Grecian windflower

Questions about Grecian windflower

Does Grecian windflower need sun or shade?

Grecian windflower grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does Grecian windflower 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 Grecian windflower flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early April to early 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 Grecian windflower be planted?

4 in (10 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 6 in (15 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 5 in (12 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many Grecian windflower plants do I need?

At 4 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

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

In a mixed border, plant it as handfuls of five or seven, in the gaps between other plants.

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

Is Grecian windflower poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. The sap can irritate skin, and all parts cause mouth and stomach upset if eaten.

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

Is there a pet-safe plant like Grecian windflower?

These come closest to doing what Grecian windflower does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Spring starflower: the same job in a bed, the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour.
• Grape hyacinth: the same job in a bed, the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour.
• Striped squill: the same job in a bed, the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour.

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

Do deer eat Grecian windflower?

They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.

Will Grecian windflower spread?

It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Multiplies by offsets and seed and spreads through a bed over time. It is easy to lift where it is not wanted.

What can I plant to hide Grecian windflower's leaves after it flowers?

A bulb's leaves have to be left to yellow for about six weeks after flowering, to feed next year's flowers. Plant it among perennials that come up late and spread wide, and they grow over the leaves as they fade:

• Hosta: 18 in tall and 2½ ft wide, a recorded partner, in flower mid July to mid August.
• Lady's mantle: 18 in tall and 24 in wide, in flower late May to early July.
• Catmint 'Walker's Low': 24 in tall and 2½ ft wide, in flower mid May to mid September.

What does Grecian windflower look like in winter?

Grecian windflower is underground: it dies back after flowering and waits as a bulb until spring. Mark where it is, so a fork does not find it first.

Is Grecian windflower good for bees and butterflies?

Grecian windflower is visited by bees and butterflies.