Plant of the Month July 2026
Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Esk Sunset’.
GENERAL INFORMATION: Acer pseudoplatinus is fast growing and is invasive in many areas. However, this cultivar, (named after the Esk Valley in New Zealand) is a well behaved delight. It was found as a chance garden seedling in the 1980s and introduced to the trade in the 1990s.
Common Name: Esk Sunset Sycamore Maple. Sometimes called ‘Eskimo Sunset’ Plane Tree Maple.
Life Cycle: Broad leafed deciduous tree.
Height: up to 4.5m in 20 years.
Bloom Time: Late May, early June southern Ontario.
Flowers: Clusters of small yellowish flowers in late spring. My tree has not yet produced any.
Nectar: produces large amounts when it flowers.
Fruit: Small typical maple seeds. Resulting plants unlikely to have the unique leaf colouration.
Leaves: The large attractive leaves are salmon-pink in the spring, then becoming mottled with pink, green, and cream colours in summer, with a bright purple/pink underneath.
Range: A garden cultivar found in New Zealand in the 1980s.
CULTIVATION:
Plant: where it can be easily seen and admired, especially where breezes can reverse the leaves. It is tolerant of urban pollution and road salt.
Light: Partial to full sun. Some afternoon shade preferable.
Soil: Most well drained soils.
Water: Average to moist soil but must not dry out.
USDA Hardiness: Zones 5-8.
Prune: (if necessary) in late summer to avoid bleeding.
Pollinators: Many different insects.
Pests and Diseases: There should be few problems for plants growing in well drained, moist soil. Fungal leaf spots, Verticillium wilt, and pests like aphids or scale are possible.
Companion planting: Spring bulbs underneath.
Propagation: Try taking semi-hardwood or hardwood cuttings in the spring. Use a rooting hormone. Or graft onto seedling rootstock.
Toxicity: Seeds are toxic to horses.
References:
https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/acer-pseudoplatanus-esk-sunset
https://plants.vermeers.ca/11120001/Plant/5898/Eskimo_Sunset_Sycamore_Maple/
https://leafland.co.nz/plants/acer-pseudoplatanus-esk-sunset/?
Text and images supplied by Anna Leggatt, Toronto Master Gardener.
Plant of the Month June 2026
GENERAL INFORMATION: Cultivated long-lived herb, used for its pungent roots. The variegated form is not a rampant spreader like the parent. It is a member of the Brassicaceae. (Cabbage family).
Common Name: Variegated horseradish.
Armoracia rusticana 'Variegata' - young plant with flower sprays.
Life Cycle: Perennial herb.
Height: to 70cm.
Bloom Time: Early June in Southern Ontario.
Armoracia rusticana 'Variegata' - inflorescence.
Flower Colour & Size: Tiny (to 1 cm) 4-petalled white flowers in large dense panicles.
Scent: Jasmine like. Leaves and roots have strong, pungent mustard like smell.
Armoracia rusticana 'Variegata' - leaf.
Leaves: Young plants have mostly green leaves but soon produce large, long (50–60 cm), wavy, dark green leaves mottled with patches of white and cream. Older plants may have almost completely white leaves.
Armoracia rusticana 'Variegata' leaves before slugs!
Fruit: Sterile flowers, usually no seeds.
Roots: Large, white fleshy tapering roots to 30cm or more.
Native Range for species: SE Europe and Western Asia.
Habitat (species): Riverbanks and meadows, disturbed soils, waste ground and along roadsides,
CULTIVATION:
Plant: fleshy roots so stem tip is just below soil level. Even the smallest portion is likely to grow.
Light: Full sun to light shade..
Soil: Prefers rich moist soil but will grow in most places.
Water: Average.
USDA: Zones 3-9.
Pests and Diseases: Few. Cabbage worms and beetles may chew holes in the leaves, particularly the white parts.
Toxicity: All parts are edible but for sauce, vinegar should be added to the root soon after grating.
References:
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/horseradish-armoracia-rusticana/
https://www.robsplants.com/plants/ArmorRusti
Text and images supplied by Anna Leggatt, Toronto Master Gardener.
Plant of the Month May 2026
Veronica umbrosa ‘Georgia Blue’.
GENERAL INFORMATION: This delightful plant was discovered by Roy Lancaster in the Republic of Georgia in 1979. I saw it in a wonderful bed at Ness Botanic Gardens 12 years later and was impressed. Veronica species are in the family Plantaginaceae, formerly in the Scrophulariaceae..
Synonym: Veronica pedicularis ‘Georgia Blue’.
Common Name: Georgia Blue speedwell.
Life Cycle: Herbaceous semi-evergreen perennial.
Height: to 10 cm with a spread of 1m.
Bloom Time: May to June in Southern Ontario with sporadic flowering during the summer.
Flower Colour & Size: Small, bright blue flowers with a conspicuous white eye.
Scent: Faint to none.
Leaves: Very small, lance-shaped, deep green, bronze tinted, semi-evergreen leaves.
Range: West Caucasus mountains.
Habitat: Grows in the alpine regions.
CULTIVATION:
Plant: Divide frequently to maintain vigour.
