Catnanche caerulea, the
Cupid's Dart, will put a sparkle in the late Spring and Summer garden and
may even bloom into the Fall if the dead flowers are stripped. Cold
is unlikely to be a problem in our area. But Cupid's Dart plants
generally don't live very long. They are small plants, catalogs say
18" to 2 feet but in our gardens Catananche caerulea has been more
like a foot tall. We have grown the Cupid's Dart in sun
and light shade. There are a lot more flowers in full sun.
Drainage is critical. And because the plants are tender they should
not be planted in high activity areas that dogs or balls will stray into.
High
resolution images of Catananche
caerulea are available.
