• Open pollinated
• Perennial

• Distance between plants - 3-4'
• Full to part sun
• Water every -1-2
• Days to maturity -
• Days to germination -20-40 days
• Height - 2-3'

Grown on the farm, this Central European and Asian perennial is such a simple plant to care for. It was left on our property from the previous owner, Micheline Couture, who was an accomplished landscaper and dedicated librarian in our village. I love these flowers because they grow really well in dry, almost hostile environments like up against our home with direct sun all day and no watering. They also grow really well on the edge of rivers and lakes so they are truly a versatile plant. They start their blooms beginning of July and go until end of August sometimes. Full powerful deep purple, it really resembles the provincial flower of Quebec, the fleur de lis.

You will need to stratify the seeds for 4-6 weeks in a moist and cold environment like your fridge. I on the other hand, simply throw them on the surface of a large planting pot, cover with a bit of soil and leave them outside all winter. Once the weather improves, then they start to set root and shoot up.

Best to fertilize in the spring and add compost to enrichen the soil for years of healthy growth.