PEREN N I AL FOCUS
BOBBIE SCHWARTZ, FAPLD Bobbie’s Green Thumb The golden blooms of Asclepias tuberosa ‘Hello Yellow’ contrast beautifully with the blue of Larkspur.
PERENNIALS FOR COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPES Commercial landscaping, whether it be in parking lots or office building beds, for churches or hospitals, for restaurants or college campuses, is seen by thousands of people every day but most of it can be considered boring rather than inspiring or exciting. If we avail ourselves of an expanded plant palette, we can constructively influence the public’s perception of landscaping. When designing such landscapes, what attributes are we looking for? We want high performance and low maintenance, thus long bloom, more than one season of interest, little deadheading, and no staking. Many perennials and ornamental grasses offer long seasons of interest although not necessarily bloom color, colorful or texturally interesting foliage, movement, fragrance, seed heads or pods, and winter interest.
8 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association
An example of a perennial with many of these characteristics is Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed). If the color orange is a tough sell, try using the cultivar ‘Hello Yellow’ which is golden yellow. It is in bloom for six to nine weeks in July and August, has interesting seed capsules in late August and September, needs no staking, is a magnet for pollinators (particularly Monarch butterflies), and needs only to be cut to the ground in early spring. If seeding is not desired, the