Transform your yard with native plants.So you hear people speak of "native plants" in the landscape and perhaps you imagine that they are describing the empty, lot near your house, all tangled up in multiflora rose and Asian bittersweet. You shudder at the thought, contemplate lending your lawnmower, and politely decline their invitation to come over for a cook-out. What you might not realize is that native plants can be just as beautiful and easily maintained in your garden and landscape as traditional European plants and exotic ornamentals. The only difference is that they will be less inclined to suffer plant diseases, having had countless generations through which to evolve and develop resistance. In fact, beyond the initial planting and the occasional maintenance of weeding and trimming, native plants are usually very low maintenance, requiring very little in the way of additional feeding or doctoring. Another benefit to landscaping with native plants is that you are participating in the stewardship of one of the most diverse ecosystems in the country. The native birds, animals, insects, and waterways will thank you for it. Some of the plants you see in yards here all the time are actually native plants: Rhododendron rhododendron (rō'dədĕn`drən) [Gr.,=rose tree], any plant of the genus Rhododendron, shrubs of the family Ericaceae (heath family) found chiefly in mountainous areas of the arctic and north temperate regions and also of the , Azalea, Black-eyed Susan, American Holly, Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, Daylilies, Irises, Oak-leaf Hydrangea hydrangea (hīdrān`jə): see saxifrage. hydrangea Any of approximately 23 species of erect or climbing woody shrubs that make up the genus Hydrangea (family Hydrangeaceae). , Heuchera, Strawberries, Southern Magnolia, Creeping Phlox, and Tall Summer Phlox. These are the tried and true favorites whose blossoms are so ingrained in our memories that they might conjure up images of Easter-egg hunts, the bright flashing colors of returning songbirds, iced tea at your grandma's house, and summer adventures with your cousins. For many people these plants are the heralds of the seasons. Perhaps your taste in landscape plants is a little more eccentric--perhaps quaint means "common" to you. You don't have to import non-native species whose appropriateness in this bio-region might be questionable; perhaps the exotic plants won't thrive in our moist climate or perhaps they will thrive too well and invade upon natural habitat spaces, as was the case with Asian bittersweet, Japanese honeysuckle, Chinese wisteria, English ivy, and (need I mention it?) Kudzu. Southern Appalachia happens to be home to some altogether uncommon and breathtaking plants! Strategic placement of some of these gems against your home, out in the yard, in front of a natural backdrop, and even as a privacy screen can make your yard To start with, let's look at some of the wildflowers we have to brag about. A dynamite little combination of plants for fans of flaming colors is Cardinal-flower (Lobelia lobelia (lōbēl`yə), any plant of the genus Lobelia, annual and perennial herbs of tropical and temperate woodlands and moist places. Most lobelias have blue or purple flowers on a long (1–4 ft/30–122 cm), leafy stem. cardinalis) with Fire-pink (Silene virginica), Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia Aquilegia: see columbine. canadensis), and Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica). Don't be confused by the name "pink" here--the Cardinal-flowers and Fire-pinks are red as red can be! The Columbine and Indian-pink are both red, combined with shades of yellow. In July, you will likely have a period of overlap with all the flowers in bloom, but between the different species, you can count on brilliant colors from April to September! You will likely also get dashes of color from visiting hummingbirds, who are especially fond of the Cardinal-flower and Indian-pinks. These plants will all want to be in dappled shade and moist but well-drained ground, so they go nicely at the foot of moisture-tolerant trees like Bald-cypress (Taxodium distichum), Overcup Oak (Quercus lyrata), River Birch (Betula nigra) and Black-gum (Nyssa sylvatica)--these last