Wildflower Wednesday: There Are Wildflowers That Like to Challenge the Boundaries!

At Clay and Limestone we call several of them good friends and Conoclinium coelestinum is one of the best!

Conoclinium coelestinum

This rough and tumble wildflower makes gardening on my shallow, too often dry garden soil worth the effort! It's an enthusiastic growers but, I decided years ago that a plant with lovely fuzzy lilac flowers that attracts bumbles, small bees, skippers and was a host plant to several moths was worth my having to pull out a few errant plants.

Yes, given the right conditions it can be an enthusiastic colonizer. It begins blooming in late August (Middle South) and continues through early fall and into October. The fuzzy appearing lilac-blue flowers add a softness to my late summer and fall garden when the Susans, Goldenrods, Cup Plant, Verbesinas, Joe-Pye weeds and Ironweeds are making a large and loud scene. It's especially beautiful when allowed to naturalize and make its own big statement.

There's the rub, you have to be willing to let blue mistflower do its thing to get the big effect of its lovely misty presence. That means living with the rough, but not unattractive leaves until the summer wains and the blooming begins.

The tall red stems are place holders while you're waiting and trust me the wait is worth it. I think they're quite attractive.

I discovered it years ago in the front garden where all the Susans once reigned supreme. The lilac blue blossoms against the pale green foliage was spectacular. It was an especially wet summer and I have to make a point to keep it watered if I want those delightful fuzzy blooms. It never disappears but it is lovelier when the soil is consistently moist.

Doesn't it look smashing with the gold flowers of Gaillardia? You can use it anywhere. I like it with the Rudbeckias, Coreopsis, the ex-asters and I'm thinking that it would be nice with grasses or edging the woodland garden. It's a perfect plant for a meadow, a pond edging, naturalized in a wet area. The possibilities are endless...except extremely dry soil.

compact corymbs or clusters  with up to 70 flowers per cluster

It's a shame that many gardeners under appreciate the charms of rough and tumble colonizers like Hardy Ageratum. Like many of the species related to Eupatorium, blue mistflower is a copious nectar producer and attracts butterflies of many species. When in more open areas, monarchs will spend a lot of time feeding on this plant, especially if near milkweeds. I've seen skippers, swallowtails and bees visiting the nectar-rich flowers, while birds goldfinches, juncos, and sparrows, are known to feed on the seeds, which also offer nesting material and cover for wildlife. If you want more, and once you see it massed you will, it's easily propagated from seeds, cuttings, rootball divisions or layering. It thrives best in a well-drained acidic to neutral soils in a sunny environment. If you want easy care this is a great wildflower, but, it does naturalize easily spreading by rhizome and seed (and is pulled out just as easily).  

If you have the space and temperament to let this plant go, please do. Conoclinium coelestinum is a plant that looks its best when allowed to naturalize. Cut it back in mid summer to keep it looking bushy and beautiful, and then let it do its beautiful thing.

 xoxogail

PS If you want to provide for fall pollinators you must never, ever, ever, ever, use pesticides in your garden. I mean never!

 

 

Family: Asteraceae

Botanical name: Conoclinium coelestinum

Common Names: Ageratum, Blue Boneset, Blue Mistflower,  Hardy Ageratum, Mistflower Wild Ageratum   

Life Cycle: Perennial

Native range: 

source

 USDA hardiness zones 5 through 10

Flower Color: Blue, Pink, Purple/Lavender 

Flower Inflorescence: Corymb 

Value To Gardener: Long bloom season     

Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.     

Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. 

Aspect: It grows in full sun to part shade such as low woods, wet meadows, and ditches.  

Bloom Time: Fall 

Flower Size: < 1 inch 

Flower Description: Flat-topped clusters of disc flowers that lack rays. It has numerous small, fluffy, tubular, blue-purple flowers (to 1/ 2” across) and blooms from July to October.

Stem Color: Green, Purple/Lavender, Red/Burgundy

Stems and leaves: Stems are clothed in pairs of attractive triangular, ovate or heart shaped leaves. 

Maintenance: Medium to high care due to water needs and possible need to edit it 

Propagation Strategy: Division, Root Cutting and Seed

Wildlife Value: Host plant to 13 specialist moths, including Eastern tailed-blue, hackberry emperor, American snout and aster flowerhead caterpillar. Mistflower provides abundant nectar for monarchs, swallowtails, queens, soldiers, pearl crascents, white peacocks, little yellows, and many other butterflies. Attracts native bees and skippers. 

