Aggressive – Tendrils

Coltsfoot

It’s blooming now along roadsides where it grows aggressively. Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara). A plant that is native to Europe and parts of western and central Asia.

It is a plant that has flowers that resemble Dandelions, though if you’re quite familiar with Dandelions you’ll know that this is not one.

The leaves are totally different from Dandelion leaves, being roundish, or heart shaped, much like a Violet leaf with a slightly toothed edge. These leaves don’t even appear until the blooms are fading. You may spot some green leaves in this image, above. They are definitely Dandelion leaves. The leaves of the Coltsfoot have not emerged yet. They’re waiting for those flowers to fade.

Each stem, scaly, and bracted, bears a single flower.

The Coltsfoot seedheads too, resemble that of the Dandelion, though the seeds of the Coltsfoot are much more dense, and the tips of fluff have a coppery color which the Dandelion doesn’t have.

On the Internet I’m seeing many claims of medicinal qualities of Coltsfoot but along with those claims I am seeing statements that all parts of the plant contain alkaloids that are toxic to the liver. You’ll want to find something safer to use as a medicine.

Silverleaf Mountain Mint

A native mint that has intrigued me for years living trailside here on the mountain. I’ve found it available at a native plant nursery and now I have some in my gardens. Silverleaf Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum incanum). Native to eastern North America.

The nectar of this Mountain Mint is popular with bees and butterflies. The flowers are white, sometimes tinged with lavender, sometimes dotted with purple speckles. I like those speckles!

The leaves of Silverleaf Mountain Mint are indeed silvery. Very dense but short, incredibly soft white hairs cover the leaves and the stems giving them that beautiful color. Stems that, like other mints, are square.

Silverleaf Mountain Mint spreads easily into dense clumps. Some say it is an aggressive grower. I’m looking forward to that. Bring it on!

American Lily of the Valley

The Lily of the Valley that we all know, the one that used to grow in our Moms’ gardens is a native of Asia and Europe, European Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis). But there is a native too, though this designation of “native” and it being a different species is not agreed upon by the authorities. I’m going with native and a different species. American Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majuscula). This species is native to Georgia, up north to Pennsylvania and west to Kentucky.

The difference between these two species is quite subtle. In American Lily of the Valley, the plant is shy, only creating very small clumps if any. The European species is quite gregarious, creating large colonies in an aggressive manner. The leaves of the American Lily of the Valley are larger, than the European species. The racemes (a raceme is a flower cluster with the separate flowers attached by short equal stalks at equal distances along a central stem) of the American Lily of the Valley is shorter than the European species. Those racemes of the American species arch under the leaves, while the leaves of the European species stretch tall, as if standing on their tippy toes to see over the tops of the leaves.

I have both of these species and love having them. Oh MY! Such a delicious scent! I prefer the tame manner of the American species and I must say I really prefer native plants anyway for the sake of the environment. These two species bloom at different times though, which extends the time that I can enjoy their blooms and their wonderful aromas. My European species is in full bloom now and my native species is just now beginning to emerge from the soil. Many more weeks of lily of the valley beauty.