Scrophularia macrantha
Redbirds In A Tree
Details
1998 Green Thumb Award Winner + 2008 Plant Select Winner. 36-48" tall x 18" wide (seed propagated). Cookes Peak's pine-covered summit rises to over 8,400 feet, towering over the desert near Deming, NM. Looking south you see the panorama of Mexico and its vast expanse of the Chihuahuan desert. From Scrophularia's high altitude habitat of over 7,200 ft. on this mountain's slopes, Panayoti Kelaidis of the Denver Botanic Gardens collected the seed our stock plants were grown from. Scrophularia, a very rare Penstemon relative, is a garden treasure blooming from early summer through fall with long wands of white-lipped, cherry-red flowers. The dark green angular foliage is also quite handsome. The plant has a tall, informal habit and will lean over and intertwine with tall neighboring plants for support. Plant it next to Pitcher's Sage or 'Blue Fortune' Hyssop for this very reason. Very popular with the hummingbirds, too!| SKU | 92750 |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Redbirds In A Tree |
| Botanical Name | Scrophularia macrantha |
| Zones | 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Light Requirements | Full Sun, Morning Sun & Afternoon Shade |
| Flower Color | Red |
| Mature Height | 36-48" tall |
| Mature Spread | 18" wide |
| Bloom Time | Early summer to mid fall |
| Ships As | Potted Plant |
| Native | Yes |
| Planting Time | Spring / Summer, Fall |
| Soil Type | Compost Enriched Garden Loam Soil |
| Soil Moisture | Drought Resistant / Waterwise |
| Amount of Rain | 10 to 20", 20 to 30", 30 to 40" (with care) |
| Advantages | Attract Butterflies, Attract Hummingbirds, Bee Friendly, Rabbit Resistant, Easy to grow, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Native, Extended Bloom Time (more than 4 weeks), Good Rockgarden or alpine plant |
| Special Groups | High Country Gardens Introduction |
| Ideal Region | Suitable Above 7000 ft, Coastal California, Southwest, West, Pacific Northwest |
| Neonicotinoid-Free | Yes - Learn More |
| Ships to Hawaii, Alaska & Canada | No |
Planting Guides
Scrophularia macrantha (Red Birds in a Tree) is a long-blooming native wildflower that is easy-to-grow and provides ample nectar for hummingbirds. It's resistant to browsing rabbits.
Preferred growing conditions:
- Scophularia grows will in a wide range of soil types, but not clay.
- It should be mulched in dry climates with crushed gravel, pine needles and other non-water retentive mulch materials like crushed pecan shells. Avoid bark mulch and wood chips, as these can cause fungal disease in rainy conditions.
- Requires deep, regular watering in dry climates.
- Plant in full or part sun conditions. Afternoon shade is best in hotter climates. Full sun with regular irrigation is fine in moderately hot summer regions.
- Adding just a few handfuls of compost and Yum Yum Mix in the planting hole is enough. Avoid rich, highly -mended soil as this encourages rapid, soft growth and the plant will likely not make it through the winter.
Special comments:
- Scrophularia is not a long lived perennial and gardeners should expect to replace old plants every 3 to 4 years. It is a star of the garden and well worth the investment.
- Avoid chemical fertilizers and too much water, as this will cause the plant to grow quite large and floppy, reducing winter hardiness and shortening its lifespan in the garden.
Garden care:
- Fertilize Scrophularia just once in fall with Yum Yum Mix and Planters II
- To improve cold hardiness, leave plants standing through the winter and cut back the stems to a height of 2-3" inches in mid-spring.
View more Planting Guides, or download our complete Planting Guide for tips on caring for your plants when you receive your order, as well as planting instructions for Perennials, Spring-Planted Bulbs, Fall-Planted Bulbs, Cacti & Succulents, Xeric Plants and more.
Shipping
Plant Shipping: Buy now and we will ship your order at the ideal planting time for your region. Fall shipping begins the week of September 4 (zones 3-4 first) and ends in early November. Expected ship week will display at checkout after you enter your zip code.
Most plant and bulb orders arrive within 2-6 days, or less, of leaving our greenhouses in Colorado. This prompt delivery is provided without additional express charges.
Grass Plugs & Seed: Most orders ship within 5-8 business days (all zones).
Gardening Goods:All non-plant items ship within 2-3 days.
Standard shipping costs are $4.99 and up, depending on the size of the order.
