Culver's Root 'Lavendar Towers'

Veronicastrum virginicum 'Lavendar Towers'

Pick up a pot of 'Lavendar Towers' and you can already picture the back of your border in late summer. those long, tapering wands of soft lavender-blue rising above everything else, swaying just enough to catch the light. This cultivar of native Culver's Root holds its color longer than the straight species and stays more compact, topping out around four to five feet without the tendency to flop. The flowers open progressively from base to tip over several weeks, so the display stretches from midsummer well into fall. Pollinators work these spires relentlessly. Bumblebees in particular are drawn in from a distance, and hummingbirds make regular passes throughout the bloom window. The lance-shaped leaves, arranged in whorls of three to seven around the stem, give the plant a strong architectural presence even before the flowers open. Plant it in full sun with consistent moisture and it will reward you with little else required. It naturalizes cleanly without becoming aggressive.