Armeria Dreameria® 'Daydream'

Armeria Dreameria® 'Daydream': Pink Pompoms on Repeat All Summer

Soft pink globes on long stems, blooming from spring right through to fall like it forgot to set an alarm. 'Daydream' is the thrift that never wakes up from summer. HIT SNOOZE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Armeria pseudarmeria 'Daydream'
• Common Name: False Sea Thrift
• Series: Dreameria®, introduced by Darwin Perennials
• Height: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Spread: 25–30 cm (10–12 in)
• Flowers: Soft pink, rounded globes on long, upright stems
• Bloom Time: Late spring to fall (May to September)
• Foliage: Evergreen, strap-like green leaves in a tidy, mounded clump
• Features: Long, repeat bloom, heat tolerant, good cut flower
• Plant Patent: USPP 29,381

Where to Plant: Use it to edge a sunny border or path, in rock gardens, or as a long-blooming filler in containers, and grow a few for small cut flowers. Pick a sunny, well-drained, somewhat sheltered spot, since drainage matters even more than warmth for getting it through winter.

Companion Plants: Asclepias 'Gay Butterflies' brings orange flowers at 65 to 75 cm in July and August. Salvia 'Blue Hill' adds blue spikes from June to September, cool against the pink thrift. Aster 'October Skies' finishes the season with lavender asters in September and October. Give the whole planting full sun.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun, at least six hours a day, in well-drained soil. It does not like wet feet, especially in winter, so avoid heavy clay or low spots that hold water. Water regularly the first season, then as needed during dry spells. To keep the flowers coming, cut spent stems back to the base about once a month through the season. The foliage is evergreen, so don't shear it in fall. Tidy any winter-damaged leaves in spring.

History: The Dreameria® series was introduced to retail by Darwin Perennials in 2018, based on Armeria pseudarmeria, a larger-flowered relative of common sea thrift that grows wild in Portugal. The breeding goal was a thrift that flowers from frost to frost instead of one spring show.

Final Thoughts: Plant it in a hot, sunny spot and cut a few for the kitchen. Butterflies come, deer go. DAYDREAMING NEVER LOOKED THIS PRODUCTIVE.