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Pokeberry
Scientific name: Phytolacca americana L. Growing up, I always thought of pokeberry as a weed because everyone told me it was just an ugly weed, and it is more commonly referred to as “Pokeweed”. When I saw it rising from the garden, I had to retrain my mind to appreciate its beauty. From its rose-colored stems […]
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Pitch Pine
Scientific name: Pinus rigida We planted this baby pitch pine, and then relocated it to a place where it will have more sun. I’m really excited about this one, though, I wasn’t expecting to see the magic happen until much later in (my) life. As a mature tree, its branches twist and bend, and it […]
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Prickly Pear Cactus
Scientific name: Opuntia humifusa This prickly pear cactus was given to us by a neighbor, and freshly planted in the garden sometime in early September of 2021. We are very excited to see what it does and how well it grows. It’s native, and (bonus) edible! Planted in a dry location in full sun.
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Shortleaf Spikesedge
Scientific name: Kyllinga brevifolia Found some in the back yard. Seems to like part shade. It’s a native (according to the Seek app.) Also, according to the Seek app, the scientific name is Cyperus brevifolius, but according to Google, it also goes by Kyllinga brevifolia.
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Small-Flowered Crowfoot
Scientific name: Ranunculus micranthus It’s native and a prolific spreader. The deer occasionally eat it. I’ve been using it as stringy tall-ish ground cover. It only grows to about 16″ tall. Lately, I’ve been looking up the benefits of different plants, and I’ll need to get back to you on my observations for this one. […]
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Nimblewill
Scientific name: Muhlenbergia schreberi A delicate and wispy native grass that is most hated by all lawn lovers. However, if you are interested in naturalizing your property, this grass can be your best friend. It’s a very prolific spreader, and not easy to kill by accident… Actually, you’ll have a hard time killing it on […]
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Common Blue Violet
Scientific name: Viola sororia In searching for more information about this beautiful native plant, I found a lot of false information. Multiple websites call it “invasive”. People tend to falsely label plants as “invasive” because they don’t understand how it is used with respect to plant/animal life. By definition, an invasive plant or animal is […]
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Wild Senna
Scientific name: Senna marilandica We got this from a neighbor when it was just a few inches tall just a few months back. Now it’s about 3′ and with seed pods. The yellow flowers were nice, but I really like the almost fern-like leaves the best. While I’ve read it does well on wet-ish sites, […]
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Blanket Flower
Scientific name: Gaillardia One of the most rewarding things about native plant gardening is watching what you planted come back every year (perennials), but much less attention is given to the annuals. This flower is an annual, but luckily, I hear it is a prolific re-seeder. It seems to do really well on very poor, […]
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Common Milkweed
Scientific name: Asclepias syriaca This stuff has been growing to almost 6 feet in height, and spreads readily. It has also attracted an entire apiary to our garden. There looks to be at least two bumble bees for every flower, and the perfume-like aroma is strong. Tip: you can let them grow to about 3 […]
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Scarlet Bee Balm
Scientific name: monarda didyma Ours grew to 4 feet tall before blooming. Very striking in the garden, and for the height, seems to remain erect while other plants of that height eventually flop over if not supported by other plants or fencing. We only have one plant, and it’s one of the “garden stars” shining […]