Willy Wonka would approve of these perennials—all have flowers with shapes that call to mind treats like lollipops and popsicles, in sweet and fruity shades.
Why think about flower shape? Because using different shapes helps create a more dynamic garden. Big globes and tall spikes, such as from the Turkestan onion and torch lilies, are eye-catching whether they’re dotted throughout a planting or massed in one spot. Smaller round or irregular flowers, like thrift and pigsqeak, invite a closer look. And who can pass by an unusual bloom like pineapple lily? Its dense cylinder of flowers, complete with a leafy top hat, makes a fanciful accent that deserves pride of place in a container or at the edge of a patio.
Aside from their candylike looks, these perennials all share in common a need for good drainage. Topdressing annually with compost improves soil drainage while boosting soil fertility. Adding gravel or sharp sand to the planting hole can help instead with plants that prefer lean soil. Berms, raised beds and containers are other options for growing plants that abhor wet feet.
1. Pigsqueak (Bergenia cordifolia)
This shade-tolerant perennial’s spring flowers remind me of rock candy, because of the stiff, jagged outline they create. It has substantial evergreen foliage, which turns red for the winter. (It looks best in winter in the warmer areas of its growing range.)
Bloom time: Early to mid-spring.
How to grow it: Pigsqueak grows best in part to full shade, although it can take full sun, with ample watering, in the North. It is bone hardy and often described as evergreen, but its leaves can become tattered over the winter outside of the South. It prefers fertile, moist soil but it can take some drought.
Notable types: Reaching 18 inches tall and wide, ‘Bressingham Ruby’ boasts deep red winter foliage and dark pink flowers; ‘Bressingham White’ offers creamy blossoms. Winter Glow (‘Winterglut’; USDA Zones 3–9), growing to two feet wide, is another cultivar noted for excellent cool-season color, plus vivid magenta flowers. New in 2021, ‘Miss Piggy’ is a lower-growing cultivar with bubblegum-pink flowers; the exceptionally dark green of its foliage is nice in summer.
2. Sea thrift (Armeria pseudarmeria)
Rounded, 10-inch tufts of broad grassy foliage give rise to lollipop-like flowerheads. The species grows on cliffs and coastal slopes of the Iberian Peninsula; it copes well with poor, shallow soil, salt spray, heat and drought. Breeding has resulted in a range of heavy-blooming cultivars in reds, pinks and whites.
Bloom time: Spring to summer
How to grow it: Plant thrift in full sun. It needs sharp drainage and prefers soil that is low in nutrients. Do not fertilize it. Sea thrifts are sometimes treated as spring annuals in sites where they’re likely to develop rot. However, they can be long-lived perennials in rock gardens or on berms, in containers filled with a free-draining potting mix or in gravel gardens.
Notable types: ‘Sweet Dreams’ (Zones 5–9) is a medium-pink member of the Dreameria series, capable of an extended spring-to-fall bloom with deadheading. Plants in the Ballerina series (Zones 6–9) bloom heavily from mid- to late spring and may rebloom lightly in summer; ‘Ballerina Red’ is an award winner with cherry-red color.
3. Turkestan onion (Allium karataviense)
This early-blooming bulb has a flower that resembles those of more familiar ‘Globemaster’, but on a short stem. The five-inch-round flowerhead hovers just above a pair of wide blue-green leaves that provide some added early interest when they emerge in late winter, tinged with purple and gray. Its short stature, attractive spring foliage and low water needs suit it to a rock garden or hillside planting.
Bloom time: Early spring.
How to grow it: Plant the bulbs in the fall. Turkestan onion needs full sun and good drainage, growing best in sandy soil or on a slope. Heat and drought do not trouble this plant, which will go dormant in summer. This allium is a good candidate for indoor forcing or growing in outdoor containers. Zones 4–8.
Notable relative: Allium karataviense is grown solely as the species, with no cultivars to mention. For a later, different yet still candy-like bloom, try A. sphaerocepholon, the drumstick allium, a clumping type that blooms in early summer. It forms multiple round heads of tiny green buds that sequentially open deep pink, creating a two-tone effect.
4. Torch lily (Kniphofia)
Torch lily, also known as red hot poker, is an herbaceous perennial with origins in southern Africa. Plants common to gardens today are usually scaled-down hybrids, although the hefty species K. uvaria is still widely grown. (Note: K. uvaria is listed as invasive in parts of California; see http://www.invasiveplantatlas.org.) Torch lily has grassy leaves and popsicle-like flowers that can keep coming all summer long. Hummingbirds love them.
Bloom time: Summer.
How to grow it: Provide full sun and good drainage. Deadhead the flowers to encourage continual bloom. Torch lilies can withstand some drought once established, but they will bloom better with regular water. This plant spreads by underground rhizomes; to reduce the size and rejuvenate it, divide it in spring. It will not tolerate winter damp; to protect from rot, tie the declining foliage up over the center of the plant and add mulch.
Notable types: Three-foot-tall 'Rocket's Red Glare' (Zones 6–9) has long flower spikes of red buds that fade to peach and cream. Recommended for small spaces and containers, ‘Redhot Popsicle’ (Zones 6–9) forms a clump just 16 inches high and 18 inches wide, with flowers rising to nearly 2 feet. ‘Green Jade’ (Zones 6–9), introduced by Beth Chatto in 1968, flowers in cool greens, making it an alternative to the typical hot tones. ‘Poco Citron’ (Zones 6–9), released in 2021, is another novel color, with flowers that mature through shades of lemon and lime.
5. Pineapple lily (Eucomis)
Pineapple lily earns its name from its flower structure: the cylinder of small, starry blossoms topped by a tuft of leaves does resemble a pineapple. To me, it’s also a bit like cotton candy, considering its shape and the thick, sturdy stem. These South African bulbs are easy to grow provided they have good drainage. They take well to pots, making it easy to cater to their requirements and keep them even where they aren’t hardy.
Bloom time: Mid- to late summer.
How to grow it: The bulbs should be planted in spring after the last frost has passed. Cold-region gardeners can get ahead by starting the bulbs earlier in pots indoors, similar to dahlias. These plants require good drainage and full sun, although some midday shade is beneficial in hot areas. Water lightly until the bulb begins to grow, then keep the soil moderately moist through flowering. Bulbs can be left in the ground where they are hardy, provided the site remains fairly dry. In colder zones or where winter drainage is inadequate, dig the bulbs up after the leaves yellow, clean them and store them in a cool space. Containers can simply be moved into cool storage and kept dry.
Notable types: The hybrid ‘African Night’ offers rosy flowers, leaves that emerge burgundy and increased hardiness, surviving Zone 6; safeguard it there with a winter mulch, however. Compact hybrid ‘Leia’ (Zones 8–10) has dark purple buds that open raspberry pink; it blooms several weeks earlier than other cultivars. The robust E. comosa ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ (Zones 6b–9), introduced in 1997 by Plant Delights Nursery, offers purple-bronze foliage and flowers that open light pink. The long-lived species E. autumnalis (Zones 7–10) has chunky spikes of white flowers crowned with a tuft of lime-green leaves.
Related reading: "Unusual Bulbs for the Garden"
Image credits: "African Night' pineapple lily, 'Rocket's Red Glare' torch lily and 'Miss Piggy' pipsqueak courtesy of Walters Gardens. Turkestan onion by Andrey Zharkikh/CC BY 2.0 DEED
