The Perennial Plant Association has named Stachys ‘Hummelo’ as its choice for 2019 Perennial Plant of the Year.
‘Hummelo’ is a colorful compact plant for a sunny perennial border, a specimen plant in a rock garden or massed as a ground cover. Striking midsummer spikes of rose-lavender flowers rise above a basal rosette of crisp green, trouble free foliage that remains fresh looking throughout the growing season. The glossy, dark green leaves are interesting themselves, having an oval shape with tightly scalloped edges and a crinkled or puckered texture. The wiry stems are mostly leaf-free making ‘Hummelo’ for great cut flower bouquets.
‘Hummelo’ is a clump-forming plant that reaches 1 ½ – 2 feet tall and wide. Removing faded blooms encourages re-bloom for weeks on end. At the end of the growing season, allow dried flowers and stalks to remain in the garden to provide winter interest.
The genus Stachys is part of the mint family and like all mints, it spreads over time to form a dense mat of underground roots. ‘Hummelo’ spreads much more slowly than other mint family members though and stays well in control. Plants can be divided in early spring every 4-5 years by using a shovel to slice down through the roots to separate out sections for replanting. New plants as well as divisions should be placed 12-18” apart.
Plants perform best in full sun with well-drained soil, but will survive just fine in light shade. They are good in combination with ornamental grasses, coneflowers, Russian sage, catmint, stonecrop, and last year’s Perennial Plant of the Year, Asclepias tuberosa. ‘Hummelo’ can also be grown in containers, but would have to be brought inside a garage and kept adjacent to an interior wall over winter.
‘Hummelo’ is relatively pest and disease free and even deer don’t particularly favor it. It is one of few plants that can be successfully grown near walnut trees.
The spikey blooms are attractive to pollinators including butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. In fact, the word “hummel” is the German word for bumblebee. The genus name derives from the Greek word “stacys” which means “ear of corn” and likely refers to the way the flowers grow tightly on their spikes.
Are you wondering how a plant gets elected Perennial Plant of the Year? Perennial Plant Association members vote each summer on the following year’s plant. At that time, each member is allowed to nominate two plants for future consideration. A committee reviews the nominated plants, which may number 400, and narrows the field to three or four to be placed on the ballot.
Plant nominees need to satisfy the following criteria: suitable for a wide range of climates, low-maintenance, relatively pest-free and disease resistant, multiple seasons of ornamental interest, and be readily available at garden centers the year it is elected.
It looks as though the PPA members have chosen another winner this year!
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