Wildflower Wednesday: Porteranthus stipulatus

Our October Wildflower Wednesday star is a beauty each fall as the deeply cut, toothed, trifoliate, medium green leaves turn a delightful golden orange.

I fell in love with its fall color.

Then I noticed it had the most delightful foliage and wiry stems with little seed pods left over from the summer flowers.

I decided then and there that it had to be in my garden, even though I hadn't seen any flowers. Foliage that packs this much color punch in the fall is a must have in my part shade/part sun garden.

Seeds

 I am not sure why this plant isn't in more gardens, after all, who needs big showy blooms on every plant when subtle beauty and charm can be found on this lovely native. It is found naturally growing in rich woods in a good portion of the Eastern US. It can take full sun in northern states, but, I recommend half sun in gardens that are on the hot/dry side. It has tolerated dry conditions in my garden, blooms every year and the fall color is grand.

There's one small the problem in my garden. While, I have rich soil for part of the year, our dry summers and our even dryer fall months (the last few years especially) have made this cutie patootie unhappy. It survives, but isn't thriving. I've seen it looking fabulous in gardens with deeper, richer soil and I know given those conditions it would look fantastic.

 Just look at those cute flowers, now imagine them blooming en mass on a small slope each spring. Now imagine that same hillside blanketed in our star's golden orange and bronze red each October! 

Stunning is what comes to mind.

It pairs beautifully with our woodland ex-asters and would look equally lovely in the spring with Columbine, Baptisia and other spring lovelies.

Porteranthus stipulatus is too valuable a wildflower to let it languish in the dryer section of my garden. It's time to move it closer to the hose where I can give it a good gulp of water once a week. The perfect spot is near the front path, close to the faucet and in full view so visitors will be sure to see it's many charms.  

 

Trust me on this, it is a charming plant and worth the search. Try GroWild here in Middle Tennessee and if you live way north of here, check with Prairie Moon Nursery.

Also, check with your State Native Plant Association for local nurseries.

 The particulars   

Botanical name: Porteranthus stipulatus 

Common Name: American Ipecac ( this common name comes from the Native Americans’ former medicinal use of the plant’s roots for an emetic), Indian physic; Midwestern Indian-physic 

Synonym: Gillenia stipulata

Family: Rosaceae

Growth habit: Sub shrub 

Native Range: Central and eastern North America 

 

Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8 

Height: 2.50 to 3.00 feet 

Spread: 1.50 to 2.00 feet 

Bloom Time: May to June 

Flower: White or light pink, showy

Root: perennial rhizome 

Sun: Part shade 

Water: Medium 

Maintenance: Low

Soil: 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)  6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 

Faunal associations: Long and short tongued bees visit for nectar and pollen. Flies, butterflies, and skippers also visit. 

Propagation methods:

• Root division
  
• Seed collection: Collect seedhead/pod when flowers fade; allow to dry
• From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall; winter sow in vented containers; coldframe or unheated greenhouse; sow indoors before last frost; direct sow after last frost  

 

 

Comments: Will form colonies if happy. Imagine a hillside with those cute flowers all blooming at once and then each fall a blanket of bronze red, golden orange. 

Deer/rabbit resistant : yes/yes

Thank you for stopping by to celebrate native wildflowers. 

xoxogail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. I am so glad you stopped by. 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 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: The Charming Indian Physic

Has fabulous fall color.

That's what initially caught my eye, but, then I noticed it had the most delightful foliage and wiry stems with little seed pods left over from the summer flowers. I decided then and there that it had to be in my garden.

It wasn't until the following May that I got to see the charming flowers. Prairie Moon Nursery says that the  flowers of Porteranthus stipulatus have a subtle beauty that is a nice break from the bigger blooms of most wildflowers. I think the little star shaped flowers are beautiful and somewhat reminiscent of apple blossoms. They look good planted with Aquilegia canadenses, Heuchera villosa and Pentemon calycosus.

For the greatest impact, plant it along a shady path where the small flowers would be seen by anyone walking by. Be generous, plant several for the biggest impact~remember, these are small flowers and you want your garden visitors to appreciate their subtle beauty!

little seed pods

 I am not sure why this plant isn't in more gardens. It's really lovely and not at all difficult. It is found naturally growing in rich woods on calcareous soils in a good portion of the Eastern US. It can take full sun in northern states, but, I recommend half sun in gardens that are on the hot/dry side.

