Adam's needle

Questions about Adam's needle

Does Adam's needle need sun or shade?

Adam's needle grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does Adam's needle grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 10. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does Adam's needle flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late June to mid July. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should Adam's needle be planted?

3 ft (90 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3½ ft (100 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 3 ft (90 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Adam's needle plants do I need?

At 3 ft apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 4 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as one at a time, repeated along the bed at intervals; a slender one reads better as a clump of three.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is Adam's needle poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to dogs, cats and horses. Can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in pets if eaten.

Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like Adam's needle?

These come closest to doing what Adam's needle does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• New Jersey tea: the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour; a drift, not an accent, medium leaves, not bold.
• Globe thistle 'Arctic Glow': the same job in a bed and the same colour; 16 in narrower, flowers early July to mid August.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat Adam's needle?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after Adam's needle?

Adam's needle is over by mid July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Russian sage: from mid July to mid September, 4 ft tall (a recorded partner).
• Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Bee balm: from early July to early August, 3 ft tall.

What does Adam's needle look like in winter?

Adam's needle keeps its blue-green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.

Is Adam's needle good for bees and butterflies?

Adam's needle is visited by moths, hummingbirds and songbirds.

It is a host plant: the caterpillars of yucca giant-skipper and cofaqui giant-skipper feed on its leaves. A butterfly can only lay its eggs on its host plants, so these do more for it than any nectar flower.

It is native to the United States.