Mary Claire Rowe

Indian Pink Spigelia Marilandica is a startlingly bright red and yellow blossomed plant that will draw ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) to your garden like a magnet.

This is a stunning, yet underutilized perennial that will do very well in East Texas. It is also called Maryland or Woodland Pinkroot, and Wormgrass - because it was somehow used by Native Americans for treatment of parasites.

Indian Pink is hardy in USDA Zones 6 through 9. It grows up to 2 feet tall and 15-18 inches wide. Most interesting is that it will take a variety of soils and growing conditions, but prefers lightly moist soil and partial to light shade.

It prefers the under-story of tall trees. It is native to southeastern U.S. in wooded areas. These plants are self-seeding, and can be divided by the root ball, or softwood cuttings can be made from non-blooming stems.

The bright ruby red trumpets, with elongated yellow throats that curve into star-shaped openings, surrounded by the glossy green foliage, make a brilliant addition to the garden. They can be seen growing in the IDEA Garden this June.

Hummingbirds love them, and so will you.

"What's Blooming In Our Garden'' is a regular feature of the Tyler Morning Telegraph Garden Page. It is written by Mary Claire Rowe, a Master Gardener with the Texas Cooperative Extension, and focuses on flowers and plant life around East Texas. To share your comments on gardening, write her in care of the Morning Telegraph.

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