Wildflower Wednesday: Downy Wood MInt

Downy Wood Mint and I have been gardening friends for over 40 years. The first time I saw it growing in the shady freedom lawn behind the carport shed I thought it was Monarda.  

Although, it wasn't, it was definitely a mint with its square stems, opposite leaves and whorled lavender flowers at the top of the stalk! 

It's been described as little towers of flowers that wrap around the stems 

Blephilia ciliata is a charming flowering plant with upright unbranched stems. The foliage is lance shaped or oblong and opposite along the stems. Leaves and stems are pubescent/hairy and faintly aromatic when crushed. I am so glad to have fond it because it's happier in my garden than Monarda has ever been. It never fails to bloom and it is tolerant of my dry shade. The other wonderful characteristic: it transplants easily.

unbranched stems on display

 Hillwood in west Nashville where I live was once rolling farmland and wooded forests before it was sold to developers in the 1940s and 1950s. Today you can still find remnants of the woodland in the hills and in the remaining freedom lawns.  I suspect that Downy woodmint can still be found in the woodlands that survived that early development and I wonder how many of my neighbors are even aware that this lovely wildflower and others might be growing along the edges of their yards. I don't know how much longer most of these remnant woodlands will survive the development that's now happening in the neighborhood....Perhaps in the hills, but certainly not on the flatter yards. One thing I am sure of is that the developers who are responsible for the present progmess don't seem to care that they are destroying habitats when they bulldoze the trees and yards to plant their sterile mono-culture lawns.

But, I digress!  

watch out little bees there are crab spiders waiting to capture you

Blephilia ciliata's range is throughout most of Eastern North America and parts of the Central United States. It's been found growing in fields, steep slopes, disturbed sites and roadsides. Plants often occur in thin soils over limestone. Long time readers probably totally understand why it's a perfect plant for Clay and Limestone!

In late spring and summer, dense whorls of clustered flowers encircle the stems. The tiny individual flowers are two lipped and pink, lavender or white with purple spots. 

It makes a charming ground cover. I call it a gentle colonizer! It's not a rough and tumble wildflower blazing a trail through my garden, instead it, gently and slowly spreads. It is well behaved  and supports the surrounding ecology of other plants in the garden. 

I love this visiting critter photo

This carefree flower does a good job of attracting pollinators. Scads of native pollinators visit the flowers. According to Illinois Wildflower the flowers attract long-tongued and short-tongued bees, bee flies, Syrphid flies, butterflies, and skippers. The numerous bee visitors include honeybees, bumblebees, Anthophorine bees, little carpenter bees, leaf-cutting bees, Halictine bees, masked bees, and others. That's a lot of critters.

Source

Attractive seed heads form after bloom and pollination. The seed clusters remain on the plant all winter along with the green basal leaves. Downy woodmint is not long lived so you might want to leave seedheads on the plant to self sow. You can also collect seeds to sow around your garden. I suggest you check out Brian's Native Plants for instructions on seed collection. 

Unfortunately, like many beautiful and unique wildflowers, you might have trouble finding this plant at local garden centers unless they specialize in native plants. Check with your local native plant nursery for plants and online for seeds (Prairie Moon Nursery sells the seeds). 

I hope you know or get to know Blephilia ciliata...It's a delightful little charmer that will brighten a shady or sunny spot in your garden. 

xoxogail

The particulars:
 

Botanical name:  Blephilia ciliata

Family: Lamiaceae

Common names:  downy wood mint, downy pagoda plant, sunny woodmint and Ohio horsemint.
 

Type: herbacious perennial
 

Range: Native to eastern North America and parts of Canada

Hardiness zones 4-8
 

Height: 1.00 to 2.50 feet 

Spread: 0.75 to 1.50 feet

 

Flower: Showy

 

Bloom Time: May to August

 

Bloom Description: Blue, purple, pale, almost white with dark dots

 

Sun: Full sun to part shade

 

Water: Dry to medium

 

Maintenance: Medium

 

Tolerates: Drought, Dry Soil, Deer resistant

 

Wildlife value: A magnet for a variety of pollinators including butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, beetles.

