Wahlenbergia species
“Annie’s Favorite”

I am so in love with this tough, fast, easy member of the Campanula family! Wahlenbergia species is native to the Cape of South Africa, where it grows in a mild wet Winter/Summer dry climate just like ours & so, performs fabulously here. I’m always surprised at how little known it is, especially among landscapers who are always looking for tough, drought tolerant perennials with a long bloom season. Landscapers … woooo-hoo … over here!

We first received the seed for this plant 8 years ago. It’s one of a large number of unnamed Wahlenbergia species growing in South Africa & I wish someone would name it so it wouldn’t seem so anonymous, as it deserves a place in almost every garden.

Planted from 4” pots, Wahlenbergia species will spread quickly to 3’ across, forming a low mat of bluish-green, narrow foliage. The mat is dense & is valuable for preventing weeds from sprouting up. Starting in June, it explodes into a mass of lovely, soft blue, pointy-tipped, cup shaped blooms atop a multitude of slender, upright stems. The stems wave in the wind creating the delightful effect of an undulating cloud. You’ll want to sweep your hand over the soft blueness of it & I’ve been known to lie down in it to get the full feel!

A perfect plant for spilling over the front of a bed or a rock wall & excellent in a rock garden or container, too. I especially love it in front of roses, particularly those that continue blooming in Summer & Fall. If your garden gets Summer water, it’s “to die for” combined with apricot colored bloomers, like the fragrant Double Azalea Apricot Snapdragons or the long blooming perennial Alonsoa meridonalis ‘Apricot.’ If your garden is drier, try combining it with the long-lived, sunset-colored Agastache rupestris.

Wahlenbergia grows fastest & looks most spectacular grown in rich, well-drained soil, amended with compost & a once or twice a week watering during Summer. It’s still nice with less water & average soil, but you know, not as traffic stopping.

Once the bloom season is finally finished, cut this plant back severely to 1” tall. If we have a mild Winter here by the Bay, it’s been known to bloom again in Winter. Usually though, it will just sit there, enjoying the rain & its Winter rest period. In early Spring, give it a top dressing of good compost (not the stuff from the big box stores!) & it will reward you with luxurious growth & fabulous repeat Summer show. Though Wahlenbergia species will probably exhaust itself after 2 or 3 years, it does self sow if happy. Or if you must have it every Summer (like me), just get some new ones, we’ll have the available every Summer!