Barrenwort 'Frohnleiten'

Questions about barrenwort 'Frohnleiten'

Does barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' need sun or shade?

Barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light). It is one of the few that also put up with deep shade.

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' grow in?

USDA zones 5 to 8. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

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

When does barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid April to mid May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

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 barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' be planted?

16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 12 in (30 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' plants do I need?

At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

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

In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.

In the bed above, the planner used four in two groups.

Is barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like barrenwort 'Frohnleiten'?

Barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Creeping woodland phlox: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 4 in shorter, 4 in narrower.
• Allegheny spurge: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 4 in narrower, white, not yellow.
• Green-and-gold: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 6 in shorter, 4 in narrower.

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

Do deer eat barrenwort 'Frohnleiten'?

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 barrenwort 'Frohnleiten'?

Barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' is over by mid May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Sweet woodruff: from early May to early June, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall.
• Columbine: from early May to mid June, 24 in tall.

What does barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' look like in winter?

Barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' keeps its dark green and bronze leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone. It is grown for winter foliage colour as well.

Is barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' good for bees and butterflies?

Barrenwort 'Frohnleiten' is visited by pollinators and bees.