Light: Full sun, with some protection rom very strong sunlight.
Soil: Most well drained soils.
Water: Average.
USDA Hardiness: Zones 4-9.
Companion planting: Rock garden plants.
Pests and diseases: Usually problem free. (May have some susceptibility to mildews.)
Pollinators: Butterflies, humming birds.
Propagation: Divide in spring or fall.
Seeds: May not come true from seed.
Toxicity: No known toxicity
References:
https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/veronica-umbrosa-georgia-blue/
https://www.gardenia.net/plant/veronica-umbrosa-georgia-blue-speedwell
Anna Leggatt (Toronto Master Gardener).
Plant of the Month April 2026
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Miyama-Beni'.
GENERAL INFORMATION: An under-used shrub for semi-shade in neutral to acid soils. If possible, buy in the fall to ensure good leaf colour.
Common Name: Red Vein Enkianthus.
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Miyama-Beni'.
Life Cycle: Perennial shrub.
Bark: Smooth, brown.
Height: to 4m.
Bloom Time: June in Southern Ontario.
Flower Colour & Size: Blooms on previous years growth. Racemes of 5-15 small, bell shaped down-facing red flowers, 1.5 cm long.
Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Miyama-Beni' - inflorescence, leaves, bark.
Scent: Fragrant.
Fruit: Seed capsules are ovoid, dehiscent and look like dried, upturned bells. The capsule is 5-valved, growing on a recurved pedicel. They are used in dried arrangements. My plant does not produce viable seed.
Leaves: Simple elliptical, medium to blueish green, alternate leaves, to 6cm long. Finely toothed. Fall colour can be red, with tones of orange, red and purple. Not all plants have this. Buy in the fall. My shrub has just yellowish leaves.
Native Range: Enkianthus campanulatus is native to Japan.
Habitat: Open woodlands.
CULTIVATION:
Plant: where it can be seen easily all year round.
Light: Shade to partial sun. Avoid noon day sun.
Soil: Moist but well drained peaty soils, acid to neutral.
Water: Average.
USDA Hardiness: Zones 4-7.
Pests and Diseases: Usually free for bugs and disease. May be susceptible to honey fungus.
Companion planting: Small rhododendrons, spring bulbs.
Pollinators: Bees, hummingbirds.
Propagation: Surface sow seed at 18-21°C in late winter or early spring. Requires light. Semi-ripe cuttings should root in summer. Try layering in the fall.
References:
https://whistlinggardens.ca/product/miyamabeni-redvein-enkianthus/
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/314417/enkianthus-campanulatus-miyama-beni/details
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=k210
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/enkianthus-campanulatus/
Text and images supplied by Anna Leggatt (Toronto MasterGardener).
Plant of the Month March 2026
GENERAL INFORMATION: This delightful, long-lived bulb may be sold as Fritillaria verticillata (as mine was) or F. verticillata var. thunbergii or F. thunbergii. According to fritillaria.org.uk/, F. verticillata flowers are bell shaped with square shoulders, while F. thunbergii has rounded shoulders. There is much confusion in the plant lists and the literature and also uncertainty of its exact origin. It is used in Asian medicine.
Common Name: Whorled Fritillary.
Life Cycle: Perennial clump-forming bulb. Each bulb with 2 scales, about 2 cm in diameter.
Height: to 30 cm or more.
Fritillaria thunbergii.
Bloom Time: End of April to early May in Southern Ontario.
Flower Colour & Size: Can have racemes of up to 15 down-facing bell-shaped, pale greenish flowers, about 2.5 - 4 cm long, with brownish chequered pattern inside. F. thunbergii has a rounded shape.
Fritillaria thunbergii - flowerrs.
Scent: Unscented.
Leaves: Lanceolate to linear narrow, grey green, up to 9 cm long in whorls of 5 or more. They twist and end in a curled tendrils.
Fruit: A 3 chambered, 6 angled capsule with many flat seeds. My plant has never produced seeds.
Range: Fritillaria thunbergii is native from western China to Japan. F. verticillata is native from South Siberia to Japan.
Habitat: Hills, thickets, gravelly meadows.
CULTIVATION:
Plant: Deeply.
Light: Partial to full sun.
Soil: Most well drained soils.
Water: Average. Avoid wet winter conditions.
USDA Hardiness: Zones 4-9.
Pests and Diseases: Possibility of lily beetle or slugs. Usually disease free.
Companion planting: Rock garden plants, low spring bulbs, small Hosta.
Pollinators: Bees, flies.
Propagation: Divide bulbs when dormant in fall.
Seedex availability: Best with fresh seed. Try planting outdoors with winter temperatures including freezing for 3 months. Grow seedlings in cool temperature and leave in pot for 2 years.
Toxicity: Used in Chinese medicine
References:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/7444/fritillaria-verticillata/details
https://www.fritillaria.org.uk/fritillaria-species-t---z.html
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200027649
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/452303-Fritillaria-verticillata
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritillaria
https://www.phoenixperennials.com/plant-encyclopedia/
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org › PlantFinder
https://pacifichorticulture.org/articles
Text and images supplied by Anna Leggatt
