Bidens Pirates Pearl

The Bidens ferulifolia 'Pirate's Pearl' is a recent variety, with a rather voluminous and trailing habit, reaching impressive dimensions. The plant is transformed from May until the first frosts into a cloud of white stars with golden hearts. A scattering of tight little daisies covers an already beautiful, delicately and deeply indented, bright green foliage. A marvel to adopt in sunny flower beds, rockeries or in flowering pots. This not very hardy perennial is grown as an annual, in fresh and fertile, but well-drained soil.

The Bidens ferulifolia is also called Bidens with fern-like leaves. It is a perennial annual (semi-hardy in very mild climates) of the asteraceae family, native to Mexico and Arizona. Its lifespan is short, but its growth is very fast. The 'Pirate's Pearl' variety forms a very beautiful bushy clump of leafy stems 80 to 90 cm (2 ft 8" to 3 ft) tall and 50 to 60 cm (1 ft 8" to 2 ft) wide, at least in open ground. In pots, its habit will be more trailing and less erect. Its long flowering season starts in May-June and only ends with the first autumn frosts. The flowers, similar to small daisies, which can reach 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter, are carried by fine axillary peduncles. Formed of white petals arranged around a yellow centre, the countless blooms are set on a very dense and particularly ornamental foliage, consisting of small, very bright green leaves divided into very narrow linear segments evoking those of chervil, or even tiny fern fronds.

Bidens grow very fast and are very floriferous. Not demanding in water, they are particularly suitable for cultivating in pots, hanging baskets, rockeries or summer flowerbeds. They happily coexist with other annuals such as Lobelia, Bacopa and Diascia, allowing for multiple colour combinations. They blend beautifully, for example, with red balcony Geraniums, Surfinias or Petunias in shades of purple or red, or with Salvias offering blue or pink blooms.

Green plants from 4-8 cm (1.6-3.1 in) in trays of 5 small plugs, 2.8 cm (1.2 in) in diameter and 4 cm (1.6 in) tall. Our plants are at least eight weeks old and strong enough to be planted out in open ground.

Note: Please be aware that our young plants in mini plugs are professional products intended for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transfer and store them in sheltered areas (verandah, greenhouse, cold frame...) at a temperature above 14°C for a few weeks before planting outdoors once the risk of frosts has definitively passed.