Indian Pink

Spigelia marilandica

Regular price $18

Container size:
4.5 in. wide x 5 in. deep / 32 fl. oz.

More plants available in 2025

Indian Pink or Woodland Pinkroot is a low-growing native plant with red tubular flowers opening in late spring to reveal star-shaped yellow centers.

  • Hummingbird favorite
  • Tolerates shade
  • Compact growth

Details

  • 1 to 2 ft. tall and wide
  • Clump-forming habit
  • Leaves and stems die back in the fall and appear again in the spring
  • Hardy in USDA hardiness zones 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9

Flowering period

In central North Carolina, flowering starts in May and can continue through most of the summer if plants are kept moist and old flowers are removed to produce more blooms.

How to grow

Adaptable, but prefers rich, moist soil that is not too acidic. In the wild Indian Pink grows in shady woods where it tends to have fewer flowers. Giving it some sun will produce more flowers and keep it compact. Plants can also be grown in full sun if the soil stays fairly moist.

Care and maintenance

Keep larger plants and weeds from invading its space. By selecting a good site and preparing the soil, plants will take care of themselves. Protect new growth in spring with chicken wire if rabbits lurk in your garden. 

Where to plant

In groups at the front of flower beds or the edge of a moist woodland garden. Makes an attractive container plant.

When to plant

Spring and the fall (in the South) are the best times. Indian Pink can be planted in the summer if attention is given to keeping plants watered until they get established.

Spacing

12 to 18 inches apart when planting in a group.

When will my plant flower?

Plants purchased and planted before June should flower their first year.

Native habitat and range

Woodlands and forests, often in circumneutral (nearly neutral pH) soil from southwest North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee west to southern Indiana and Oklahoma and south into Florida.

Source and origin

Plants are propagated from seed collected here at our nursery. The original source of the seed is unknown.