Indian pink
Spigelia marilandica · Loganiaceae
Upright, scarlet tubes that open at the tip into a bright yellow star, in clusters above glossy leaves in early summer. One of the most striking native wildflowers.
- Size
- 20 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 5 to 9
- Light
- Part sun to shade
- Flowers
- Early June to early July
- Pets
- Toxic to people
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around Indian pink
The planner designed this bed around Indian pink when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) naturalistic planting in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why Indian pink stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Indian pink × 3, red
- 2 Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple' × 17, purple
- 3 Astilbe 'Sprite' × 6, pink
- 4 Cardinal flower × 3, red
- 5 Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert' × 3, white
- 6 Inkberry 'Gem Box' × 1, dark green leaves
- 7 Yellow trout lily × 12, yellow
- 8 Winter cyclamen × 5, pink
Why this plant
- The only trumpets. The others are dense clusters, plumes, spires and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
Why here
- At the back. At 20 in it is the step between creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple' (8 in) in front and cardinal flower (3½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- A step in the back row. Next to cardinal flower (3½ ft) and inkberry 'Gem Box' (2½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- In flower for five weeks. From early June to early July.
- Fills a gap. For four of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as a naturalistic planting: low grasses and groundcovers, the matrix, make up 45% of the planted ground. Astilbe 'Sprite' and creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple' finish the front edge. Hot and cool in equal measure: red and yellow against purple and pink, with white to calm things between them.
The planner's own design check: 9 Excellent, 8 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Indian pink goes in a border
At 20 in it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
Red and yellow together are rare in shade, and hummingbirds find it at once. It is slow to bulk up, so plant three or more together where they will be seen close up.
- A woodland-edge showpiece
- Hummingbird gardens
- Native shade planting
What to plant with Indian pink
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Christmas fern: its dark green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after.
- Foamflower: flowers first, late April to late May, so the spot is never empty; low enough (10 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Wild geranium: flowers first, early May to late May, so the spot is never empty; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about Indian pink
Does Indian pink need sun or shade?
Indian pink grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), 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 wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does Indian pink grow in?
USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does Indian pink flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early June to early July. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 5 | Early June to early July |
|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Early June to early July |
| Zone 7 | Late May to late June |
| Zone 8 | Late May to late June |
| Zone 9 | Late May to late June |
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 Indian pink 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 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 20 in (50 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Indian pink 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 a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is Indian pink poisonous?
Yes: moderate toxicity to people. All parts are poisonous if eaten, especially the roots.
Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Do deer eat Indian pink?
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.
What flowers after Indian pink?
Indian pink is over by early July. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.
- Daylily: from late June to early August, 2½ ft tall.
- Bee balm: from early July to early August, 3 ft tall.
What does Indian pink look like in winter?
Indian pink dies down, but leave the stems standing: the seed heads stand through the winter, and songbirds eat the seed. Cut them down in early spring, before the new shoots come.
Is Indian pink good for bees and butterflies?
Indian pink is visited by hummingbirds and songbirds.
It is native to the United States.
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 20 in (50 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 16 in (40 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Early June to early July; trumpets; red, yellow
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; dark green
- Shape
- Upright, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 9
- Light
- Part sun, part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Loganiaceae
- Comes from
- East central and southeastern United States
- Attracts
- Hummingbirds, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Drought
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.