Stokesia laevis

2020 – Stokes’ Aster

Despite being native to wet areas, this herbaceous perennial has a surprisingly high tolerance for heat and drought once established. It is native to the Southeastern United States and grows in hardiness zones 5 to 9 with average moisture and well-drained soil. It grows to 2 feet tall and spreads 1 to 1.5 feet, which makes it a great option for planting along the edge the of garden beds or water edge. In full sun, the blue flowers will bloom from May to June and attract butterflies and other pollinators.

Stokes’ Aster can be used in the landscape, in pots, and as a cut flower. There are several different cultivars of Stokes’ Aster and they vary in size and color. Stokesia laevis ‘Alba’ has a similar size, blooms June through September, and has white flower. Stokesia ‘Peachie’s Pick’ has a blue flower and is more compact. Stokesia ‘Colorwheel’ has white flowers that change to lavender then dark purple.

After the flower is spent, they can be removed to promote a second bloom. Stokesia laevis pairs nicely with pale yellow flowers and makes a great addition to home landscapes.

Physostegia virginiana

2017 – Obedient Plant

The obedient plant or false dragonhead is a very fun plant that has some very unique qualities. First of all, the obedient plant’s common name comes from the flowers’ unique pliable nature. The flower heads can be pushed along the axis of the stem and will remain wherever they are moved. This makes the plant very useful for cut flowers or flower arrangements. This plant is a rhizomatous perennial that is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. A common characteristic of this family is a square stem. The flowers a pale lilac with a tubular shape and snapdragon appearance that grow on terminal spikes. The flower spikes bloom from the bottom to top from late June to September. P. virginiana has sharply toothed, lanceolate leaves arranged in an opposite manner. The square stems can reach up to 4 feet but may fall over if the soils are too rich or it is not receiving enough sun. Beware this plant can spread rather aggressively either by seed or rhizomatously with stolons. To prevent this a gardener can pull up the undesired shallow roots to keep the plant tamed.

Obedient plant lives in a wide variety of habitats from open meadows to stream banks. It is native to much of North America from Quebec to Florida and even west to New Mexico. This plant is great because it can tolerate moist soils with poor drainage or soils on the drier end of the spectrum. The nectar of this plant is desirable to many species of butterflies and even attracts hummingbirds. Overall this is an excellent plant and can really give a show in the late summer, early fall especially if used in a rain garden.

Gelsemium sempervirens

2018 – Carolina Jessamine

Carolina Jessamine is a 10 to 20-foot-long, twining evergreen vine native to the southeastern United States.  As it is a southern species, in southeastern Pennsylvania it is best to use the cold-hardy variety called ‘Margarita’ and plant it in a location where it will be protected from harsh winter winds.

Gelsemium is among the first plants to bloom every year – a welcome sign that winter is over and the long-awaited spectacle of spring is about to begin.  The bright yellow, trumpet shaped flowers are very attractive and their sweet, candy-like fragrance can be enjoyed from a distance, though you should never pass up an opportunity to get a close-up sniff.

This vine will grow best, and will flower most profusely in moist, well-drained soils and full, bright sun.  It is highly deer resistant and looks wonderful grown on a trellis, arbor, pergola, fence or wall and even makes a good porch cover.  If desired, prune immediately after flowering to control its height.

Amsonia hubrichtii

2017 – Hubricht’s Bluestar

This beautiful clump forming, herbaceous perennial has many noteworthy characteristics making it an excellent choice as a green ribbon native plant.  It is a member of the Dogbane plant family or Apocynaceae.  One trait expressed by members of this family is a milky/latex sap.  Due to this, A. hubrichtii is not preferred by deer.  It is known for its elegant powdery blue star shaped flowers which grow in clusters at the ends of the stems.  These delicate flowers make an appearance in late spring around April and last until the end of May sometimes even longer.  The foliage is another notable characteristic.  These thin, filamentous leaves grow along the stem in an alternate fashion.  They are a beautiful green during the growing season and turn to a stunning yellow during the fall.  This foliage can bring nice texture and color to any garden.

Native to south-central United States Amsonia hubrichtii can grow to about 3 feet tall and spreads 2-3 feet at maturity. This plant is ideal for many different garden situations and is very low maintenance.  It performs best in well drained, rich soil but can tolerate a wide range of conditions.  A. hubrichtii produces the best fall color in full sun however blooms may persist longer if given some afternoon shade. It is also notable that Amsonia is the preferred nectar source for Mourning Cloaks and other early butterflies. Sometimes the plant may grow too tall and flop over.  In order to prevent this, it is recommended that you cut back the stems about a 1/3 after its done blooming.

Solidago rugosa

2016 – Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod

Wrinkleleaf goldenrod, like other goldenrods, has a long panicle of yellow ray and disk florets characteristic of the Aster Family Asteraceae. But there are a few key features which distinguish Solidago rugosa from the other Solidago species. The central stem, which can reach 1-5 feet, is covered in tiny hairs or pubescence. The upper surface of the foliage has a wrinkled appearance due to the indentations of the leaf veins. Hence, the common name Wrinkleleaf goldenrod. The 4 inch long and 1 ½ inch wide leaves alternate along the stem. The leaves have toothed edges. The foliage is often dull and slightly hairy.

You can see wrinkleleaf goldenrod in bloom from midsummer into early autumn with a bloom period lasting between 1-2 months. The blooms of wrinkleleaf goldenrod attract an array of insects including bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, skippers and beetles. The caterpillars of many moth species feed on goldenrod as do many insects. Insectivorous birds feed on the insects which feed on wrinkeleaf goldenrod. Wrinkleleaf goldenrod grows best in full sun, moist well-drained, slightly acidic spots. Wrinkleleaf goldenrod makes a great addition to a naturalized perennial garden.