Saponaria x lempergii 'Max Frei'
Saponaria x lempergii 'Max Frei'. Photo: SK Reid.
Summary
UC Davis is located in Davis, California, this site has a silty clay loam soil and plants are irrigated with potable water. More information about the field sites is located in the Nuts & Bolts section.
This low-mounding perennial/groundcover produces masses of pink blooms that completely obscure foliage early in the season. Though it has a months-long bloom time, best appearance is achieved with some shearing of the spent calyces after the first heavy bloom. There were no significant differences in growth between irrigation treatments, though the best foliage appearance was on the low level. The one drawback of this hardy perennial is that its stems are quite brittle and easily broken by passing feet or animals. It was relatively unharmed by insects, though some were present.
Basic Info
| Submitted by: | UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars |
| Site(s): | UC Davis |
| Trial Exposure: | Sun |
| Year evaluated: | 2009 |
Height & Width after 2 years: | 5" x 23" |
Reported Height & Width at maturity: | 9-18" x 12-18" |
| WUCOLS plant type: | Gc P A |
| Water Needs & WUCOLS Region: | Low - Region 2 |
Mean Overall Appearance rating: (1-5 Scale, 5 is highest) | 3.9 |
Flowering Months: | May-September |