Author: Scott

Darmera peltata, commonly called umbrella plant, is thick-rhizomed perennial which typically grows 3-5′ tall and is native to mountain stream banks and woodlands from southwestern Oregon to northern California.Features small pink to white flowers (to 1/2″) in terminal, rounded clusters (corymbs) which appear atop thick hairy stems in early spring before the foliage. Large, rounded,… Continue reading Darmera peltata

Pale Corydalis  Corydalis sempervirens An attractive biennial native for rocky, shallow-soil sites and cooler climates.  Easy to start from seed, it has light to dark pink tubular flowers with yellow tips and greenish-blue leaves.  Being a biennial, it will have basal rosettes at ground-level the first year and flowering plants the 2nd year.

Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) Once found in abundance in nearly every farm field, ditch, and disturbed site, Common Milkweed numbers have been in dramatic decline in recent years, due in part to suburban development and the increased efficiency of herbicides used in conjunction with herbicide-tolerant, genetically modified row crops. It spreads readily by seed and… Continue reading Common Milkweed

Cardinal Flower – Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower is named for its beautiful scarlet red flowers which are an important nectar source for hummingbirds and swallowtail butterflies. Lobelias produce a secondary compound known as “lobeline,” which deters herbivores. The flowering spikes open from the bottom to the top and bloom for several weeks. They grow best… Continue reading Cardinal Flower

Campanula americana Tall Bellflower Campanula americana, Tall Bellflower or American Bellflower, reaches from three to five feet in height, its blue-violet blooms providing a bright late-summer accent to savanna or woodland plantings. Self-seeding, it is either annual or biennial by habit, seemingly depending on when germination occurs. First-year plants are tight rosettes of heart-shaped leaves… Continue reading Campanula americana

Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberosa Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly Weed, is most often a distinctive bright orange but there is some variation in flower color, from deep red-orange to yellow. This distinctive color and the absence of the typical milky sap make identification easy. Butterfly Weed needs a drier, well-drained location to successfully seed into and… Continue reading Butterfly Weed

Boneset  Eupatorium perfoliatumGrowing in moist conditions, Eupatorium perfoliatum (Boneset) produces flat to roundish heads of white flowers. The stem is covered with long spreading hairs with leaves that are often joined at the base, appearing to surround the stem. Many different insect species are attracted to the flowers as the nectar is relatively easy to… Continue reading Boneset

Virginia Bluebells – Mertensia Virginica This is a very showy bloomer and is also known as Cowslip. It starts with pink blooms that turn bright blue when fully open. The flower go dormant and die back midsummer. It will reseed when it’s happy.  This plant is a great sight in spring.