooms in early April and keep going on and off until December. I've found that doing the official 'RHS' type dead-heading delays reblooming by about two weeks compared to just letting them get on with it. You'll have to do without photos, longk....it's just started raining:whistle:
             
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            • Oakridge

              Oakridge Gardener

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              • shiney

                shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                Definitely Erysimum Bowles Mauve. Ours have been flowering non-stop for three years.

                P1240030.JPG



                I agree about Hellebores. These foetidus flower from November to July

                P1220262.JPG
                 
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                • scillonian

                  scillonian Gardener

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                  Agree with Bulbine frutescens, the burn jelly plant. This bed was planted up with them spring 2015, sooo easy to propagate as it produces aerial roots. this photo was taken last week. DSC_0899.JPG
                   
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                  • JWK

                    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                    My Salvia 'Hot Lips' has been the longest flowering this year, it's still going strong despite the frosts. Second best have been Begonia sempervirens - not really a perennial in most peoples' minds but I over-winter mine in a frost free greenhouse and they also shrug off a bit of frost.
                     
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                    • longk

                      longk Total Gardener

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                      Nice one :blue thumb:
                      I've grown and flowered them but never had them survive the winter.

                      I must replace mine.

                      There is another Salvia that has the same common name - S.discolor................
                      [​IMG]

                      [​IMG]

                      It is my favourite Salvia. Kept warm enough over the winter it will bloom non stop all year but it is toast if it gets a whiff of frost.

                      How can anything be boring if you like it?

                      Selfish sod :roflol:

                      I used to have one of those and boy was it rampant!

                      My favourite Hellebore.

                      Ooooh..........that is good to see!
                       
                    • shiney

                      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                      They tend to get a bit woody after three years so we take cuttings (only need to look at them and they start growing :heehee:) and replant.

                      We're now at the stage where we have to continually dig them up from all over the garden. A few years ago Kristen dug out a few dozen young ones that were spreading too much. Someone came up to me, it was on Open Day, and told me that there was a man digging a load of plants out of our garden. :snork:
                       
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                      • noisette47

                        noisette47 Total Gardener

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                        :roflol: OK then, big and blowzy compared to most of your favs! Still no photos 'cos it hasn't stopped raining yet and probably won't until June:sad: The chickens starved to death two days ago;)
                         
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