Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Description:

Wow, this is one showy plant, with its succulent creamy white sword-like leaves with green margins radiating from the center of the plant, pinkish in fall; the tall spire of nodding bell-like flowers in summer is a daring bonus, loves dry soils and sun

Ornamental Features

Color Guard Adam's Needle features bold spikes of creamy white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from mid to late summer. It has attractive creamy white foliage edged in green. The sword-like leaves are highly ornamental and turn an outstanding pink in the fall, which persists throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Color Guard Adam's Needle is an herbaceous evergreen shrub with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spiny

Color Guard Adam's Needle is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Color Guard Adam's Needle will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Color Guard Adam's Needle makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.