Reviewsby PowerReviews
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 23 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
95%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Attractive (20)
- Accurate instructions (16)
- Healthy (14)
- Hardy (9)
- Versatile (6)
Cons
- Small in size (4)
Best Uses
- Garden (19)
- Outdoors (12)
- Patio (3)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid gardener (12), Master gardener (7), Getting started (3)
- Primary use:
- Personal (23)
Most Liked Positive Review
Spring Follow-up
This is a follow-up to my comments last summer. My plant is in a pot on the patio at 6000 in SW New Mexico. It gets full sun in the summer. I watered...Read complete review
This is a follow-up to my comments last summer. My plant is in a pot on the patio at 6000 in SW New Mexico. It gets full sun in the summer. I watered it about once a week if there was no rain. The reviewer in Oregon might have kept the plant too wet. My plant bloomed until frost. After the branches died back I pruned it close to the soil. I was pleased that it came through the winter in the pot on the patio and is now about 8 inches high with lush green growth. Our winters get down to about 20 degrees at night. We did have some snow and I watered a few times in between. I plan to buy more. It's a great plant.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Great When they Grow
I had one of these plants about 5 years ago. It lived for 2 years and never grew to be much higher than a foot. So I decided to get 4 more, to...Read complete review
I had one of these plants about 5 years ago. It lived for 2 years and never grew to be much higher than a foot. So I decided to get 4 more, to see what I could do with them.. Two of the four made it, and two died, within a month of planting. The two that survived did remarkably well. The one which received only morning sunlight doing the best, and grew to be over 2 foot tall. The other received morning sunlight and some afternoon light. It grew to be about 18" high. Both had a lot of flowers, and were appreciated by hummingbirds.
Reviewed by 23 customers
Displaying reviews 1-23
Pros
- Attractive
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
I have this plant tucked into the corner of my rose garden and it is delightful. Hearing that it is a short lived plant, another one is started, and can take it's place. It is a narrow plant, and somewhat tall, so it looks good with lower, more bushy plants to grow through.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
Cons
- Needs to be bigger to survive
- Small In Size
Best Uses
- Garden
- Outdoors
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
I've been doing a prayer dance to get this little baby to survive. It's just struggling. I finally put it in a pot so I could keep an eye on it, had it up to about 5" hight and it just toppled over....some new growth at the base but I'm just at a loss.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive
- Healthy
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
This plant was a great surprise to me! I was unsure that something native to Arizona would fare well in my New England garden, but it totally blew me away! Grew extremely fast, from a tiny 4" plant in a 2" pot when it arrived, to a bush that was about 18" around and 12-18" high, covered with red blooms. We saw hummingbirds at it most every day once it started blooming, and it continued on for months! What a delightful little plant with a big impact, thank you!
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive
- Hardy
- Healthy
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
- Outdoors
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
Red-Birds-in-a-Tree is one of my favorite perennials to use at home & in my clients' landscapes. It is beautiful, hardy and extremely low maintenance. The little plants I order from HCG always arrive healthy & grow quickly. Since they are so tiny I have accidentally ripped them apart while weeding but they came back with vigor.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Hardy
- Rabbits and squirrels stayed away
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
I have several in a row at the back of a raised bed. They are a little hedge above other plants. I love the look of little birds all over the plant.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Hardy
- Healthy
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
Added a section of low water perennials to my yard this summer. Absolutely love Red Birds in a Tree!!!
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Healthy
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
Planted in my butterfly/humming bird garden - a nice addition.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Hardy
- Healthy
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
Put this towards the back of my large garden. It's doing great.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Healthy
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
- Outdoors
- Patio
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
OK I live in zone 6 (Denver, CO) and I purchased this plant this spring. I was intrigued as I had never see it before .I have a walk out basement so you cannot see my yard from the living area so I do must of my gardening on our large deck. I had 80 pots this year. This plant thrived and grew beautifully in an average pot. I plan to bring it in this fall after the first hard frost and put it in the basement with filtered natural light and very cool. I am also collecting the seed. What do you think my chances are for either of these plans?
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Hardy
- Healthy
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
- Outdoors
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
Bloomed heavily the first summer. This year despite a late snow, 3 hailstorms and competing neighbor plants it is looking good. After first blooming I cut off spent blooms and it is going again.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
- Outdoors
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
I bought 2 this spring. One died before getting big enough to flower. The other did really well and then just died. I am buying 2 more because I love them so much.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Healthy
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
Planted 3 last year and one survived a very weird Bath County VA winter. It is about 18 inches high with buds. I did not get to see it last year -- had an ankle fusion -- but my lovely neighbor cared for them and is probably the reason it is here now.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Hard To Kill
- Healthy
- Lightweight
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
- Outdoors
- Patio
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
I did manage to kill this one through total neglect, but it went down fighting! I cannot believe how long it lasted, left in its shipping pot, virtually unwatered (I had set the pot in the garden and forgotten it). Too bad - it was a nice, full plant with a lovely form when I received it. Will order again. I gave it only four stars because I don't know if it would have been hardy here if it had lived until winter.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
I had one of these plants about 5 years ago. It lived for 2 years and never grew to be much higher than a foot. So I decided to get 4 more, to see what I could do with them.. Two of the four made it, and two died, within a month of planting. The two that survived did remarkably well. The one which received only morning sunlight doing the best, and grew to be over 2 foot tall. The other received morning sunlight and some afternoon light. It grew to be about 18" high. Both had a lot of flowers, and were appreciated by hummingbirds.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Hardy
- Healthy
Cons
- Small In Size
Best Uses
- Garden
- Outdoors
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
Planted it to cover the 'knees' of my Miscanthus giganticus
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Healthy
- Interesting
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
- Outdoors
- Skirt for Miscanthus giganticus
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
Well, it is a plant, so I planted it. :-) Perhaps you need to make your comment section more 'item' specific.
