Plant Profile: Aromatic Aster (Aster oblongifolius)
Karen Asters are always welcome in the fall when other plants are fading, and aromatic aster is one of the last asters to bloom. A profusion of blue flowers with yellow…
Plant Profile: Lance-leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
Lance-leaved coreopsis is one of those great plants that looks good in the border as well as in a meadow. It is long blooming and tough and spreads into vigorous…
Plant Profile: Broad leaved Shooting Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii)
Growing from a tuft of basal leaves, a slender shoot bears clusters of nodding magenta flowers with reflexed petals around a dark column of stamens and style. A native of…
Plant Profile: Creeping Polemomium (Polemomium reptans)
The lovely light blue flowers create a magic moment in late spring for a couple of weeks when the foliage takes over and provides the main interest. The leaves are…
Plant Profile: Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
If you are familiar with this plant you either live in the northwest United States or know it from the floral trade. A member of the heather family salal is…
Plant Profile: Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)
At twelve feet tall and with a taproot that can be fifteen feet long, this native of tall grass prairies is a plant to be taken seriously. Add to its…
Plant Profile: Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium)
Also called American feverfew, wild quinine is a herbaceous perennial and a member of the Aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes sunflower, daisy, and lettuce. It is native to eastern…
Plant Profile: Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
A native of dry prairies and savannas, yellow coneflower has a folksy look with its droopy soft yellow petals. The center cone is green at first but changes to dark…
Plant Profile: Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
This native of prairies and meadows is one of the odd looking plants that make gardening such fun. It’s yucca-like leaves are spiky, its stems are stout and unbranched except…
Plant Profile: Twinflower (Linnacea borealis)
A native of cool moist woods, twinflower often grows into large mats forming a beautiful ground cover. Bright green, glossy, evergreen leaves are borne in pairs on slender woody stems…