Perennial – Page 2

Silverrod Revisited

Silverrod is a perennial, herbacious plant. Its scientific name is Solidago bicolor. “Solidago” in that name means that this plant is in the genus of Goldenrod. There are approximately 150 species of Goldenrod, most of which are native to North America. A few of these are native to Asia and Europe.

This one, Silverrod, was a total surprise to me. I had assumed all Goldenrod are yellow or gold as the name implies. But no. This one is a rebel. The flower heads are actually clusters of many flowers much like the structure of a daisy. There are white ray flowers. These are the only white ray flowers in a flower in the genus Solidago in eastern North America. They surround a number of yellow disk flowers, in total creating that very subtle light yellow color. Silverrod is blooming right now, in the higher elevations of my mountain. Slow hiking brings great reward!

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Pokeweed

Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana). A poisonous, herbaceous, perennial plant with red stalks that can grow to be 3 to 10 feet tall. And under perfect conditions can reach more than 20 feet tall. It’s native to eastern North America, the Midwest, the South, through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to the West Coast. All parts of the plant are highly toxic resulting in a variety of symptoms including death in rare cases. The berries are especially poisonous. If you must handle pokeweed, use protective gloves.

But Pokeweed does have a good side. The attractive green to dark purple berries are a good food source for many songbirds and other bird species. Small mammals, impervious to the toxins, also benefit from the berries. Pokeweed multiplies exclusively by seed which birds help to distribute. Those little seeds have an incredible viability of up to 40 years in the seed bank.

Woodland Sunflower

Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus). An herbaceous perennial that often grows to 5 – 7 feet tall. It’s native to eastern and central North America and can be found along rocky trails and dry open sites.

As this example, as it dances in the dappled sunlight shows, the leaves are opposite with a smooth to slightly toothed margin and hairy underside.

Butterflies, Silvery Checkerspot (pictured above), Gorgon Checkerspot, and Painted Lady use the Woodland Sunflower as their larval host plant.

An abundance of other insects are attracted to Woodland Sunflowers. Some even to the point of exclusivity. There are certain bees which visit Woodland Sunflowers that will go to only this species of flower, or flowers of the Helianthus, or Sunflower genus. They are said to be oligolectic. Their larvae must be fed the pollen or nectar of those particular flowers in order to develop properly.

Woodland Sunflowers spread by rhizomes forming colonies. In the autumn as the flowers fade those colonies become prime territory for game birds, song birds, and small mammals gathering to enjoy the seeds.

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Aromatic Asters

Aromatic Asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) are visited by bees, butterflies and skippers, seeking nectar and in the case of the bees, pollen. The caterpillars of moths and of Silvery Checkerspot Butterflies eat the foliage. This Crab Spider is hanging around hoping to catch some dinner, just waiting for the perfect insect to come along.

I’ve got some Aromatic Aster blooming like crazy right now. A stunning show is put on by this perennial plant.

Aromatic Asters are native to northeastern and central United States. I’m looking forward to dividing my plant in the early spring of next year. The more the merrier.

Hosta

Hosta (Hosta) can be a beautiful addition to your garden if you don’t have it already. Hostas are herbaceous perennial plants that are native to China, Japan, Korea and the Russian Far East. They produce attractive clumps of leaves each summer which are topped with blooms that are either white or lavender. But a word of warning. The Hosta is a plant that I’ll avoid. The fact that the plants are not native is one strike against them. I find a need to encourage fauna that are attracted to native plants. But the big factor that negates any chance these plants have — they are like candy to deer. Rabbits, slugs and snails also eat the leaves and roots. Rhizomes are eaten by voles but deer are really something that I don’t want to encourage. Without a doubt.

Gray-headed Coneflower

July, and the hillsides that are my gardens are brilliant with the happiest of yellow thanks to Gray-headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata). Native to central and eastern North America. However in Virginia it is considered an escape from cultivation. A herbaceous perennial plant that can be as tall as four or five feet, and quite narrow. Tall and spindly. But in a mass planting they’re a joy.

Attractive to pollinators, this coneflower is popular with bees, butterflies, wasps, flies, and beetles. AND the occasional Crab Spider.

Come autumn and winter, the seed heads will bring on Goldfinches and other songbirds. A mighty good reason to leave those gardens as they are. A good excuse to let those seed heads be during the winter.