I wish I had photos showing pollinator visitors, but, take my word for it~ that bees, flies, butterflies and skippers stop by to nectar or gather pollen.

My dear friends, this is a seriously cute wildflower! Give it a try...
xoxogail

The particulars about Porteranthus stipulatus
Common Name: Indian physic
Growth habit: Sub shrub
Family: Rosaceae
Native Range: Central and eastern North America
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Height: 2.50 to 3.00 feet Spread: 1.50 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Flower: White or light pink
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy
Faunal associations: Long and short tongued bees visit for nectar and pollen. Flies, butterflies, and skippers also visit.

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 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.

Wish you were here to celebrate the sun with me

It was a lovely weekend and I wish you had been here to see the golden color that is the hallmark of our autumn.

I love this time of year when the colors are bold and glowing, the air is cooler and sun shines every day.

For the first time in months the garden is brightly lit from above and from within.

 Once upon a time this woodland shade garden was sunnier, of course, it was never a full sun garden, but more light was able to reach the understory and daffodils and tulips would bloom in the spring. I love the spring ephemerals, the woodland wildflowers and the understory shrubs and trees, but, I long for the sun when the trees leaf out in late spring. 

Hamamelis 'Diane, Ex-Asters, Cotinus 'Grace' and various Amsonias

I used to dread the falling leaves because it meant hours of back breaking raking and mulching and the inevitable arrival of our grey winter, but, now I appreciate the open canopy that lets the sun reach into my garden again.

Spicebush/Lindera benzoin, Hydrangea arborescens 'Ryan Gainey' and a Japanese Maple

Just on schedule the leaves are falling, the canopy is opening and the sun is spot lighting plants with its brilliance.

Rhus aromatica 'Gro Low'

My favorite (you do know that they are all my favorites, right?) perennials, shrubs and small trees take center stage in the fall sunlight.

 Porteranthus stipulata has a small footprint, but what it lacks in size is more than made up for in its brilliant golden fall color.

The lantern was a gift from Frances of Fairegarden

One of my favorite groupings~Panicum virgatum, Aronia arbutifolia, Physocarpus opulifolius 'Little Devil', Itea 'Henry's Garnet', Juniperus virginica 'Grey Owl',  and Salvia leucantha 'Midnight'.

Cornus florida is a mixture of gold, orange and red~It's covered with buds~I love this promise of spring as we move towards winter.

 Did you know that Phlox paniculata had this marvelous fall coloring?

Ostrya virginiana the Dancing Tree

Or that a tree could dance in the breeze?

Last, but not least, is Amsonia hubrechtii, not new to the garden, but new to this spot. They're planted beneath Viburnum rufidulum along with Clethra Sugartina Crystalina™,  Penstemon 'Husker Red' and for leaf texture and color, Hosta 'Gaucamole'.  If you want to see what Amsonias can do after they lose their color see my post Amsonias, After The Fall.

Lucky for me and the visiting critters the very best Ex-aster just begun to bloom! I can continue to enjoy and celebrate the sun, the flowers and the critters until we have a serious frost and even then there still might be color in my 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.

Garden Catalog Season Is Here!

It's that time of the year again.

Porteranthus stipulatus

Catalogs with seductive plant photos promising outstanding blooms and easy care arrive in my mailbox everyday. How's a plant starved gardener able to resist! (I've written about catalogs  before go here)

Guidelines!  You've got to have guidelines.

The guidelines fit the spirit of this garden and the spirit of this gardener. 

Without guidelines, I would be stuffing my cart (online or at the nursery) with plants that might be seductively beautiful, but, not make sense for Clay and Limestone.  My guidelines are quite simple;  before I  place any in the cart I like to make sure:

• It has a good chance to survive the difficult conditions at Clay and Limestone?
• It's a nectar or pollen source for pollinators?
• It's  a host plant for pollinators?
• It will add to the diversity of my pollinator friendly garden?
• It isn't available locally.

Witch hazel with pollinator~Must Be The Season of the Witch

Not all natives make the cut!  To make it to the checkout cart they need to be able to survive in my nearly neutral shallow clay soil that's sticky icky wet all winter and dry as concrete all summer.

