Do you garden with native plants Pt. 2

This thread was getting a little long and slow to load for us dial-ups.

Here's a picture of my Silphium laciniatum (Compass Plant), in my prairie bed. It's over 7' tall now, just starting to flower.

Silphium perfoliatum (Cup Plant). I love the big square stems.

This message was edited Jul 29, 2008 11:48 AM

Silphium terebinthinaceum (Prairie Dock) might not be getting enough sun. No flower so far, but it's only 2 years old. May need more time. Great leaves though.

Enchinacea, Ratibida, Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed), Rudbeckia subtomentosa (Black-eyed Susan), and Napaea dioica (Glade Mallow). The Hyperion daylily was already there when I started the bed.

The Prairie Dock probably just needs more time. It has done very well in half day sun for me. You probably know this already, but all 3 of the Silphiums hybridize with each other, so if you let them go to seed, you might get some pretty weird looking seedlings.

Beautiful flower bed by the way.

I'm really enjoying the guests the Monarda didyma (bee balm) is bringing me this time of year. It's been attracting hummingbirds, hummingbird moths, and bees here. It has some downsides such as a tendency to suffer from mildew and get a bit too exuberant in the garden, but it's worth it.

The Silphium hybrid in Illinois is on the endangered plant list.

These are Myrica seedlings - I choked and don't remember if they're sweet gale or bayberries. I collected both seeds and didn't label enough. :(

Aronia seedlings

Clethra alnifolium sweet pepperbush from cuttings last year - they're really taking off

First blooms happening this week on a Lobelia cardinalis, from seed sown a year and half ago. The picture doesn't do justice to the RED of these flowers

Cool. What time of year did you take the Clethra cuttings? Were they difficult to root? I have a Clethra bush in my yard that I would love to take some cuttings from, but I'm not sure how to do it. I've only propagated cuttings from herbaceous plants in the past.

Not exactly sure but it was last summer some time. They seemed easy to me, compared to other things that didn't root (obvious, I guess...). I did use the rootone on them. I'd say they were softwood cuttings, maybe semi-hardwood.

These arrowwood viburnums were rooted at the same time; very easy to root but none of my seeds have sprouted so far. I was hoping to have a baby hobblebush (V. lantanoides) this year, but it's probably too warm here anyway.
Bad pic, sorry

We went for a walk at a nearby prairie on Saturday. Had to take a picture of this huge Liatris. It must have been 5' tall.

We came across a monster Prairie Dock also.

Those are impressive! What prairie were you visiting?

Afton Township prairie 5 miles south of DeKalb. No one hardly visits it. Lots of trails, ponds and they have a lookout tower. They also have a "no leash" area which is great for the dogs. Lots of native trees and shrubs. It's a planned prairie.

Downy Skullcap

Ipomopsis

Tall American Bellflower.

Great Blue Lobelia

Nice spike.

Great pictures, everyone.

I'll have to get out and shoot the NE asters just coming on. I also have both L.syphylictica and L. syph. alba which have gone nuts in my little shade bed, need to do some clearing out actually. The L. cardinalis died - I was quite upset when I saw it was gone.

I have Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra) in my yard and it is driving me crazy. It colonizes way to efficiently. Anyone need some roots?

Yeah, cardinal flower tends to be a short-lived plant. Did it bloom for you? It almost acts like a biennial in that, once it blooms and sets seeds, odds of it surviving to the next year are fairly poor. Many species of Penstemon are like that, too.

Every time my cardinal flowers bloom I make a point of collecting seed and start growing them in flats early the next spring, just on the assumption that the parent plants are going to die. That is more hassle than I prefer to deal with when growing flowers (I like plants that live practically forever with little maintenance), but cardinal flower is so beautiful it's worth the effort.

I had it for several years, actually. I had seed set often and always scattered them, but I'm not seeing any babies. Wonder what happened? Just odd. The plant itself came from a logging site and had survived at least three moves.

The seedlings are tiny, each cotyledon is only a millimeter or so across, at first so they are easily destroyed and can't tolerate much competition. Attrition of wild seedlings must be horrendous. Good thing the plants produce so much seed. Very fine sand, kept moist, seems to be the best planting medium.

Cardinal Flower colony in drainage ditch. The sun was swiftly setting and location required zoom in low light.

Small colony.

Single spire.

New England Aster

Aster and Goldenrod

Rudbeckia 'Herbstsonne' with Canna in foreground. http://www.gardensbos.blogspot.com

My favorite cactus, ideal for the garden. Lace Cactus, Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp. reichenbachii. This is one plant with multiple blooms.

Here's another one in my yard. Snake Herb, Dyschoriste linearis. Love those common names!

Blue phlox.

Dutchman's Breeches

Claytonia - a tiny bulb

Dames Rocket

Camassia

Blue Phlox