 

Companion plants:  You can pair it with other plants that enjoy similar cultural requirements, like Aster laevis, Phlox pilosa, Coreopsis tripteris, Solidago nemoralis, Bouteloua curtipendula, Sorghastrum nutans or Schizachyrium scoparium. It's still growing in the way back freedom lawn.
 

Comments: Occurs in rich open woods, glades, valleys and ravines, borders of woods, old fields, and along roadsides. It naturally occurs in thin soils over limestone. Needs a few hours of bright sun to flower best. Flowers in mid May in my garden. The seed heads are attractive all winter. Basal leaves remain green all winter. The leaves can be used to make a mild mint tea. NOT browsed by dear or other mammals.

 

Landscape: This is a good choice for a pollinator garden, wildlife garden, prairie garden, rock gardens, Butterfly garden, water wise gardens, or, in a meadow. If you're patient it will eventually make a lovely ground cover. 

Welcome to Clay and Limestone and Wildflower Wednesday.  This day is about sharing wildflowers and other native plants no matter where one gardens~the UK, tropical Florida, Europe, Australia, Africa, South America, India or the coldest reaches of Canada. It doesn't matter if we sometimes share the same plants. How they grow and thrive in your garden is what matters most. So please share your wildflowers on your favorite social media site. Share to help educate others!

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener, Tennessee Naturalist and nature writer in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wildflower Wednesday: Blephilia subnuda

 Cumberland Pagoda plant is our May Wildflower Wednesday star and not only is it lovely to look at, it's a favorite of the bumbles that live in the garden. If only it were more available to we native plant aficionados.

B subnuda with Christmas fern, Hydrangea arborescens, Heuchera and Phacelia

Blephilia, the pagoda plant or wood mint, is a genus of three species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. They are all herbaceous plants native to eastern North America. Blephilia are most often found in open areas, glades, and mesic forests. All species are considered threatened or endangered in some states. The genus includes only perennial species that spread by both seeds and through stem division. Small white to purple-lavender flowers occur in inflorescences that cluster in the upper leaf axils, often in several circular layers (hence the common name pagoda-plant). Leaves are generally lanceolate to ovate and vary in shades of green. Leaves are either petiolate or subsessile (depending on the species). Like many other members of the subtribe Menthinae, all parts of Blephilia are highly aromatic when crushed and have smells similar to menthol and spearmint.  (source)

mint family characteristics

 A really rare Blephilia

 Blephelia subnuda/Smooth Woodmint/Cumberland Pagoda-plant/Cumberland Woodmint has a rare presence in the southeast. Plants have been found in rocky limestone forests within the Cumberland Plateau region of northeastern Alabama and Tennessee. Richard W Simmers and Robert Kral collected specimens in 1983 and described and compared them to B ciliata and B hirsuta in an article in Rhodora the Journal of the New England Botanical Club (1992).

UNC Herbarium

Other than the article mentioned above there is little written about B subnuda. I am not sure why, unless its similarity to the others two Blephilias makes it uninteresting to botanists. Another question I have and wish I could find an answer to is this one: "Why is this plant so rare, when others in its genera aren't?" We know that it's vulnerable to damage from logging, but, whether it's naturally rare or has been affected by habitat loss remains an unknown. So someone, please research this!

 Downy woodmint not so rare

Downy woodmint is found in most eastern US states

Blepilia ciliata/Downy woodmint (photo above) was here at Clay and Limestone long before there was a garden. It's a more intense purple then B subnuda, which is more white with purple spots. B subnuda's  leaves are smooth and lack hairs. Both attract bumbles in my garden and I am glad to have them. Both like the neutral clay soil over limestone and are doing well in the semi-shade.

Blephilia subnuda at Clay and Limestone

Terri Barnes of Growild Native Plant Nursery introduced me to smooth woodmint (another common name) and I've been pleased with how well it does in my garden. I got two quart sized containers and planted them along the stone path to the front garden. They're growing happily beneath Hydrangea arborecens and Hydrangea quercifolia. They're cavorting with Christmas ferns, Heuchera, Trillium, Carex,  Scutellaria, Phacelia and wild ginger.

