Magenta Mayhem

Mingling amongst the chartreuses, blue-greens, emeralds and olives, pops of bright magenta tones seem to be the predominant contrasting color throughout the gardens and production houses. Perennials and woody plants alike have begun to appear as reddish-purple beacons, fluorescent in the balmy morning fog and sparkling in the mid-afternoon sunlight. Although “magenta” is actually a term coined from colorists in the mid-19th century, originally called by its chemical name triaminotriphenyl carbonium chloride (try say that 5 times fast), it is very certainly a color that not only exists in the natural world, but is one of the primary floral hues worldwide, especially in tropical and subtropical species. Interestingly, the magnificent red-purple we’ve come to know as magenta received its name from the famously gory 1859 Battle of Magenta fought in Italy between French and Austrian battalions. The pigment, derived from coal-tar, was discovered almost simultaneously, with scientists choosing to name it after the bloody battle in an act of reverence. One’s perception of this special hue may range widely, at once appearing more purple than red, at other times redder than purple, sometimes bright, sometimes dark, but always magenta.

Arbitrary term or not, the wavelengths of blue and red light that create the illusion of reddish-purple petals and sepals make “magenta” very much a real color in botany. From the large, royal magnolia blooms to the demure, creeping ground-hugging flowers of Geranium sanguineum, magenta can be found both far and wide, presented in a variety of shapes, sizes, and site conditions.

We’ve covered this bad boy before: with its no-fuss, dawdling habit and staggeringly long bloom time, Callirhoe involucrata is the underdog of the dry, sunny garden space, where it can be found weaving through other perennials to create a blanket of magenta. In a similar, low-growing manner, the bright magenta bloody cranesbill, Geranium sanguineum ‘Max Frei’, creates a dense groundcover of attractive, soft green palmate foliage that turns a pleasing red after the first frost, bringing explosive, tightknit pops of color to the edge of the part shade or full sun garden. Both make fantastic options for the border of the rock garden, with the red-purple wine cups of Callirhoe involucrata in particular cascading spectacularly over rock walls and scrambling over hardscaping.

While you’re out in the rock garden curating your magenta collection, make sure to save space for Delosperma cooperi, a South African alpine perennial with succulent foliage and bright, aster-like flowers that make an appearance throughout the summer and well up until the first frost. The neon-magenta flowers transform into peculiar seed capsules that give this genus its name: delos, meaning visible, and sperma, meaning seed: once mature, the membrane of the capsule opens to reveal exposed seeds that release upon undergoing a process called hydrochasty, a period of wetting required for the seeds to expel from the plant. With its fast growth in well-drained soils, hardy ice plant, as it’s commonly known for its ice-crystal like hairs on its fleshy foliage, develops into a gorgeous, drought tolerant carpet that evokes an exotic feel to the xeriscape garden, coastal garden, or at the edge of a mixed container.

Also designed for mixed containers, small spaces, and anywhere that a miniature Monarda is desired, ‘Rockin’ Raspberry’ bee balm of the Sugar Buzz® series is as dazzling as it is consistent in stature and vigor. Firework-shaped flowerheads explode over bronzy, dark-green foliage, resulting in a profound visual contrast that makes the flowers appear nearly glow-in-the-dark. As its namesake suggests, Monarda ‘Rockin’ Raspberry’ is a boon for bees of all types, who can be found busily darting their fuzzy heads in and out of the individual tubular flowers, as well as hummingbirds who have a particular fondness for bee balm.

From the dark, sultry magenta of Monarda ‘Rockin’ Raspberry’ to the carmine-magenta pink of Spiraea ‘Anthony Waterer’, the gambit of purplish-reds can be found brightening up nearly each corner of the landscape during the early summer. The flowerheads of ‘Anthony Waterer’ spiraea are a bit of a phenomenon, in that they may often appear in different shades of pinks depending on a slew of factors. Occasionally, they take on a striking carmine-pink, although we’ve found that by-and-large, the overall appearance of the flowerheads give off the illusion of a reddish magenta. As this selection is highly adaptable to drought-prone sites and many soil different soil types, it makes a suitable addition for nearly any well-draining garden or full sun space. After the excitement of the magenta floral show fades, it’s not long before the striking autumn color of the foliage makes its debut. A color so magnificent, so reddish-purple, it can only be called one thing: magenta.

 

Magenta: a colour with a bloody past | Royal Talens

Magnitudes of Magenta - Arnold Arboretum | Arnold Arboretum (harvard.edu)

Delosperma | PlantZAfrica (sanbi.org)

Delosperma cooperi (Cooper's Hardy Ice Plant, Hardy Ice Plant) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (ncsu.edu)

Monarda 'Rockin' Raspberry' PP28752 | Walters Gardens, Inc.

Delosperma cooperi - Plant Finder (missouribotanicalgarden.org)