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Globeflower
Trollius
Also comes in orange.
Globeflower blooms from May through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Globeflower
Plant it in part sun. It prefers high water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–7. Expect it to reach about 24 in tall and 16 in wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (not yet checked).
What this means
Written with AI assistance and not yet checked plant by plant against recorded sources, so treat every fact above as a starting point. Its scientific name was checked against botanical registries, an audit keeps its values consistent with the rest of the library, and a July 2026 review re-read the main facts of every plant then in the library against horticultural authorities without recording a source for each, which is why none of that counts as checked here. The source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open, and a checked plant says so in this row.
When to plant Globeflower
Plant Globeflower in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 5, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 7, spring means April to June and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 5, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 5 in April. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Globeflower get?
24 intall5 ft 7 inan adult16 inwideSee Globeflower in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Globeflower
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Globeflower about 16 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Globeflower to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Good to know about Globeflower
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Safety
Mildly toxic and a skin irritant, like other buttercup-family plants. Fresh sap can redden or blister skin, and eating it irritates the mouth and gut. per Cornell and ASPCA
Worth knowing
In the wild it is a bog and wet-meadow plant of cool northern regions, which is exactly why it demands constantly moist soil and cool summers in the garden. per USDA and NC State
Warm-end zone is disputed
Chicago Botanic caps 'Cheddar' at zone 6, while NC State extends it to zone 7 with a heat warning. In hot, dry zone 7 treat it as marginal. per Chicago Botanic and NC State
Mature spread varies by source
NC State lists a narrow 0.15 to 0.3 m; Missouri gives 0.6 to 0.9 m for an established clump. Space for the wider figure if it settles in. per NC State and Missouri Botanical
Where the name comes from
The round, globe-shaped flowers form from incurved petaloid sepals, so they look like giant double buttercups; the spherical shape gives the plant its name. per NC State
Deer and rabbit resistant
Deer and rabbits leave it alone. Chicago Botanic credits leaf chemicals that deter browsing, the same buttercup-family compounds behind its toxicity and irritant sap. per NC State and Chicago Botanic
Only fresh sap irritates
The irritant is a fresh-plant hazard: protoanemonin breaks down to harmless anemonin as the plant dries, so dried material loses its sting. Wear gloves for fresh cuts. per Cornell
Few pests, watch mildew
Largely trouble-free with no serious insect or disease problems. The one issue both sources flag is powdery mildew, worst where airflow is poor or the plant is stressed. per NC State and Missouri Botanical
What pairs well with Globeflower
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Joe Pye Weed
Takes full sun to part sun and high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sneezeweed
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
False Sunflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Summersweet
Takes part sun to part shade and high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Sunflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Northern Sea Oats
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Winterberry
Takes full sun to part sun and high water; blooms in mid fall, extending the bed's season; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 6.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
Love-Lies-Bleeding
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 3.5 ft, for the layer behind it.
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