Centranthus
Centranthus ruber
Special Features
Typically has clusters of small, tubular flowers forming dense rounded clusters atop tall stems in shades of white, pink, or red. A tough durable plant that thrives with minimal water and care once established.
Plant Specifications
Our team will help you integrate this plant into your landscape design
Growing Centranthus on Martha's Vineyard
Centranthus ruber, the red valerian, is an unfussy, long-blooming perennial that naturalizes readily in the rocky, sharply drained conditions found along stone foundations, gravel paths, and sunny embankments throughout Martha's Vineyard, filling the cracks and crevices of old walls and terracing with a spontaneous, self-reliant energy that embodies the island's historic coastal garden character. It handles salt air with grace and performs especially well in the exposed cottage-garden settings common in the historic districts of Edgartown and Vineyard Haven, where its self-seeding naturalism is most appreciated.
Deer find the slightly aromatic foliage unappealing, making it a reliable unfenced garden choice throughout the island. Estate Care professionals shear spent flower stems back in midsummer to encourage a strong second flush of bloom, and cut plants to the ground in late autumn to promote clean, vigorous spring regrowth in the following season.
