Veronicastrum 'Fascination' aka Culver's Root
One of the Top 10 Native Plants for Pollinators in The Big Little Garden, Veronicastrum 'Fascination' lends height, structure, texture and very long-lasting bloom. It boasts gorgeous, whorled lanceolate foliage, a central 'candelabra' inflorescence of light purple spikes, and is surrounded by later blooming lateral spikes that emerge from the leaf axils. Most importantly, it's an absolute bee and butterfly magnet!
If your garden is begging for tall, spiky blooms with non-stop pollinator action, then this plant is for you!
The following photos depict the heavy flower production and bloom progression in my own gardens. Mid-June foliage soon produces glorious blooms that persist until early August when dried flower spikes continue to provide verticality and architectural interest.
When grown in full sun and dry conditions, stems may need to be cut back in late summer or early fall. Plants grown in part shade may require more staking, but foliage will remain green longer.
Plant type: perennial, native to Northeastern US
Growing Conditions: full to part sun; evenly moist soil; can handle wet areas
Size: reaches 40" in height;
Spread: 2-3', spreads without being invasive
Bloom: late June to early August in Zone 5b
Maintenance: may need staking if grown in partial shade; can benefit from Chelsea Chop in May
Biodiversity: wildly popular with pollinators
Pairings: drumstick Allium & Verbena Bonariensis for succession blooming
Location: place in middle or front of border to achieve a "see-through" effect
Host Plant: Buckeye butterfly, moths
Veronicastrum is a knock-out when planted with even taller summer-blooming perennials: Filipendula, 'Queen of the Prairie' and Thalictrum Rochebrunianum (Meadow Rue). Just be sure to give them all plenty of room to stretch out. This one year old installation garnered much attention during our recent Symphony NH Garden Tour. Client project here.
The photo gallery above shows just a few examples of pollinators that give Veronicastrum 'Fascination' a huge thumbs-up! It was by far the most favored plant for bumblebees. I also love the straight species veronicastrum virginicum which produces white blooms and can grow even taller than ‘Fascination’.