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What’s Blooming Now - May 15, 2010
May Flowers Show Off Their Beauty
Arisaemas are herbaceous perennial plants growing from a corm. All have flowers contained in a spadix (the “Jack” in Jack-in-the-Pulpit) that is covered by a hood. The leaves appear in the spring, followed by the flower, with a cluster of red berries in the fall, at which time the leaves generally die back. Most like at least partial shade and moist conditions. Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-Pulpit) and A. dracontium (Green dragon) are natives to woodlands in our area and are, indeed, the only U.S. native arisaemas. There are many Asian arisaemas, or Cobra Lilies, including A. griffithii. Some of these can take more sun, and many require very good drainage to survive. Arum is closely related and has many of the same characteristics. All of these arisaemas can be seen in the Ruth Lilly Shade Garden at White River Gardens.
The irises and peonies are taking the show in the Indianapolis Garden Club's Heritage Garden this week. Look for two deep purple varieties, Iris siberica ‘Indy’ and Iris germanica ‘Royal Touch’. As the tree peonies have faded, the Chinese peonies are just starting to shine. Peonia ‘Jule Elie’ is a beautiful cotton candy pink peony, while ‘Shirley Temple’ is a white peony with the occasional magenta speckling.
It’s the perfect time for a wedding! Just visit the Efroymson Wedding Garden and enjoy roses such as ‘Carefree Sunshine’ or our bright pink Knockout Roses. Also look for the weird and wacky blooms of the ornamental onion (Allium) throughout the gardens. Blooms can range in size from ping pong to basketball size. These blooms are interesting now as they bloom and even after as the flower heads keep their shape as they dry.
In the Virginia Banks Sun Garden, look for the many shades of purple in our spiderworts (Tradescantia) and the beautiful shocking blue of another siberian iris in the gardens, Iris ‘Silver Edge’.
This is an exciting time of year in the Gardens, so you don’t want to miss a second of the show!
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Jack in the Pulpit
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Arum Italica Pictum
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Iris Siberica Indy
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Iris Royal Touch
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Peony Julie Elie
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Peony Shirley Temple
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Allium Schubertii
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Spiderwort
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Allium Neopolitanum
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