The Red Spurflower is a flowering perennial that prefers a sunny spot. The umbel flowers can grow up to 60 cm high.
The red spur flower (Centranthus ruber) provides a splash of color in the steppe garden. The small umbelliferous flowers delight the eye well into autumn. The spur flower owes its name to the few millimeters long spurs that are located at the lower end of the flower. The undemanding perennial can also be cultivated in a tub and bring color to any garden bed with its white, pink or red inflorescences.Red Spurflower - Origin
The red spurflower belongs to the numerous spurflower species and belongs to the honeysuckle family, where it serves the subspecies of the valerian family. Originally, the spur flowers come from Mediterranean regions. The distribution area of the red spur flower extends from southern Europe to northwestern Africa and Asia Minor. The robust plant can now also be cultivated well under harsher climatic conditions in the temperate climate zone.
| Red Spurflower 'Coccineus' (Centranthus ruber 'Coccineus) | |
|---|---|
| Growth: | Clump-like, upright |
| Growth: | 40 - 60 cm |
| Growth: | 40 - 50 cm |
| Flowering: | June - August |
| Location: | Sun |
| Floor: | calcareous, permeable, slightly dry |
Red Spurflower - Special Features
The red spurge is also known as the "herb of immortality". This can be attributed to the presence of valepotriates. The active ingredient is known from real medicinal valerian. With a share of five percent, the red spurflower exceeds the substance concentration of the medicinal plant.
Valepotriates have a balancing effect, can calm the nerves and at the same time prevent signs of fatigue. The leaves of the plant can be brewed into tea or eaten in a salad.
Plant Red Spurflower
➔ Find the right location
The heat-loving plant should get a sunny and sheltered spot. The sun should be about six hours a dayGrant hobby gardeners of the Mediterranean plant. Pretty accents can be set in the rock garden or perennial bed in combination with sedum or yarrow.
The plant can be used in a variety of ways. Not only in the bed does the red spur flower make a name for itself. The greening of gravel slopes is just as possible as the beautification of roof terraces or the planting of flat roofs. The red spur flower can also be used as a cut flower.
➔ Choosing the ideal substrate
The Red Spurflower can be cultivated in normal garden soil as long as it does not have a high moisture content. In the wild, the spur flowers colonize rocky slopes or crevices in walls. Therefore, a permeable limestone soil with a high proportion of sand or gravel should be used.
➔ Plant red spur flower - step by step
- Select Location
- Prepare the ground
- Water plant
- Note the planting distance
- Dig planting hole
- Insert plant
- Fill substrate
- Press substrate well
- Water the plant
The best planting time for young perennials is spring or late summer. During the preparation of the location, the red spurge should be watered so that the root ball absorbs enough moisture.
The soil is loosened up well and mixed with sand, lime, compost or horn shavings depending on the condition. A planting distance of 50 centimeters gives the plant enough leeway. The planting holes are to be generously dug.
Caring for red spur trees
➔ Water the red spur flower properly
As a rule, the red spurge can cover its liquid requirements from the natural rainfall. If there is a long period of drought, the plant should be watered. The irrigation water is preferably poured directly onto the root area in the morning and evening hours.
» Attention: If the plant is wetted with moisture from the sun, the petals will burn.
➔ Fertilize red spur flower correctly
The plant is not demanding regarding the substrate. In spring, mature compost can stimulate growth and flowering. Likewise, horn shavings, guano or bark humus can easily be incorporated into the soil between April and May.
» Tip: Fertilizing again in summer after pruning the first bloom can encourage the plant to bloom again.
➔ Cut red spur flower
Who wants to avoid theIf you sow the plant yourself and thus multiply uncontrollably, you should use the scissors after flowering and shorten the perennial by a third. In September, the red spur flower usually blooms again. Cut back close to the ground in late autumn or spring.
Propagate Red Spurflower
By self-seeding, the red spur flower reliably reproduces itself. If red and white spur flowers are found in one location, the hobby gardener can look forward to a multifaceted play of colors in the young plants.
Propagation by division can be tried on older plants. However, sowing usually works far more reliably. The red spurflower is counted among the taproots. It is correspondingly difficult to dig up the plant and successfully replant the sections that have been obtained.
Winter Red Spurflower
Winter protection is necessary for young plants. Only after about three to four years are the plants sufficiently hardy to do without additional protection. Young plants are covered with leaves, straw or brushwood. In order not to hinder budding, the protective layer is removed in early spring.