First One out of the Gate

A few of my spring perennials have been blooming already like my ‘Luxuriant’ Bleeding Heart and my Corydalis, but a few days ago my first real perennial of the summer started to flower—Verbascum (mullein) ‘Caribbean Crush.’

‘Caribbean Crush’ can grow to 4 feet tall and sends up flower stalks in peach, mango, yellow and rose. It does well in full sun and can tolerate drought and poor soil conditions. It doesn’t like wet feet. If you remove spent flower stalks there’s a good chance it will send up another flush of blooms.

I bought mine last year, and this is the first time it has bloomed for me. It’s a very stately, eye-catching plant. It’s described as a short-lived perennial so we’ll see how many years it will thrive in my garden.