Comments: Like many of the species related to Eupatorium, blue mistflower is a copious nectar producer and attracts butterflies of many species. Can be confused with Fleischmannia incarnata another member of the Eupatorium tribe Excellent in a meadow,  naturalized area, a pond edge, butterfly garden, native garden, pollinator garden, and mass planted. 

This species is pest resistant and foliage is unpalatable to deer and other herbivores.    

 

Thank you for stopping by and 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 your wildflower is in bloom or not; and, it never matters if we all share the same plants.

  

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.

Rough and Tumble Cup plant

 Cup plant is one of my must have rough and tumble wildflowers. 

"What's a rough and tumble wildflower?"you might be wondering. They're beautiful and  charming plants that  haven't had their best characteristics bred out of them. There are no cultivars or hybrids~That means they have not been crossed or genetically altered by human hand to be shorter, more floriferous, double flowered, disease resistant, sterile or what ever else is the going fad. I am pretty sure you can't improve on what nature has already done~creating plants that dance beautifully and gracefully with their pollinator and wildlife partners.

Cup Plant is a native of tall grass prairies where it grows in moderately rich, moist well drained neutral to alkaline soil. Expect it to make itself at home in your garden by setting down a central taproot and shallow rooted rhizomes. First year seedlings are easily transplantable from where you don't want them to where you do. It can and will spread vegetatively (and by seed) to form a large and tall colony that makes a striking statement in the back of a garden. Plant it with other prairie forbs and grasses to create a pocket prairie. 

You just can't beat the composite flowers when it comes to wildlife value, but, there's something especially wonderful about Cup Plant. Once the flowers open the pollinators descend upon the garden and they stay until the last petal falls from the plant and then the birds eat the seeds. But, even before it blooms, the wasps, Bumble bees, flies and small birds stop by to drink the rain and dew that has collected in the fused leaves that form a cup around the plants square stems. It's a very cool plant.

 What you can expect:

A big plant presence,
good looking flowers,
spreads assertively,
a rough and tumble wildflower,
tons of happy pollinators,
great wildlife value...

A tattered beauty in the garden July 22, 2014

 I never have to worry about this one disappearing from the garden ;)

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: Zigzag Goldenrod

Our Wildflower Wednesday star is Solidago flexicaulis also known as zigzag goldenrod or broadleaf goldenrod. It's a rhizomatous (creeping rootstock) perennial that is native to rich woods and thickets from Nova Scotia to North Dakota south to Georgia and Arkansas.

Zigzag goldenrod is my favorite goldenrod. As regular readers know I love take care of themselves, rough and tumble, colonizing wildflowers with great wildlife value and this goldenrod fits the bill! Plants are tough and adaptable prospering in part sun or part shade and in moist well drained soil and more importantly, they're superfood for insects.

woodland ex-asters are great companion plants

According to the Wild Seed Project (wildseedproject.net) “Asters and goldenrods attract loads of late season pollinating insects. In the wintertime, they provide food and habitat for many birds and small animals that feast on the seeds and find shelter in the dried stalks."

the little bees rely on goldenrods, too

Research by entomologist Doug Tallamy of University of Delaware lists asters (Symphyotrichum) and goldenrods as the wildflowers that support the most species of butterflies and moths. That's why I have a lot of them in my garden.

It really is a perfect plant for all our woodland gardens. In spring and summer the finely-serrated oval leaves and zig zagging stems jazz up a shady garden.

By late summer the brilliant golden flowers that emerge from the leaf axils are glowing.

bright yellow ray and disk florets

As mentioned earlier, they're blooming just in time for the hardworking bees that are provisioning their nests for winter survival or for Monarch butterflies gathering nectar for energy on their migration south.

landing pads of deliciousness 

Named for the way the stems zig and zag, this is a great plant for adding color and interest to the late fall woodland.

wind dispersed seed

After all that pollinator action the flowers give way to seeds, which are fluffy achenes that are easily   distributed by the wind or mammals passing through the woodland. I've dispershed my share of them, too. Please don't cut those seedheads off; the seeds are needed by chickadees, finches and pine siskins during the winter.

By mid to late fall the leaves and stems turn a brilliant deep burgundy. The leaves persist until the winter winds blow them away.

