Just like the common sky blue version of Iris cristata, the white flower form (alba) is a low-growing (3†to 6†high) spreading plant. I got this plant from a local garden center (you’re probably familiar with Mahoney’s if you live in eastern Massachusetts) and barely 3 weeks out of the pot they have started […]
Archive for the ‘Plant bio’ Category
Iris cristata alba
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on May 1, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Uvularia grandiflora (large bellwort)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on April 23, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
When I planted large bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) last year, I had no idea what I was in for. I had acquired the plants, flowerless and sorry looking, at a discount at Mahoney’s and unlike Dickens I had no great expectations. It is now the middle of April and the plants have pushed through the soil […]
Erythronium albidum (white trout lily)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on April 17, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
I was able to acquire a few pieces of rootstock of white trout lily last year, and put them willy-nilly in the garden without having too many expectations about the outcome. After all, immature plants produce a single leaf and fail to flower – so at best I was foreseeing a lot of dappled leaves […]
Caltha palustris (marsh marigold)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on April 16, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)Â is a European and North American plant of the buttercup family. It is one of the most ancient native plants and I am frankly not quite sure whether it originated in Europe or in the Americas. It may have been growing here since before the last Ice Age and, after the […]
Chelone lyonii (pink turtlehead)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on September 19, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
I just added the pink turtlehead to my yard, in a spot where a tree stood just a few weeks ago. The area gets some morning and late afternoon sun. The soil is moist and rich, so Chelone lyonii should do well. The plants also like a good composted leaf mulch, and I will add […]
Polypodium vulgare (common polypody)
Posted in Edible, Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on September 18, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Polypodium vulgare is a cosmopolitan fern found in North America, central and northern Europe, and eastern Asia. The plant is quite hardy in sub-zero temperatures. It prefers acidic, well-drained and sandy soils and should do well in a Cape Cod woodland garden. The fern is edible and is used as a spice in cooking. You […]
Rudbeckia fulgida (orange coneflower)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on September 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
I simply love these plants. They are hardy, have dozens of flowers, and they provide color until late fall. Orange coneflower prefers sun, and if you can provide that you will enjoy these golden daisies with chocolate centers. In my garden, they have been in bloom since July and they are still going strong. The […]
Chelone glabra (white turtlehead)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on September 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This time of year, with frost not too far off, it is nice to see some color in the garden, still. Orange coneflower, new york aster, and the goldenrods are providing much delight. And if you consider white to be a color (sorry, spectrum purists), you’ll enjoy Chelone glabra as well. White turtlehead is a […]
Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)
Posted in Edible, Flora, Plant bio on August 21, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This perennial native to pretty much all of North America thrives in dry, rocky and low-quality soils, and there is plenty of that on the cape. This member of the mint family forms clumps that can grow 2 to 4 feet tall. It blooms with beautiful lavender flowers that closely resemble the flowers of a […]
Coreopsis rosea (pink threadleaf coreopsis)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Plant bio, Tips on August 8, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This species of coreopsis likes well-drained soil and full sun. It is the only coreopsis with pink flowers (most others are yellow). It is native to 8 states on the East Coast, including Massachusetts, and Nova Scotia. It is endangered or of special concern in most of these places. I have several cultivated coreopsis species, […]