Wildflower Wednesday: Autumn Equinox in Flower

I wasn't sure which of the glorious wildflowers of the Autumn Equinox to showcase for Wildflower Wednesday!

My first candidate was Salvia azurea. It's the best blue in my fall garden and each time it blooms I wish I had more.  

Pitcher sage is not only beautiful, it's a favorite of bees. The bumbles are the primary pollinator of this salvia and fit nicely into the lipped flowers. The Carpenter bee, although another frequent visitor, is not a pollinator.  It cannot fit into the flower, instead it slits open the corolla and robs the nectar while avoiding contact with the pollen. Occasionally, butterflies visit, but, I've not captured any photos this year...It's a sweet flower that's native to North Carolina south to Florida; west to Texas; north to Nebraska and Minnesota. It's happy in full sun or partial sun as long as it gets good drainage.

Conoclinium coelestinum

I considered Hardy Blue mist flower as a contender and even wrote a post, which I'll share later this season. It's another of my rough and tumble, take care of themselves wildflowers. Many gardeners under appreciate the charms of Hardy Ageratum. They consider it too weedy and aggressive for their gardens, until it blooms and then they, like me, begin wondering why the heck they haven't more of it! I am not wondering this year, I let it spread about 4 feet down the side of the Susan's bed and I am thrilled with the river of blue.

the red stems and the rough leaves are attractive, too.

It's a plant that you might want to consider using as a ground cover on most any soil, but it excels in heavier, moist soils. This wildflower species is native to eastern and central North America, from Ontario south as far as Florida and Texas.

Tall Coreopsis

The yellow composites were also in the running for Autumn Equinox star. Check out Coreopsis tripteris, it's still going strong. Imagine a Coreopsis on steroids, but, just the stems! These  plants can get really tall and are good at the back of most borders. We don't do that here...we plant where ever there is soil and no bedrock! Tall Coreopsis rather charmingly leans over and gently brushes against its neighboring plants! It's what happens when the trees create a shadier garden than the plants need. 

 I am so glad it's still in bloom to cuddle up next to the ex-asters. It can be found naturally occurring in the eastern US as far north as Rhode Island, south to Florida and across the Mississippi River as far west as Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa.

Ex-asters, Goldenrod and Tall Coreopsis

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae are the first of the ex-asters to bloom. They're tall and gently sway in the slightest breeze and look especially beautiful this year. I didn't weed them this past spring and they've spread to make a lovely show in pinks and purples.

found in every state but a few western ones and LA, TX  and Fl

They are pretty nondescript in a summer garden, but, more than make up for their greenness in mid September when they open up to feed the bees, skippers and butterflies. This native of eastern North America is an autumn-flowering gem with blooms ranging from pale pink to deep purple. New England asters are a critical late season nectar source for migrating Monarch Butterfly, so if you're lucky to be on the Monarch migration trail please plant a lot of them!

narrow elongated foliage and self supporting stems are a plus

Another good looking Asteraceae that was under consideration was Helianthus salicifolius 'First Light'. The later bloom is a plus for this tamer sunflower! Willowleaf sunflower has dozens of golden-yellow flowers with dark brown eyes on stems that need no support~even in my shadier space. If you grow 'First Light' or the species in shade it will be taller and less floriferous. When happy it might spread so be prepared to divide it every three years.

Birds enjoy the seeds and  the crab spider hiding on the petal lets me know that bees and small pollinators visit the flower. Helianthus salicifolius is not a native of Tennessee! I love it anyway! It is a native of the central United States, primarily in the Great Plains and Ozark Plateau (States of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas).

Rudbeckia fulgid var fulgida might be my favorite of the Susans this year! They bloom late, and flower for a very long time. The long stemmed beauties have smaller flowers and are a favorite of the smaller bees. I've been growing it in containers to keep the more aggressive R fulgida from running it over.

If I had the energy I had 10 years ago I would take out most of the R fulgidas and plant this species. The stems are taller and the flower is in my opinion prettier. But, that's probably because the Susans are looking pretty seedy right now!

The Goldenrods are also star material for the Fall Equinox post.  I like to plant New England aster with goldenrod. A dynamic duo. A perfect marriage of good looks and functionality. They provide color and nectar at a time of year when both can be in short supply.

ambush bug just waiting for dinner to drop by

There are 100s of Solidago species in North America and you can be sure you will find several that make sense for your garden. I grow one cultivar~Solidago 'Fireworks' and love it. The rest are species, some prefer the woodland garden shade like Zigzag goldenrod and others are happiest in full sun.

I couldn't choose one, I love all my fall stars!

Give me this time of year with the intense yellow of goldenrod, the brilliant pink and purple of the New York asters and the lilac-blues of Hardy Blue Mistflower against the Autumn blue sky. These early fall blooms with their intense, rich colors are a treat for the senses.

But, they are so much more than pretty faces. Each one of these darlings provides more pollen and nectar return on investment than many other flowers combined. All of these native wildflowers are landing pads of deliciousness for butterflies, bees, wasps and moths. They're magnets for all kinds of insects; including some that are themselves food for spiders, birds and other insect eating critters.