There are many good reasons to NOT shy away from this delightful woodland goldenrod. For one thing it is not the cause of hayfever. The pollen grains are heavy and not wind dispersed, so nothing from this plant is going to get into your nose. The most important reason to add this to your garden is for it's fantastic wildlife value. It's so important I've mentioned it over and over again in this post. If you need more reasons, consider its good looking flowers, the zig-zag stems and its delightful bold fall color. Now, contact your local native plant nursery and put your order in for seeds or plants! You won't be sorry and the bees and other critters will thank you by showing up in your garden.

xoxogail

The Particulars

Solidago flexicaulis
Common Name: broad leaf goldenrod, Zig-zag goldenrod
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Native Range: Eastern North American
Zone: 3 to 8
Height: 1.00 to 3.00 feet Spread: 1.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: July to October depending upon where
Bloom Description: Bright golden yellow
Sun: Part sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Soil: acid, neutral, rich, average, loam, clay
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy Attracts: Butterflies, bees, other pollinators
High wildlife value: For a complete list of bees, moth and insects that visit this plant go here
Tolerates: Deer, Heavy Shade, Clay Soil
Comments: Can colonize/naturalize to make a nice ground cover in moist shade. Naturalize. Excellent for shady wildflower garden
Companion plants: Woodland ex-asters, Solomon’s plume, wild geranium, Pennsylvania sedge, hepatica, trillium, violets and Hydrangea arborescens

Thank you for stopping by and 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 your wildflower is 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.

Wildflower Wednesday: Spiderwort

I love my garden in the early morning. Once the sun has made it past the trees, it begins to spot light the shadier garden nooks.

Spiderworts look their best in that cool morning sun. The sun light makes those feathery violet hairs glow. Later in the day they're washed out by the hot, bright light, but that is the case for many delicate flowers.

Spiderwort is ephemeral - its flowers stay open only one day.

Tradescantia  virginiana like all members of the dayflower/Commelinaceae family is ephemeral - its flowers stay open only one day (half day if sited in full sun), but, it continues blooming for a long time. The leaves are strappy, with pointed tips. Each has a channel (which looks like the perfect place to fold it) and is bright green with a dark green midvein and visible parallel veins.

Cultivars are now offered with, blue-green, chartreuse, or yellow leaves. I love the species plants and usually prefer them to cultivars, but, in this case, I say, go ahead and add whatever spiderwort cultivars you want to your garden. They all attract pollinators and for me, that's important...but, so is beauty! Just take a look a 'Kate' in the photo below. She's a beauty in chartreuse leaves and those purple flower pops against them.

'Kate' a cultivar same flowers prettier leaves

In my garden, spiderwort's arching stems are usually 2 to 3 foot tall and the clumps are never wider than 2 feet. The plant hasn't spread aggressively beyond their original plantings, but then C and L doesn't have rich, moist soil, which would encourage it to misbehave. They are known to spread by seed and if any seeds sprout where you don't want them,  they're best dug out when young, before a thick, fibrous root can develop in the middle of one of your prize ornamental plants.

There seem to be two explanations of the origin of the common name: either from the sticky secretion exuded from cut or broken stems, which hardens into web-like threads or from from the angular placements of its leaves, which suggests a sitting spider. The sitting spider is a new one to me, but certainly got me on my hands and knees checking out the flowers.

It's a fabulous garden worthy plant, but it is not without its detractors!

striking purplish blue flowers with three petals, 6 yellow stamens and the most exquisite spidery violet hairs.

Perhaps it those detractors and their negative reviews of spiderwort that keep it from being in more wildflower gardens. I have often been asked to recommend plants for native/wildflower gardens and when I suggest Spiderwort, I inevitably hear, a list of negative statements. "It's too weedy." It's unruly. "It's aggressive." "It's too floppy and messy."

It can be unruly in the right circumstances and once the big bloom period passes, it is a whole lot of plant and no flower!

In my eyes it's still a garden worthy plant. I garden for wildlife and this plant always has bumbles and smaller critters visiting it. I appreciate the delicate flowers in vibrant purples, blues, pinks and even white. They are delightful in a shady garden. When the narrow, strap like leaves start to look ratty, and they do by July, I cut them back. I am rewarded with fresh growth and occasionally more blooms. Cutting back spiderwort will also curb rampant reseeding.

a white flower  from several years ago with a visiting hoverfly

Spiderworts might not belong in a formal garden, but, they are certainly at their best in a woodland or cottage garden where they mingle nicely with native geraniums, Carex, Heucheras and foamflowers. I like to let them duke it out with colonizing plants like River oats and false dragonhead. Btw, False dragonhead is winning.

