Working outside in my garden today, I noticed how the sun sat lower in the sky, casting long shadows through the trees onto the lawn and down the driveway. Long shadows can only mean one thing. Summer is in its homestretch. Autumn is around the corner.

Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'

The weather has finally decided to stop showing off its prowess, and is becoming more amenable. Temperatures are no longer oppressive, at least not today. And while most of the garden is starting to look a little fizzled out, some other plants are just beginning their performance on the garden stage. Of all other plants, no one would argue that the ornamental grass in bloom is the harbinger of autumn.

Of course, ornamental grasses do not really bloom in the sense of a flower as we know it. But they do have what is called an inflorescence, that magical, smoky puff that seems to dance at the slightest hint of a breeze. In general, ornamental grasses have much to offer a gardener. Ornamental grasses are hardy, distasteful to deer, and drought tolerant.

They are also captivating by offering an element of movement, softness, and grace to the garden. Ornamental grasses engage different senses; they are enchanting to watch as they move, their soft inflorescences are irresistible to touch, and when the wind blows, the rustling of the grass is at once captivating and comforting, whispering its secrets to all who venture by.

In general, you cannot go wrong with planting a native grass. As with any plant, be sure to water newly planted grasses weekly until they are established. But once your grasses are established go ahead and get yourself a glass of iced tea, because there will be little or no care on your part. You will not need to fertilize or worry about pests. Supplemental water will probably not be necessary (I have not watered any of my grasses so far this year). You will only have to remember to cut the grass in late winter about six inches from the ground, before the new grass blades begin to grow.

Although some of the most widely used grasses in gardens today are not native, there are many native grasses to choose from. Unlike grasses that are not native to our region (such as Miscanthus and Pennisetum), native grasses are beneficial to wildlife. Many seed-eating birds, such as song sparrows, purple finches, and American goldfinches, love to perch on the thin strands of grasses, plucking away at the seeds. Ground-feeding birds, such as dark-eyed juncos, white-throated sparrows, and Eastern towhees, will happily flock to your yard to scratch the ground in garden beds filled with native grasses.

In fact, more than 20 species of birds rely on the seeds of native grasses to provide them with nourishment throughout the winter months. In addition, non-cultivated varieties of our native grasses are host plants to the skipper type butterflies. Without native grasses, our skippers would simply vanish.

There are so many beautiful native grasses to choose from. Ranging from less than ten inches tall to over six feet tall, there are native grasses that would suit nearly any gardener. Here are some that I enjoy growing in my garden.

By far, the most popular native grass is switchgrass, Panicum virgatum. This grass is popular for good reason. It begins blooming early in August and continues to look fabulous through most of the winter. Its inflorescences consist of numerous tiny seed heads that look like puffs of tawny smoke. Its grass blades tend to stay upright and the entire grass gives an appealing softness to the flower border. The native species is quite beautiful and needs no embellishment, but why stop there. Breeders have introduced many varieties of switchgrass that offer different colors, sizes, or even structures.

Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’

Some of my favorites include the following. ‘Dallas Blues’ and ‘Heavy Metal’ both have steely blue grass blades. ‘Dallas Blues’ has maroon seed heads and can grow to five feet, while ‘Heavy Metal’ is more compact and grows to about 4 feet tall with tan seed heads. By contrast, ‘Red Ribbons’ and ‘Shenandoah’ sport reddish grass blades with either maroon or tan seed heads. Both are lovely and would look stunning with other maroon flowers to bring out their reddish foliage. Other cultivated varieties include names like ‘Northwind’, which can handle strong winds and stay upright, and ‘Cloud Nine’, which has extra long seed panicles.

Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blues'

Whichever variety you choose, you cannot go wrong. All are magnificent border specimens. So why not go ahead and try a few of them. Switchgrass looks great mixed with other grasses and with late blooming flowers, such as asters, black-eyed Susans, and Joe Pye weed. Try a combination of ‘Dallas Blues’ with goldenrod, New York ironweed and black-eyed Susan.

Two other tall native grasses worth mentioning and that are great additions to the autumn garden are Indian grass, Sorghastrum nutans, and big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii. Indian grass is a beautiful plant with wide green foliage. Its inflorescences are exquisite, its bronze seed heads intermingle with golden dangling seeds that look like petals, or to me resemble tiny dangling gold earrings. The combination of the fluttering yellow ‘petals’ with the feathery bronze seeds is stunning.

Schizachyrium scoparium, Little Bluestem

Give Indian grass some room, as it will spread and form a clump about three feet in diameter. Its foliage does not stand quite as tall as other grasses, and does not stand straight up, but rather weeps in soft flowing arches. However, when in bloom, its seed heads stand straight up and can grow to over five feet tall.

Big bluestem is also a winner of a grass and a superb addition to the easy care garden. This grass boasts silvery blue foliage and can grow from three feet tall to an astounding nine feet tall. However, big bluestem does not display its full splendor until autumn, when the seed heads and the grass blades turn a brilliant coppery orange. This grass forms a clump that can grow to more than three feet in width, so be sure to place this beauty toward the back and give it some room. In addition, its seed heads turn into a silvery fluff, which adds to the dramatic effect of this captivating grass.

Moving toward the shorter end of the spectrum, another native grass that is a favorite of mine is little bluestem. Although its botanical name is a mouthful, Schizachirium scoparium, little bluestem is a bit more diminutive than the typical ornamental grass, staying a petite 24 to 30 inches tall without trying to overrun its neighbors. However, its mannerly behavior belies its character, for in autumn the diminutive little bluestem turns from a light blue to a warm nectarine before finally turning a soft dusky tan in winter.

This grass is truly beautiful in all seasons of its growth. Emerging late in spring, its foliage stays a silvery blue through summer. Sometimes the tips of the leaves are marked with shades of maroon or purple. In autumn, it sends up shoots of tan seed heads which, just like its cousin the big bluestem, turn into puffs of silvery fluff that glow against the backdrop of its apricot foliage.

Throughout winter, the entire plant mellows into a warm beige and holds its foliage upright through snow and sleet until finally laying down for a rest in late winter. Since little bluestem is such a stunning plant, I recommend planting it in groups of three, five or more. This plant really adds interest to the autumn garden when grouped with other native grasses and late blooming flowers, such as goldenrods, blazing stars, and asters. There are a number of cultivated varieties of this grass as well, with names like ‘The Blues’, ‘Prairie Blues’ and ‘Carousel’. All are great additions to the late season border.

Another short native grass is called purple love grass, Eragrostis spectabilis. This grass is unusual in that it is very compact, only growing to a foot tall and wide. I typically use this grass in the front of the border, and since it does form a neat mound, I have used it as an edging plant. Its foliage is also a little different than most grasses, being that it has wide green fronds that stand erect, making the plant look like a little, round, green porcupine.

However, in fall, there is no longer any reason to poke fun at this little grass. By September, purple love grass sends up numerous tiny purple seed heads that completely envelope the plant in a purple cloud. No wonder it has a name like purple love grass. You simply can not help but fall in love with it. This little wonder looks fantastic in a border with some New York ironweed in the background, where it will bring out the purple hues throughout the garden bed.

Sporobolus heterolepis, Prairie Dropseed

There are many more native grasses to choose from. All are unique and offer exciting and appealing characteristics to the fall garden. Be sure to check out the Baysafe tags when shopping and pick out a variety of native grasses. They are all worthwhile garden plants which are easy to care for. But most of all, these grasses care for our native wildlife and will bring you new butterflies and birds to your yard.

Natalie Brewer
Master Gardener

Monarch Butterfly & Asclepias (Milkweed)

One of my favorite aspects of summer is seeing all the butterflies, like exquisitely colorful silk tapestries, fluttering throughout my garden. Butterflies are from the insect family, Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies, skippers and moths. Over 151 species of butterflies have been recorded in the state of Maryland. Many butterflies have names that conjure up images of a land replete with fairies and unicorns; names such as wood nymphs, brushfoots, satyrs, elfins, and duskywings. Butterflies are beautiful, tough yet fragile, and can put a smile on the face of even the most negative nature-averse person on the planet.

Tiger Swallowtails on Joe Pye Weed

Many butterflies have very particular needs throughout their life cycle. Some are very specialized and require a specific host plant family, or sometimes only one particular host plant, to feed on during their larval stage as caterpillars. In addition, some require specific plants that they use as nectar sources; perhaps it is the quality of the nectar, the shape of the flower, the specific bloom time, or simply a nectar plant that tends to grow in the same habitat as the larval host plants and through evolution have become the preferred flowers for nectar consumption simply because they were the closest flowers. Unfortunately, with development systematically encroaching on wild areas, and residential and commercial gardens containing few, if any, native plants, these important food sources, that are essential to the survival of future generations of butterflies, are disappearing quickly. Because of this, many butterfly species have declined and some have even become endangered.

Tiger Swallowtail on Monarda

The good news is that you can help. Homeowners can have a crucial impact on the future of our butterfly population by planting more native plants in their gardens. As this year’s growing season comes to an end, we can help butterflies now by helping them to prepare for winter. Butterflies spend their winter in a variety of ways. Some butterflies, like the famous Monarch, migrate south for the winter, traveling an exhausting, perilous journey across thousands of miles. Other butterflies over-winter as eggs, chrysalis, or caterpillars, hiding under fallen leaves or tucked away on the undersides of branches. Still others, such as the Mourning Cloak, spend the winter as adult butterflies, hiding under the shaggy bark of trees in a state of torpor, or semi-hibernation. But all butterflies share one thing in common, in order to survive the winter; in late summer and early autumn they all need extra energy and nutrition in the form of nectar.

It is no accident that there are many native plants that bloom toward the end of summer. Through hundreds, or even thousands, of years of evolution, flowers adapted their bloom period to coincide with the time when pollinators are available and in need of nectar. Simply put, that means that there are many beautiful flowers to choose from that will suit nearly every gardener’s (and butterfly’s) taste. In order to attract the most butterflies and have a beautiful end-of-season garden, be sure to provide an assortment of native plants that bloom at different times, right up until the end of the growing season. Here is a list of some of my favorites that are easy to find and easy to grow.

[Note on availability from Larry Hurley, Perennial Buyer: Availability of perennials for sale at Behnke Nurseries varies throughout the year, with the best availability from mid-April to early June. Some of the items described below, such as the wild form of Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta, I have been unable to find for sale. Vernonia noveboracensis and Conoclinium coelestinum are occasionally but not routinely, available. You can always email me at lhurley@behnkes.net to check availability on perennials you are looking for.]

Joe Pye Weed and Goldenrod

One of my all-time favorites, and a seemingly infinite source of nectar, is Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium species). Depending on the variety, Joe Pye can grow from a diminutive two feet tall, to an astounding twelve feet tall. The hazy purple-pink flowers are actually umbels of numerous tiny flowers that produce copious amounts of nectar that every butterfly in the neighborhood would have a hard time passing up. Some varieties, such as common Joe Pye weed, Eupatorium dubium, and spotted Joe Pye weed, E. maculatum, require soil that does not dry out. However, trumpet weed, E. fistulosum, can withstand drier soils. In my garden, however, I grow the cultivar, Eupatorium maculatum ‘Gateway’, and the plant does extremely well without any additional water (although I gave it plenty of water the first year until it became established). Joe Pye weed looks fantastic when planted in odd-numbered groups of three, five, or more. Try it with switchgrass, Panicum virgatum, or Indian grass, Sorghastrum nutans, for a stunning late-season effect.

Aster divaricatus

Other late season butterfly favorites are plants in the aster family. Asters are a diverse group of flowering plants that offer fall-blooming beauties for both the sunny and the shady border. The most easy-to-find asters include New England aster, Aster novae-angliae, and New York aster, Aster novae-belgii, both of which prefer full sun to partially sunny areas. These plants are popular in the nursery industry and many cultivated varieties are available with many different flower colors and plant heights to choose from. Asters can come in colors ranging from sophisticated light pink to arresting fuchsia, and from delicate sky blue to dramatic royal purple. Asters are easy to grow, just provide them with a bit of extra attention the first year. Asters also look better when grouped together and glow in the late summer garden when most other plants have petered out. Some varieties bloom late in the fall and the flowers look spectacular among the red, yellow and orange fall foliage. In addition, the non-cultivated varieties of both New England and New York aster are the host plant to the Pearl Crescent butterfly.

Phlox paniculata

A third favorite and a must-have for any butterfly garden, is tall garden phlox. There are many cultivated varieties to choose from, but one of my favorites is Phlox paniculata ‘David’. Some phloxes tend to get a bit of whitish mildew on their leaves, but not David. With its five-inch long panicles of pristine white, hay-scented flowers, David can take drought, average garden soil, and whatever else you throw at it. In addition, if seed heads are left to mature, you will soon find your garden full of David offspring, which tend to revert back to their wild nature and mature to different shades of vivid pink. In addition to ‘David’, ‘Eva Culum’, ‘Franz Schubert’ and ‘Katherine’ are the cultivars that I enjoy growing in my garden, but there are many other varieties to choose from. Phlox begins blooming in July and continues well into the end of August. I find that they are constantly visited by many different butterflies and hummingbird moths. [Note from Larry Hurley, Perennial Buyer: I have seen powdery mildew on Phlox ‘David’, but all things being equal, it develops fewer symptoms than many of the older selections. Others that are mildew tolerant include ‘Robert Poore’ and ‘Speed Limit 45’. This is the end of the Phlox sales season, so selection at this point is limited.]

No butterfly garden would be complete without our state flower, the black-eyed Susan. Rudbeckia hirta and other Rudbeckia species are tough garden plants that deserve their place in every garden. Although it seems that every gas station tends to have these plants, that should just give you more reason to consider planting them because they bloom for long periods of time and are very easy to grow. In addition to being a nectar source, American goldfinches and other seed-loving birds will flock to your flowers, if you let your plants go to seed. It is exciting to watch an American goldfinch clinging upside down from his own weight, carefully picking out the small black seeds. Letting the flowers go to seed also means you will probably be rewarded with additional black-eyed Susan seedlings the following year. As if all that isn’t enough, the uncultivated species, Rudbeckia hirta, is the host plant to the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly.

Goldenrod - Solidago rugosa Fireworks

An important group of plants to consider for feeding butterflies in late summer is the goldenrod (Solidago) genus of plants. Goldenrods are the quintessential nectar producing plants of our area. These plants can take drought, scorching heat, and even overcrowding, and still shine on. Their tiny yellow flowers growing along their slender stems must be an intoxicating source of nectar, because their flowers are never without the company of numerous pollinators. Goldenrods tend to be one of my favorite flowers. There are many different species and cultivated varieties to choose from that offer different shape and sized plants. All are exciting when grouped together with vivid purple asters, showy pink phlox, and smoky violet-pink Joe Pye weed. One of my particular favorites is Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’, which really does look like a parade of golden fireworks. But try a number of varieties; they all add sparkle to the flower border.

A lesser-known native plant which is a spectacular nectar source is New York Ironweed, Vernonia noveboracensis. This plant can grow up to six feet tall and likes full to part sun. Besides getting a layer of mulch in spring, the ironweed in my garden does not receive any additional water and still looks great. Its luminous purple flowers remind me of little puffs of woolen pompoms. Plant it in groups among black-eyed Susans and goldenrods for a dramatic effect. Purple and yellow are on opposite sides of the color wheel and the contrast of their vivid colors draw the attention of pollinators and people alike. For a more subdued effect, plant purple love grass, Eragrostis spectabilis, or purple muhly grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris, in the front of the border to mimic the purple color and create a more cohesive design. Regardless of what you plant it with, ironweed will look great in your garden.

Although there are many other late-blooming native flowers to write about, I wanted to switch gears and mention a few plants that would work for those homeowners who are blessed with shady areas in their yard. Tolerating excruciatingly hot summer temperatures this year, I have found myself spending more time in the shady parts of my yard which, at ten to fifteen degrees cooler than the sunny areas, are a respite during the summer months. Butterflies, too, enjoy a break from scorching heat and will travel into tree lined gardens in search of native beauties such as cardinal flower and white wood aster. Both of these native plants are late summer bloomers and offer rich nectar for hungry pollinating insects.

Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis, is a stunning native wildflower. This plant is always a surprise to most people when they find out that this spectacular flower grows wild in our wooded areas. As its name implies, the cardinal red flowers rival the color of the red robes of the Cardinals in Rome. Larger butterflies, in particular swallowtails, seem to thrive on the nectar from this sensational plant. In addition, hummingbirds flock to the flowers and will fight over the area so that they do not have to share the tasty sweet liquid with any other hummer. I particularly enjoy the combination of cardinal flower in bloom planted with the non-natives Japanese painted fern and Brunnera macrophylla ‘Looking Glass’. The wide silver leaves of Looking Glass and the lacey silver and maroon leaves of painted fern, both compliment and contrast with the bright crimson of cardinal flower. And since cardinal flower can sometimes be a little leggy, underplanting Brunnera and ferns in front of cardinal flower will hide the cardinal flower’s lanky stems. Another excellent companion plant and a favorite of pollinators is a native called blue mistflower, Conoclinium coelestinum (formerly Eupatorium coelestinum.) Looking very similar to the annual blue ageratum, but much taller, the Wedgwood blue fuzzy flowers of blue mistflower create a striking vignette with cardinal flower.

By contrast, white wood aster, Eurybia divaricatus (formerly Aster divaricata), is a sophisticated subtle beauty. When in bloom, white wood aster plants nearly exhaust themselves by completely covering their stems with tiny white blossoms held high above glossy heart-shaped leaves. Since flowers are modest in size, white wood aster creates a stronger impression when planted in larger groups. Add white wood aster to your vignette of cardinal flower, Brunnera Looking Glass, Japanese painted fern, and blue mistflower. Throw in a few Christmas ferns for some deep green to tie in the color scheme and allow the eye to rest, and you have a shady border that will be the envy of the neighborhood. For a bold background to offset the dainty blooms and lacey foliage, plant some Annabelle or White Dome hydrangeas, which will, by this time, have lime green flower heads. Now you’ve taken the shady border to an entirely new level of ‘Wow’.

So the next time you decide to add some more plants to your garden, consider adding a variety of late season nectar sources for the butterflies. The colors of the flowers and the color and movement of the butterflies will bring you endless joy during the final days of summer.

Sidebar From Behnke’s Woody Plant Manager, Miri Talabac. Several native shrubs also serve as great nectar sources for butterflies and other pollinators. Sweetspire, Summersweet, Buttonbush, New Jersey Tea, several deciduous Azaleas are some of the most popular. (As with the perennials, some of these plants are more readily available in spring.)

Natalie Brewer
Master Gardener

By Natalie Brewer, Howard County Master Gardener

Berries with Fall Colored Foliage

Standing there unobtrusively, in fact barely noticeable, it seems my winterberry patiently awaits the passing of summer. Although it is unfair to say that it is unnoticeable now, for its lustrous deep green leaves look fresh and unfazed by the summer’s heat, winterberry seems to calmly pass the time while the rest of the garden is flowering itself into a frenzy of red, yellow, and purple.

Earlier in springtime, when the garden was replete with blossoms of pink, white, and blue pastels, diminutive white flowers emerged on the winterberry. They were inconsequential to humans. But the pollinators found them to be impressive.

So, if you believe that all good things come to those who wait, then you are in for a treat when autumn comes. Winterberry is a nice-enough plant during the rest of the year. But starting in autumn and throughout winter, winterberry stops playing nice. Like a high school senior hiding a slinky, strapless, red dress under the frumpy garb her mother made her wear to the prom, at the first sign of frost winterberry sheds its leafy robe to expose its dazzling drop-dead fire-engine red berries. With no leaves to distract, and every branch covered in luscious fruit, winterberry puts on a show while the rest of the garden finally takes a rest.

Brookside Gardens

Winterberry is certainly a show-stopper shrub. Known as Ilex verticillata, winterberry is one of our most prized native plants. Walking through the woods, you would have a hard time finding it in summer. But walk through the woods in winter, and you would have a hard time missing it. Whereas most folks think all hollies are evergreen, winterberry stands out by being deciduous. And whereas most folks are familiar with the prickly shiny deep green leaves of hollies, winterberry leaves are soft in comparison, with a fine serrated edge on a small oblong leaf. The Latin name, Ilex, means ‘evergreen oak’. So, while winterberry does not have the same stature and leaf structure and does not stay evergreen like its ‘oak-like’ holly cousins do, winterberry does have other traits in common, such as its ease of culture and its overabundance of berries.

Longwood Gardens

In its native range, which includes Maryland, winterberry prefers a very moist, almost swampy soil. However, give it regular garden soil, sun or part shade, and a drink during drought, and you will be rewarded with years and years of outstanding performance. Winterberry is not bothered by any pests or diseases. Its only demand is to be partnered with a willing male (another trait it has in common with the holly family), meaning a male winterberry plant that blooms at the same time, so that pollinating insects can do their magic. The nursery industry has made it easy to find a willing partner and has different male plants available to suit the lovely females. Winterberry plants produce more berries in sunnier locations, so be sure not to give it too much shade, and be aware that it may take a few seasons for the winterberry plants to start producing berries in large quantities.

So why should you plant a winterberry? Have you ever gone outside in mid-January and seen color, other than green or gray, in the garden? Imagine looking out your window, when all of the perennials have departed underground, all of the leaves have vanished from the branches of trees and shrubs, and seeing a beacon of bright color emanating from a single shrub, like a lighthouse in a dismal sea of gray. Now imagine the spectacle of color the winterberry flaunts when it snows; a crimson silhouette against a backdrop of pristine white.

Humans won’t be the only ones to notice the fluorescent red berries. Winterberry is a staple food source for many mammals and birds, particularly birds in the thrush family. The thrush family includes favorite backyard visitors, such as robins, wood thrushes, and bluebirds. Blue jays, catbirds, cedar waxwings, and mockingbirds also relish the juicy fruit. Winterberry berries are often passed up by birds until late winter or early spring. Therefore the birds have something to eat in early spring when there is little else available, and you get to enjoy the color of the gorgeous berries all winter long. Many birds enjoy stripping the berries from the branches during their spring migration back north, when they are ravenous for some extra nutrition while staking out territories and searching for mates. But don’t be tempted to eat any yourself. Holly berries and foliage are poisonous to people, so don’t (Don’t! Do Not!) bake a pie or make an herbal tea!

Winterberry is attractive in any garden setting, whether formal or casual, and makes for a nice green backdrop for summer-blooming perennials such as black-eyed Susan, tickseed, and switchgrass. Winterberry looks good as a single specimen plant, but looks striking when massed in odd-numbered groups. In addition, the berry covered branches are commonly used in floral displays, wreaths and garlands.

There are a number of cultivated varieties that you may find in the nursery trade. ‘Berry Nice’ has deep, glossy red berries and usually grows up to 6 feet tall. ‘Berry Heavy’ has a heavier set of fruit, which means more berries and more color for the garden, and gets a little taller at 6 to 8 feet tall. Use ‘Jim Dandy’ or ‘Southern Gentleman’ to pollinate either of these selections. For something different, try ‘Winter Gold’, which is not quite gold, but rather a pinkish-orange color that matures to a lighter gold. ‘Winter Gold’ usually grows to about 10 feet tall. Use ‘Southern Gentleman’ as a pollinator. ‘Sparkleberry’ is a hybrid between our native winterberry and a non-native selection. It too has abundant red fruit, but can grow even larger, up to 12 feet tall. Either ‘Apollo’ or ‘Southern Gentleman’ can be used as the male to pollinate this variety. A male plant should be used within 25 feet of the female plants, and you can use one male for every three to five females. Since winterberries are insect pollinated, monogamy is not an issue, and so that you get the most for your money, you should plant more females than males.

Please note that it is necessary to select specific cultivars of males to pollinate specific cultivars of females. This has to do with the origin of the cultivar. Winterberry has a large native range, and can be found growing from Quebec to Florida. Some cultivars are derived from plants that naturally grew in the northern part of the range, and they tend to flower later than other cultivars that resulted from plants which naturally grew in the southern part of the range (e.g., ‘Southern Gentleman’).

If you pair up a northern male with a southern female, or vice versa, they won’t flower at the same time, and therefore pollinators won’t be able to bring pollen to the female flower, and no berries will be initiated (unless perhaps, there are suitable plants elsewhere in the neighborhood, in which case you will have berries but not a lot). Therefore, be sure to ask your nursery salesperson for help in determining the correct male plant for your female cultivars.

So the next time you go plant shopping, go ahead and try some winterberry. Within a few short seasons, you will have wished that you had planted more of these shrubs in your garden. And your neighbors will wish that they had winterberry in their gardens, too.

Asclepias tuberosa, 'Butterfly Weed'

Most people are familiar with milkweed as the host plant for the Monarch butterfly. However, milkweed is so much more than just a butterfly plant. Milkweeds are one of our most stunning and attractive native wildflowers. Boasting fantastically bold colors such as luscious orange and creamy-lipstick pink, milkweeds are garden gems that no landscape should be without.

[Note from the Behnke Perennial Buyer: we try to have Asclepias tuberosa in stock in season, which is late April through August. Right now we have several dozen at Behnke’s at Beltsville, a handful at Potomac. Asclepias incarnata is most easy to obtain in April and May. Being tall, while it is nice in the ground, the latter tends to be unattractive in a pot in the summer. There are a few at Potomac.]

Asclepias tuberosa, 'Butterfly Weed'

Three milkweeds are indigenous to our area, but only two are widely available through retail nurseries. The most popular is butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa. Butterfly weed is an easy-care beauty for the sunny border. Laughing at drought, deer, and disease, this plant is as maintenance-free as it gets. With a color reminiscent of juicy oranges, butterfly weed is one of those seventy-mile-an-hour plants, meaning you can still see it from your car while driving down the highway at seventy miles an hour.

The show-stopping blooms on this plant aren’t the only attribute to this garden-winner. The butterfly weed in my garden has withstood temperatures hovering close to and above the one hundred degree mark, without even so much as a hint of rain, and it still looks as fresh and cool as a tall glass of orange juice.

Butterfly weed can grow from two to three feet tall and belongs in the front or middle of the border. Even though the blossoms are bold, butterfly weed blooms are not brash and look great paired with nearly any other color. For a show-stopping combination, try it with Liatris spicata, blazing star. The purple spikes of blazing star combined with the flat-topped orange flowers of butterfly weed are a stunning arrangement. Add some Panicum virgatum, switchgrass, for a soft background and some movement, and you have a native butterfly garden that will be the envy of the neighborhood.

Asclepias incarnata 'Swamp Milkweed'

On the other hand, as its name suggests, swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, requires a bit more moisture to keep it happy. However, swamp milkweed is no less a winner. Its beautiful rosy pink flowers lend a touch of tenderness and charm to the perennial border. Growing taller than its cousin the butterfly weed, swamp milkweed can easily reach three feet tall. Pair it with some yellow Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’ or Rudbeckia fulgida, otherwise known as black-eyed Susan. Add some Perovskia atriplicifolia, Russian sage, for the background; and you have just created an eye-catching vignette that will certainly catch the attention of all the butterflies in the neighborhood.

Milkweeds are most often known as the host plants for the dynamic orange and black monarch butterfly. The color of the butterfly, and its familiar white-yellow-and black-striped caterpillar, advertise its toxicity to predators and therefore keep it safe from marauding birds. Monarch butterflies can only survive on milkweed plants and follow the milkweed trail north in spring and back south in the fall during their extraordinary and implausible migration. So planting milkweeds in our landscapes will help the monarch butterflies to survive their impossibly long journey. However, monarchs are not the only insect that survives on milkweed. The elegant look-alike Queen butterfly is also dependent on milkweed as its larval host.

In addition, many curiously beautiful beetles enjoy milkweeds, such as the aptly named milkweed beetle, which resembles an oblong, whiskered ladybug with its red body and black polka dots. This beetle is a beauty to behold and, unfazed by close human contact, seems to stop and smile for my camera lens as I lean in close for a picture. But most of all, milkweeds offer the sweet, nutritious nectar that so many butterflies and other pollinators long for. Adding a few milkweed plants to your garden is almost like adding an entire butterfly garden in one plant. Butterflies, skippers, beetles, beeflies, and other pollinators dance from one flower to the next in utter delight, blissfully intoxicated by their drink of preference. It’s like a pollinator party!

In addition to feeding multiple insects by being a host plant and a nectar source, milkweeds produce soft downy fibers in late summer when their seeds mature. In nature, this down helps the seeds get carried off by gusts of wind so that new milkweed colonies can become established further away from the competition of the parent plants. These downy fibers are used by birds, particularly the American goldfinch, to line their nests and create soft cozy cups for their precious offspring. American goldfinches build their nests late in the summer when seeds become available as a food source, and when most other bird species have finished caring for their nestlings, so the silky milkweed fibers are available at the same time as the goldfinches are building their first nests of the season.

The fibers, although soft, are also strong, and historically have been used in textiles for making rope and twine. Sometimes the downy seed heads were used instead of feathers for stuffing beds and cushions. And since the downy fibers looked like soft, fine fur, they were also used in making hats. If you allow the seeds to mature and burst open in your own garden, you may be rewarded with some new plants the following spring. But be aware, milkweeds are slow to emerge in spring, and just when you thought your plants did not make it through the winter, they will finally awaken from their deep sleep. Mature milkweeds don’t like to be transplanted, since they have a long taproot, so transplant seedlings when they are still young to encourage success.

So if you are looking to add some new plants to your garden, why not try one of the milkweed species? Even if you already have some milkweed in your garden, studies show that butterflies find plants more easily that are grouped together, so it would be a good idea to add more milkweed plants to your landscape this year. The butterflies and goldfinches will thank you for it.

Natalie Brewer
Master Gardener

by Natalie Brewer, Howard County Master Gardener

The eastern white pine, Pinus strobus, is one of the most popular native plants in our region. And even though these trees are commonly used in both public and private gardens, there are still many reasons why you should consider adding these lovely trees to your landscape. One of the principal reasons is that the eastern white pine is really ‘for the birds’.

Historically, white pines were considered to be valuable for their straight trunks and soft wood. Eastern white pines were favored over all other timber to be used as masts for British sailboats. During colonial times, the British Royal Navy used to mark white pines with a broad arrow in order to reserve them to be logged for the masts of navy boats. White pines were so beloved by the King of England that he had long ships built specifically for the transport of these pine trunks across the ocean into England. White pines continue to be prized for their use in furniture, flooring, and paneling, because eastern white pines are knot-free, easy to cut, and easy to grow.

As a garden plant, white pine is no less a treasure for your landscape. White pines give a soft look to the garden and because they are evergreen, they give color and form during the gray winter months when little else is discernible against the barren landscape. The wispy long needles, always growing in sets of five, create a texture that is at once delicate and billowy but at the same time dense and solid.

Uses of the white pine for the landscape are numerous and indispensable. Besides giving structure and color in the winter, the evergreens fulfill many other functions. White pines can be successfully used as windbreaks, as hedges to screen an unattractive view, or as living fences. Electric companies recommend planting evergreens on the north side of homes in order to protect them from cold winter winds and thereby saving money on heating bills.

Even the needles that are shed by the pine are valuable and can be used as mulch in flower beds, around trees, in vegetable gardens, and in planting containers. Pine needles break down into the soil adding vital nutrients without making the soil acidic. So pine needle mulch can be used for any plantings. However, acid-loving plants, such as rhododendrons, azaleas, hollies, andromedas, and camellias will particularly benefit from some pine needle mulch. And best of all, the mulch is from your own garden and is free.

As if these reasons are not enough to consider adding eastern white pine to your yard, white pines are also highly beneficial to wildlife, particularly birds. According to the Audubon Society, the large cones produced by white pines contain an abundant crop of nutritious seed. Nearly forty species of birds eagerly consume these seeds. Some birds, like the crossbills which are considered to be an irruptive species and will migrate from Canada to our area every few winters, favor white pine seeds over all other food sources. They are fascinating birds to watch! Nuthatches, chickadees, grosbeaks, blue jays, juncos, woodpeckers and brown thrashers all readily consume the seeds of eastern white pine cones.

In addition to being a critical provider of seeds, white pines are an excellent source of much needed nesting and roosting sites. During cold winds, hard rains, blistery snows, and scorching sunny weather, birds can find refuge in white pine’s velvety foliage. Hiding from hawks and other predators is another advantage that the white pine bestows to songbirds and other small mammals.

White pines are a favorite nesting site for mourning doves, purple finches and American robins. Many other birds and small mammals use the supple needles to line their nests. This year, I witnessed two Cooper’s hawks that were flying in and out of my white pines several times over the course of two days during the nesting season. They were tearing pieces off the ends of the branches with the soft needles still attached. And they were bringing these branches to their nest to form a soft mattress for their precious offspring. It was quite a site to see.

For the homeowner, eastern white pines are an easy-care plant. White pines can grow in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil. Once established, white pines need little or no care and can grow in moist or dry locations. Give it some space and eastern white pine will reward you for many years. Avoid siting the trees over driveways (cars) or over anything which may be damaged from sap, which will drip from injured or broken branches. Also, as many homeowners discovered this year, branches on mature trees may break under heavy snow load, so keep them away from wires and structures.

Considering the many positives of white pines for both gardeners and birds, if you have the space, plan on adding some to your landscape this year.