These beauties are essential nectar and pollen sources for late visiting bees and butterflies, but also are known host plants for many moths and butterflies. The caterpillars of  Pearl Crescent and Checkerspot butterflies feed on Symphyotrichum novae-angliae; about ten different moths and butterflies rely on the foliage of Goldenrod; although, Mistflower is primarily a nectar source~it's foliage is eaten by several moth and butterfly cats.

My love affair with native plants has been going on for so long that now they are more beautiful to me than many classic garden flowers. I love  rough and tumble, take care of themselves wildflowers. I love their good wildlife value. I love that they are absolutely perfect for Clay and Limestone! 

Happy Wildflower Wednesday my friends.

xoxogail

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.

The trouble with Salvias!

I absolutely love annual salvias for  the rich color contrast they bring to my golden summer garden. They're also a nectar rich food for pollinators.

But, when I say food for pollinators, I meant the marvelous bees, hummingbirds and butterflies that visit the plant for nectar. I certainly didn't mean that I wanted my salvia flower buds to be eaten to nothing by the tiny Southern Pink Moth caterpillars!

That's exactly what has been happening to my annual salvias. The flower buds disappeared overnight, eaten by tiny caterpillars that I was sure had been eradicated from the garden years ago when I decided annual salvias wouldn't be planted at Clay and Limestone.

It was mid-summer 2009 when I noticed a pretty little moth nectaring on basil, its lovely pink color blended beautifully into the flowers and was only noticeable when I brushed against the container and it flew hither and yon. Yon being over to the salvia were it seemed perfectly comfortable. The moth's shape reminded me of tiny pink stealth jets and when I figured out that they were the adult stage of the voracious caterpillars eating the salvia and basil flower buds, they were christened stealth chompers.

Before the Southern Pink Moth landed at Clay and Limestone

They made a mess of my salvias and basil and I decided that the only way to stop them was to not invite them back into the garden. Which meant no more annual salvias would be jumping into my cart at the local nurseries. No more sweet little Salvia 'Coral Nymph', no more dramatic S 'Black and Blue' and, certainly, no more letting the basils go to flower.

Banning those beauties from the garden might have seemed dramatic at the time, but, I wasn't going to use a pesticide and I wanted to save the native fall blooming Salvia azurea from being chomped! It was new to the garden and I didn't want to chance losing is first season of bloom.

My garden has been Southern Pink Moth free until this year when I succumbed to the charms of annual Salvias 'Argentina Skies', 'Black and Blue' and S farinacea. Just after buds formed the Stealth Chompers struck! The buds were chewed to bits overnight and I could see the tiny caterpillars snacking on them... I cut the stems back and trashed the critters, hoping that any new buds would be safe. 

This morning while watering I saw three Southern Pink Moths nectaring on the Salvias. They are no more. There will be no more laying of eggs and there will be no more chomping on the flower buds~I am not letting them near my Salvia azurea, even if this is its seventh year of blooming in the garden.

A gardener has to do what a gardener has to do*. Looks like I am going to have to be on the lookout for any new stealth chompers. They must have come in on those new salvias.
xoxogail

*especially since the birds weren't chomping on the moths!

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.

GBBD: October 2013

 Welcome to my Central Basin woodland garden and the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day fall show.

The garden has begun its transition from the golden hues of the Susans and the Goldenrods to the the soft purple mist of violets and blues of the ex-asters. They aren't the only flowers in bloom, but, they are the big fall show and dearly loved by the many garden residents and visitors who visit for pollen, nectar and seeds.

The centers turn red centers when the flower is pollinated

Symphyotrichum shortii(N) is by far the most abundant ex-aster in the garden. They were one of the first wildflowers to introduce themselves to me almost 30 years ago when we moved into this wooded neighborhood and I've loved them ever since. I let them stand all winter and set seed every where. I think they are stunning massed, but, for a less exuberant look pair them with grasses and bold leaved plants.

Don't tell the other seasons, but, Autumn is my favorite and October is my favorite month! The sky is a seamless blue, the days are cooler and the light is fantastic. (See post October Blue Skies)

Aster tataricus

It's a busy time in the garden, even busier than spring. Wildflowers welcome the foraging bees, the nectaring butterflies, a host of other pollinators and birds as they make a mad dash to mate, to provide for offspring or to prepare themselves for migration. (see Pardon My Big Aster for more on Aster tataricus)

It's one of the best times to photograph the critters, they're slower and pose sweetly on the flowers. I like to think they're savoring the last of the pollen and nectar.

Gaura lindheimeri 'Crimson Butterflies'

Many of the plants that stopped blooming in the summer make a repeat visit in October. I welcome back the pink butterfly blooms of Gaura lindheimeri. It sulked all summer, but is putting on a vary nice show right now.

Some wildflowers only bloom in the fall and Eupatorium serotinum(N) is one of them. It's a magnet for pollinators and colonizes wonderfully to fill in large areas with its white Asteraceae blooms.