Geranium maculatum 'Espresso' with 'Kate'

Spiderworts are pollinated by bumbles and that makes me really happy. Beautiful and unique flowers that are not terribly temperamental about soil; that come in a kaleidoscopic palette of sumptuous colors; bushy plant that helps fill bare areas and mixes well in layered plantings; and, easy care, make this plant attractive to me.

If you can deal with a thuggish, tall, strappy, grass like plant when out of bloom; that is more plant than blooms, and; one that declines in the heat of summer; then, this is a plant for you. If you don't want to plant it in the garden, why not plant it in a container. You can move it out of the way when it stops blooming, cut the floppy stems back and wait to bring it back out when the cooler fall weather brings on the second flush of blooms.

I hope I've made a good case for Tradescantia virginiana! I want to be honest and not mislead you! Let me know what your experiences have been.

Thanks,
gailxoxo

The particulars

Tradescantia virginiana aka Spiderwort
Type: Perennial
Size: Usually around 2 feet tall, may get taller
Leaf: Green, blue green. Cultivars offer more color including lime green.
Bloom Color: Blue, purple, pinks and white. Cultivars may cross and create a lovely palette of colors
Bloom Time: March through June. May rebloom in fall.
Native Distribution: A Central basin native plant. Eastern half of the US and Canada. W. CT to WI, s. to GA, TN & e. MO 
Native Habitat: Meadows; open woods; limestone outcrops
Water Use: Low when established, prefers moist soil
Light Requirement: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Soil  Description: Very adaptable plant prefers humus-rich soil, but will grow in a wide range of soils: moist/dry, clay/sand, acid/alkaline.
Wildlife: Attracts bees. Pollinated by bumblebees.  Butterfly nectar source.
Comments: Juglones tolerant. POISONOUS PARTS: Leaves. A good ornamental in the garden. Attractive seasonal color for a shady or sunny area. Plant looks good with Heucheras, foam flowers and other native plants. Probably best in naturalistic plantings, woodland and shady gardens. To keep plants looking healthy, cut them back in late summer (or when they appear to stop blooming). Spiderwort spreads easily, but if kept under control, it can be used as a border plant. It is striking in mass when in bloom.



Welcome to Wildflower Wednesday and thank you for stopping by to see Tradescantia virginiana, a sweet wildflower that I think has gotten a bad rap! Thanks also, for joining in and if you are new to Wildflower Wednesday, it's 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 your wildflower is in bloom or not and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. 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.

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.

Pretty In Pink~Showy Evening Primrose

 I love this pushy little flower! Call me eccentric, but I appreciate a plant that likes to romp around my garden and make a big statement.

 Showy evening primrose does make a big statement...Some gardeners might say it makes too big a statement!

But, not me.

Flowers and plants that can thrive in my shallow, clay soil are very much appreciated. Oenothera speciosa does that and more. It is a pink ground cover that lights up the Susans garden mid-spring and combines beautifully with the foliage of later blooming wildflowers.

I like rough and tumble plants that can take care of themselves and colonizing plants that make a big show and Oenotheras are rough and tumble colonizers. Many gardeners think they're aggressive or thuggish and if the idea of plants romping here and there doesn't appeal then you might want to steer clear of this pretty in pink beauty. In the right circumstances (dry rocky soil) it can spread aggressively in your garden and be nearly impossible to eradicate.

I have a wet winter garden and they still manage to romp about....mostly down slope, not up! I rip out the plants before they set seed, they look messy anyway, but, getting all the root is nearly impossible so every year, they return.

Again, I don't mind them in my garden. They're pretty and pink, they smell sweet, and pollinators love them...They're nectar and pollen rich and it has been suggested that based upon the size of the stamens and styles that large butterflies, day flying sphinx moths and hummingbirds may be pollinating them. (source)

X marks the spot for pollen and nectar

Although, I haven't seen hummers or sphinx moths nectaring on Showy evening primrose, it is popular with small bees and bumbles.

It's a good thing I like them a lot, they're in my garden for good and most likely forever!

xoxogail

PS Originally a native plant of the south-central United States and the rocky prairies and savannas of the lower Midwest, it is now commonly seen along roadsides and in disturbed areas over a much broader region. It is available in the nursery trade and has been a pass-along plant for generations! (source)

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.