TITHONIA

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

Brilliant red Tithonia !!!!!

Basics

 Directly related to daisy family (Asteraceae) this genus includes many species of bushy annuals, perennials and shrubs native to Mexico and Central America. Usually with large, brightly colored daisy-like flowers on thick stems.Mexican sunflower, T. rotundifolia, is a vigorous, drought tolerant warm season annual that is easy to grow in the ornamental garden. It is the most common ornamental one you can find.The plants grow 4-6 feet tall with a large central stalk and a somewhat gangly branching habit. The foliage and stems are covered with a soft downy fuzz, and the underside of the leaves are hairy.Flowers are produced from mid-summer until frost. The solitary flowers are borne on hollow peduncles (flower stems). Best to place them away from a windy spot.The flowers are attractive to a wide variety of bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, and can also be used as cut flowers. Many pollinators visit including bumblebee, long horned bee, wild bees, syrphid fly, monarch butterfly and tiger swallowtail. 

Loved by pollinators !

 Because of its tall stature Use tithonia at the back of borders and beds as a backdrop for shorter plants. Larger often need to be staked to remain upright – especially later in the season. It has few pest problems and does best in full sun in well-drained soil. 

we love orange !

 

we love yellow too !!!!!

 It is an amazing ornamental plant !  Beautiful flowers in the NYC heat and humidity - all summer long.  What is not to love. 

For the best summer flowering ornamentals -

Call Plant Specialists TODAY !

Don't delay – the sooner the better !

 

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 53 YEARS !

  Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBAAll photographs used with permission from @SHUTTERSTOCK 

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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