Phlox Laura
Phlox Laura

Huge panicles of fragrant pink-purple flowers bloom from July to September. Each floret has a distinct white star in its center. This Phlox is very mildew-resistant. Plant it in rich, moist, well-drained soil. Deadhead to prolong blooming season.

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Ratibida columnifera 'Red Midget'
Ratibida column – Red Midget

This sun-loving plant does best in well drained soils and is very drought resistant.

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Rudbeckia fulgida – Viette’s Little Suzy
Rudbeckia fulgida – Viette’s Little Suzy

Culture

Easily grown in dry to medium, organically rich to average, well-drained soils in full sun. Best bloom occurs in full sun, although plants will tolerate some light shade. Plants prefer consistent moisture throughout the growing season, with some tolerance for drought once established. Good air circulation is appreciated. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage additional bloom. Plants slowly spread in the garden by rhizomes.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Rudbeckia fulgida which occurs in both dry and moist soils in open woods, glades and thickets. An upright, rhizomatous, clump-forming, free-blooming coneflower which typically grows to 3′ tall, often forming colonies in the wild. Features daisy-like flowers (to 2.5″ across) with yellow rays and brownish-purple center disks. Prolific bloom production over a long mid-summer to fall bloom period. Oblong to lanceolate, medium green foliage. Good cut flower.

Genus name honors Olof Rudbeck (1630-1702) Swedish botanist and founder of the Uppsala Botanic Garden in Sweden where Carl Linnaeus was professor of botany.

Specific epithet means shining or glistening.

VIETTE’S LITTLE SUZY is a compact, upright, rhizomatous, clump-forming, free-blooming coneflower which typically grows only 10-15″ tall. Features daisy-like flowers with yellow rays and dark brownish-purple center disks. Prolific flower production over a long mid-summer-to-fall bloom period. Oblong to lanceolate, medium green foliage. Good fresh cut flower.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems.

Garden Uses

Mass in bold drifts in the perennial border, cottage garden, meadow, native plant garden or naturalized area. Provides excellent bloom and color for the late summer. Good cut flower.

A compact cultivar.

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Rudbeckia hirta – Cherry Brandy Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta – Cherry Brandy Black-eyed Susan

This striking Rudbeckia hybrid leaves the standard gold-color behind! Its shockingly-red, velvety blooms will ignite the garden with weeks and weeks of color in the summer through fall. The unique bi-color blooms, on compact, beautiful foliage, will put on a show in the front of your garden or in a container.

As the state flower of Maryland, we understand why everyone loves Black Eyed Susans. Cherry Brandy takes the classic beauty of the standard, yellow Rudbeckia and puts a unique, bright twist with rings of reds and maroons, coming into a chocolate-brown center. Plant this beauty and enjoy long-lasting blooms when much of the garden has settled down for the season.

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Rudbeckia laciniata – Autumn Sun
Rudbeckia laciniata – Autumn Sun

‘Herbstsonne’ is an upright, rhizomatous, clump-forming perennial coneflower which typically grows 4-7′ tall. This is a substantial plant which features large daisy-like flowers (3-4″ across) with drooping yellow rays and elongated bright green center cones. Flowers bloom singly atop slender … Read More

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Ruellia humilis – Wild Petunia
Ruellia humilis – Wild Petunia

Host plant – Common Buckeye Butterfly

Wild petunia occurs in dryish soils in open woods, glades, prairies and fields throughout the State except for the far southeastern lowlands. Typically grows to 2′ tall. Features tubular, bell-shaped, petunia-like flowers (to 3″ long), each with five shallow rounded lobes. May to October bloom period. Lavender to lilac flowers appear singly or in clusters in the upper leaf axils. Oblong to lanceolate, olive green leaves to 4″ long. Leaves and stems are hairy. This plant in on threatened list in the state of Michigan.

Available for shipping mid May

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Salix humilis – Prairie Willow
Salix humilis – Prairie Willow

This shrub is 2-8′ tall, often branching near the base and toward the tips of older stems. Woody stems are terete and variably colored – usually some shade of yellowish tan, brown, or gray. Young woody stems are often short-pubescent, but they become glabrous with age. New shoots are light green and short-pubescent. Alternate leaves occur along young stems and shoots. The leaf blades are 1¾-4″ long and ¼-¾” across; they are narrowly lanceolate, oblanceolate, or oblong-elliptic in shape and smooth to slightly crenate along their margins. The margins are often revolute (curved downward) as well. The upper surface of the leaf blades is medium green or grayish green and glabrous to sparsely short-pubescent, while the lower surface (for this variety of Prairie Willow) is short-pubescent and sometimes whitened. The petioles are ¼-½” in length and short-pubescent. At the base of the petioles, lanceolate stipules are sometimes found.

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Senna hebecarpa – Wild Senna
Senna hebecarpa – Wild Senna

Host Plant – Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Orange Sulphur

Wild Senna is a versatile plant that we think deserves more recognition as a great choice for garden or restoration projects. Its lovely, bright yellow flowers bloom July-August, attracting many bees and butterflies. Autumn brings beautiful leaf colors and the formation of long black pods with seeds favored by larger birds like wild turkeys. A horizontal root system provides strength against winds, allowing the plant’s stately (4-6′) beauty to be appreciated even after the storm. Some gardeners use this sun-loving plant to form a hedge.

It is virtually indistinguishable from its relative, Maryland Senna (Senna marilandica) until the two species have ripe seeds. The Wild Senna will readily open its pod and the seeds will fall out, whereas the Maryland Senna seed pods will stay tightly closed.  Other than this, it is very hard to tell the two species apart.

