Spigelia 'Ragin Cajun'

Spigelia 'Ragin Cajun': Louisiana Heat in Red-Orange Trumpets

This plant flowers so heavily it looks like it's trying to win a bet. Upright red tubes with an orange cast open into yellow stars, cluster after cluster. THE HUMMINGBIRDS ARE PLACING WAGERS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Spigelia marilandica 'Ragin Cajun'
• Common Name: Indian Pink
• Height: 50 cm (20 in)
• Spread: 70 cm (28 in)
• Flowers: Clusters of upright tubular flowers, bright red with an orange cast, opening to yellow star-shaped tips
• Bloom Time: Late spring to midsummer (May to July)
• Foliage: Pairs of pointed, deep green leaves forming a compact clump
• Features: Heavy flowering, compact habit

Where to Plant: Plant it at the front of a woodland edge or a part-shade border, or in a pollinator bed close to a window or patio so you can watch the visitors. Its compact habit keeps it tidy near the front of a bed.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Ragin Cajun' in a moist bed in part shade with bronze heuchera, white foxgloves and pink burnet. Heuchera 'Palace Purple' adds bronze-purple foliage at 20 to 30 cm. Digitalis 'Dalmatian White' brings white foxglove spires at 90 to 120 cm in June and July. Sanguisorba 'Pink Tanna' adds pink bottlebrushes at 60 to 90 cm from June to September. Molinia 'Skyracer' sends airy stems to 180 to 240 cm, turning bronzy gold in fall.

Plant Care: Choose moist but well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Slightly acidic soil is ideal. It grows stronger and blooms more with some direct sun, but only if the soil stays evenly moist, so water in dry spells and mulch to hold moisture. Like other Indian pinks, it starts slowly and appears late in spring, so mark the spot. Remove faded flower clusters to encourage more. Cut it back in fall, and in colder spots add a layer of mulch after the ground freezes. Divide only when needed, in spring. All parts are toxic if eaten, so plant it where pets and small children won't snack on it.

History: Plant Delights Nursery selected 'Ragin Cajun' in 2000 from plants near St. Francisville, Louisiana, choosing it for flower clusters with more orange than other forms. It was introduced in 2016 by Plant Delights Nursery and the Juniper Level Botanic Garden in North Carolina.

Final Thoughts: Compact and busy, it fits the front of a sunny or part-sun bed. Plant it where you can watch. THE ODDS ARE IN YOUR FAVOUR.