Lady's Fingers, Red Carpet Ground Cover, Xeriscape, Kidney Vetch, Anthyllis Vulneraria Coccinea, AT5025
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$2.99
Regular price
$5.98
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Lady’s FIngers, Red Carpet Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria coccinea)
Also known as Red Kidney Vetch or Lady's Fingers, Anthyllis vulneraria 'Red Carpet' is one of the most underutilized xeriscape ground covers available, and once you grow it, you'll wonder why it isn't everywhere. Native to a sweeping range from Scandinavia and Iceland south through all of Europe and the Mediterranean, east through Turkey, the Caucasus, and Iran, and south into North Africa and Ethiopia, this plant evolved in dry grasslands, rocky hillsides, and coastal cliffs, thriving in calcareous, gritty, nutrient-poor soil at elevations up to 9,800 feet. It is naturalized in parts of North America including the northeastern US and California.
For American gardeners, it performs best in the western and mountain states where dry, rocky, or alkaline soil conditions mirror its native habitat most closely. California, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, and the dry regions of Texas are all excellent matches. It also performs beautifully across the mid-Atlantic and northeastern US in zones 5-7, and anywhere with sharp drainage and full sun regardless of region.
Where most ground covers demand amended soil, regular moisture, and careful tending, Red Carpet Kidney Vetch asks for the opposite. Give it poor, dry, gritty soil with excellent drainage and full sun, and it will reward you with a season-long carpet of vivid orange-red, claw-shaped pea-like blooms above soft, downy silvery-blue-green foliage. It forms a neat, spreading mat just 6 inches tall and 18-24 inches wide, blooming from late spring through midsummer and self-seeding reliably without ever becoming invasive. It is, in short, the ideal xeriscape ground cover: showy, low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and genuinely beautiful in the toughest garden spots.
As a member of the legume family (Fabaceae), it fixes nitrogen in the soil, actually improving soil quality over time rather than depleting it. An outstanding wildlife plant too, providing rich nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies, serving as a larval host for the Small Blue butterfly, and producing seeds that attract birds as they ripen.
Perfect for rock gardens, gravel gardens, dry sunny borders, xeriscape plantings, between paving stones, seaside gardens, and containers. Trim back lightly after bloom season to keep plants tidy and encourage a second flush.
Quick growing facts:
Sow on soil surface or cover very lightly
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost or direct sow after frost
Germination temp: 65-70°F | Sprout time: 14-21 days
Full sun, well-draining poor to average soil preferred, tolerates alkaline and calcareous soil
Drought tolerant once established
Height: 6 in | Spread: 18-24 in
Blooms: late spring to midsummer
Zones 5-9
Short-lived perennial, self-seeds reliably
Nitrogen fixer
Host plant for Small Blue butterfly
Deer resistant
Best performance in dry, rocky, or alkaline soil conditions
25 Seeds
We combine shipping on all orders, you pay one flat fee for as many seeds as you would like and orders over $35 ship for free to the US.
All our seeds undergo vigorous germination testing to meet or exceed industry standards for viability. Never GMO.
Lady's Fingers, Red Carpet Ground Cover, Xeriscape, Kidney Vetch, Anthyllis Vulneraria Coccinea, AT5025
ANTHYLLIS VULNERARIA COCCINEA
Sale price
$2.99
Regular price
$5.98
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Also known as Red Kidney Vetch or Lady's Fingers, Anthyllis vulneraria 'Red Carpet' is one of the most underutilized xeriscape ground covers available, and once you grow it, you'll wonder why it isn't everywhere. Native to a sweeping range from Scandinavia and Iceland south through all of Europe and the Mediterranean, east through Turkey, the Caucasus, and Iran, and south into North Africa and Ethiopia, this plant evolved in dry grasslands, rocky hillsides, and coastal cliffs, thriving in calcareous, gritty, nutrient-poor soil at elevations up to 9,800 feet. It is naturalized in parts of North America including the northeastern US and California.
For American gardeners, it performs best in the western and mountain states where dry, rocky, or alkaline soil conditions mirror its native habitat most closely. California, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, and the dry regions of Texas are all excellent matches. It also performs beautifully across the mid-Atlantic and northeastern US in zones 5-7, and anywhere with sharp drainage and full sun regardless of region.
Where most ground covers demand amended soil, regular moisture, and careful tending, Red Carpet Kidney Vetch asks for the opposite. Give it poor, dry, gritty soil with excellent drainage and full sun, and it will reward you with a season-long carpet of vivid orange-red, claw-shaped pea-like blooms above soft, downy silvery-blue-green foliage. It forms a neat, spreading mat just 6 inches tall and 18-24 inches wide, blooming from late spring through midsummer and self-seeding reliably without ever becoming invasive. It is, in short, the ideal xeriscape ground cover: showy, low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and genuinely beautiful in the toughest garden spots.
As a member of the legume family (Fabaceae), it fixes nitrogen in the soil, actually improving soil quality over time rather than depleting it. An outstanding wildlife plant too, providing rich nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies, serving as a larval host for the Small Blue butterfly, and producing seeds that attract birds as they ripen.
Perfect for rock gardens, gravel gardens, dry sunny borders, xeriscape plantings, between paving stones, seaside gardens, and containers. Trim back lightly after bloom season to keep plants tidy and encourage a second flush.
Quick growing facts:
Sow on soil surface or cover very lightly
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost or direct sow after frost
Germination temp: 65-70°F | Sprout time: 14-21 days
Full sun, well-draining poor to average soil preferred, tolerates alkaline and calcareous soil
Drought tolerant once established
Height: 6 in | Spread: 18-24 in
Blooms: late spring to midsummer
Zones 5-9
Short-lived perennial, self-seeds reliably
Nitrogen fixer
Host plant for Small Blue butterfly
Deer resistant
Best performance in dry, rocky, or alkaline soil conditions
25 Seeds
We combine shipping on all orders, you pay one flat fee for as many seeds as you would like and orders over $35 ship for free to the US.
All our seeds undergo vigorous germination testing to meet or exceed industry standards for viability. Never GMO.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping. Most orders ship within 1 to 2 days of order confirmation. Cancellations are accepted any time before shipment. Shipping is a flat $5.29 — orders with a subtotal of $35 or more ship free.
Returns & exchanges. Accepted on most items within 7 days. Buyers are responsible for any customs or import taxes.
Full policy: Shipping & Returns.
