Forgotten flowers

Flower & Garden Magazine, August-Sept, 1995 by Patricia A. Taylor

Certain Plants have stood the test of time but not of fame. I call them the "forgotten flowers." They are all beautiful, low-maintenance gems that were grown in gardens a century or more ago and then somehow disappeared from popular acclaim.

Let me introduce you to a dozen of these -- four each of perennials, bulbs and shrubs. Several are native to America; the rest were introduced to American gardens from other continents more than a century ago. Many were included in Thomas Jefferson's extensive ornamental gardens at Monticello. You will find these forgotten beauties to be not only of historic interest (an added charm to any plant, in my opinion) but also of an easy-care nature.

This is a beautiful perennial that looks almost like a twin of the popular angel wing begonia houseplant. It grows 2 feet tall, has large leaves coated with red on their undersides, and bears lovely pink or white flowers in late September. An Asian native, the hardy begonia was first introduced to Western gardeners at England's Kew Gardens in 1804, but it quickly disappeared from popular view. One reason for such a demise could be that it was originally thought to be primarily suitable for a cool greenhouse in summer. Today it has proven hardy outdoors from Zone 5 (with winter protection) through Zone 8. Shade is its main requirement.

Yellow centaurea (Centaurea macrocephala) It's hard to believe this imposing 4-foot-tall plant, with pleasing bright yellow flowers crowning its stout stems, is a relative of the floppy annual blue cornflower (Centaurea cyanus). It is grown in gardens so rarely that it has yet to acquire a widely accepted common name. Yet this almost thistlelike perennial is a splendid addition to a sunny summer border or cutting garden. While it can be grown in Zones 3 to 9, it does best in low-humidity areas with cool night temperatures.

Red valerian (Centranthus ruber) An Old World native, red valerian has come to be naturalized in settings as diverse as England's Cornish coast and the Spanish mission gardens in California. Liberty Hyde Bailey, in his Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, described this 2- to 3-foot-tall perennial as "a very handsome old garden plant, too much neglected." Those words, written almost a century ago, remain true today. Red valerian's favorable attributes are many: handsome bluegreen foliage, attractive rosy pink to white flowers and an exceptionally long bloom period from late spring through summer. It grows in sun to part shade in Zones 4 through 10.

False Solomon's seal (Smilacina racemosa) This shade-loving, spring-blooming American native has long been popular in European gardens. It is not often found in American borders, though in the wild one can see its plumes of white flowers in a large area bounded by Quebec, Tennessee, Arizona and Virginia. It does not like the high humidity of the Southeast. False Solomon's seal grows 18 to 36 inches tall with graceful arching stems; it looks particularly lovely in open, woodland settings.

Pink corydalis (Corydalis bulbosa) This absolutely charming early-spring bulb, brought from the Old World, graced American gardens a century ago. A close relative of the bleeding hearts, it has lovely blue-green foliage and lavender-pink flowers. This bulb is a good choice for sunny or shaded areas that will eventually fill in with slower-to-emerge foliage plants such as hostas. By the start of summer, the 6-inch-tall plant is completely dormant; as the foliage ages, however, it turns an attractive yellow. Because it is so rarely grown in American gardens, its hardiness range has yet to be established. It thrives in Zones 6 and 7 and should certainly be tried in Zones 5, 8 and 9.

Turk's cap lily (Lilium superbum) Though the turk's cap lily is currently recommended for moist, shaded areas, early 20th century garden author Louise Shelton wrote that it "will grow almost anywhere." That's my kind of plant. And obviously it was Thomas Jefferson's too. In 1809, he wrote to a friend in Richmond who had sent him some foliage, "A plant of so much beauty & fragrance will be a valuable addition to our flower gardens. Should you find your roots of it I shall be very thankful to participate of them, & will carefully return you a new stock should my part succeed & yours fail." This stately, 4- to 9-foot-tall native lily with downward-facing, reddish orange flowers is truly a standout in midsummer gardens in Zones 4 through 9.

Spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) Perhaps because this native plant is so common in early spring wooded settings, few Americans have bothered to consider spring beauty for their gardens. What a mistake! It emerges in late March in my beds, grows 8 to 12 inches tall, has small palest pink flowers often marked with a darker pink stripe, and then goes completely dormant by the end of May. Spring beauty is perfect for bare areas that are eventually covered with the emerging foliage of summer-blooming plants. Lady Skipworth, an 18th century American gardener, grew spring beauty in her flower beds. Gardeners throughout Zones 3 to 8 should try it in theirs.