This amazingly prolific aster is everywhere in my yard, and that is not a bad thing as it was also one of the favorite feed plants of a resident woodchuck. The young plants were simply decimated down to the soil, while the taller plants are now mostly devoid of their big leaves. Many stems were […]
Archive for the ‘Flora’ Category
Symphyotrichum cordifolium (common blue wood aster)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on October 1, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Symphyotrichum novi-belgii (new york aster)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on October 1, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
There are many cultivars and color variations of this particular species of aster. When you go to garden centers you will often find these plants under the name Michaelmas daisies. Mind you, these “daisies†don’t look anything like the plant of origin. And here’s another trivia (or trivial?) item: At one point in time, New […]
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (new england aster)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on October 1, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
This aster does not need a lot of care and can be grown easily in average soil. Unlike some of the woodland asters, it prefers sunny conditions. The plant can get rather tall (up to 6 feet tall) and lanky, and when the flowers appear it may require staking. Another way to get bushier shorter […]
Symphyotrichum laeve (smooth aster)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on September 27, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
This aster has showy violet-blue flowers with golden centers. The plant is relatively easy to grow and control in many different soil and light conditions, but it does best in full sun and somewhat sandy soil. The foliage is very green and smooth (it is less hairy and rough than other species of aster)
Doellingeria umbellata (flat topped aster)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on September 24, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
This plant can reach 2 to 5 feet in height and displays a plateau (flat topped) of creamy white flowers when in bloom. The flowers are relatively long-lived from August through October. The florets of the flower heads turn a creamy white color after the bloom period. The plant has no basal leaves but there […]
Eurybia macrophylla (bigleaf aster)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on September 24, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Bigleaf aster is named after the large heart shaped leaves. These leaves are up 8 inches long and 6 inches wide, on long stems. They become progressively smaller up the main stem; leaves at the top of the plant have little or no leaf stem. All leaves are coarsely toothed; attachment is alternate. You should […]
Spring highlights – a review
Posted in Flora, Interesting on May 28, 2013 | 2 Comments »
April 2013 is long gone, but only now have I found some time to look back at the pictures I took. Often a flower catches your eye, and off you go taking the shot, or a few. The intention was to write about the plant that very moment, but there is always something else that […]
Trollius laxus (american globeflower)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on May 28, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
The american globeflowers in my garden ceased blooming a week or two ago, but just now I’ve had a chance to put pen to paper. I find the distribution of this plant quite curious – there is a distinct western population, and a population in a few eastern states (New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, […]
What a sight for sore eyes
Posted in Flora, Interesting on May 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
The strip of land next to the driveway is one of my favorite spots. In what amounts to a 80 square foot area, I’ve managed to grow some 50 native plants, and most of them seem to get along well. Sure, some are more aggressive than others, but I figure with a bit of human […]
Prosartes languinosa (yellow fairybells)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on May 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Yellow fairybells is another interesting native neighbor (meaning it does not occur naturally in Massachusetts – it is found in Appalachia, Arkansas and the province of Ontario). This member of the Lily family displays strongly veined light green leaves – it is somewhat similar to Uvularia grandiflora from afar. The little yellow flowers are beautiful, […]