Prefers part shade. Tolerates full sun in cooler areas.
Soil conditions:
requires well-drained soil
Prefers cool, moist growing conditions.
Hardiness zones:
3 to 9
Plant Traits
Lifecycle:
perennial
Ease-of-care:
easy
Height:
1 to 3 feet
Spread:
1.5 to 2 feet
Bloom time:
late spring
early summer
mid-summer
Flower color:
blue
Flowers are cup-shaped and pendulous on upright spikes.
Foliage color:
medium green
Compund leaves are pinnate, resembling ladders (hence the common name).
Foliage texture:
fine
Shape:
upright
Shape in flower:
flower stalks with upright spikes
Special Considerations
Special characteristics:
non-aggressive
- May reseed some.
non-invasive
not native to North America
- Native to Europe, Asia.
Growing Information
How to plant:
Propagate by
seed,
division or separation
- Sow seeds in spring or divide plants in late summer.
Maintenance and care:
May require staking. Deadhead faded flower stalks to keep plants looking tidy (they tend to fade out late in the season) and to prevent reseeding. Some reseeding may be desirable as plants tend to be short-lived in warm areas.
Cutting back plants to basal foliage after flowering may produce some later reblooming.
Plants seldom need division. Divide in late summer as needed to propagate.