Physostegia 'Summer Spires'

Trial: Perennial

Years Trialed: 2001, 2002

Good Qualities

Year 1

Full heads, uniform; Flowered first year from tiny divisions; Grows like a weed, easy, pest free.


Year 2

Tall, purple flowers, spike nice for center of arrangement; Easy, flowers are a little thicker on the stem than other cultivars.


Problems

Year 1

Should be taller next year; Plants arrived in very poor condition; It was difficult to tell exactly what the supplier intended us to consider a "division"; Many stems were thin with some side branching.

Year 2

First cuts were excellent, second cuts were thinner, a real winner; All died - severe drought; Still suffering from poor condition of plants on arrival - They will probably really do something next year.


Comments

Year 1

I couldn't tell the difference between this named cultivar and the old one that my neighbor gave me 20 years ago.

Year 2

Editor note: See the Postharvest Report in this issue for vase life and handling information. None.



Trial Data

Year 1

Physostegia 'Summer Spires'
Plants flowering (%) Plants dead at end of summer (%) Yield (stems/plant) Stem Length (inches) Market Appreciation Rating¹ Repeat Again Rating¹ Ease of Cultivation Rating¹
Wholesale Retail Consumer
Average 77 2 4.4 27 3.0 4.0 3.0 3.8 4.5
Range of Responses 0-100 0-7 1-9 18-36 3 4 2-4 3-5 4-5

¹1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.


Year 2


Physostegia 'Summer Spires'
Plants surviving (%)¹ Yield (stems/plant)¹ Stem Length (inches)¹ Market Appreciation Rating² Repeat Again Rating² Ease of Cultivation Rating² Average Spacing (in2)
Retail Consumer
Average 100.0 5.8 28.0 3.0 5.0 4.0 4.3 4.7
Range of Responses 100 0-13 22-37 3 5 4 4-5 4-5


¹Data shown are from those respondents who harvested stems. Some respondents may not have harvested stems because they were too short. Flowering stems may be longer next year after plants are established. See comments section for more details.

²1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best. Market ratings are based on sales to wholesalers, retailers, or final consumers direct.



Supplier

Here & Now Gardens (HN) P.O. Box 6 Gales Creek, OR 97117 503-357-5774 FAX 503-357-3858