Our native wildflowers - page 8
(Eupatorium maculatum) ©Janet Allen
I also have E. purpureum. These are very tall plants, but I've begun to cut some of them back rather severely in late June to limit their ultimate height and make them bushier. It also delays the flowering, which prolongs the amount of time when I have fresh joe-pye flowers, which are a favorite nectar source for bees and butterflies.
(Eupatorium perfoliatum) ©Janet Allen
This is an example of a botanical name providing a clue to the plant (or vice versa, I suppose). The species name "perfoliatum" means "through the leaf." If you look closely, you can see that the stem looks like it's going right through the leaf. The common name "boneset" refers to the use of boneset to set bones. This was done because of the "Doctrine of Signatures." This doctrine said that what plants looked like indicated what it should be used for—in this case, setting bones so they would be joined together as the leaves are.
(Eupatorium rugosum) ©Janet Allen
One of the eupatoriums—one that really sparkles in the shade. It spreads itself around a bit, but not so much to become a nuisance.
(Eupatorium altissiumum) ©Janet Allen
We dug up a small plant of this at a gas station as we were traveling through Pennsylvania in late September. (We don't dig plants from the wild, but this was growing along a gas station parking area, so it was at risk anyway.) I was interested in it because it was so attractive to monarchs as they were passing through. The small plant survived and thrived. It is indeed late-flowering, just starting to flower in mid-September.
(Euphorbia corollata) ©Janet Allen
Flowering spurge is one of my favorites. This native is much nicer than baby's breath I think.
(Euphorbia corollata) ©Janet Allen
Like flowering dogwood, it's the bracts that we think of as the flower, not the actual flowers. And since the bracts last much longer than flowers, this cloud of white "blooms" remains for quite a long time.
(Filipendula rubra) ©Janet Allen
Beautiful color. I haven't found the right spot for it yet. I've moved it a few times, and even though it's a big plant, it seems to get overrun by more aggressive plants. I hope I have it in a place where it can thrive now.
(Gaura lindheimeri) ©Janet Allen
We just bought this one at the Millersville Native Plant conference. The delicate flower is poised high above the small plant beneath, hence the cultivar name.
(Gentiana andrewsii) ©Janet Allen
I planted this a number of years ago, but didn't pay any attention to it (something I have done to too many plants). I discovered it again last year and moved it to what I hope is a better location—one where I'll be able to see it. I hope it likes it there and will spread. It's a very beautiful color and form, and I'll be interested in seeing how bees pollinate it.