Stephen Albert
Trollius bears large, rounded blooms, thus the common name globeflower. Blooms range from pale cream to orange. Flowers are commonly 2 inches (5cm) across.
Trollius grows in full sun or partial shade. It does not like heat or drought so avoid planting it where afternoons are sunny and hot. Trollius will thrive around pond edges or along the banks of a stream.
Trollius grows best in cool summer regions. Where afternoons get hot, plant Trollius in afternoon shade or partial shade.
Get to know Trollius
- Plant type: Perennial
- Growing zones and range: Zones 3 to 7
- Hardiness: Hardy to -30°F (-34°C)
- Height and width: 2 to 4 feet (1.2m) high and 2 to 3 feet wide
- Foliage: Clumps or low mounds of finely cut, shiny dark green leaves.
- Flowers: Stems terminate in roundly cupped to globe-shaped flowers; flowers are about 2 inches (5cm) across.
- Flower colors: Yellow, orange
- Bloom time: Spring and summer depending on the variety.
- Uses: Beds, borders, moist meadows, bog gardens, cut flowers
- Common name: Globeflower
- Botanical name: Trollius
- Family name: Ranunculaceae
- Origin: Cool temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and North America
Where to plant Trollius
- Grow Trollius in full sun or partial shade.
- Plant Trollius in humus-rich, well-drained and moist soil.
- Trollius does not tolerate drought or heat.
Trollius uses and companions
- Plant Trollius in groups in a moist border or naturalistic garden or along streams and near bogs.
- Good garden companions for Trollius include Iris, Lobelia cardinalis, Lythrum, Mertensia, Tradescantia andersonii.
When to plant Trollius
- Plant Trollius in spring or autumn.
- Start seeds in containers in spring; seeds can take 2 years to germinate.
Planting and spacing Trollius
- Space Trollius 24 inches (61cm) apart.
How to water and feed Trollius
- Keep the soil evenly moist; do not let it dry out.
- Fertilize Trollius with an all-purpose, organic fertilizer in spring.
Trollius care
- Remove faded flowers to prolong the bloom time.
- Mulch around Trollius to stem soil moisture evaporation.
Trollius pests and diseases
- Usually trouble free although mice and voles sometimes eat the leaves and buds in early summer.
- Powdery mildew can be an occasional problem.
Trollius propagation
- Divide clumps with they begin to thin in the middle.
- Divide clumps as new growth begins or right after flowering.
- Sow seeds in a container in a colf frame in spring.
- Trollius seeds germinate in about 30 days at 50°F (10°C).
Trollius varieties to grow
- Trollius cultorum: Group of hybrids between T. europaeus and two Asiatic species; grows to 3 feet (1m) tall; blooms from spring to summer; cultivars include ‘Earliest of All’ with pale yellow-orange flowers, ‘Golden Queen’ with deep orange flowers, ‘Lemon Queen’ with soft yellow flowers.
- T. europaeus: Grows to 2 feet tall; globular, lemon yellow flowers in spring; some varieties have orange blossoms.
- T. ledebouri: Grows to 3 feet (1m) tall; bears golden orange, cup-shaped flowers in summer; cultivar ‘Golden Queen’ grows to 4 feet tall.
