About 'Plum Crazy' Flowers

Characteristics

• "Plum Crazy" grows 3 to 4 feet tall, with a nearly equal spread. Its base is somewhat woody and shrub-like. The large, purple-pink flowers feature characteristic prominent staminal columns and bloom from July to September. "Plum Crazy's" flowers usually last for only one day, a trait frequent in members of the hibiscus family. Mature plants produce a healthy number of blooms, however, so there are always a large number of flowers on the plant. The leaves resemble maple foliage and are somewhat coarse in appearance.

Culture

• Mallows like "Plum Crazy" do best in uniformly moist soil and full sun with some wind protection if it is available. Water with drip irrigation. New growth will appear in late spring, when temperatures warm up. Since the blooms last such a short time, it is important to deadhead regularly during the bloom period. When all the blooms have faded, cut back the stalks by about one-third to stimulate bushy regrowth. The plants are also suitable for container culture or can be grown as annuals in extremely cold-winter climates.

Uses

• "Plum Crazy" works well in mixed beds of annuals, perennials and shrubs and, since it attracts butterflies, is especially good for butterfly or wildlife gardens. Its water-loving nature makes is a good choice for rain gardens or sunny streamside situations as well. Its growth habit allows it to be used as a low, deciduous hedge, though it does not provide winter interest. Mixed with a combination of evergreens and other deciduous shrubs, "Plum Crazy" might also make a colorful addition to a foundation planting scheme.

Companion Plants

• Group it with other moisture-tolerant plants like pale ivory "Zwanenburg" spider lily (Hymenocallis x festalis "Zwanenburg"), which blooms during July and August and is hardy in USDA zones 8 through 10 Another good plant partner is purple-black beardless Siberian iris (Iris chrysographes), hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9. Yellow glove flower (Troillius europaeus), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8, makes a good companion, as does spring-blooming water forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9.