PL AUTSh m t 26 , D .
turists and researchers at the
University of Georgia.
The committee debates each
nominated plant’s merits and short
comings, asking key questions:
Does it adapt well to Georgia’s
varied soils and climates?
Does it have unique seasonal
interest (such traits as particularly
showy blooms or fall foliage, long
flowering season or unusual exfoli
ating bark)?
Is it easy to maintain?
Is it fairly free of natural pests?
Is it durable?
Is it easy for producers to propa
gate?
Finally, after all the debate, one
superior plant in each category rises
to the top of the list and is awarded
the title of Georgia Gold Medal
Winner.
Once the year’s winners are
selected, the real beauty of the
process begins.
The committee’s first step is to
announce the coming year’s winners
to growers in the fall, so they can
start producing plants for spring
sales.
Then a buyer’s guide is assem
bled and circulated to retailers.
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Finally, a statewide media blitz is
aimed to make consumers aware of
the new selections.
The 1996 Georgia Gold Medal
Winners are wild indigo, Purple
Wave petunia, Hummingbird
Clethra and four superior crape
myrtles (Lipan, Sioux, Tonto and
Yuma).
The 1995 winners were blue
anise sage, New Gold lantana,
Athena elm and Annabelle
hydrangea, and the 1994 winners
were Bath’s Pink dianthus,
Homestead Purple verbena, Mt.
Airy fothergilla and dwarf Japanese
plum yew.
“If you want a plant that will
really perform in your landscape,
look for the Georgia Gold Medal
Winner label,” Wade says. “These
plants are proven winners.”
SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT
Wild indigo:old-timey southern specimen
Wild indigo is as much a part
of the Southern landscape as civil
War mansions and Confederate
battle grounds. It’s not only native
to the Southeast but has played a
big role in Georgia’s history.
During the 18th and 19th cen
turies, settlers admired the blue
form of wild indigo. They noticed
its dark blue flowers resembled the
indigo plant, a native to India used
to make dye.
They found they could get a
permanent, nearly black dye from
an extract of wild indigo flowers.
It proved a less costly alternative
to the imported indigo dye.
Georgia and South Carolina farm
ers planted significant crops of
wild indigo to support the growing
dye industry.
Today, wild indigo is gaining
renewed interest as one of the
toughest perennials on the market
It not only tolerates summer heat,
winter cold, poor soils and drought
but also provides attractive flowers
in many colors.
Wild indigo is a member of the
legume or pea family. The flowers
look like those of the garden pea
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or sweet pea. They range from the
UCCpUdI L/luv lv u cicam, yellow or
almost pure white..
It’s a long-lived, fairly disease
resistant perennial that benefits
from division every five years or
so. Once you have a mature speci
men, you’ll always have some to
share with your neighbors.
It also produces black seed
pods which, by midsummer, rattle
as well as any child’s toy and can
be used in crafts.
Wild indigo was selected as a
1996 Georgia Gold Medal Winner
based on its low maintenance
needs and the spectacular color of
its faithful flowers.
It makes an excellent Xeriscape
plant. There’s more to it than just
pretty flowers.
The best place to plant wild in
digo is in full sun. toward the back
or outside edge of a garden.
There is a reason for this. Wild
indigo isn’t a small plant, and it
tends to spread, slowly but surely.
Mature specimens can reach five
feet high and resemble a small
bush.
Before you say, “Wait, that’s
•I i ./O xt ft
Wild Indigo
Baptisia spp.
too big,” consider the flower dis
play a mature specimen will put
up. It’s worth every inch in the
garden you give it.
The flowers go out of bloom
after about four weeks, a good
stretch for any perennial.
When wild indigo goes out of
bloom, it leaves the garden with
interesting black seed pods and
attractive grey-green foliage.
That’s just the right back ground
See INDIGO, Page 29D
PAGE 27D
