Rhexia virginica
Handsome Harry
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Handsome Harry lives up to its name! Rose-pink to pale-pink petals surround yellow stamens to create an attractive flower, which blooms in...
Description:
Handsome Harry lives up to its name! Rose-pink to pale-pink petals surround yellow stamens to create an attractive flower, which blooms in May-September. It is cross-pollinated by bumblebees, which forage for its nectar and pollen. Its leaves contain “pulegone,” and can be rubbed on your skin to repel mosquitos. Handsome Harry is an important host plant to larvae (caterpillars) of the Large Lace Border moth (Scopula limboundata). Old seed heads offer shelter for over-wintering beneficial insects, which in turn provide food for birds in the spring. Handsome Harry prefers wet peat or sandy acidic soil. It grows best on the edges of moist woodlands or meadows. Plant Handsome Harry in masses along borders, beds, and moist natural areas of your yard. It propagates through self-seeding.
Plant Details:
Other Scientific Names: Rhexia stricta
Other Common Names: Meadow Beauty
Plant Type: Flower, Perennial
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Late Spring to Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer to Fall
Bloom Colors: Pink
Deer Resistance: None
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Bees and Other Pollinators, Butterflies
Salt Tolerance: Unknown
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ
Grows in Special Ecoregions: Pinelands
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Sandy
Soil Moisture: Wet
Soil pH: Acidic, Slightly Acidic
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Partial Shade
Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Wet
Drought Tolerance: Low
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 1 - 3 ft
Spread: 0.5 - 0.75 ft
Growth Rate: Medium