‘Fireworks’ Gomphrena
Feb
6
Written by:
Monday, February 06, 2012
Ornamental Plant of the Week
February 6, 2012
‘Fireworks’ Gomphrena
from Allen Owings
Spring is coming, and some of the new gomphrena (globe amaranth) need to be considered for increased use. Fireworks is the new variety in the gomphrenas that is catching the gardening world by storm. These are not like your older gomphrenas, which we sometimes commonly called bachelor buttons. Some people also call these globe amaranth. They are an old garden standby. The Fireworks is very tall (3-4 feet) and has pink flowers with light sprinkles of purple while other traditional gomphrena have light purple, lavender, white, dark purple and pink flowers. Plants can be from 6 inches to 4 feet tall depending on which one you plant. Full sun is best for these, and limit irrigation. Select the Audray, All Around or Las Vegas series if you want these smaller-growing ones as opposed to the tall Fireworks.
FURTHER ARTICLES
Review of People’s Choice Awards Winners - 2011
Sustainable Landscape News Articles
Master Gardeners – Spring 2011
320 Louisiana Master Gardeners attending an “Appreciation Day” at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station on Friday, May 13, were provided an opportunity to vote for their two “favorite” plants in the sun garden plant trial evaluation area at the station. Plants in the sun garden are annual bedding plants for sun, herbaceous perennials, roses and companion woody ornamental shrubs and small trees. We had a total of 384 votes for the spring 2011 Master Gardener people’s choice plant awards. The medal winners received 19.5 percent of the total votes. Other plants receiving significant votes accounted for 63.3 percent of the total votes, and plants not listed received the remaining 17.2 percent of the total votes.
The Medal Winners:
• Gold Winner – Guardian Blue delphinium
• Silver Winner – Redbor kale
• Bronze Winner – PowWow Wild Berry echinacea
Others Receiving Significant Votes:
• Camelot rose foxglove
• Blue Chip buddleia
• Shoal Creek vitex
• Suncatcher Pink Lemonade petunia
• Spreading Salmon Var. SunPatiens
• Cassia corymbosa
• Fireworks Gomphrena
• Curled Green kale
• Early Bird Gold rudbeckia
• Starbor kale
• Tidal Wave Hot Pink petunia
• Tricolor hibiscus [Hibiscus tiliaceus]
• Cherry Brandy Hardy hibiscus
• Tidal Wave Silver petunia
• All the Rage Easy Elegance rose
• Frostproof gardenia
• Guardian White delphinium
• Guardian Lavender delphinium
• Curly Q copper plant
• Little Leaf variegated tibouchina
• Sorbet Lemon Royale viola
• Sorbet Lemon Chiffon viola
• President canna
• Saratoga Red nicotiana
• Perfume Antique shade nicotiana
• Julia Child rose
• PowWow White echinacea
• Wasabi coleus
• Compact Blush Pink SunPatiens
• Compact Orange SunPatiens
• Picnic Light Pink petunia
Home gardeners – Spring 2011
60 home gardeners from Louisiana attending a “Garden Stroll” at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station on Saturday May 21 were provided an opportunity to vote for their two “favorite” plants in the sun garden plant trial evaluation area at the station. Plants in the sun garden are annual bedding plants for sun, herbaceous perennials, roses and companion woody ornamental shrubs and small trees.
The Medal Winners:
Gold Winner – Guardian Blue delphinium
Silver Winner – PowWow Wild Berry echinacea
Silver Winner – Guardian Lavender delphinium
Bronze Winner – Suncatcher Pink Lemonade petunia
Bronze Winner – Tidal Wave Silver petunia
Bronze Winner – Peppermint Schnapps hardy hibiscus
Others Receiving Significant Votes:
- Intensia Series phlox (primarily Lavender Glow and Blueberry)
- Sanguna Series petunias (primarily Blue, Light Blue, rose Vein and White)
- Lani Series verbena (primarily Bright Pink, Purple Rain Mix, Twister Pink and Lavender Star)
- Sorbet Series viola (primarily Blue Heaven, Yellow Delight and Black Delight)
- Compact Blush Pink SunPatiens
- Tidal Wave Cherry petunia
- Tidal Wave Hot Pink petunia
- Guardian White delphinium
- Fireworks gomphrena
- Camelot rose foxglove
- Starbor kale
- Redbor kale
- Saratoga Red nicotiana
- New Blue Wonder scaevola
- Blue Chip buddleia
- Opelousas Red copper plant
- White Cat Whiskers
- Early Bird Gold rudbeckia
- Sun Spun Blue petunia
Louisiana Master Gardeners’ plant evaluation survey
Louisiana Master Gardeners attended an "Appreciation Day" at the LSU AgCenter's Hammond Research Station on Friday, May 13. The participants (RSVP – 345; actual attendance – 320) were provided a survey to indicate areas of interest in ornamental/landscape plant evaluation research. There was an 18 percent response rate. Participates were asked to vote for three plant categories from the list provided. Percentages of Louisiana Master Gardeners desiring research in the following topic areas were:
• Future Louisiana Super Plants – 70.2 %
• New herbaceous perennials – 66.0 %
• New herbaceous annuals – 42.6 %
• New coneflowers – 34.1 %
• Buddleia cultivars – 25.5 %
• Easy Elegance shrub roses – 23.4 %
• Foliage (coleus, alternanthera, copper plants) – 23.4 %
• Southern Living trees/shrubs – 10.6 %
• Heirloom hybrid tea roses – 6.4 %
Interest in Louisiana Super Plants is considerable among Master Gardeners, especially what is coming in the future. In addition, it was interesting to note the desire for information on new herbaceous perennials (66 percent) – as compared with annuals (42.6 percent). There also seems to be some desire for alternative rose cultivars. It was also noted that specifically focused areas, such as buddleia and echinacea, received high marks.
Green Industry – Fall 2011
130 nursery and landscape professionals attending a landscape horticulture field day at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station on October 18 were provided an opportunity to vote for their two “favorite” plants in the sun garden plant trial evaluation area at the station. Plants in the sun garden are annual bedding plants for sun, herbaceous perennials, roses and companion woody ornamental shrubs and small trees.
The Medal Winners:
• Gold Winner – Carefree Celebration rose
• Gold Winner – Purple muhly grass
• Silver Winner – Sombraro Salsa Red echinacea
• Bronze Winner – Double Scoop Bubble Gum echinacea
• Bronze Winner – Mesa Bright Bicolor gaillardia
• Bronze Winner – Henry Duelberg salvia
• Bronze Winner – Belinda’s Dream rose
Others Receiving Significant Votes:
• BabyWing Pink begonia
• Carita Purple angelonia
• Little Leaf/Dwarf tibouchina
• Bandana Lemon Zest lantana
• Bandana Rose improved lantana
• Carefree Marvel rose
• Black Pearl ornamental pepper
• Golden Edge duranta
• Marginata Bronze copper plant Henna coleus
• Dreamland Scarlet Elegance zinnia
• Florida City Bonnifay coleus
• BabyWing White begonia
• Profusion Double Fire zinnia
• Profusion Orange zinnia
New USDA Hardiness Zone Map – February 3