Plant Library

Other Names:  Fun and Games Leapfrog, Leap Frog

Group/Class:  Fun and Games Series

Brand:  Proven Winners

Description:

A striking variety with bright lime-green leaves with contrasting burgundy spots radiating from the leaf centers that turn purple in summer; ivory bottlebrush flowers in late spring, but primarily grown for foliage

Ornamental Features

Leapfrog Foamy Bells is primarily valued in the garden for its distinctive form, with the flower stalks towering over the foliage. It features dainty spikes of creamy white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage in late spring. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive crinkled lobed leaves emerge chartreuse in spring, turning lime green in color with showy burgundy variegation and tinges of deep purple the rest of the year.

Landscape Attributes

Leapfrog Foamy Bells is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Leapfrog Foamy Bells is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Leapfrog Foamy Bells will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 22 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 20 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Leapfrog Foamy Bells is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.