The Father's Day Plant

Early on, I decided to honor my dad with a unique gift for Father's Day that had that "landscape dude" angle. There was no Father's Day plant that I knew of, so I invented one. Well, I didn't create a new plant in my basement with vials of bubbling brew.


Bwah Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!

I found a plant that was in bloom on Father's Day and renamed it "The Father's Day Plant". My biggest challenge was in finding a plant in bloom in mid-June that didn't already have a very recognizable common name. I wasn't going to rename daylily, crepe myrtle or rose. I mean, really...is a dainty pink rose an appropriate plant to call "The Father's Day Plant"? Not my pop! In the case of my dad, I could have renamed the Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior). After all, my dad is strong and solid as cast iron!






Just like my dad...The Cast Iron Plant (see photo, right)

In the end, I decided to rename a plant that doesn't have a real recognizable common name, the lilac chaste tree; scientific name, Vitex agnus-castus (this re-naming is really only legitimate in my own myopic world, of course, but I encourage you to use it, as well). I've planted a few for my dad over the years (just about one for every house he's lived in the past 25 years).


The Father's Day Plant bloom is blue flower spikes (a white flowering variety is also available)(see photo, left).




I'm sure I'll be planting another for him, soon. I'm just waiting to make sure he isn't going to try to move from his current home within the next week or so. Just kidding, Dad!


Father's Day Plant - grown as a small tree (10'-15' by 8'-12'), typically multi-trunked. Zone 6 - 9.(photo right).

Happy Father's Day, Dad!!!!