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Solidago sphacelata – ‘Golden Fleece’ Dwarf Goldenrod
Solidago sphacelata – ‘Golden Fleece’ Dwarf Goldenrod

Another fantastic Mt. Cuba introduction. A stunning show of sprays of golden yellow flowers from mid-August through September. Semievergreen heart-shaped leaves. Truly an excellent groundcover and bee and butterfly charmer! Hairstreaks, sulphurs and skippers are particularly attracted to goldenrod. Monarchs visit it during their autumn migration.

Goldenrod Interesting Notes
Golden Fleece autumn goldenrod was discovered in 1985 as a spontaneous garden seedling in Eden, North Carolina. It was evaluated under diverse conditions at Mt. Cuba Center and determined to be a low-growing, compact form of the species suitable for use as an herbaceous perennial groundcover only reaching 18” tall. Multi-branched stems arise from basal rosettes of broadly rounded foliage and are covered with a profusion of golden-yellow floral spires from mid-September to October. It performs best in full sun with average moisture but is tolerant of a range of conditions from sunny and dry to partial shade. 'Golden Fleece' is hardy in zones 3-8. It won the Internationale Stauden-Union’s Award for an outstanding new plant in Switzerland in 1994. – Mt. Cuba Center

In many of the gardens I design, I use goldenrod to give late summer and fall gardens just the right autumnal color. Luckily for urban dwellers with limited gardening space, goldenrod also can be grown quite successfully in a container. Beautiful in the garden, goldenrod does double-duty as a long-lived cut flower. In Europe, where goldenrod has long been shown the appreciation it deserves, it is sold by the bunch, and gardening catalogs offer more cultivars than are available in the States.

Solidago sphacelata 'Golden Fleece' Growing and Maintenance Tips

Native to calcarous woodlands and rocky pastures from Virginia to Illinois south to Kentucky and Georgia. Prefers somewhat fertile, sandy, well-drained soils in full sun. Propagate by seed or division every 3-4 years. Cut back to encourage rebloom. Used in butterfly and wild gardens or as a groundcover or border perennial.

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Spigelia marilandica – Indian Pink
Spigelia marilandica – Indian Pink

Indian pink or woodland pinkroot

One of the most striking and beautiful of our native perennials, Indian pink’s summer flowers are brilliant red and tubular with canary yellow throats. A very hardy plant, though it is best planted by the end of July for reliable success in gardens and containers. A favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds, it is at home in the bright woodland or shaded border.

Indian pink Interesting Notes

Indian pink is a long-lived perennial that brings stunning color to the summer garden. Vivid red tubular flowers borne in terminal clusters open to expose a chartreuse yellow interior, reminiscent of a firecracker exploding. This perennial produces its primary display in early summer and flowers sporadically through the remainder of the growing season. It can grow to nearly 2’ tall and wide. Indian pink is an adaptable species, but does prefer neutral, well-drained soils to develop its best displays. The bright flowers attract hummingbirds and brighten the woodland edge or perennial border. Spigelia marilandica combines well with Dryopteris intermedia, Chrysogonum virginianum, Lilium superbum, and Aquilegia canadensis. – Mt. Cuba Center

If this isn’t the region’s most beautiful native, then I don’t know who is…any votes for Elvis or Dolly? This exquisite woodland perennial makes a dainty-looking 12″ wide clump of 2′ tall stalks clothed with nondescript green foliage. In late spring, Spigelia marilandica clumps are topped with dozens of stalks of spectacular up-facing, bright red, tubular flowers with a dramatically contrasting, yellow center…a hummingbird favorite. Spigelia marilandica, which improves with age, is a true garden show-stopper! We have found that it grows equally well in full sun or light shade, as well as in very moist or bone-dry soils. – Plant Delights Nursery

Although called Indian Pink, this plant, Spigelia marilandica, actually has tubular flowers that are bright crimson with a bright yellow lining. It is under-used by hummingbird gardeners but is an excellent plant for a yard with tall established trees that cast light shade beneath them. Indian Pink comes up quite late in the spring, so mark the planting spot to avoid accidentally over-planting it. It is a low-growing plant the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds find easily as they scout the landscape for food sources. – Operation RubyThroat

Folklore: Used by the Cherokee and other Native American tribes as a ritual and ceremonial herb to induce visions and foretell the future.

Spigelia marilandica Growing and Maintenance Tips

Grow in partial to full shade in rich soil with high organic content. A very hardy plant, though it is best planted by the end of July for reliable success in gardens and containers. Prefers not to be transplanted once established.

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Spiraea tomentosa – Steeplebush
Spiraea tomentosa – Steeplebush

Pink spikes of flowers mid to late summer make Steeplebush a popular species.  It grows best in moist acidic soils in full sun.  Slow rhizomatous roots help this beautiful plant to spread.

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Viburnum dentatum – Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum – Arrowwood Viburnum

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prune immediately after flowering since flower buds form in summer for the following year.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Arrowwood viburnum is an upright, rounded, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub which typically matures to 6-10′ tall with a similar spread, but may reach a height of 15′ in optimum growing conditions. Non-fragrant white flowers in flat-topped corymbs (to 4″ diameter) appear in late spring. Flowers give way to blue-black, berry-like drupes which are quite attractive to birds and wildlife. Ovate, toothed, glossy dark green leaves (to 4″ long). Variable fall color ranges from drab yellow to attractive shades of orange and red. Although widespread in eastern North America, this native plant is only known to exist in the wild in Missouri on wooded slopes along the Salt River in Shelby County. Native Americans reportedly used the straight stems of this shrub for arrow shafts, hence the common name.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems.

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