skip to main content

Filipendula rubra: when does it emerge?

17 years ago

Hi,

I planted a specimen of Filipendula rubra about mid-fall last year. When can I expect to see this season's growth emerge? Maybe I'm just getting impatient - it's actually pretty early in the season here in my zone - but I'm seeing new stuff emerge daily, and have begun wondering if the queen of the prairie will eventually show growth, too.

Thanks,

cranebill

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

gldno1
17 years ago
I have the white ones and they are already up maybe 8 inches. Of course, they are in their third season this year. I would dig down a bit around where they were and see if you can see anything. Maybe the red is slower to emerge than the white.
hostared
17 years ago
Mine in my zone is coming up. My smaller varigated one is leafed out. My Rubrum is showing signs with its red root system. I see signs of it poking out all over....this one is a creeper so keep your eye on yours when you find it.
If yours is in a shaddy area it may take longer. Scratch the surface of the soil were you might have planted it. If it doesn't show soon purchase another and get it started sooner so it can grab onto the soil. Remember they like moisture.
Related Discussions
filipendula rubra - queen of the prairie - how aggressive?
Q
Comments (14)
I love this plant. It takes quite a lot of shade but it is in deep, rich soil here. It spreads but not aggressively--but maybe that's because of the shade. Regarding prairies. There are three different kinds of prairies. tall grass; mixed grass; short grass. Tall grass prairies get a lot of moisture and are often near rivers. Lots of tall plants like Filipendula flourish there as the name indicates. Short grass prairies are quite arid and have different kinds of plants. Mixed grass prairies are a combination of the two types. So "prairie" does not mean one thing. We had a wonderful vacation in the Dakotas a few years ago and I bought some wildflower and nature books that explained a lot. Observing wildflowers and their habitats can teach us a lot about our garden plants.
...See More
Growing queen of the prairies
Q
Comments (13)
Ken, maybe you have another species? Filipendula rubra is stoloniferous - and can run quite a distance seeking conditions it likes. Mine has stayed in its patch, just expands every year. Have no idea how to start it from seed. 2 years ago we had a very dry summer, and we had watering restrictions. I didn't water it much, and it dried up into a crispy mess. It just went dormant though, obviously didn't die off as you can see. Since then though, I mulch that bed more heavily. Paulsiu, if you have F. rubra, I don't really think it's suited to growing in a pot. It's a large, commanding perennial, and flowers look best in a mass. Plus container culture is a very different environment from growing in the ground. You could check out the container gardening forum.
...See More
plumeria trees in Vietnam
Q
Comments (9)
Nice photo sk2fl! My favorite plumerias are still the obtusa. Unfortunately they don't do well in cold temps! You might be able to get one to grow inside if you have a good sunny spot in your house to move it in the winter. Of course, you would need to stick with the Dwarf Singapore Pink, which is nice,but does not have the wonderful scent of the Singapore White, but takes much less room! I wish I had known plumerias grew in Calfornia, 'cause I would have started my collection 40 years ago when my family moved to Hawaii! Of course, that would mean I would have even more plants than my already approaching 50 ! Granted about 15 or so are newly rooted cuttings from last year! Dwarf Singapore Pink. (aka DSP). Too bad it doesn't smell like the largwr White! Jennifer
...See More
Filipendulas
Q
Comments (25)
Hey catkin, you got great responses to this thread except to the question you asked me. Lol! Do I have any perennials that are runners? Well yes I do!! Apart from Filipendula rubra, I have had and still have some doozies. I have eradicated the variegated goutweed from my garden. Whew on getting rid of that one, but I still have Aegopodium podograria under trees in two separate areas neither one of which I am responsible for introducing, unlike the variegated which I brought upon myself. I thought I had eliminated the Chinese Lanterns but they reared their heads again so of course I had to wait for the lanterns to develop before starting to fight them off again. Those wonderful lanterns being the only redeeming feature. Campanula punctata 'Cherry Bells' is a nightmare as well as 'Elizabeth'. When I acquired 'Wedding Bells' I restricted its growth within a large pot sunk into the ground. It sulked and taunted me but I did not relent and it finally gave it up. I know if I had unleashed it I would have regretted it. Campanula glomerata 'Superba' is attractive but needs to go. It is very aggressive. Oh and the Ribbon Grass. It is a fairly easy one to deal with compared to the above. Boy, I'm tired now just thinking about all these thugs that need controlling! Lol. p.s. I forgot a couple of other nasty ones Artemisia 'Oriental Limelight' and my latest scourge is Antennaria (parvifolia) probably. It wants to take over. It is top priority right now since it just started to bloom. Aren't you happy you asked? LOL!
...See More
diggingthedirt
17 years ago
My F. rubra is not up - no sign of it whatsoever, and it's been growing happily for many years in a sunny dry spot. I'll start worrying in a couple of weeks, maybe, but I doubt it.

