Here is yet another gift plant from brother Tim, received maybe seven years ago and planted in the orchard bed near the fence. This survivor gets overwhelmed by other plants most years, but still manages to throw up some handsome spikes of pinky flowers. I thought this was a native species, but I haven’t been able to identify it specifically yet. It is more shrubby and perennial than the garden types that I’ve tried before which usually only last two or three years.

My future plans for this plant are to do a better job of giving it space to grow and show off its late spring flower show. I may try to propagate it, too, to add more to the same area, especially if I find out it is native here.