As soon as we discovered this little wonderous flower, we knew we had to introduce it to our readers! These fluffy flowers are the lovely Creeping Avens. They are also known by the more scientific name Geum reptans. They grow as a natural ground cover, somewhat like grass, which makes them ideal for an open garden soaked in sun. Let's take a deeper look into their life cycle and how to grow these flowers at home.
The creeping aven is native to the mountain regions of Central Asia and Europe, but it is also grown in North and South America, Africa, and New Zealand. In Australia, it is considered an alien species and local authorities do everything in their power to stop it from throwing the local flora and fauna off balance. In the wild, it prefers rocky ground, but in your home garden, it will do well with gritty, well-drained soil.
You'll probably be surprised to learn that the beautiful cotton candy flower, is, in fact, not a flower. This is the seedhead, and it emerges after the plant blooms. The flowers are yellow with round petals. After they wilt and dry, the seedheads appear in all their might.
When planning to cultivate these cuties in your garden, you have two options. Either grow them from a seed, which you should plant after the frost, or buy a few starter plants and plant them at least 9 inches apart. This will ensure you know what the plant looks like in the future, but in my opinion, there's nothing quite like watching a seed grow! This is what gardening is all about. If you want to start the process before the frost is over, you can plant them indoors 9 weeks ahead of time. Your seeds will pop out of the ground after 28 days maximum.
When they're planted in the ground, make sure they get sun all day long. Some afternoon shade may be beneficial for super hot or dry areas. These creepers are relatively drought-tolerant and don’t require a lot of moisture. Make sure to cut them back after blooming to refresh and rejuvenate the plant.
According to Garden Frontier, this plant even has some medical benefits: "The flowers are used as a tea and allegedly treat gout, infections, fever, and herbalist and treat diarrhea, heart disease, halitosis, and mouth ulcers." We recommend avoiding anything your physician didn't recommend, but if you're curious - be sure to consult with them before boiling any herbal teas.