two echoing the gold and red shades in fall foliage. In a nearby sunnier spot, you might also insert a Hawthorn tree (Crataegus phaenopyrum) or two, but not directly behind your flowers as the Hawthorn makes a fiery specimen itself and would distract from the bright contrast of the red against green. The Hawthorn will kick off the season with its foliage coming in red before turning green, producing red berries for the birds late summer, and then finishing in orange-red fall foliage. Be warned though that the Hawthorn gets its name from the fact that it is thorn! If your yard is sunnier, you could have fun with some other ostentacious plants such as Bee-balm (Monarda dydma), which I have affectionately re-named Phyllis Diller Flower, because its blossom looks like something one might have seen her wear on her head in the 1970's. The Carolina native dydma is bright red, but there are other shades of Monarda native to the Eastern U.S. that are white, lavender, magenta, and even deep burgundy. My favorite is the bright purple-magenta color (Monarda media), which could go well with the sleek and dramatic Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium), the sun-golden Purple-head Sneezeweed sneezeweed, name for any plant of the genus Helenium, American meadow and field herbs of the family Asteraceae (aster family), with daisylike heads of yellow (or occasionally purple) flowers. (Helenium Helenium North American genus of plants in the Asteraceae family; contain sesquiterpene lactones which cause a syndrome of abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, incoordination, dyspnea. Includes H. amarum (H. tenuifolium), H. flexuosum), or the cheery aster-flower New York Ironweed ironweed Any of about 500 species of perennial plants constituting the genus Vernonia (family Asteraceae). Small herbaceous (nonwoody) species are found throughout the world; shrubs and trees are found primarily in tropical regions. (Vernonia noveboracensis). It would also go well with Northern Rattlesnake-master (Eryngium yuccifolium), a relative to the Sea Holly plant, which is often used in cut and dried cut and dried cut adj (also: cut-and-dry) (answer) → eindeutig: (solution) → einfach flower arrangement. Monarda usually colonizes a nice stand wherever it is growing, especially where the ground is a bit moist. In the wild, you will often see it accompanying wild raspberries and wineberries along forest paths. Town or country, you will inevitably see honey bees and butterflies flocking to this plant! For butterflies galore, you might also consider growing an assortment of Asclepias, or milkweed milkweed, common name for members of the Asclepiadaceae, a family of mostly perennial herbs and shrubs characterized by milky sap, a tuft of silky hairs attached to the seed (for wind distribution), and (usually) a climbing habit. plants. This is also one of those often disregarded plants for its commonness, but its one of my favorites. The pink swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is crucial to Monarch butterfly populations and is nicely complimented by tall Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosum), which looks almost exactly like the same plant but twice as tall. The large round tufts of flowers on these native plants are light pink with accents of darker pinkish purple tints, If pink is not your thing, or if your soil is drier, you might try the orange vibrant Butterfly-weed (Asclepias tuberosa), which is also lower growing--about two feet tall. There are so many more plants worth mentioning, but alas, only so much room on a page. Take your pick from the plants in the sidebar for more amazing Appalachian native plants! FAVORITE NATIVE PLANTS FLOWERS Adam's-needle, Yucca filamentosa Bee-balm, Monarda didyma Black Cohosh/Snakeroot, Cimifuga racemosa Blazing-star, Grass-leaved, Liatris graminifolia Bloodroot bloodroot: see poppy. bloodroot Plant (Sanguinaria canadensis) of the poppy family, native throughout eastern and midwestern North America, growing mainly in deciduous woodlands and blooming in early spring. , Sanguinaria sanguinaria (sang´gwiner´ē  ) (bloodroot),n Sanguinaria canadensis contains an isoquinoline alkaloid thought to be useful in reducing plaque and