Home of the Practically Perfect Pink Phlox and other native plants for pollinators

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Wildflower Wednesday~ Are The Natives Friendly?

Oenothera fructicosa 'Fireworks'

Penstemon calycosus
Ruellia strepens
Spigelia marilandica

Asclepias tuberosa

Iris versicolor

Echinacea 'Matthew Saul'

Oenothera speciosa

Aquilegia canadensis


Oenothera tetragona with Sisyrinchium augustifolium

Phlox pilosa
Gillenia/Porteranthus stipulatus

Blephilia ciliata

Tradescantia virginiana

Are they ever!


Wildflower Wednesday is about sharing your favorite
wildflowers/natives/naturally occurring plants
no matter where you garden.

I hope you join the celebration..
It's always the fourth Wednesday of the month!


Gail


For your enjoyment~ Can you match the common names with the Latin!

Prairie Phlox
Spiderwort
Bowman's Root
'Harvest Moon'
Butterfly Weed
Downy Woodmint
Indian Pink
Showy Evening Primrose
Granny's Bonnet
Wild Petunia
Penstemon X
Blue Flag
Blue Eyed Grass
Sundrop

I bet you got them all correct!

"I love being asked to identify plants, and I don't know which gives me more pleasure: to know what they are or not to know what they are."...Elizabeth Lawrence, Through the Garden Gates, 1990

47 comments:

  1. Some real pretties here. They look very friendly and happy Gail.

    I got a couple of the names correct.

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  2. I love that quote at the end! What an amazing lady, and what amazing plants you are showing. You are definitely making some converts to the native way of thinking, dear Gail. The guest waving hello from atop the Blephilia is too cute! :-)
    Frances

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  3. Gail,

    Lazy S'S Farm has tradescantia 'Innocence.' I ordered from them in the spring and all of my plants were huge and arrived in the best packing that I've ever seen. I have no hesitation in recommending them.

    Your wildflowers are so lovely and I enjoy your regular report, along with the great info and education. You have a couple of natives here that I don't know at all.

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  4. Great collection of blooms today. Was asked to visit the extension agent's garden to see his Spigelia, what a stunning plant. Think I need to dig up some of my Sundrops to take with me to SC.

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  5. Everything looks beautiful...and I love the Latin quiz! My WW post is on Camassia scilloides...can you name it??

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  6. I like how the blue eyed pretty snuck in there :)

    I always want to know the name but sometimes it's best to just get the genus and end the frustration.

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  7. They are pretty friendly here too. I just told Frances that I have hope for my Indian pinks to bloom now that I see them here and on her blog. I probably just need to be patient. My PPPP is still blooming and I've actually moved it around. Love it! I saw some at the plant swap and thought too cool. Gail would love it! Have a great day!

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  8. Very nice Gail! The phlox you gave is is pumping out the blooms. Our asclepias is looking good too. I like that echinacea!

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  9. You have a gorgeous collection of wildflowers Gail. I could look at their pictures all day.

    I remembered to join Wildflower Wednesday this month too.

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  10. I just love your wildflowers, Gail;-) I am going to add an Oenethera variety...they are such beauties! I planted Porteranthus stipulatus this spring and while it's still living, it hasn't bloomed...a bunny or squirrel nibbled most of it to the ground! The plant had 2 tall stalks and now there is 1 very short one! My phlox pilosa is not blooming either...I am not sure if it needs a little more sun so I may need to move the one I just planted this spring, as well. I just ordered 5 varieties of Asclepias from Lazy s-s Farm and as Cameron said, it is a wonderful place to order from.

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  11. I really enjoyed todays post, Gail.

    Can't believe your Asclepias is blooming. Mine is still tiny. Last year, they bloomed so late they never set seed.

    I have a new pink Oenothera blooming this spring. I think it may be same as your Oenothera speciosa. Very low growing and spreading. I remember it from my years in Alabama where it grew in the gravel along the highways. Very tough!
    Marnie

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  12. You always have the prettiest wildflowers & natives growing in your garden. :)

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  13. Quote at the end is really inspiring - this is so true, I also can't decide what is better.
    Knowing names of the plants is like being friends and being able to call their names. Not knowing is like meeting new friends - I was remembered recently how delightful this is...

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  14. Gail....your wildflowers are fascinating. I do love to learn about the natives of lands far away.....

    I love the pink evening primrose.....I planted it several years ago but it seems to have disappeared. The yellow grows like a weed here and is dotted all around the garden. I love it, especially at night when it releases its scent to attract moths.

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  15. I think it is almost as much fun not knowing what they are. Ones curiosity is peaked and you wish you could find it someplace too. Your collection of wilds are wonderful. I will have to go out and take some photos.

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  16. They look pretty friendly to me! :) Beautiful, Gail.

