This Frostweed is over 6 feet tall. Josephine, I took your advice and planted three of them over on the north side of ther house where it stays way wet up close to the foundation. Two of them made it, and they look pretty healthy. They're about 4 feet tall.
Good job! My husband just told me that we needed to "get rid of" the frostweed in the front flower bed because he didn't like it. I told him it wasn't his flower bed, especially after he cut down all my coneflowers (which are now coming back, btw).
Oh, no. I love cone flowers. I only had two come up. That's what I'm hoping to get at the fall RU.
Yes, they can get pretty tall, if you want them shorter you can cut them back by half in June and they will develop multiple stems and more flowers.
OK, good to know. I'll try that with these boys next summer.
Sybil, I can bring some coneflowers for you. The ones he cut back are putting on new growth and need to be thinned out.
Thanks, Stephanie. I would love that.
Is it a seedpod that shoots out the liquid spiral that freezes? If not, what?
The spiral comes out at roots. I think that the roots continue to pull moisture from the ground and try to send it up to the top part of the plant that is no longer there.
The stems burst open with the moisture in the roots so it comes out the stalks.
Here's an older thread with a lot of frostweed "freeze" pics. You should be able to see where the sculpture forms.
Edited to add the link because that would be helpful! http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1146424/?hl=frostweed
This message was edited Sep 9, 2014 11:07 AM
Thanks so much for all the info. Good thing I saw the pics, for I would surely have cut mne all the way back to the ground. Do you not cut them back at all, or leave them a foot or two?
I just leave about a foot after they go dormant in late fall.
I noticed yesterday that my small frost weed plant is just starting or trying to start flowering. I'm thinking I should pinch off those little buds b/c the plant is small and could prob. put its energy to better use for now. Thoughts?
No, let it bloom, it can take it.