Salvia leucantha

 Salvia leucantha is a very late bloomer. It opens up when one needs its pop of violet and white flowers, just in time for the last of the nectar robbing carpenter bees to forage on it.

Luscious, velvety Salvia azurea(N) is a counterpoint to the yellows and golds of early Autumn. Collect seed and sow in the garden for a large stand.

Floppy Golden Aster (N) brings a much needed spot of golden yellow back to the garden when the Susans fade.

The Sulphur butterflies rejoice when Salvia elegans begins to bloom. They've been circling the garden for weeks, waiting to make a big yellow statement against the intense red flowers. The hummers are thrilled, too. If truth be told, so am I.

Although, this is a native plant garden, I do plant annuals like the Salvias mentioned earlier, delicious red Pentas (above) multi-colored lantanas, a few violas, cupheas, Purple hyacinth vine and,

Bumble resting on the rusty sunflower while nectaring on the Verbena bonariensis

Verbena bonariensis for their long bloom, their lovely flowers and to feed the pollinators. The sight and sounds of busy bees, butterflies and other critters makes me happy.

Before long the humming and buzzing will be gone, until then I will appreciate each and every flower that feeds the critters and fills my heart with joy.

xoxogail

It's October 15 and you know what that means! Garden bloggers all over the blogosphere are celebrating Bloom Day. You can see more gardens then you can imagine in one day if you stop by Carol's blog, May Dreams Gardens to take the Mr linky magic carpet ride to flower adventure.

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.

September 2013 GBBD: I love the rough and tumble wildflowers of early Autumn!

 

It's rough and tumble wildflower time in my garden. The take care of themselves Autumn beauties are beginning to shine.

Verbesina virginica

Rough and tumble wildflowers are simple wildflowers most with no known pedigree, that bloom their hearts out and require the easiest of care.

Helenium autumnale

 Some even resent fertile, rich soil and many aren't even on a list to be hybridized, even if they should be!

unknown Solidago

Familiarity has never bred contempt when it comes to wildflowers. In fact, the more I see them, the more I appreciate their charms.

Vernonia altissima

But, they are so much more than pretty faces. 

Salvia azurea

Each one of these darlings provides more pollen and nectar return on investment than many other flowers combined.

Conoclinium coelestinum

My rough and tumble natives are landing pads of deliciousness for butterflies, bees, wasps and moths.

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

Common plants like the Ex-asters bloom just in time for the late arriving pollinators which are making a mad dash to collect as much nectar and pollen for their last brood.

Coreopsis tripteris

Rough and tumble wildflowers are late blooming magnets for all kinds of insects, including some insects that are themselves food for spiders, birds and other insect eating critters.

Lobelia cardinalis

The provide food for migrating birds and they all make me smile.

Physostegia virginiana

 I have a special place in my heart for these wild and rough looking beauties that are often found growing in meadows, prairies and roadside ditches. I appreciate plants that haven't had their best characteristics bred out of them. They're beautiful, they're doing the job nature intended them to do, make a lot of nectar and pollen and bloom for a long time, exactly when the critters need both.

Lobelia siphilitica

They're perfect for this time of year, perfect for the resident critters and perfect for this garden.

xoxogail


It's September 15 and you know what that means! Garden bloggers all over the blogasphere are celebrating Bloom Day. You can see more gardens then you can imagine in one day if you stop by Carol's blog, May Dreams Gardens to take the linky magic carpet ride.

First flower is Ex-aster S patens

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.

My Favorite Pollinator!

To be honest it's my favorite right this minute. But, it's definitely in my favorite pollinator family~Bees!

Some homeowners think this big beautiful bee is a pain in their siding! I truly can't blame them. Carpenter bees love wood and any unpainted wood is very attractive to them! Including the stained posts on my carport!

There's so much I can tell you all about them. Instead, I'll tell you three things that you might not know and suggest you take a look at a post I wrote last year for more information.  Just click on this Carpenter Bees.

They typically visit flowers that are large, open-faced with abundant nectar and pollen, day-bloomers, pale or saturated in color, and that have a fresh odor, anthers specialized for pollen collection by bees, and corollas with strong walls.

Not a pollinator of salvias this Carpenter bee is covered with garlic pollen

They are cheaters in the pollination game when it comes to some flowers. They cannot climb into the flowers of salvias and instead break open the sides to get at the nectar and consequently are not salvia pollinators.

and the final thing, I will share with you is this~

My Carpenter Bees have never, ever, ever had to deal with pesticides. I hung a pottery Red-bellied woodpecker on their favorite of my carport stained pillars and they have moved on! Just like magic!

xoxogail

Flowers from top down!
Lobelia siphilitica 
Pentas lanceolata 
Caryopteris × clandonensis 'First Choice'
Phlox glaberrima (blooming almost non-stop)
Salvia azurea
Coreopsis cultivar

The ceramic bird is by artist Steve Thorstenson.   You can find his work at Montana Birdworks


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.