Gomphrena - Buddy Purple

DESCRIPTION: Compact plants bloom through hot, dry conditions and flower until frost. 1" flowers are bright reddish purple.

BOTANICAL NAME: Gomphrena 'Buddy Purple' 
OTHER NAMES: Bachelor's Button 
AVERAGE MATURE HEIGHT: 60 cm
AVERAGE MATURE SPREAD: 25 cm
SUN EXPOSURE: Full sun
FLOWER COLOUR: reddish purple
FLOWERING TIME: Summer
FOLIAGE COLOUR: Sea green
COLD HARDINESS: Annual
WATER NEEDS: Average
OTHER FEATURES: Cut Flowers, Attracts Butterflies, Bee Friendly

Ornamental Features

Buddy Purple Gomphrena has masses of beautiful purple ball-shaped flowers with yellow tips at the ends of the stems from late spring to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain bluish-green in colour throughout the season. 

Landscape Attributes

Buddy Purple Gomphrena is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep. Trim off the flower heads after they fade and die to encourage more blooms late into the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Buddy Purple Gomphrena is recommended for the following landscape applications:

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Buddy Purple Gomphrena will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. This annual will live outdoors for one full growing season.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. 

Buddy Purple Gomphrena is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.