 Hypericum frodosum

   Central Basin (Middle Tennessee) natives do. They hardly ever let me down. They are tough, they don't get root rot in our wet winters or burn up in our dry summers.

 The Susans never fail to bloom and charm.

  I love Central Basin natives.  Just look at those Susans!

Of course, guidelines can be amended~I shy away from any plant with "must have moist well draining soil" (Moist Well Draining Soil) or most plants that "need sharp drainage/will not survive in wet clay" (Not The Climate For Xeric) I will make an exception for a few of them.

Lobelia is an exception to the guidelines.
It's a powerhouse pollinator magnet and the late summer color is too wonderful to pass up

 Exceptions are saved for plants that are pollinator magnets,  like Lobelias, Agastaches and Salvias.  They will  get extra special treatment to make sure they survive,  like a big gulp of water once a week; planted in containers where their special growing requirements are easily met; or planted in soil that's been heavily amended with  a product like shale for sharper drainage.  Are they ever worth it!

There's one other way a plant makes its way to the cart.

It makes me smile.

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."

Wildflower Wednesday 2011 Roundup!

Hypericum frondosum is still hypercolored and River Oats is still golden.

Welcome to the Wildflower Wednesday December Roundup!  There's still color in the garden and we thank the St Johns wort and River Oats for brightening the gray days.  Gardening in the Middle South is a treat, we have four seasons, but our winter is  mercifully short and spring and autumn make up for the steamy hot summer weather.  Soon the  earliest ephemerals will bud and then the gloriously long  bloom of  wildflowers will begin.

Without further ado here are the best and brightest of Clay and Limestone's 2011 wildflowers.

January~The Toothworts

Cardamine concatenata~ Cutleaf Toothwort

 I love this charming member of the mustard family! All flowers of this family have 4  petals and the fruit is often in a capsule form.

February~The Cliff Dwellers:Heucheras

Heuchera americana

Heucheras are an international favorite thanks to a exciting new cultivars  that have been introduced  during the last 15 or so years. If you garden in the south you might want to look for any with H villosa in the parentage, they can take heat and humidity.  The key to success with any coral bell is drainage. They can be grown in almost anywhere, just give them good drainage and they'll be in your garden for a long time.


March~Yellowroot 

Xanthorhiza simplicissima

I love the tiny, delicate purplish flowers that bloom in the spring and the foliage that has been described as resembling both astilbes and celery. But, good looks was only one of the reasons it came to live in my garden.  It has high wildlife value and can take the difficult conditions.

 April~A Week Long Wildflower Celebration April is a happy blooming month. My garden is alive with so many wildflowers, bulbs and a few well chosen exotics. Cumberland Rosemary,  Geranium maculatum 'Espresso', Senecio aureus,  Phlox divaricata are a few of the ones I highlighted this past year. .

Hypoxis hirsuta

  May~Favorite Colonizing Wildflowers

Oenothera fruticosa is just one of the many colonizing wildflowers

 Colonizing wildflowers are just what I love.  If you aren't afraid of ground covering beauties than try a few from this post.

June~Pollinators and Their Friends

Doesn't this picture say it all! For more bees and butterflies  follow the link.

July~Phloxy Ladies and Gents (Summer Phlox)

It's possible that there may be a photo of PPPP in this one!


August~Partridge Pea

I did find a seed source for this colonizer!Hoping it will get established here!  I've got a few  places that need dramatic foliage and bright flowers.

September~Plant More Natives

Salvia azurea with a bee-lining carpenter bee

 That's my rallying cry!

October~Porteranthus stipulatus

Porteranthus stipulatus

One of my favorite of the fall pretties!

 November~A Week Long Celebration

Hamamelis virginiana

Thank goodness for the last of the ex-asters, the native grasses and witch hazels or our fall gardens would be pretty shades of brown!

My dear friends, Thank you for planting more wildflowers, thank you for taking care of the bees and all the  pollinators, thank you for tolerating pesky wildlife,  and thank you for another year of your friendship, visits, comments and joining me in celebrating wildflowers all over this great big wonderful world. You are the best and having you in my life has enriched it beyond measure.


xxoogail


Please comment and add your link 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."