Octavia Red Double [best] May 2026

★★★★½ (Deducted half a point only because once you grow it, every other red flower will look slightly dull by comparison.)

At first glance, the name sounds like a line from a Victorian romance novel or perhaps a rare butterfly species. In reality, it is something equally precious: a stunning, high-performance flowering plant that has quickly become a secret weapon for landscape designers and container gardeners alike. Let’s talk about the color first. "Red" is an understatement. The blooms of Octavia Red Double are a deep, hypnotic crimson. Depending on the light, they shift from the shade of a ripe cherry to the dark, velvety maroon of an aged port wine. There is none of the orange or pink undertones that plague lesser reds—this is a true, pure, passionate red. octavia red double

In the world of horticulture, few plants command attention quite like a bold, confident bloom. But every so often, a cultivar emerges that doesn't just walk into the spotlight—it explodes onto the scene. Enter the Octavia Red Double . ★★★★½ (Deducted half a point only because once