I have been ordering from you since 2002 and have not been disappointed. Customer service is excellent! And, your plants are top of the line, especially the xeric!
Purchased two Amaryllis plants from you for a cousin in Buellton, CA and they were unbelievably large!!
She was amazed and I said, "That's High Country Gardens for you, only the best!!"
I first heard of HGC in 2002-2003 when I lived in Denver. And was very appreciative of how seriously you took the aspect of low or no water. Thank you for spotting a niche that will only become more and more important as climate warming progressives!
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Beautiful Color
- Lightweight
- Versatile
Cons
- Small In Size
Best Uses
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
The flowers are so intriguingly bird like in shape and are a spectacular shade of red in color. We have many kinds of penstamons but this could be the best, even if a bit small in size foo far. If it gets to be 3-4 feet in height, it will be an amazing specimen. We live in Santa Fe and so far we have not seen it in anyone's garden. Let me know if anyone has it here. This is the first year so not sure how it will winter over. Does it readily spread from seed or other means of propagation?
- Primary use:
- Personal
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Images shared by Greg the gardener
(9 of 10 customers found this review helpful)
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Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Hardy
- Healthy
- Versatile
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
- Outdoors
- Patio
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
This is a follow-up to my comments last summer. My plant is in a pot on the patio at 6000 in SW New Mexico. It gets full sun in the summer. I watered it about once a week if there was no rain. The reviewer in Oregon might have kept the plant too wet. My plant bloomed until frost. After the branches died back I pruned it close to the soil. I was pleased that it came through the winter in the pot on the patio and is now about 8 inches high with lush green growth. Our winters get down to about 20 degrees at night. We did have some snow and I watered a few times in between. I plan to buy more. It's a great plant.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Images shared by Phillenore
(13 of 13 customers found this review helpful)
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
- You may also flag this review
Pros
Cons
- Flimsy
- Small In Size
Best Uses
- Garden
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
Sadly, this plant did not survive my attempts at growing it. It might have been our exceptionally hot summer but because I read that they like heat, I figured it would do okay. It's possible that I killed it with kindness by pampering it a bit too much. I would like to make another attempt at growing it but would prefer to start with a plant that is larger and more established. I would recommend it, but with that caveat.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive
- Hardy
- Healthy
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
- Outdoors
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
We planted right next to our patio, we love humming birds,we was told by high country gardens that this plant was a good atractor,for humming birds, boy let me tell you what, we had more humming birds than ever, been wanting to take out some of my other plants to put in more red birds in a tree, but my old lady will kill me.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Outdoors
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
Need to plant more to help it show up more.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Accurate Instructions
- Attractive
- Healthy
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
This is a great plant, and I say that having grown xeric plants from High Country Gardens for years! I discovered it at a nursery in my new home town of Silver City, NM this spring. I planted it in a pot on my north patio at 6000 ft. It has bloomed continuously all summer and as of mid-September shows no signs of quitting. I water it every 1-4 days, depending on how hot it is, but it has gone longer. I've given it light liquid plant food a couple of times. The hummingbirds love it!! --- even more than the adjacent salvias. I don't know yet if it will winter over in the pot outside. My patio is probably zone 6-7.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive
- Hardy
Cons
Best Uses
- Garden
- Outdoors
Comments about High Country Gardens Scrophularia macrantha:
7 years ago, I bought this plant on a whim, fascinated with the name. It was better than the description, having little red flowers that resemble red cardinals with yellow beaks. What a great plant!! I grew it in New Mexico, just north of Rowe, NM. Now, I'm trying it 'deep in the heart of Texas'. I have confidence that it will be just fine...... stay posted.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Displaying reviews 1-23
Q & A
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USDA Hardiness Planting Zones
To determine if a plant is sufficiently cold hardy, the USDA created numbered zones indicating winter low temperatures; the lower the zone number the colder the winter.
- If the coldest winter temperature expected in your area is -15°F (zone 5) then any plants rated zones 3-5 will survive the winter temperatures in your area.
- If you live in very warm winter areas (zones 9-11) plants with zones 3-4 ratings are not recommended. The lack of freezing winter temperatures do not provide a time for winter dormancy (rest).
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