Japanese Shrub Mint 'October Moon'

Golden-bordered foliage and pale, bottle-brush flower spikes make Leucosceptrum stellipilum October Moon a captivating Japanese perennial for woodland settings. Emerging in Spring, broad, serrated leaves sport a striking chartreuse-yellow margin surrounding a deep forest-green centre. In late Autumn, long, erect floral spires bearing pale yellow-to-pinkish tubular blossoms rise above the variegated canopy, providing a crucial late-season nectar source when most garden perennials have faded. Upright, shrub-like, and clump-forming, this shade-loving mint relative brings luminous texture and rare late-Autumn interest to sheltered garden borders.

Site: Sheltered, woodland setting or semi-shaded boarder
Soil: Deep, fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Dislikes waterlogged winter ground, and dry soil. 
Position: Partial or dappled shade
Season of interest: Vibrant variegated leaf display from Spring through Summer, followed by bottle-brush flower spikes in late Autumn
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Height: 2-3ft (60-90cm) Spread: 2-2.5ft (60-80cm)

Images by Megan Hansen cropped and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0