Thrift

Thrift (Armeria) - Rock and shore plants of the Statice order, of which the best known is the common A. vulgaris (Thrift). This native of our shores, and of the tops of the Scottish mountains, is very pretty, with its flowers of soft lilac or white springing from cushions of grass-like leaves; but the deep rosy form, rarely seen wild, best deserves cultivation. It is useful for the spring garden, for banks or borders in shrubberies, for edgings, and for the rock garden, and is easily increased by division. As old plants do not bloom so long as young ones, occasional replanting is desirable. In addition to the white variety and the old dark red one, there are Crimson Gem and Laucheana, the flowers intense pink. A caespitosa is a rose-colored kind from the south of Europe, 5000 to 8000 feet above sea-level. Its flower-heads, each from 3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter, are borne on slender stems 1 to 2 inches high from June to September. A. cephalotes (Great Thrift) is one of the best hardy flowers from S. Europe, and should be in every collection. A. setacea is an alpine species, with little globose heads of pink flowers so numerous as almost to conceal the plant on flower-stems from 1 to 3 inches high. This and A. juncea are found in the south of France on barren stony mounds.

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