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Queen of the Prairie Seeds

Filipendula rubra

  • HOW TO GROW
  • FAST FACTS

HOW TO GROW

Sowing: Direct sow in late fall, planting the seeds just below the surface and lightly compacting the soil. For spring planting or starting indoors, mix the seed with moist sand and store it in the refrigerator for 90 days before direct sowing; keep the soil consistently moist until germination. These seeds germinate best at temperatures around 55 degrees F. Thin or transplant the seedlings. Transplanting should be done while the plants are small, since the taproot makes it difficult at larger sizes.

Growing: These plants do not tolerate drought well, and the soil should be kept consistently moist and rich. Dry soil or too much sun tends to damage the foliage, since this plant prefers cooler weather. When grown from seed, this plant will start producing flowers in its second year. Deadheading will not produce new flowers, though cutting back the plant will cause new growth of foliage. Mature plants can be divided in the fall after they have gone dormant; they will also self-seed and spread by rhizomes, though volunteer plants can easily be removed. This plant attracts bees and resists deer.

Harvesting: For fresh flowers, cut long stems of flowers that have just opened and place them in water immediately; strip the leaves that will fall below the water.

Seed Saving: After blooming, the flower head will develop clusters of seed heads that turn from green to red to brown. Remove entire seed heads when they have ripened to reddish brown, and spread them out to dry. Since the heads will not split, they must be crushed to remove the fine seed; however, they can also be planted without being cleaned. Separate the seed from the stems and store in a cool, dry place.

FAST FACTS

Latin Name: Filipendula rubra

Species Origin: US Native Wildflower

Type: Native Wildflowers

Life Cycle: Perennial

USDA Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

US Regions: Midwest, Northern, Northeast, Southeast

Seeds per Ounce: 16,200

Stratification: Cold/Wet for 12 Weeks

Germination Ease: Stratify 12 Weeks

Sunlight: Full Sun

Height: 60 Inches

Color: Pink

Bloom Season: Blooms Early Summer, Blooms Late Summer

Uses: Cut Flowers, Deer Resistant

Size Price Quantity
XL Mylar Packet (~40 Seeds) $3.75 Notify Me
1/16 Oz Mylar (1.77g) $9.60 $7.96 Notify Me
1/4 Oz Mylar (7.09g) $18.20 Notify Me
1 Oz Mylar (~16,200 Seeds) $52.00 Notify Me
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DESCRIPTION

Fit for a royal garden, these pink sensations are the Cinderella among native flowers. They take several years to grow from seed to flowering size, but the large, foamy, pink flower clusters are unlike anything else on the prairie. Marvels like this come only to the patient gardener!
This native member of the rose family was first described and classified by Sir John Hill, an 18th century English botanist greatly honored for the botanical research which he published in a series of 26 volumes called The Vegetable System. American botanist Benjamin Lincoln Robinson (1864-1935), curator of Harvard University's Gray Herbarium, continued researching this species and reclassified it. The genus name Filipendula comes from the Latin words for "thread" and "hanging," referring to the unique root structure of several species in this family. The species name "rubra" means red.

HOW TO GROW

Sowing: Direct sow in late fall, planting the seeds just below the surface and lightly compacting the soil. For spring planting or starting indoors, mix the seed with moist sand and store it in the refrigerator for 90 days before direct sowing; keep the soil consistently moist until germination. These seeds germinate best at temperatures around 55 degrees F. Thin or transplant the seedlings. Transplanting should be done while the plants are small, since the taproot makes it difficult at larger sizes.

Growing: These plants do not tolerate drought well, and the soil should be kept consistently moist and rich. Dry soil or too much sun tends to damage the foliage, since this plant prefers cooler weather. When grown from seed, this plant will start producing flowers in its second year. Deadheading will not produce new flowers, though cutting back the plant will cause new growth of foliage. Mature plants can be divided in the fall after they have gone dormant; they will also self-seed and spread by rhizomes, though volunteer plants can easily be removed. This plant attracts bees and resists deer.

Harvesting: For fresh flowers, cut long stems of flowers that have just opened and place them in water immediately; strip the leaves that will fall below the water.

Seed Saving: After blooming, the flower head will develop clusters of seed heads that turn from green to red to brown. Remove entire seed heads when they have ripened to reddish brown, and spread them out to dry. Since the heads will not split, they must be crushed to remove the fine seed; however, they can also be planted without being cleaned. Separate the seed from the stems and store in a cool, dry place.

FAST FACTS

Latin Name: Filipendula rubra

Species Origin: US Native Wildflower

Type: Native Wildflowers

Life Cycle: Perennial

USDA Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

US Regions: Midwest, Northern, Northeast, Southeast

Seeds per Ounce: 16,200

Stratification: Cold/Wet for 12 Weeks

Germination Ease: Stratify 12 Weeks

Sunlight: Full Sun

Height: 60 Inches

Color: Pink

Bloom Season: Blooms Early Summer, Blooms Late Summer

Uses: Cut Flowers, Deer Resistant