Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Thursday - October 01, 2009
From: Thornwood, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Container Gardens, Pruning, Seasonal Tasks, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Overwintering Cardinal Flower in Thornwood NY
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have 6 Cardinal Flower plants in planters. They have mulch on top to keep them moist. Can they stay in the planters all winter? Do I cut the stalks before winter comes or leave as is?ANSWER:
Lobelia cardinalis (cardinalflower) is native to New York and to Westchester County, on the southeastern tip of New York. It is hardy from USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 10; you are in Zone 6a, with minimum average annual temperatures of -10 to -5 deg. F, so it would seem the answer to your question is yes. The only reservation we have is that the roots will be in planters instead of the earth. When roots are in the ground, the whole earth is insulating them from the cold. In a planter, they are insulated by the mulch on top of the soil, a few inches of potting soil, and whatever the planter is made of. If it is possible, it would be better if the containers were situated in front of a sunny wall, where the day's warmth from the sun would be re-radiated back out to the nearby plants. If that is not possible, we still think the roots of this plant will be all right, just do everything you can to protect them from freezing temperatures.
From the Image Gallery
More Pruning Questions
Trimming native Yucca filamentosa for winter in Illinois
October 18, 2008 - I live in northern IL and I have approximately 5 yucca plants, Adams needle, my question is do I need to trim them down for winter for best growth the next year?
view the full question and answer
Transplant shock in my Nuttall Oak tree in Moore, OK.
July 23, 2009 - I had a Nutall oak tree planted; it is 5 inches in diameter and about 24 feet tall. It was planted in March of this year, leafed out ok; now since June 20th I have had a large quantity of the leaves t...
view the full question and answer
Care of Northern honeysuckle bush
April 26, 2009 - I have a honeysuckle bush, I have had it for about year to two years. I would like to know if I should cut the brown parts off. There are some vines that do not look good, but some of the branches ha...
view the full question and answer
Repair of broken branch stump on pecan tree
July 18, 2007 - Hi Mr. Smarty Plants, big fan. Recently one of my pecan trees had a large branch break off, about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. The strange part was there was no clear sign of what caused the damage, i...
view the full question and answer
Browning of leaf tops on Iris plants
April 22, 2008 - My Iris plants bloomed beautifully, now some of the leaves are turning brown from the top down, about half way. Is this normal? What can I do about it and should I cut off the brown leaves? Also, what...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |