native plants – Greenburgh Nature Center

April 18, 2024April 18, 2024 greenburghnaturecenter Around the Grounds, Native Plants

A Woodland Wonder

Ooh, look! The Jeffersonia is blooming! Spring really is here.

The bright white flowers of Jeffersonia diphylla (also called “Twinleaf”) may only last a few days, but this fascinating native wildflower is a woodland wonder all summer long.

When it emerges in early spring, the tender foliage is purple, protected from ultra-violet light coming through still-bare trees by a natural sunscreen called anthocyanin pigment, which fades as the leaves get stronger and turn green. Next, slender flower stems push through the ground, reaching 6 to 8 inches high, each with a single bud.

IMG_6385-1 — A natural chemical coloration protects the young leaves.

Flower buds appear on individual stalks.

As the leaves fully open, they reveal the unique butterfly-wing shape that gives the plant its common name, Twinleaf.

IMG_6415-1 — The word *diphylla* means “two leaves”.

The flowers are about an inch across with 8 petals and stamens loaded with pollen. The protein-rich pollen provides nutrition to early pollinators, mostly native bees, at a time when pollen is otherwise scarce.

The flowers are an important source of pollen in early spring.

If bad weather makes insects scarce, Jeffersonia is able to self-pollinate because the stamens grow tightly around the pistils. When pollination is successful, the flower becomes a small capsule fruit.

IMG_2824-2 — Seed capsule in late April.

jeffersonia-dyphylla-1 — Capsules maturing in June.

The seed capsules of Jeffersonia are amazing! They look like little tea pots with lids. By mid-summer, when the seed capsules have ripened and turned yellow, the “lids” crack open revealing large, cinnamon-colored seeds inside. If you are feeling playful, you can squeeze a pod just below the lid, and the capsule will open like a little mouth and spit out the seeds. Try it — it never gets old! Left to its own devices, the stem below the pod will begin to bend until the teapot tips over and spills out the seeds.

IMG_1356-1 — Ripe seed pod in mid-summer.
*Photo: Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences*

IMG_1355-1 — Ripe seeds ready to disperse.
*Photo: Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences*

The seeds are carried off by ants attracted to elaiosomes, rich fatty appendages attached to the seeds. The ants feed their colonies on the eliaosomes, but do no harm to the seeds themselves. The activity of the ants helps spread the seeds to the surrounding area. Over time, colonies of Jeffersonia will be established if conditions are right.

An established colony of Jeffersonia in a suburban backyard.

Though many early spring blooming wildflowers are considered “ephemerals,” meaning they disappear in summer, Jeffersonia remains an attractive presence in the woodland garden all season long. The mature leaves are 4 to 5 inches across, and remain fresh well into fall. The plant looks at home and will thrive under shade trees in rich loamy soil with average moisture.

20121006_34 — A lovely shade garden plant all summer.

Jeffersonia is a great companion for ferns and shade-loving perennials like wild ginger, Jacob’s ladder, columbine, goatsbeard, and coral bells. Deer will eat the foliage, and though that may not kill the plant, it will prevent the following year’s flowers. So, the ideal spot for Jeffersonia is a fenced area with mature shade trees and a rich understory where fall leaves are allowed to remain and decompose naturally.

Jeffersonia’s native range is broad — from southern Canada to Tennessee and west to the Mississippi River. But much of that native habitat has been destroyed by farming, logging, and development, so it is difficult to find Jeffersonia in the wild today. Planting it in our backyards is a way to reclaim a bit of America’s past and restore nature. You can find Jeffersonia for sale at native plant sales, nurseries that carry native plants, and on-line in bare-root form from native plant vendors.

Jeffersonia (on the lower left) in a shady garden full of native
plants.

And yes, as you may have guessed, Jeffersonia diphylla was named for our founding father (and esteemed naturalist), Thomas Jefferson. Two early American botanists, William Bartram and Benjamin Barton studied the plant and concluded that it had been misclassified previously and rightfully belonged to its own genus. Barton was a member of the American Philosophical Society founded by Benjamin Franklin, and at a meeting of the Society in 1792, he presented his evidence and suggested that the new genus be named for his friend and fellow Society member, Thomas Jefferson. Interestingly, since then, the only other species yet discovered in the same genus is a plant native to Korea, Eastern China, and Siberia: Jeffersonia dubia. So that Asian plant today carries the name of an early American president!

If you have a shady area in your yard, consider including a bit of American natural history by adding this fascinating woodland wonder, Jeffersonia diphylla.

THIS BLOG IS WRITTEN BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

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April 10, 2024April 10, 2024 greenburghnaturecenter Around the Grounds, Native Plants

Made in the Shade

The two questions we hear most often from home gardeners are “what grows in the shade?” and “what won’t deer eat?” There is a great answer to both questions: ferns!

We have an amazing variety of native ferns in the northern US. There are ferns for wet or dry shady areas, ferns that grow tall and ferns that stay short, ferns that form tidy well-behaved clumps, and ferns that run wild, filling in large areas for groundcover or erosion control. Some ferns are happy in deep shade, and others like more sun than you might expect. Ferns can be dramatic accents in the garden, or create soothing, naturalistic vistas. And all of them are ignored by deer, rabbits, and woodchucks.

Ferns are ancient. Fossils more than 220 million years old have been found of the very same fern species that grow in our forests and gardens today. Apparently, dinosaurs didn’t eat ferns either! Here are a few of our favorite ferns for home gardens:

For drama, use Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea). Named for the tall cinnamon-colored stalk that rises out of its center, Cinnamon Fern can be a focal point in the garden. It grows 3 to 5 feet tall, with lush fronds extending just as wide, and almost has the tropical look of a palm. It does well in shade, but as long as the ground is damp, it will get even bigger with more sun. In early spring, it looks positively alien as it emerges from the ground covered with fuzzy hairs that disappear as the fronds unfurl. In the fall, Cinnamon Fern turns bright yellow before going dormant for the winter.

**Cinnamon Fern emerging in early spring**

For a front-of-the-border charmer, use Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina). Forming well-behaved clumps with an airy grace, Lady Fern does well in part-shade and even moisture. A cultivar called “Lady-in-Red” has deep red stems that contrast with its fresh green fronds. It will grow 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, and will stay politely where you put it.

If you want to cover a lot of terrain, and collect a bonus edible veggie, Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris var. pensylvanica) is the way to go. With adequate moisture, Ostrich Fern will grow 3 to 5 feet tall in shade or sun, and spread itself aggressively. It grows in defined clumps, but sends out runners that form new clumps in time. It can be controlled easily enough by severing the runners and digging out the new plants — or by eating them! Fiddlehead ferns are delicious. They should be harvested in early spring when the ferns are just emerging from the ground and getting ready to unfurl. Cut the emerging fiddleheads with a bit of the green stem. Wash them and peel off any papery covering. They are great steamed, or sauteed in a little butter with salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic.

**Ostrich Fern makes a gorgeous groundcover**

**Fiddleheads from Ostrich Ferns are delicious!**

Another garden favorite is Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum). The unusual circular fronds sit on top of a slender stem (petiole), about 18 inches tall, with fluffy “feathers” arranged around the circle. They are much tougher than they look and combine well with other shade plants. In rich, moist soil, they can take quite a bit of sun without wilting. Their lacy texture is beautiful contrasting with broad-leaf plants like Wild Ginger, Coral Bells, or Rhododendron.

One of the most ancient ferns is also one of the most interesting. Interrupted Fern (Osmunda claytoniana) sends up stalks with fresh green leaves, then appears to change its mind as the stalk develops curly brown “flowers” in the middle, then changes its mind again and continues with green. These “interrupted” stalks are the fertile spore-bearing part of the fern. Once the spores mature and drop, the fronds arch gracefully, up to 4 feet high, for the rest of the summer. Clumps of Interrupted Fern will expand very slowly over the years providing a strong architectural feature to the garden.

**Interrupted Fern bearing its spores in mid-stem**

**A 30-year-old stand of Interrupted Fern stays fresh and vertical all summer**

Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) has the great virtue of being evergreen. It does well in dry shade, and needs no care at all. You can find it easily while walking in northern woods in the winter time, and it makes a great evergreen groundcover under trees and shrubs in the home garden. It stays low, under 2 feet typically, and spreads only very slowly. But if planted densely, it makes an attractive year-round groundcover.

**Christmas Ferns planted at the Nature Center**

**December in the Nature Center’s forest**

All of these native ferns are hardy to Zone 3 and need very little care. They are woodland plants, so they like soil naturally enriched with fallen leaves and decayed plant matter. Try a few in those troublesome, shady and deer-browsed spots. Or plant a whole fern garden and try them all!

**Fern garden in spring: (clockwise from upper left) Cinnamon Fern, Interrupted Fern, Christmas Fern, Maidenhair Fern**

THIS BLOG IS WRITTEN BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

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March 26, 2024March 26, 2024 greenburghnaturecenter Around the Grounds, Native Plants

Ready, Set, Shop!

Are you thinking about what to plant in your garden this year? Nurseries are already displaying their new stock, and native plant sales are popping up everywhere. It’s time to make your shopping list for spring planting. And we can help!

Over the past few seasons, “Around the Grounds” has recommended some great native perennials that will bring life to your garden. Here are some of our favorite flowering plants — with links to blog posts containing photos and tons of information about each of them:

For Sunny Gardens

Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) – late bloomer, hot colors

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) – fall bloomer, essential for pollinators

Milkweed (Asclepius spp.) – long bloom time, critical for Monarchs

Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea or aptera) – blooms early and long

Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis) – long-lived, shrub-like spring bloomer

Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.) – fragrant long bloomer

Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp.) – tall butterfly magnet

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) – long-blooming butterfly favorite

White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) – late blooming bumblebee favorite

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) – red spikes for hummingbirds

Coral Bells (Heuchera villosa ‘Autumn Bride’) – deer-resistant hosta substitute

Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) – shrub-like, blooms early

For Shady Gardens

Native Bleeding Heart (Dicentra eximia) – long bloomer, hardy

Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus) – large, showy white flowers

Pink Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii) – shrub-like with pink flowers

Wild ginger (Asarum canadensis) – low ground cover, hidden flowers

Golden groundsel (Packera aurea) – shade/sun flowering groundcover

Creeping Sedge (Carex laxiculmus) – clumping grass that stays blue all winter

Violets (Viola sororia) – early flowering groundcover

All of these plants evolved in our region, are well-adapted to our soil and weather, and support native insect and bird populations. Many are deer-resistant and drought-tolerant. You can learn more about their favorite garden conditions in the linked blog posts.

We’ve also recommended ferns, grasses, shrubs, and trees, so browse older posts by clicking on the “Around the Grounds Collection” button below.

Happy spring shopping! And if you live in the Greenburg, NY area, mark your calendar for our spring plant sale on May 13 where many of these plants will be available.

THIS BLOG IS AUTHORED WEEKLY BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

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March 14, 2024March 14, 2024 greenburghnaturecenter Around the Grounds, Native Plants

What NOT to Plant

Spring is approaching! Garden and seed catalogues are arriving in the mail. Nurseries and big box stores will soon begin displaying thousands of plants for our home gardens.

As we plan to beautify our yards, it’s easy to be seduced by photos of gorgeous flowers and promises of carefree shrubs. But beware: many of these plants are not as advertised! It pays for avoid common mistakes now to prevent later problems that can cost you dearly.

The biggest mistake, both for nature and your wallet, is buying invasive plants. And it’s too easy to do! Many of the most common and familiar yard plants are actually invasive species. And most of them are still being sold across the country every day!

Garden catalogue offering an invasive shrub actually prohibited in several states.

English ivy costs American homeowners millions of dollars in tree and building damage every year, but is still sold legally in every state but Oregon.

The term “invasive” applies to plants from other continents that have no natural controls in North America (nothing here eats them!), and they are so successful at reproducing themselves that they spread unchecked causing environmental and economic harm. Invasive plants cost the US – individual property owners, corporations, non-profits, and all levels of government combined – an estimated $142 billion annually! Because invasive plants out-compete native plants, they take over forests, grasslands, wetlands, roadsides, parks, and residential areas, eliminating food and other resources for wildlife, as well as pulling down power lines, trees, fences, and damaging building siding and exterior finishes. Fighting invasive plants is frustrating and very expensive.

IMG_2762-3 — Invasive vines choke native trees on America’s roadsides.

IMG_2801-1 — Invasive landscape plants like Japanese pachysandra take over parks and wooded areas and are difficult to remove.

There are at least 5000 plant species currently identified as invasive in the US, and over 2/3 of them were introduced to this continent not for food, medicine, or commercial value, but simply because somebody thought they made pretty garden plants. Many states, including New York, have begun to regulate the sale or marketing of a few species of invasive plants. But the power of the nursery industry, and the popularity of many invasive plants with gardeners, has prevented more effective legal controls. Nurseries and mail-order houses still sell hundreds of invasive species. In fact, the nursery industry is the primary pathway for invasive plant introduction. Ultimately, though, it’s up to homeowners and gardeners to refuse to buy these plants.

So, how do we know which plants are invasive and should be avoided?

The simplest way is to use your phone! Put the name of the plant you’re considering and the word “invasive” into Google, or whatever search engine you use, and see what happens! For example, this is the result of a .32-second search using the words “pachysandra” and “invasive”:

Seeing that result should suggest choosing a different groundcover – a native one, perhaps?

Another way to avoid invasive plants is to watch for certain buzzwords in the ads. Like most businesses, the nursery industry grabs consumer attention with ads emphasizing the benefits of a product while omitting any discussion of the down-side. As you browse catalogues and nursery labels, watch for the red flags that signal invasive plant characteristics. Words like “grows anywhere,” “fast-spreading,” and “pest free” can mean that a plant has no natural insect or animal controls on this continent.

Catalogue offer using almost all the buzzwords.

This is a great example: any plant that will grow on “steep slopes, poor soil, trouble areas, stream or pond banks,” yet is “drought resistant and sub-zero hardy,” as well as “disease and insect free” and “grows so thick it chokes out even persistent weeds and requires no mowing or care” is the very definition of an invasive species!!

A quick Google search instantly turns up the truth about the advertised plant:

A search for “crown vetch invasive” immediately hits Invasive.org and state governments reporting the invasive plant.

At the bottom of the catalogue ad for crown vetch, there is a note that it cannot be shipped to certain states. That is another dead give-away. If any state has actually prohibited importation of the plant, it is extremely likely that the plant is invasive in many other areas as well. The political process just hasn’t progressed far enough to actually outlaw the plant in other states. Checking Invasive.org will tell the true story:

Invasive.org is a joint project of the University of Georgia and the US Department of Agriculture. They collect, review, monitor, and aggregate reports of invasive plant species that have escaped cultivation and infested natural areas. If a plant is reported as invasive anywhere in the US, it is best simply to avoid it and choose something else, preferably a native plant.

Of course, the best reason to avoid planting invasive species is to protect natural areas and critical habitat for American wildlife. But protecting the value of your own property, and sparing yourself the misery of trying to get rid of a plant you wish you had never planted, is another good reason.

If you fell for an ad like this:

Catalogue ad for *Aegopodium*, also known as bishop’s weed, or goutweed.

and then watched in horror as that “snowy” plant turned into a solid green mass, invading your lawn and every flower bed, you understand the meaning of regret. (We hear there is a “support group” on Facebook for people who have been victimized by goutweed!)

Other commonly sold plants that can become big regrets on suburban properties include: bamboo, Chinese wisteria, wintercreeper, Asian honeysuckle, periwinkle (vinca), Chinese silver grass, Rose of Sharon, ajuga (bugleweed), Norway maple, and of course, all forms of ivy. All of these plants can spread themselves well beyond where you wanted them and are tough to remove, creating maintenance headaches.

Still other invasive species may not cause trouble in your yard, but will find their way into nearby woods, parks, and natural areas: burning bush, privet, Japanese barberry, autumn olive, buckthorn, Bradford pear, tree of heaven, and Japanese spirea all spread themselves aggressively from gardens into natural areas.

There are so many excellent native alternatives to these troublemakers. Native plants do have natural controls! Birds, bees, insects, and other animals not only need native plants, their participation in the ecosystem will save you the expense and effort of battling invasive plants. Look back through the Around the Grounds Collection for lots of native plant recommendations that will work in your yard.

Happy spring gardening!

THIS BLOG IS WRITTEN BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

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February 15, 2024February 15, 2024 greenburghnaturecenter Around the Grounds, Native Plants

Soggy Solutions

Do you have a soggy situation in your yard: a low spot where water always puddles for a few days before drying up? If so, lucky you! You’ve got the perfect spot for some beautiful water-loving shrubs!

Rainstorms are becoming more frequent and more intense. Suburban lawns often have mushy patches that don’t really recover, even after the ground dries. Turf grass roots sitting in standing water are deprived of oxygen and soon die. You could spend hours – and dollars — aerating, re-seeding, or laying new sod only to see the same thing happen again in the next downpour.

Lawn grass can’t live in water-logged soil

Or, you could plant a few native shrubs that would be happy to soak up that water! Some of our most desirable native plants evolved near ponds, streams, and in wet meadows. They can live in standing water for days at a time, and take up excess water that otherwise becomes mosquito-breeding habitat. Even better, because they are native to our region, they are winter-hardy and provide food for pollinators and birds.

It’s not hard to remedy a soggy area of lawn. You can plant right into the wet areas, even without removing any surviving lawn first. With the right plants, not much soil amendment is necessary, either. Dig a hole about the same depth and twice the circumference of the root ball of the shrub. Loosen the root ball if it is very tightly bound. Adding a few shovel fulls of compost and mixing it with the soil in the planting hole can help. But don’t plant too deep. Keep the crown of the plant just above the soil line. And give your new plant some company! More plants take up more water, reduce compaction, and improve soil drainage, which improves survival odds for all of the plants.

Visually, a cluster of water-loving shrubs is a big improvement over soggy lawn. Think about planting a group of 3 medium-sized shrubs, either all the same type or 3 different species, or perhaps a small tree and a couple of larger shrubs. A group of plants looks more natural, takes up more water, and provides valuable habitat for birds.

Assuming the spot is mostly sunny, and usually dries out a few days after a rainstorm, any of these great shrubs will work beautifully:

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
Buttonbush produces really interesting flowers from early to mid-summer that last for weeks. The flowers look like 1½-inch white spheres and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The leaves are large, glossy green, and make a gorgeous background for the flowers. After the flowers fade, hard spherical nuts resembling buttons develop and often last through the winter until birds harvest them.

Buttonbush flowers
*Photo: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center*

Native to swamps and streamsides from Canada to Florida and west to the Mississippi River, Buttonbush is hardy in Zones 4 to 10. In the Northeast, the shrub can reach 6 to 12 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. In colder zones, the shrub may die back to the ground in winter and grow back to 3 to 4 feet in summer. Pruning is not necessary, but if you want to keep it a bit smaller, it won’t mind being pruned in early spring since the flowers form on new growth.

Buttonbush becomes a large rounded shrub in suburban landscapes
*Photo: American Beauties Native Plants*

Buttonbush loves wet soil, including areas that are often flooded with shallow standing water. It is generally deer-resistant once established, but young plants should be protected in the first few years. The shrub is happy in full sun or part shade.

Possumhaw viburnum (Viburnum nudum)
Also called Smooth Witherod, this shrub is one of our most attractive native plants for suburban landscapes. It will tolerate wet, boggy soil, though it does perfectly well in average soil as well, and is a great foundation plant. Native to woodlands, swamps, and thickets from Newfoundland to Florida, it grows 6 to 12 feet tall and 4 to 15 feet wide. It has shiny green leaves, big lacy white flowers in spring, and berries that turn colors from pink to blue to black. It also has spectacular fall leaf color. Possumhaw doesn’t need pruning and is not particularly attractive to deer. This plant works in almost any yard, but it is an ideal solution for a wet area.

*Viburnum nudum* as a foundation plant at the Nature Center

Possumhaw berries change colors as
they ripen

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
It’s hard to imagine a more useful landscape plant than Winterberry. It can live in standing water, but is also fine in average landscape conditions. It produces brilliant red berries in the fall that feed migrating birds.

Robins, mockingbirds, blue jays, cardinals, and cedar
waxwings flock to Winterberries

Winterberry is very easy to grow in full sun or part shade. It needs no fertilizer or special care, and needs no pruning. The shrub has a loose shape and can grow 10 to 15 feet tall, but a cultivar called ‘Winter Sprite’ tops out at 3 to 4 feet. In fall, the leaves drop to show the brilliant red berries clustered along the stems. You will need both a male and female plant to produce berries, so ask your nursery for both. For more information on Winterberry, see an earlier post here.

Pussy Willow (Salix discolor).
Willows are wetland plants, and our native Pussy Willow is the most beloved of the bunch. As a multi-trunked shrub or small tree, 6 to 15 feet tall, Pussy Willow makes a great focal point where water collects. Plant it, then add two or three of the shrubs described above, and a formerly soggy mess will become your favorite part of the yard! For more information on this great little tree, read our earlier blog post here.

Pussy Willow (*Salix discolor*) is an easy-to-love small tree

Fuzzy catkins show up in early spring and feed emerging pollinators

So, as you start dreaming about spring flowers, don’t forget about spring “showers,” which are more likely to be torrential downpours these days. Plan ahead for standing water and add some of these water-loving plants to your spring shopping list!