gingivitis. Canadensis Cardinal-flower, Lobelia cardinalis Columbine, Eastern, Aquilegia Canadensis Common Grass-pink, Calopogon tuberosus Day Lily, Hemerocallis fulva Dwarf Crested Iris, Iris cristata Eastern Bluestar, Amsonia tabernaemontana Eastern Shooting Star, Dodecatheon meadia Fire-pink, Silene virginica Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica Green Arrow-arum, Peltandra virginica Green Dragon, Arisaema dracontium Indian-pink, Spigelia marilandica Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum Lance-leaf Tickseed tickseed, name sometimes used for the bur marigold, coreopsis, tick trefoil or beggarweed, and other bur-producing weeds. , Coreopsis lanceolata Narrow-leaf Blue-eyed-grass, Sisyrinchium angustifolium New York Ironweed, Vernonia noveboracensis Northern Rattlesnake-master, Eryngium yuccifolium Obedient, plant, Physostegia virginiana Phlox, Creeping, Phlox stolonifera Phlox, Summer, Phlox paniculata Pink Turtlehead, Chelone lyonii Pitcher-plant, Sarracenia species Purple-head Sneezeweed, Helenium flexuosum Rose Pogonia pogonia: see orchid. , Pogonia ophioglossoides Tall Blue Wild Indigo, Baptisia australis Trillium, Wake-robin, Trillium erectum Turk's Cap Lily, Lilium superbum Virginia Blueflag, Iris virginica Whirling Butterflies, Gaura lindheimeri Wild Bleeding-heart, Dicentra Dicentra a genus of the Fumariaceae family of plants; contain an isoquinoline alkaloid which causes a syndrome of diarrhea, incoordination and other nervous signs. Includes D. cucullaria (dutchman's breeches), D. canadensis (squirrel corn), D. exima BUSHES Coastal Sweet-pepperbush, Clethra alnifolia Flame Azalea, Rhododendron flammeum Mountain-laurel, Kalmia Kalmia genus of North American trees in the family Ericaceae; contains the poisonous tetracyclic polyol, andromedotoxin; causes vomiting, incoordination, paralysis and hyperexcitability. Includes K. angustifolia (dwarf laurel), K. latifolia Rhododendron, Rhododendron-numerous varieties! Smooth Northern Spicebush spicebush: see laurel. spicebush Deciduous, dense shrub (Lindera benzoin, or Benzoin aestivale) of the laurel family, native to eastern North America. Found most often in damp woods, it grows 5–20 ft (1.5–6 m) tall. , Lindera benzoin benzoin (bĕn`zoin, –zōĭn) or benzoinum (bĕnzoin`əm), balsamic resin, the dried exudation from the pierced bark of various species of the benzoin tree (Styrax Snow Queen Hydrangeas, Oak Leaf, Hydrangea quercifolia Witch Hazel, Hamamelis virginiana TREES American Holly, llex opac American Smoketree, Cotinus obovatus American Snowbell snow·bell n. Any of various shrubs or trees of the genus Styrax, especially S. japonicus and S. obassia of eastern Asia, having bell-shaped white flowers. Also called storax. Noun 1. Tree, Styrax americanus Bald-cypress, Taxodium distichum Black Elderberry elderberry, n Latin names: Sambucus nigra, Sambucus canadensis; parts used: buds, fruit; uses: common cold, toothaches, headaches, diaphoresis, hay fever, sinus infections, epidermal irritations, lacerations, liver disorders, inflammation; , Sambucus nigeris Black Locust, Robinia pseudoacacia Black-gum, Nyssa sylvatica Chalk Maple, Acer leucoderme Dogwood, Comus--various species Eastern Red Maple, Acer rubrum Honey-locust, Gleditsia triacanthos Redbud, Cercis canadensis Sassafras sassafras: see laurel. sassafras North American tree (Sassafras albidum) of the laurel family. The aromatic leaf, bark, and root are used as a flavouring, as a traditional home medicine, and as a tea. , Sassafras albidum Sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum Ti-ti Tree, Cyrilla racemiflora VINES American Wisteria, Wisteria frutescens Cross-vine, Bignonia bignonia (bĭgnō`nēə), common name for the family Bignoniaceae, a family of chiefly woody vines of the American tropics and also a few shrubs and trees. capreolata Passionfruit, Passiflora incarnata FERNS Cinnamon Fern, Osmunda cinnamomea Southern Shield Fern, Thelypteris kunthii Brandi Hubiak has managed several organic C.S.A.'s in the past and lived/farmed in several eco-village communities. She currently resides in Asheville and runs a small organic landscape/garden design business called Garden Graces 828-712-2609. |
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