 Spigelia marilandica |
The lack of abundance in nature seems to have carried over into commercial horticulture. Only recently have I seen this perennial native carried by larger wholesalers for the nursery trade. Occasionally I have seen an illustration in one of the more up-scale catalogs, but Indian pink has been mostly reserved to collectors who comb the smaller specialty nurseries. Perhaps all of this is in the process of changing with our faster modes of communication in today's world. Pink root certainly deserves to be more widely known and grown.
I think Indian pink is our most showy perennial native. Plants in my garden reach about eighteen inches in height. The leaves are ovate in shape, opposite each other, and unfurl in pairs as the stem extends. Individual leaves have a prominently veined appearance. In the years I have grown this native, I do not remember seeing insect damage. Nor have I seen any evidence of disease. Flowers are on stems well above the foliage. Individual blooms are tubular in shape and close to fire engine-red on the outside. At the tip of the tube there is a crimp and then a flaring of five pointed lobes of yellow. The two inch tubes of red with the yellow star on top make me think of a fire cracker explosion. Individual blooms open in sequence from bottom to top of the stem.
In spite of the relatively limited range of Spigelia marlindica, the plant can be found growing in a variety of habitats. Generally, the plant is located growing among open woods and thickets in moist soil. It has also been seen growing among grasses in moist to wet soil in full sun. The only locations I have see the plants are in nursery pots and my garden.
The plant is slow to come to maturity and form nice stands, so I began with three pots of seedlings. You may want to look about and make sure you are receiving bloom sized plants, as it took two full years before first bloom, and another three, or so, for goodly clumps to form. Mine were transplanted to heavy clay on a slope beneath a redbud tree in the center of my hillside garden. The plant does not need consistent moisture to do well. Halfway decent garden soil with mulch seems to suit the plant just fine in my garden. Recently I have divided my original plants and moved the divisions to better soil and a bit more open positions.
Among my favorite companions are the Dicentra, especially the white-blooming cultivars. Larger ferns such as the Cinnamon and Clayton's interrupted are favorites of mine. Any plant you place with Spigelia marilandica will end up playing second fiddle to this show stopper.