Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'

Questions about Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'

Does Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' need sun or shade?

Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' 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 Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °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 Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid May to late June. 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 Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' be planted?

12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 16 in (40 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 8 in (20 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' plants do I need?

At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

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

In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).

In the bed above, the planner used 12 in three groups.

Is Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. May cause mild stomach upset if eaten. Handling the plant can irritate skin.

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

Is there a pet-safe plant like Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'?

These come closest to doing what Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Sea thrift: the same job in a bed, the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour.
• Common thyme: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; lavender, not pink.
• Bloody cranesbill 'Max Frei': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late May to early August, not evergreen.

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

Do deer eat Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'?

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 Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch'?

Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' is over by late June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• English lavender 'Hidcote': from late June to late July, 18 in tall (a recorded partner).
• Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.
• Butterfly weed: from late June to early August, 24 in tall.

What does Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' look like in winter?

Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' 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 Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' good for bees and butterflies?

Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' is visited by bees, butterflies and moths.