something new
When you have a perennial garden finding a plant that you never seen before is quite unusual. The perennials in your climate zone are familiar, you probably had them in your garden for years, and the ones you don’t grow are the ones that didn’t thrive for whatever reason.
Live and learn. I finally found out what this plant is: it is called “Burning Love”, “Maltese Cross” or “Jerusalem Cross”, Lychnis chalcedonica, originally from Siberia. It is indeed attracting butterflies, and it blooms in the middle of summer and then again at the beginning of fall. And yes, it is perennial to zones 4 through 10.
[This little butterfly weed (I think…) was hiding shyly under the tall goldenrod stems and I only discovered it because of its bright coral red color.
I probably planted the seeds of this flower years ago and forgot about them. Plants have a way of rearranging your gardening schedule and germinate when and if they think they should. I’m happy to welcome this cheerful flower and hope it grows big and strong over the years. If it is indeed butterfly weed it will be very well adjusted and long lived, like all native plants.
The more exciting part is that if this flower belongs to the milkweed family it will make a great home for the young of the Monarch butterflies. It’s abundant nectar production also attracts bees and humming birds.]
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