| Almost all gardeners have remembrances of special | | | | plants in stock?"To my knowledge there is only one |
| plants from their childhood. One particular plant that I | | | | wholesale nursery in the United States that grows |
| remember fondly was my father's treasured | | | | gas plants and we are indeed fortunate to have nice |
| pink-flowering gas plant Dictamnus fraxinella Purpureus | | | | established blooming-sized specimens from 2.62 quart |
| (also confusingly known as Dictamnus albus Rosea). It | | | | pots. |
| grew in our perennial garden and matured into a | | | | Dictamnus is called gas plant because the leaves, |
| mound about three feet wide by four feet tall. For | | | | flowers, and star-shaped seed pods give off a strong |
| several weeks in late spring each year it bore over a | | | | lemon-scented vapor, which on hot summer nights |
| dozen flowers spikes of soft pink with darker pink | | | | flashes when ignited with a match, harmless to the |
| veins. Our gas plant always attracted attention | | | | plant. |
| because they are so rare and unusual. Each year it | | | | Planting and Care |
| grew a little and gained a few more flower spikes. | | | | Select a location with well-drained garden soil--an |
| Our gas plant never got any special care except for | | | | evenly moist, compost enhanced, fertile soil that |
| spring fertilization with an organic food for flowers. | | | | does not become soggy. |
| The foliage mound of gas plants is lush, dense and | | | | Choose a permanent spot; gas plants are very |
| dark green giving a thick bushy appearance. Gas | | | | difficult to transplant. |
| plants are notoriously difficult to transplant. However, | | | | Add Heart and Soil or a small amount of lime at |
| when we moved from one house to another, we did | | | | planting time; or use an alkaline compost such as |
| successfully transplant it by carefully digging a large | | | | Chesapeake Blue, Compro or Chesapeake Green. |
| root ball in early spring just as it was emerging from | | | | Grows best in full sun, but will tolerate some light |
| the ground. | | | | shade. In zone 7, some protection from the hottest |
| Although gas plants are easy to grow and will live for | | | | afternoon sun, is preferred. |
| generations, they are scarce and hard to find. | | | | Fertilize in spring with Flower-Tone. |
| Propagation is difficult and the gas plant is slow | | | | Hardy in Zones 3-7. |
| growing when the plant is young. One of the most | | | | To view Dictamnus fraxinella Purpureus visit the |
| common questions we get is: "Do you have gas | | | | Carroll Gardens website. |