Thars gold in them thar hills (and in the flatlands too)!
The rustling of dried corn stalks, stacks of pumpkins at the roadside stand, Halloween costumes at your local general store… all are signs that Fall is lurking, but none of these announces Autumn as loudly as goldenrod, the plant that, like a restless toddler, seems to think that its playtime when most other plants are winding-down before their winter slumber. For beekeepers, the splashes of yellow goldenrods along roadsides and field edges are welcome signs that the fall nectar flow is underway and that bees no longer must suffer the summer dearth. For the bees, this is crunch time, the last major push to prepare for winter and overcome the thievery of humans
Although goldenrods are generally acclaimed as both nectar producers and medicinal plants, they are often poorly understood, even among the scientific community. Goldenrods are members of the genus Solidago, which includes more than 100 species native to North America. The exact number of species is unknown because botanists have difficulty developing a consensus. Some species exhibit extreme polyploidy, meaning that they have many more than just two copies of each chromosome, which results in highly variable traits. Modern molecular tools are showing that our understanding of goldenrods is weak at best. That being said, the primary point is that goldenrod is not just one plant but rather a collection of many species of plants with highly variable traits. Some, like Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima, the SC state wildflower), grow up to 6 feet tall, while others, like Bluestem Goldenrod (S. caesia) grow to only 2 feet. Some species like wet sites, while others prefer dry, well-drained soils. A few species
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Unparalleled in their August marvellousness at Perch Hill are of course tomatoes. The smell of the stems and leaves that lingers after pinching is almost as good as the taste of the fruit. We grow groves of tomatoes in the greenhouse here, and these are sometimes supplemented with the hardier and more reliable ones growing in a sunny spot in the garden. And we plant lots of basil in amongst and through our tomato jungle.
Illinois has a wonderful biodiversity. It is the habitat to many species of plants that harmoniously live and adapt to each other. This article will provide a Complete List Of Illinois Native Plants. Jump right in and lets start this journey!
The study of native plants, the ecosystems of South Carolina, and sustainable landscaping practices form the focus of the South Carolina Native Plant Certificate Program. A partnership between the South Carolina Native Plant Society and the South Carolina Botanical Garden, this program gives participants insight into South Carolina’s rich and complex botanical heritage, and offers ways to bolster the states’ biodiversity. This program began in July 2015, and to-date over 300 participants from all over the state, from all walks of life, and of all different ages, have enrolled in the program.
Native grasses are an excellent choice for low-maintenance, attractive, and wildlife-friendly plants to add to your landscape. Their beauty is often more subtle than the color splashes of perennials and annuals but can add amazing depth and interest to the gardener’s palette. There are so many species of native grasses to choose from, and each one brings differing structure, texture, and color to the garden. Grasses give multi-season interest to the landscape. Perennial grasses mostly emerge in the spring and are at their peak in summer and tend to be happiest in full sun. Persistent seed heads provide structure and movement to the garden in the fall and well into the winter.
Some of my favorite natives for fall leaf color grow in abundance in the Piedmont, and when the weather cooperates, we are in for a spectacular show. Sugar maples occur naturally further north of here and are a favorite for fall color. We can grow sugar maples here, but we have a little-known, although common, maple species native to our region. Chalkbark maple, Acer leucoderme, does not grow overly large and is commonly found as an understory tree in the sunny margins of our deciduous forests. Chalkbark maples grow to about 25 to 30 feet high with a rounded canopy and are found in dryer, upland soils. The fall color rivals the best that a sugar maple can put out.
Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) is sometimes referred to as Goldenstar. It is a native groundcover that grows to four inches tall and does well in dappled shade or morning sun and afternoon shade. It is related to asters and sunflowers. The plant grows like a strawberry with a rosette of leaves and creeping stolons that root at each node and give rise to new rosettes of leaves and flowers.
Dwarf Crested Iris, Iris cristata, is a beautiful native iris that grows in the woods all over the Piedmont. The eight-inch, sword-shaped leaves arch towards the outside of the spreading clump. Small blue flowers with yellow and white signals occur for a few weeks in April, and the leaves die back to the rhizomes in the winter.
Lee’s tips for growing pawpaw or American persimmon couldn’t make it sound more appealing, or simple:“Plant it, water it, and keep weeds and deer away for a couple of years, and then do nothing,” he says. No fancy pruning (like those apples crave), no particular pests–and a big, juicy harvest. More details on how to choose which variety to grow are included in the highlights from the April 29, 2013 edition of my public-radio show and podcast, transcribed below. To hear the entire interview, use the streaming player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).growing ame
Out of the leaf litter they ascend.When I purchased this native of woodsy streambanks in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon for my New York garden, it was still called Peltiphyllum peltatum. I have a thing for big-leaved plants (likeAstilboides, its cousinRodgersia, and even thuggishPetasites). I had to tryDarmera, whose leaves can reach 18 in
Native bees species (like the mining bee above on the wildflower boneset) don’t get as much attention, and other insect pollinators even less, but without our wild pollinators we’d enjoy far less biodiversity, both in plants and animals—because they’re key to the food web, which would otherwise break down. To get to know some of these unsung heroes and the critical roles they play, I spoke with Heather Holm, author of the book “Pollinators of Native Plants,” which teaches us how to identify and attract and appreciate them in our gardens and beyond. (Enter to wi