But for now I’m thoroughly enjoying the lift those petals of sunshine yellow bring to my heart.

Yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). The temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe and North America claim Yarrow as a native herbaceous perennial flowering plant.

It’s blooming right now in this area, looking a bit like Queen Anne’s Lace because of the large clusters of flowers atop the plant’s stems. But those clusters of flowers on Yarrow are quite an irregular grouping while the clusters of flowers on Queen Anne’s Lace is an impressive near perfect circle of blooms.

Sometimes in the autumn a Yarrow leaf will turn beautiful reds and yellows but all season long it has a lovely feather-like appearance. The plant is called the Spanish word for little feather, Plumajillo, in New Mexico and southern Colorado because of the feathery look of leaves.

The blossoms of the Yarrow are popular with butterflies, wasps, flies, and bees.

I often see Crab Spiders on Yarrow too, waiting and watching for their next meal to come along.

I don’t usually notice the scent of flowers that only have a subtle fragrance. It takes a knockout aroma like Japanese Honeysuckle (Mmmmm!) for me to notice but I understand Yarrow has a nice, sweet aroma, much like Chrysanthemums. I don’t usually notice their fragrance either!

Gaillardia

Here Gaillardias are growing wild in New Mexico, at Bandelier National Monument. A park I’ve visited many times. And hope to visit many more times.

And more Gaillardias growing wild at Bandelier National Monument. It seems they’re ubiquitous!

It amuses me. My Dad had a thing about digging up Dandelions in his lawn. He was always in a battle with them. That was in Maryland. My father-in-law also had a thing about digging things up from his lawn. The flowers he was in a constant battle with? Gaillardia. That was in New Mexico.

I love Gaillardias. But I must plant them, and care for them. I guess a weed is something that grows where you don’t want it to be.

Gaillardias are in the Sunflower family. Gaillardia is a genus of flowering plants that are native to the Americas. There are twenty-five to thirty species of Gaillardia, annuals, biennials, and perennials. There are also many cultivars.

Many pollinators are attracted to the bright colors of the blooms. Such as the Honey Bee in the previous image, and here a Carpenter Bee.

Butterflies love Gaillardia too. Here a Silvery Checkerspot is enjoying a Gaillardia in one of my gardens.

Violets for the Birthday Girl

She’s celebrating her 104th birthday. Absolutely marvelous. She’s part of an amazing family. A family that brings love to everything they do. And she loves Violets. So Violets it will be.

There are somewhere between four hundred and five hundred different species of Violets in the genus Viola, and those Violets are scattered all over this planet.

I’m really pleased to find many many different species of them here on my mountain, up in Shenandoah National Park and other places that I roam.

I’m thrilled to find an unknown leaf, an unknown flower and Violets always surprise me with their variety.

There is even at least one small shrub in the genus Viola which grows in Portugal. Most other species are either perennial or annual plants.

I don’t think I’ll be getting to Portugal anytime soon but that’s fine. There’s so many Violets here to keep me busy with finding, photographing and identifying them.

Keep in mind as you’re tending your gardens to leave some of the Violets. They’re beautiful and they are depended upon by many of the Fritillary butterflies as a primary host plant.

Sending loads of Violet thoughts and many hugs to you, birthday girl!

Common Blue-eyed Grass

A clump of grass in early spring becomes green streaks, highlighted with six pointed dots of cheery blue. Common Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) is native to the eastern two thirds of the United States and Canada.

Though “grass” is in the common name, it is not a grass at all but is in the iris family of plants. This Blue-eyed Grass is an herbaceous perennial that is a spot of joy in spring. And quite an amazing thing if you’re watching the development of what seems to be that clump of grass wondering what it is.

If you look at those blades with knowing eyes, you can see the look of iris stems containing buds.

It is surprising for me to learn that the each flower actually consists of only three petals along with three nearly twin sepals, creating the look of six petals. The flowers are doll house sized, about one half inch across with each petal or sepal having a pointed tip and a slight indentation on either side of the tip.

The seed capsule, seen just below a flower in the above image, will split into three sections at maturity. The small black seeds to be a carried just a short distance with the wind.

As I was collecting these photographs, I took a trip to Florida and came upon a different species of Blue-eyed Grass. White Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium albidum). Delighted to make this find.

Back in Virginia I’m enjoying my natives that bring me such pleasure.

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