The Alonia angelonia a relatively new series blew me away at one of the Southeast's recent premier trials. It is a compact series that comes in an intense blue dark blue, purple, lavender pink and white and reaches about 15 inches tall and loads up with a quantity of flowers on each spike that will mesmerize passersby.
If you happen to be asking yourself what is an angelonia, think of it as a snapdragon for the summer. In fact it often marketed under that name summer snapdragon and they indeed love the sweltering heat that is so common during this season. To me, the angelonia is one of the top plant introductions of the last 15 years.
Though countless varieties have made their debut they still remain unknown by the rank-and-file gardener. When angelonias bloom, they make you think they would be at home in a cottage-like garden. They are not as tall as the larkspur, but they give a sense of belonging in that style of garden. They deliver a spiky texture so welcome in the traditional world of round flowers.
They look good with New Gold lantana or planted in drifts adjacent to black-eyed Susans. The white and pink varieties look awesome planted in front of tall, purple coneflowers. They also work well with the colorful foliage of the coleus.
Plant them in well-drained, well-prepared beds rich in organic matter. Choose a site in full sun for best flowering. It is hard to believe that a plant in the snapdragon family relishes our summer heat and humidity.
Once established in the bed, angelonias seem to have remarkable drought tolerance. This is particularly true in organic-rich beds where a layer of mulch has been added. Pay attention though, because if we should go through a prolonged dry spell, supplemental irrigation would be necessary. Please do not stick this wonderful plant in tight, cement-like soil.
A light monthly application of a 2-1-2-ratio fertilizer, such as a 10-5-10 with minor nutrients, is all this plant needs to keep blooming. The bloom period is really long, and when it does want to cycle, it responds well to trimming back with a pair of pruning shears.
The angelonia will be treated as an annual by most gardeners and I might add one of exceptional value. In zones 9 and warmer they have been known to return from the winter. In zone 8 I have seen them come back three out of five years provided there is superior drainage.
In addition to the new Alonia look also for the award winning Serena series, the only seed produced series in the market place. It too is compact reaching 12 to 15 inches.
The series with the largest flowers continues to be the six Angelface angelonias followed closely behind with the AngelMist group that now boasts 15 colors including some that have a spreading habit. Both of these are vegetatively propagated and push 2 feet plus.
Regardless of the angelonias you choose, you can rest assured you are getting one of the best in new flowers. Look for angelonias at your garden center. Even though August is here you can still get months of great color.
(Norman Winter is vice president for college advancement, Brewton Parker College, Mount Vernon, Ga., and author of the highly acclaimed "Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South" and his release "Captivating Combinations Color and Style in the Garden". Contact him at nwinterbpc.edu.)
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