Bloodstone Thrift

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

8-10 Inches

Mature Spread

12-18 Inches

Growing Zones

3 to 8

Tufts of bright pink hover over bright green grass-like foliage and create colorful dense mounds throughout your garden. Bloodstone Thrift Armeria maritima, a full sun perennial that will appreciate some light shade in the hottest regions of the country, provide tussocks of color in early spring and continue into early summer, with some sporadic blooms throughout the heat of summer. Once it ceases blooming, you will still enjoy the bright green foliage the rest of the year. Armeria will remain evergreen in southern regions and semi-evergreen in extreme northern regions.

Native to North America, Sea Thrift, as it is commonly called, grows well in coastal areas, tolerating the salt and typically sandy soils found in these regions. Hardy from Zones 3 to 8, these lovely spring blooming perennials can be found in all but the hottest regions of the United States. They make a lovely addition to any garden that affords them part sun to full sun conditions. The bright pink/purple tones of the blossoms provide a beautiful complement to the green foliage and make a wonderful ground cover when massed out in your landscape.

Bloodstone Thrift Care

Armeria plants do not tolerate rich soils, preferring the sandy or rocky soils of alpine meadows or sea side locales. Provide a well draining soil and water only when extremely dry for best effect. This tough little perennial is deer and rabbit resistant, drought and heat tolerant and tolerates salt, making it an ideal plant for coastal regions of the United States where many plants cannot grow. It does not need to be fertilized throughout the year. Divide the plant only when the center becomes bare. This plant can be grown with great effect in containers and makes a lovely cut flower for your bud vase arrangements.

Deadheading is not required, but can be done when the bloom season is over, leaving you to enjoy the bright green grass-like clumps. Remove any yellowed or dead foliage in the spring to get ready for the renewed blooming period. Plant in the front of your informal garden beds, or mass out as a border in your landscape or along your walkway or patio for great effect. Plant in containers for a short season burst of color, but don’t expect it to overwinter in containers and come back in the spring. Water container plants frequently throughout the summer. Mulch lightly in preparation for winter in harsh winter regions.

Bloodstone Thrift Spacing

Space plants 12 to 18 inches apart to allow the plant to spread out. It will grow to about 10 inches tall but spreads out to 18 inches. Sea Thrift makes a wonderful filler in your gardens when paired with perennials daisies and grasses and complements a whole variety of colors and shapes of flowers in your spring to summer garden.