I want more!

 

 

 

 

A good looking plant

B subnuda is a beautiful flowering plant with upright unbranched reddish stems. The toothed foliage is lance shaped/ oblong and opposite along the stems. Leaves and stems are faintly aromatic when crushed and hairless. In late spring and summer, dense whorls of clustered flowers encircle the stems for about a month. The tiny individual flowers are two lipped and white to pinkish with purple spots.

 

Terri Barne's private garden

This needs to be in more gardens! Contact Terri Barnes of Growild Native Plant Nursery to see when it might be available. Trust me, you will love it and so will your pollinators.

xoxogail

 

The Particulars 

Botanical name: Blephilia subnuda

Family: Lamiaceae

Common Names: Smooth Woodmint, Cumberland Pagoda-plant, Cumberland Woodmint 

Range: Rocky limestone forests within the Cumberland Plateau region of northeastern Alabama and Tennessee.

Duration: Perennial 

Habit: Herb 

Size: To about 2 feet in height.

Leaf Arrangement: Opposite 

Leaf: Simple/Compound:,Perianth Absent  

Flower: In late spring and summer, dense whorls of clustered flowers encircle the stems for about a month. The tiny individual flowers are two lipped and white with purple spots.

Fruit Color: none

Bloom Color: White, pinkish, purple

 Bloom Time: May, June (late spring)

Bloom Notes: Flowers white with purple spots on the lower lip.

Maintenance: Easy peasy once established. Good drainage is helpful.

Comments: On the endangered plant list in TN

Not browsed by dear or other herbivores (so far)  

Value:  This is a good choice for a pollinator garden, wildlife garden, prairie garden, rock gardens, Butterfly garden, water wise gardens, or, in a meadow. If you're patient it will eventually make a lovely ground cover. 

Source

COMPANION  PLANTS:  You can pair it with other plants that enjoy similar cultural requirements, like Aster laevis, Phlox pilosa, Coreopsis tripteris, Solidago nemoralis, Bouteloua curtipendula, Sorghastrum nutans or Schizachyrium scoparium. In semi-shade it's planted with Christmas ferns, Heuchera, Trillium, Carex,  Scutellaria, Phacelia and wild ginger.

 

UNC Herbarium

 

Welcome to Clay and Limestone and Wildflower Wednesday.  This day is about sharing wildflowers and other native plants no matter where one gardens~the UK, tropical Florida, Europe, Australia, Africa, South America, India or the coldest reaches of Canada. It doesn't matter if we sometimes share the same plants. How they grow and thrive in your garden is what matters most.

 

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

 

Wildflower Wednesday: Blephilia ciliata

Downy Wood Mint and I have been gardening friends for over 30 years. I met it the first summer after we moved into this house. It looked like Monarda growing in the shady freedom lawn behind the carport shed. Although, it wasn't Monarda, it was definitely a mint with its square stems, opposite leaves and whorled light lavender flowers at the top of the stalk!

Downy Wood Mint is a beautiful flowering plant with upright unbranched stems. The foliage is lance shaped or oblong and opposite along the stems. Leaves and stems are pubescent/hairy and faintly aromatic when crushed.

 I have never seen it growing in the wild, but, once upon a time my neighborhood was a woodland and there are still wildflowers growing in lawns and woodland edges. I wonder how many of my neighbors are even aware that this pretty and others might be growing along the edges of their yards.

As more people move into Nashville and older ranch homes are torn down our freedom lawns with Salvia lyrata, Western Daisies, Fog Fruit, Ruellia humilis, clover and other "lawn weeds" are herbicided away. It makes me very sad and motivates me to continue to advocate for planting for wildlife in our gardens through my garden writing. 

watch out little bees there are crab spiders waiting to capture you

The literature from native plant nurseries suggests that it grows best in full sun or part sun with average or dry soils. I love that it's tolerant of dry shade, but doesn't seem to be bothered by our winter rain. While it does slowly spread from a central taproot, it's not aggressive like its Monarda cousins and it easily transplants. It might be time to test it in the sunny Susan's bed to see if it will flower and how much it might spread.

scads of native pollinators visit the flowers.

