These are beautiful and much admired shrubs from the south east of the USA whose cultivation and care can give gardeners cause for unnecessary concern. Understanding what zenobia need and require is actually fairly straightforward.
Zenobia are evergreen or deciduous sub shrubs which grow slowly up to 6ft with a similar spread. As such they make ideal border plants. The leaves are a striking blue-green turning dark green with toothed margins. The flowers appear as upright racemes of scented white pendant balls. In younger plants you find individual white balls appearing from the older twigs which can be half an inch in size. Those who have never seen the beauty of these lily of the valley flowers before in May to June are in for a pleasant surprise!
Zenobia are perfectly hardy and tolerate full sun. They dislike drought or having their roots compete for moisture with overhanging tree roots. A peaty well mulched soil is ideal.
Propagation from cuttings of half ripe wood in July are usually successful if given bottom heat in the mist bench.
We offer two cultivars of zenobia as well as Z. pulverulenta. Z. ‘Blue Sky’ has startling blue new growth which contrasts superbly with the white flowers. Z. ‘Raspberry Ripple’ has flowers which are edged and striped with red.
