General Culture:
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun. Good heat and drought tolerance. May not be reliably winter hardy throughout USDA Zone 5.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
This cultivar is grown primarily for its attractive foliage and flowers. A rhizomatous, upright to sprawling, woody-based subshrub which typically grows 12-18" tall and spreads to 24" wide, but dies to the ground in cold winters. Stems root at the notes as they go along the ground. Features aromatic, oval, green to reddish-purple leaves (to 1" long) on contrasting red stems. Leaves deepen in color as the summer progresses, with the best purple colors usually occurring in cool climates. Tiny, deep rose-violet flowers with reddish-purple bracts appear in dense, terminal or axillary spikes in summer.
Problems:
No serious insect or disease problems. Root rot can be a problem, particularly in wet, poorly drained soils.
Uses:
Best massed in border fronts, herb gardens or rock gardens. May also be effective as an edging plant.
© Missouri Botanical
Garden, 2001-2010
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