Autumn candlesticks

Table of contents

Candlestick origin
Perfect conditions
Candle flowering periods

Decorative perennials form a large, but not fully understood group. Some species are still in the shade, undiscovered and underestimated. Among these little-known perennials, we can find charming Cimicifuga candlesticks.Their white paniculate inflorescences on long shoots and decorative leaves will easily enrich the landscape of any garden.

Candlestick origin

Long-lived plants come from forest areas. Therefore, they feel best in a slightly shaded or fully shaded bed, for example near tall shrubs and deciduous trees. Cordial candlestick Cimicifuga racemosa var.cordifolia tolerates even places sunlit for a few hours during the day.

Depending on the species and variety, the candlesticks bloom from summer to autumn.The candlestick develops its creamy, arched inflorescences up to 180 cm in length as the first - already in July clustered Cimicifuga racemosa. The season ends with the 'White Pearl' variety Cimicifuga simplex, blooming from September to October.

Perfect conditions

Candlesticks are best suited for shaded stands with slightly moist, fertile and humus-rich soil.Here it can be accompanied by plants with similar preferences, such as Japanese autumn Anemone hupehensis, kirengeshoma Kirengeshoma palmata, Aconitum aconite, Astilbe tawulka and Hosta funkia. If we want to conjure up a truly forest perennial aura under garden trees, complement the composition with clumps of ferns, ornamental grass, grass-like Luzula or Carex sedge.The empty spaces left in the bed will be perfectly filled with decorative cover plants, such as Brunner's Caucasian forget-me-not and Pulmonaria.

Candlestick varieties are mostly tall plants. Their flower stems are 1.2 to 1.8 m long. Cimicifuga dahurica candlestick grows up to 2 meters high. The slender inflorescences of some of the most magnificent varieties are up to 90 cm long. Among the least impressive, the Japanese candlestick Cimicifuga japonica var. acerina 'Compact'.

The densely branched perennial has shoots only 60-80 cm high, but its flowers, unfortunately, do not smell.On the other hand, during the flowering period, above the bed with other species, for example a cluster of shrub candlesticks, as well as a simple candlestick, there is quite a strong scent that attracts a lot of multicolored butterflies and bees to the garden.

Some candlesticks attract attention not only with their wonderful inflorescences.The 'Brunette' variety of a simple candlestick is proud of its large, nicely cut, black-red leaves.The large clump of densely arranged leaves looks very decorative.The dark colored leaves are also decorated with other candlesticks, such as 'Atropurpurea' and 'Pink Spike', which in addition have slightly pink flowers and dark red shoots.

These varieties create exceptionally interesting arrangements in combination with white and pink flowers.The close proximity of bright colors almost always wonderfully illuminates the dark shades of candlestick leaves.It gives unusual effects in the most beautiful places. shaded areas, where light contrasts are especially needed and worth introducing.