In late spring and summer, dense whorls of clustered flowers encircle the stems for about a month.  The tiny individual flowers are two lipped and pink, lavender or white with purple spots.
Scads of native pollinators visit the flowers. According to Illinois Wildflower the flowers attract long-tongued and short-tongued bees, bee flies, Syrphid flies, butterflies, and skippers. The numerous bee visitors include honeybees, bumblebees, Anthophorine bees, little carpenter bees, leaf-cutting bees, Halictine bees, masked bees, and others.

Source

After bloom and pollination, attractive seed heads form. The seed clusters remain on the plant all winter along with the green basal leaves.

Blephilia ciliata ranges through most of Eastern North American and through parts of the Central United States. It's been found growing in fields, steep slopes, disturbed sites and roadsides. Plants often occur in thin soils over limestone. You can see why it's a perfect plant for Clay and Limestone!

While it's shade tolerant, too much shade and competition from neighboring plants can cause plants to weaken and decline. So give it some room to spread and a few hours of sunshine.

the flowers are white, light pink, or lavender, and individually slightly less than ½" long.

LANDSCAPE USES:  This is a good choice for a pollinator garden, wildlife garden, prairie garden, rock gardens, Butterfly garden, water wise gardens, or, in a meadow. If you're patient it will eventually make a lovely ground cover. 

 There are two prominent lips, with small purple spots on the lower one, and fine hairs in the back.

 COMPANION  PLANTS:  You can pair it with other plants that enjoy similar cultural requirements, like Aster laevis, Phlox pilosa, Coreopsis tripteris, Solidago nemoralis, Bouteloua curtipendula, Sorghastrum nutans or Schizachyrium scoparium. In my garden it's planted with Western Daisies and Porteranthus. It's still growing in the way back freedom lawn.

The particulars:
Family: Lamiaceae
Blephilia ciliata
Common names:  downy wood mint, downy pagoda plant, sunny woodmint and Ohio horsemint.
Type: herbacious perennial
Range: Native to eastern North America.
Occurs in rich open woods, glades, valleys and ravines, borders of woods, old fields, and along roadsides. It naturally occurs in thin soils over limestone
Hardiness zones 4-8
Height: 1.00 to 2.50 feet

Spread: 0.75 to 1.50 feet

Flower: Showy

Bloom Time: May to August

Bloom Description: Blue, purple, pale, almost whit with dark dots

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Dry to medium

Maintenance: Medium

Tolerate: Drought, Dry Soil, Deer resistant

Comments: Needs a few hours of bright sun to flower best. Flowers in early summer in my garden.
The seed heads are attractive all winter. Basil leaves remain green all winter. The leaves can be used to make a mild mint tea. NOT browsed by dear or other mammals.

Welcome to Clay and Limestone and Wildflower Wednesday.  This day is about sharing wildflowers and other native plants no matter where one gardens~the UK, tropical Florida, Europe, Australia, Africa, South America, India or the coldest reaches of Canada. It doesn't matter if we sometimes share the same plants. How they grow and thrive in your garden is what matters most.

xoxogail



Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wildflower Wednesday: Downy Wood Mint

I hope you know Blephilia ciliata...It's a delightful little charmer that will brighten a shady spot in your dry woodland garden.

 I met Downy Wood Mint the first summer after we moved into this house. I was wandering around in my new yard when I spotted what looked like monarda growing in the lawn. Was I ever excited. It was definitely a mint; it had square stems, opposite leaves and whorled light lavender flowers at the top of the stalk! The only thing missing was the tell tale monarda fragrance, instead, there was just the tiniest hint of a minty smell when the leaves were crushed.

I wasn't disappointed for long. Downy Wood Mint is a beautiful flowering plant and it's happier in my garden then Monarda has ever been. It is tolerant of my dry shade, isn't an aggressive grower and was naturally growing here.

