What is the Burning Love Plant?
- Burning love flower is a tall, herbaceous perennial for the back of the flower border, or for mass planting. The red flowers grow in clusters atop tall stalks with pointed, oval, green leaves, and the plant grows in a mound. Cut flowers work well in bouquets with yellow, orange and purple flowers, or with white flowers for red-and-white arrangements. The red is eye-catching in mixed-flower borders, along fences and in foundation plantings.
- Burning love plant is propagated from seed or root divisions. It returns year after year if planted in rich, well-drained soil in full sun. It grows best with consistent watering, although it's tolerant of dry conditions and won't grow well if waterlogged. It grows up to 3 feet tall and blooms all summer long. Tall flowers in open areas may require stakes to prevent wind damage, but do well in tightly planted flower beds, especially along a fence. Deadheading browned flowers stimulates further blooming.
- To plant seedlings in the garden, sow seeds indoors a few weeks before the last spring frost. You can also sow seeds directly into the garden in spring when the ground has warmed up. Separate older plants (those 3 to 5 years old) in late spring or early fall using a sharp spade to divide clumps in half, then moving the separated clump about 2 feet away or to a different location.
- Use burning love flower in cutting gardens; in "love" gardens with such plants as love in a mist, bleeding heart and love lies bleeding; or as a mass planting. Use a mass of burning love flowers to screen an undesirable view such as a central air unit or a compost bin. Let flowers go to seed for a thick stand of burning love flowers in a few seasons. Use 1 or 2 burning love flower plants in an ornamental display with shorter white flowers such as alyssum near a bird bath, fountain or garden sculpture.