With pretty pom-pom blossoms, the drought-tolerant thrift plant thrives in poor soil and requires no fertilizer.
The blossoms are also appealing as cut flowers.
The latter is a groundcover, while sea thrift grows in clumps.
Credit: Denny Schrock
With thrift’s low mat of grassy green foliage, this plant looks good even when not in bloom.
It can work well inrock gardens, trough gardens, and containers.
Plant it in a sunny spot with well-draining soil.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Be sure to place it where it wont be overgrown by taller, spreading perennials.
Rake the soil lightly, but leave the seeds exposed to sunlight.
Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate, which can take as long as a month.
Credit: Justin Hancock
While first-year plants won’t bloom and only have foliage, they’ll return the following year with flowers.
There is no need to amend the soil for nutrients; the thrift plant prefers poor soil.
Water the area well.
Credit: David Speer
Thrift Care Tips
Thrift is a low-maintenance plant that needs little care once it’s established.
Don’t add organic matter when planting and don’t use any fertilizer.
If the soil is clay, add peat moss for improved drainage.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Thrift grows in soil with all levels of pH.
New thrift plants need moderately moist soil until they’re established, but they don’t like soggy soil.
It grows well in hot weather.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Fertilizer
Don’t fertilize thrift plants.
For that matter, don’t add organic matter to the soil when they are initially planted.
The plant prefers poor soil.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
The only amendment needed might be peat moss if the soil doesn’t drain well.
In the spring, use hand pruners to remove any dead or damaged foliage.
Deadhead flowers as soon as they’re finished blooming to encourage a second round of blossoms.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Pests and Problems
Thrift is mostly disease-free, and pests don’t bother it.
Threats to thrift come from too much moisture in the soil, causing crown rot or root rot.
Rust can also be a problem.
It can also be propagated by harvesting seed.
The best time to divide the plant is early spring or early fall when it isn’t actively blooming.
Dig up a clump with a shovel and brush the soil off the roots with your hands.
Replant the new sections immediately in moist prepared soil, spacing them 6 to 12 inches apart.
Seed:Toharvest seedsfrom a thrift plant, leave several flowers on the plant until they dry completely.
Collect them when they start to fall apart.
There is no seed head; each tiny flower on the flower head produces a tiny, pale-brown seed.
Rub the flower heads gently and then sift through the results to find the tiny seeds.
They may still be inside the papery bracts that held them, but that is OK.
They can be sown like that.
Store them in a dark, cool place until needed.
Don’t cover them with soil, but rake the area lightly.
After the plants germinate, thin them to stand 6 to 12 inches apart, depending on the variety.
It grows 6 inches tall.
Remove old flowers to keep it blooming.
Zones 3-9
‘Ruby Glow’ Thrift
Armeria maritima’Ruby Glow' features deep pink flowers on 8-inch-tall stalks.
Keep in mind that the flowers don’t last long.
Check which species you’ve purchased before planting since some prefer alkaline soil while others like acidic soil.
Zones 3-9
Catmint
Catmint is one of the most hardy perennials you’re free to grow.
As you might guess from the common name,catmintis a favorite of felines.
They’ll often roll around in the plants in delight.
This is normal after years of growth.
When this happens, it can be divided and replanted.