Talk about right plant-right place! It really is.

Blephilia ciliata is a gentle colonizer! It's not a rough and tumble wildflower blazing a trail through my garden, instead it, gently and slowly spreads. It's a carefree flower that blooms for a month and does a good job attracting pollinators.

Speaking of pollinators, according to Illinois Wildflowers: "The flowers attract long-tongued and short-tongued bees, bee flies, Syrphid flies, butterflies, and skippers. The numerous bee visitors include honeybees, bumblebees, Anthophorine bees, little carpenter bees, leaf-cutting bees, Halictine bees, masked bees, and others. The small seeds are unlikely to be of much interest to birds, nor is the foliage an attractive source of food to mammalian herbivores." (source)

opposite leaves and square stems

Unfortunately, like many beautiful and unique wildflowers, you might have trouble finding this plant in the trade. Check with your local native plant nursery for plants and online for seeds (Prairie Moon Nursery sells the seeds)

Flowers are typical of the mint family, with an upper lip and a 3-lobed lower lip; pale lavender with purple spots.

 The particulars:

Blephilia ciliata is an herbaceous perennial of the mint family.
Native to eastern North America.
Occurs in rich open woods, glades, valleys and ravines, borders of woods, old fields, and along roadsides.
Hardiness zones 4-8
Common names:  downy wood mint, downy pagoda plant, sunny woodmint and Ohio horsemint.
Will tolerate shade and dry soil, but, is equally happy in rich garden soil.
Needs a few hours of bright sun to flower best.
Flowers in early summer in my garden.
The seed heads are attractive all winter.
Basil leaves remain green all winter.
The leaves can be used to make a mild mint tea.
NOT browsed by dear or other mammals.

I do hope you can find room for Downy Wood Mint in your garden.
xoxoxgail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom or not, and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. It's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.




Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

May Blooms For Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day-2012

A few blooms to help us all celebrate the marvelous and magnificent month of May.

Iris 'versicolor'

Blephilia ciliata (Downy Wood mint)

Oenothera fruticosa (Sundrops)

Penstemon calycosus affectionately known as Penstemon X

Gillenia stipulata (American Ipecac)

Aquilegia canadensis

Spigelia marilandica  (Indian pink)

Tradescantia 

Agastache 'Golden Jubilee' in the Susans' bed with Oenothera speciosa, Asclepias tuberosa in the background


Have a marvelous and magnificent May Bloom Day!
xxoogail

Now, it's time to visit  May Dreams Gardens, where our delightful hostess, Carol, has set up the Mr Linky magic carpet ride to more Bloom Day posts than you can imagine. You're in for a treat~it's still Spring (and late Autumn in the Southern Hemphisphere) and gardens are dressed in their finest.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone." She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Plant More Natives In 2012

The critters will thank you!

Hover Fly on Spiderwort

I plant natives because it makes sense for the difficult conditions in my garden~ (You know that shallow clay soil that's sticky wet all winter and dry as concrete all summer.) After the drought last summer and fall and an already saturated 2012,  planting Central Basin natives makes even more sense to me.

late spring border of mostly natives with native friendly exotics

They never let me down and more importantly, they never drown. (Not The Climate For Xeric)

Downy Woodmint/Blephilia ciliata

I plant natives because they provide habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. (Gardening For Wildlife)  But, not just any old native plant makes the  Clay and Limestone cut.  They also  have to be tough, attractive and make me smile. 

I've already started on my list~This past week I planted Dodecatheon meadia/Shooting Star, found Hydrangea quercifolia/Oakleaf Hydrangeas on sale,  bought a marvelous native 
Rhamnus caroliniana/buckthorn,  decided to try an Neviusia alabamensis/Alabama snow-wreath and I haven't even gotten to the summer and fall blooming perennials! (earlier post)

Join me and let's make 2012 the year we plant more natives.  The critters will thank you, but, I pinky swear, that you'll be even happier than the bees. 

xxoogail


Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."