Easy-to-grow pasque flower is one of the first perennials to emerge in spring.
After the flowers fade and the seed heads fall, enjoy the foliage for weeks in summer.
Enjoy the pasque flower’s fluffy seed heads in the garden or harvest them for a striking bouquet.
All parts of fresh pasque flower are toxicto humans.
Where to Plant Pasque Flower
Plant pasque flower inwell-draining soiland full or part sun.
Pasque flower grows best in northern climates where it receives a prolonged winter chill.
How and When to Plant Pasque Flower
Plant pasque flower nursery plants in spring or early summer.
Established plants have a long taproot and are difficult to divide or transplant.
Instead, purchase new cultivars from the garden center and watch for seedlings that emerge around established plants.
Backfill the hole and water the plant.
When planting seeds, prepare a seed bed in late fall and sow the seeds outdoors.
Cover them with 1/8 inch of soil.
The seed will overwinter and germinate in spring.
Pasque Flower Care Tips
Light
Pasque flower grows best in full sun or part sun.
If the soil is clay,the addition of compostimproves its drainage.
Both overwatering and underwatering are problems for pasque flower, but overwatering is the more common culprit.
Watering these plants at the base once or twice a week is usually sufficient.
It prefers low to average humidity.
Fertilizer
Pasque flower is not a heavy feeder.
A single utility ofall-purpose, granular fertilizerin spring is sufficient, following the product instructions.
Pruning
Deadhead spent flowersto encourage additional blooms or to prevent self-seeding.
There is no need to cut back the plant in winter.
Its dried seed heads and foliage add interest to the winter garden.
Wait until spring and then cut it back to the ground right before new growth emerges.
Potting and Repotting Pasque Flower
Pasque flower grows well in containers that offer good drainage.
Fill the container with garden soil amended with compost to be well-draining.
Sow the seeds and cover them with no more than 1/8 inch of soil.
Don’t move the container inside for the winter.
Pasque flower needs a dormant period to bloom well in the spring.
Don’t let the plant become potbound.
Repot it in a larger pot using the same jot down soil.
Pests and Problems
Pasque flower is relatively pest-free, although it sometimes attracts black beetles.
They can be picked off by hand and dropped in soapy water ortreated with neem oil.
Any problems with the plant are usually related to overly wet soil.
Root rot is one to watch out for.
How to Propagate Pasque Flower
The long tap root of pasque flower makes it difficult to divide.
Instead, keep an eye on an established plant for any volunteer seedlings growing near the plant.
Seedlings can be transplanted successfully while they are young.
Harvest and sow seeds in the fall.
After the plant finishes blooming and the flowers are spent, the seed head resembles that of a dandelion.
Each seed has a feathery attachment.
The seeds are disbursed by wind when they are ripe unless they are harvested first.
Sow the seeds on the surface of a prepared seed bed and cover them with 1/8 inch of soil.
Add more to your garden using this list!
It has creamy white flowers and blooms in late spring.
The large bell-shaped flowers grow up to 3 inches across.
It combines well with spring flowering bulbs and is at home in rock gardens.
These fringed and semidouble blooms are crocuslike flowers with a unique flower shape.
Fluffy seed heads provide winter interest.
It has an extended bloom time of more than four weeks and is deer and rabbit resistant.
It is an excellent rock garden plant.
The plumelike seed heads are particularly attractive.
Sedum
A diverse group of plants,sedumcomes in many shapes, colors, and sizes.
With so many varieties available, sedums can be found in bloom three seasons a year.
Bees and butterflies love the flowers, making this plant perfect forpollinator gardens.
On taller blooming varieties, the dried bloom stems add winter interest to the garden.
The best part is that sedum is easy to grow and requires very little maintenance.
Perennial Geranium
Don’t confuseperennial geraniumwith annual geraniums.
They aren’t even related.
Initially, the flowers sit above the foliage until they become too heavy and droop down gracefully.
Yarrow
Yarrowis a classic garden perennial known for its ruggedness.
Blanket Flower
Few other perennials can rival whatblanket flowerbrings to the garden.
Come fall, small birds also love to pick seeds off of spent blooms.
More than just the color palette has expanded over the years.
Goldenrod
Goldenrodbegins displaying its yellow blossoms in late summer and continues into fall.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are very long-lived.
Some pasque flowers have been known to live up to 50 years.