I would not go digging around where it's planted, I'd just wait patiently and see. If for some reason it's gone, you'll have plenty of time to replace it. This plant is very reliable and not that easy to kill.
tiffy_z5_6_can
17 years ago
Cranebill,

I have to agree with Diggingthedirt on this one. It's definitely not easy to kill! No need to go scratching around the plant at this time.

Bought one in the fall of 2005 with no plans for it. Paid $1.00. The plant looked dead in the pot and it was late in the season. Garden center was closing down and wanted to get rid of stuff on that day... Took my chances.

I planted it, and the next spring waited for it. When I thought nothing would come, I planted a hydrangea in the area. Three weeks later, I see a 'new to me' leaf coming for the hydrangea. LOL! It was the FR! Dug it up, and threw it in a hole on a slope a couple of feet away planning on coming back to it. The soil in that area was terrible, terrible, terrible! Highly acidic dry sandy crap.

Mid summer, I'm working in that area and glance over. Hummm, there were nice leaves coming from that yucky soil. The FR was up and coming and nice!

Since then, I've given it a respectful place in the gardens. When I dug it out from the hydrangea, I managed to split it into 3 pieces, so now have three of them.

They are not up yet, but after surviving the cruelty of my gardening practices in 2006, I have no doubt that they will emerge healthy and happy this year!
hostared
17 years ago
Just to clarify.....scratching did not mean digging.
just moving dirt with your hand to see or feel if it's there.
cranebill
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks, everyone, for the reassurances. I'll be patiently looking forward to seeing my new Flip.

cranebill

Related Stories

PLANTING IDEAS These Aren’t Your Grandparents’ Junipers

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Dislike junipers? Maybe it’s time to discover new varieties and new uses for this garden workhorse

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Invite Entertaining Hummingbirds Into Your Garden

By Habitat Network

Hummingbirds — unique to the Americas — zip through open landscapes seasonally or year-round. Here’s how to attract them

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Tour a New American Garden in New Jersey

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

See how James Golden built his garden in a depression with wet clay and rogue cedars

LAWN ALTERNATIVES Stop Fighting the Patchy Lawn!

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Here are 3 situations where a garden may be a better idea than more turfgrass

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Discover Queen of the Prairie's Sweet Aroma

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

If you like the look of cotton candy and the smell of roses and want an easy perennial, you're in luck with this plant

GARDENING GUIDES These Hummingbird-Attracting Native Plants May Surprise You

By Susan J Tweit

These flowers, vines and shrubs offer shelter and food supplies that keep hummingbirds around longer

NATIVE PLANTS Why Aggressive Plants Might Actually Be Your Friends

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Sometimes a garden thug is exactly what’s called for

LANDSCAPE DESIGN A Guide to the Grasses Available for Nontraditional Lawns

By Falon Mihalic

New grass mixes are formulated to require less water and less fertilizer

RED FOLIAGE Great Design Plant: Japanese Blood Grass

This dramatic, ruby-tinged grass bridges the gap between red and green, short and tall plants

GARDENING GUIDES Bromeliads: The Ultimate Collector’s Plants

By Steve Asbell

Once you discover bromeliads’ exotic beauty, wide-ranging colors and intriguing patterns, you’ll never go back

Sponsored

More Discussions

Mulching with compost in established bed

16

Redbud woes.......

11

Mysterious Elephant Ear Plant

4

Why did my alliums come up but then fall over so quick?

7

Japanese willow new growth completely green

3