Reading the details

What does it mean when several bloom times are listed, like:

Mid-summer
Late summer to early fall


Does this mean it blooms all the way from mid-summer to early fall, that it blooms different times depending on something (please explain), or that your contributors disagree on when it blooms?

My take on this is that it blooms repeatedly through these times, or it depends on what part of the country you are in.

When I'm putting info in the PF and my source says that it blooms from April to Sept, I generally check both of the details that you have questioned.

It can also mean that if you live in the southern part of the plant's range that it will bloom earlier for you than if you live in the northern part. Someone who lives in Texas will have a different bloom time than someone in Montana.

hope this helps.

Generally speaking, you should be able to infer that the plant blooms during that entire time period. Depending on the plant, it may bloom non-stop (e.g., marigolds) or it may bloom repeatedly (certain perennials.)

The reason we have dissected bloom times into discrete ranges is to help someone searching for a plant with specific characteristics. Let's say you're wanting a plant that blooms mid-summer - if both checkboxes are checked, you will have this entry included in your search results, even though the bloom season may span both of those ranges.

Thanks very much. Reading these as checkboxes makes more sense.