Fire pink is native to a wide area in eastern North America, from southern Ontario through western New York state all the way down to the Gulf states. It is not natively present in New England, but this is too beautiful a flower not to add to the Cape Cod garden. The brilliantly red flowers […]
Archive for the ‘Flora’ Category
Silene virginica (fire pink)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on June 23, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Potentilla tridentata (three-toothed cinquefoil)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio, Tips on June 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Also known as, and “potentially” re-classified as Sibbaldiopsis tridentata, this species of cinquefoil grows wild over most of the Northern Hemisphere, including the high arctic regions (i.e. Greenland). Talk about being resilient – the plant can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit, while on the other side of the spectrum it tolerates drought […]
Bluejacket spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
Posted in Edible, Flora, Tips on June 19, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Synonyms: Ohio spiderwort, Bluejacket, Snotweed This member of the Commelinaceae family is one of the first plants to push its leaves up to the sun in springtime. In early March there was 2 to 3 inches of growth already. However, it still had a long way to go – the spiderwort doesn’t bloom until late […]
Osmunda regalis (royal fern)
Posted in Edible, Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on June 10, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The royal fern prefers moist to wet soils in partial to full shade. It also likes rich, humusy, acidic soils, but adapts to less perfect conditions, such as my woodland garden. The soil there is definitely more sandy, but over time the leaves from the overhead canopy, with some assistance from bacteria and worms, will […]
Pteridium aquilinum (bracken fern)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on June 10, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This very adaptable fern finds its home in most of the northern hemisphere. It is abundant in disturbed areas on Cape Cod, and is the fern most often found next to roads. It readily moves into new ground, when given the chance. The fiddleheads are eaten in some places, such as Japan, but this particular […]
Dryopteris marginalis (marginal wood fern)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on June 10, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
What is unusual about this fern is that it is an evergreen plant. I should find the greenish-blue fronds against a blanket of snow next January. Another distinguishing feature of this fern is that only the upper parts of the fronds are fertile (but there are no separate sterile and fertile fronds like in other […]
Adiantum pedatum (northern maidenhair fern)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on June 10, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This is one of the pickier ferns in my woodland garden, especially when it comes to moisture: The northern maidenhair fern likes it moist but not wet. At the same time, it won’t survive if it dries out even a bit. Just a few yards further I have royal fern which likes much wetter feet. […]
Dennstaedtia punctilobula (eastern hayscented fern)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on June 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
As is the case with a lot of other fern species, hayscented fern is best grown in moist, rich, humusy, and acidic soil. As for light, it prefers partial to full shade. However, it can take full sun if you keep it moist. Preferences aside, it tolerates a wide range of soils, including poor rocky […]
Anemone canadensis (canada anemone)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on June 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This member of the buttercup family (Ranunculacea) is native to most of North America, except for Alaska, the U.S west coast and the southern states. This is a great plant for naturalizing purposes, as it tends to be somewhat agressive under the right circumstances. It spreads by rhizomes as well as seed. If you don’t […]
Meehania cordata (creeping mint)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on June 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Everyone told me that Meehania cordata would be a good plant for those dark and foreboding corners of the garden where light is scarce. The plant has been in a spot for well over two years with better light conditions than that, but it has not really thrived. This year I thought I had lost […]