A petite delight you will treasure in garden and container, 'Sweet Tart' looks dainty but is actually mega-tough, an adaptable perennial prepared to weather the worst temperatures and conditions in your garden without dropping a petal! Welcome this lime-green and reddish-pink treasure -- part of the Little Cutie™ family -- into your landscape this season!
'Sweet Tart' is just 5 inches high (when not in bloom) and about 8 inches wide, with layers of large, rounded, softly lobed leaves that emerge bright lime-green in spring and keep their color even after the weather warms up! Evergreen in warm climates, 'Sweet Tart' stands out from way across the garden, thanks to the unusually bright and fresh color (the "tart" part of its name!) of its foliage.
Then, beginning in late spring and continuing intermittently all summer and halfway through fall, slender cinnamon stems 8 inches high top the leaves, opening masses of bell-shaped cerise-pink blooms. Besides being beautiful, the flowers bring butterflies and hummingbirds into the garden. You can even cut them as filler for bouquets or make them into nosegay arrangements for the breakfast table. Their hot color is the "sweet" part of the name, and 'Sweet Tart' is certainly a glorious combination of warm and cool tones, season after season!
Best of all, 'Sweet Tart' is very adaptable to a wide range of garden conditions. Heat, humidity, drought, and even poor soil are no problem, though this perennial prefers a little pampering the first season to find its feet. It likes morning sun and afternoon shade, or the dappled shade of overstory shrubs and trees, but it also fares well in a bit more direct sun. Pests and diseases do not trouble it. A low-maintenance choice for any garden setting, from the open meadow to the trim border and accent design!
'Sweet Tart' was introduced by our friends at Terra Nova in 2012 and has proven a good performer in a wide range of climates. Its mounding, dense habit, abundant flowers over 3 seasons, and bright, abundant lime foliage are irresistible! Make it part of your garden this season, and enjoy it for years to come. Zones 4-9.
