Spigelia marilandica is one of the perennials I’ve wanted to try in my garden for quite some time.

I cannot count how many times I asked for it at various greenhouses, nurseries, and garden centers. I usually got one of the following answers.

“We had some but they sold out already.” I hated to hear that!

“We’ll probably have it later this summer.” Of course, this is at a greenhouse far enough away from my house that I’m unlikely to return later in the summer.

“Huh?” They don’t know what it is. Should I ever return to shop there again?

“Oh, we should get some, you aren’t the only one asking for it.” I like that answer, from my own greenhouse where they keep track of plants gardeners ask for that they don’t have. Eventually, they try to get them unless it is some weird thing that I’m the only one asking about.

This past Sunday was my lucky day. My local greenhouse, Court’sYard and Greenhouse had two varieties of Spigelia marilandica for sale. I first spotted it on someone else’s cart. (You know that putting a plant on a cart at a greenhouse makes it immediately more desirable to everyone else, right?) Since I recognized the person, I stopped her and asked if that was what I thought it was.

It was Spigelia, which has the common name of Indian Pink. We talked about the virtues of this native perennial plant that can grow in sun or part shade. She had some in her garden already and warned me it would be one of the last perennials to come up in the spring and wouldn’t be blooming quite yet. Good to know!

I bought one each of the two varieties they had… ‘Little Redhead’ and ‘Ragin Cajun’. I left some for others. I’m kind like that, unless, of course, it’s the last one, and then it’s mine.

Anyway, I’m excited to finally have these two varieties of Spigelia in my garden. May they grow well and flower often.

Now, the next plant on my list to find… Clematis ‘Little Lemons’. If I ever see it, I’ll grab it!

(Oh and of course, any violet or perennial viola I don’t have.)

(Dee and I talk about Spigelia in this episode of The Gardenangelists.)