Plant Database

Description:

Deep purple-black emerging foliage turns to shades of bronze, then matures to olive green; tall heads of bright yellow flowers crown this visually interesting foliage and provide excellent contrast

Ornamental Features

Osiris Cafe Noir Rayflower features bold panicles of yellow daisy flowers at the ends of the stems from mid to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive large serrated heart-shaped leaves emerge deep purple in spring, turning olive green in colour with showy gold variegation and tinges of coppery-bronze throughout the season. The deep purple stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Landscape Attributes

Osiris Cafe Noir Rayflower is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its wonderfully bold, coarse texture can be very effective in a balanced garden composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Osiris Cafe Noir Rayflower is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Osiris Cafe Noir Rayflower will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity extending to 3 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.