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  17. I'm so happy to see some Phlox pilosa in there. I thought they all got washed out. Mine is in full bloom & smells heavenly. My Gillenia just started blooming yesterday.
    I have something very special for my Wildflower Wednesday post.

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  18. I love looking up things I don't know, or have forgotten. I once wrote to a hort professor at U. of FL because I didn't know a plant growing wild here. It turned out to be Elephantapus and he knew it from my description!

    My wild Penstemon is not yours. Mine has little purple lines on its lower lip.

    I've shown my own wildflowers this month so I showed the Butterfly Lady's wildings from my April visit. They're blooming now in northern gardens, so it isn't outdated.

    Thank you for hosting this fun theme.

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  19. Gail you have some beautiful natives that anyone would love to host in their gardens and I see that lovely little guest Frances was referring to aswell.

    UK natives are not as popular in folks gardens but I wrote again this month about the ones along the little path I constantly walk along........ plus there's a scene you might recognise in the first photo!. Its called "Cloths of Gold and Floral Chintz" due to the little pathway being used in by the textile industry down through history.

    Gail this is my favourite meme as I learn so much from all the new names and the fun of indentification.

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  20. Lovely wildflowers they are ones I would treasure in my garden, although I suppose my treasures are someone elses wildflowers.

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  21. Just lovely, Gail. And without meaning to, you've answered a question about a plant I saw yesterday. I saw it and thought it looked like Oenothera speciosa, but yellow. Of course I immediately wondered what it was called. And thanks to you, I'm almost sure now that it was O. fruticosa. :)

    Thanks for the lesson and the beauty.

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  22. Spectacular!

    We have some of the same wildflowers here--just blooming a little earlier.

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  23. Gail, thank you, thank you. we have oenothera tetragona but never could identify it. I love it because it spreads. pat hates it because it spreads. We pulled a bunch out this year. Great pics and post. jim

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  24. Gail,
    You're right - we have wonderful natives in the Southeastern US!

    A excellent post. Thanks!

    Lisa

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  25. Love the oenothera with the kiss of sisyrinchium so pretty. This is a great idea - the more people are encouraged to look for and grow natives the better it will be for local ecosystems. Also, gives me more flowers to look for, learn about and photograph so I can play next month.

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  26. Your complimentary neighbors are most compatible, Gail. You know how to tame wild ones! So love your Elizabeth Lawrence quote.

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  27. You are the master of your camera Gail ~ these photos of your gorgeous natives are all incredible. I love the penstemon photo ~ it's just amazing back-to. I think you could convert anyone to natives with these pics!

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  28. I always learn something new from your posts, Gail! Your natives are all so pretty! Great photographs!

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  29. I didn't get them all right, but I was surprised I recognized most of them. And that is thanks to you, Gail--I'm learning so much about wildflowers from you and this meme! You have quite a lovely show here. I had to go back and look at the Blephilia after seeing Frances' comment--I completely missed this little guy. He looks like he's sitting on a tuffet:)

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  30. Hi Gail,
    I just got my post up. I am falling asleep as I'm typing. I enjoyed seeing your blooms. I think I' come back tomorrow to read some more.

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  31. Oops, honey, I did Wordless Wednesday. I'll do a Wildflower post next week. I have some lovely penstemons and onothera and, and, and, but never as many as you.~~Dee

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  32. what beautiful photographs - and what an array of bloomers. I don't have very many early spring flowers. I'll have to fix that.

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  33. Amazing! And such lovely photos. I feel like I'm learning so much from your blog, Gail.

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  34. Thanks for the tour of your wildflowers. I have a wildflower bed too, with penstimon, mexican hat,butterfly milkweed,blue aster,and coneflower. Only the penstimon is blooming now. Around the yard though, the peonies are in full bloom. Come for a visit.
    Suzanne

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  35. Hi, I made it back! Yes, I knew what most of the flowers are. They are looking great! I hope some of my milkweeds and wild petunias are blooming for the next Wildflower Wednesday.

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  36. Oh my are they ever..indeed!

    Gorgeous.

    Jen

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  37. They all look friendly and I'd love to have any of them in my garden. I saw buds on my Spiderwort today, I've seen them on several of the wildflower posts today and can't wait to see some in person.

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  38. So many beautiful wildflowers. Each one is my favorite!

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  39. I can't decide which one would be my favorite. I'm having a hard time because each one of them is beautiful in different ways.

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  40. What a wonderful site you have. Flowers do intoxicate me. Those flowers talk to us more than any written words.

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  41. Wild flowers gone wild! You are one lucky gardener to be surrounded by all that beauty.

    I'm a huge fan of Butterfly Weed.

    donna

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  42. Gail, Love all your wildflowers. The Spigelia is on my list. What an unusual and stunning flower.

    It's no accident these beauties are thriving in the garden of such a nice person. :)

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