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Spiller Plants

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May 14, 2016
Colorful flowers always get the most attention in the landscape or combination containers. But today I’d like to share some the unsung heroes of the garden, the spillers. Spillers are those plants that have sprawling growth; here are a few that are good choices. Creeping jenny, known botanically as Lysimachia, is a little ground cover with sprawling growth. This is an accurately named selection called Goldilocks due to its bright golden yellow leaves. This is great in a container paired with dark leaved companions. Walkabout Sunset lysimachia is different form of creeping jenny that forms a mat of oval, yellow variegated foliage. During the summer the sprawling stems are filled with cup-shaped yellow flowers with orange bases. A spiller plant that I think has a touch of elegance is white licorice plant with its silvery, felt-like pubescent foliage. This is a tender perennial that is grown as an annual for use in combination containers. True to its name, on a hot summer day you may notice the licorice aroma. Another great choice for a spiller is Swedish ivy, Plectranthus variegata. The scalloped green foliage is very attractive with the white edges and makes this a great plant for the container or landscape. A great feature of these spiller plants is they will grow great in light shade all the way to the full sun. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman and I’ll see you next time on southern Gardening.
Department: Agricultural Communications

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