Page 18 - Town & Around - March 2025

18 Town & Around March 2025 Tel: 01485 540620 email: editor@townandaround.net
Wendy Warner’s plant of the month - Erysimums

s it a shrub or is it a perennial, or perhaps watered in their first season but are relatively
a sub-shrub? However you choose to drought-tolerant once established, although
Idefine them, Erysimums, commonly plants grown in containers will need to be kept
known as perennial wallflowers, are very moist.
floriferous, hardy, evergreen and give months Erysimums are comparatively low-
of colour in all styles of gardening. These maintenance but deadheading spent flower
bushy, woody-stemmed perennials produce stems down to the next set of shoots will
upright racemes consisting of masses of small, encourage further buds to be produced and
sweetly scented flowers, above narrow dark keep a neat appearance. Although perennial, I
grey-green leaves. In mild areas some would treat Erysimums as quite a short-lived
varieties will flower from early spring through plant as even with the best care, after 3 or 4
to late autumn. years they will have become woody and won’t
Erysimums are extremely adaptable and flower as well as they have in their early life.
suited to many types of garden setting. They They are very easily propagated by cuttings so
work well with other herbaceous perennials in you can always have new plants waiting in the
a cottage garden and give good mid-height wings to replace them.
presence. Combine them with forget-me-nots The most well-known, and probably most
or low-growing varieties of Nepeta (catmint) Choose a position preferably in full sun, reliable and longest flowering variety is
in front and taller roses behind, although allow although they will tolerate dappled shade in Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’ with pure purple
space around them as they don’t like to be moist but well drained, light, soil. They dislike scented flowers and will grow to
smothered. In beds and borders grow more heavy clay soils or those high in nutrients and approximately 75cm height and spread. Some
compact varieties interspersed with taller won’t perform well. Therefore, if growing in others appear to have mixed colour flowers
varieties of tulip of contrasting or pots or containers there is no need to add any such as Erysimum ‘Winter Orchid’ where
complementary colours depending on the additional fertiliser or feed to the compost and flowers emerge as coppery-orange, turning
effect you wish to create. Let them stand out choose John Innes No. 2 or a Multi-purpose purple as they age and Erysimum ‘Red Jep’
on their own in coastal or gravel gardens or compost with added John Innes, rather than which is smaller, growing to 30cm and has red,
even in rockeries using smaller varieties. The anything too rich. If over fertilised the plants reddish-purple and pinky-orange flowers.
flowers are rich in pollen and nectar, and due will produce lush foliage growth at the ‘Apricot Twist’ has apricot to burnt orange
to their long flowering period, will attract early expense of flowers. As mentioned earlier, if flowers, ‘Winter Power’ has golden-yellow
and late pollinators such as bees, butterflies, growing in borders allow space and air around flowers and ‘Poem Lilac’ has dark purple
moths and other insects, and are therefore ideal the plants. If constricted, they will try and flowers.
for wildlife gardens. In addition, they will grow upwards to find light and can become If there’s just one plant you add to your
grow well in patio pots and containers. leggy and woody. They need to be kept well- garden this Spring, make it an Erysimum!

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