Archive for the ‘Propagation (Seed)’ Category

Wild Ginger

Wild ginger (Asarum canadense) is a U.S. native spring wildflower which grows in rich garden and woodland soils. Wild ginger is a stemless 4-8-inch-tall plant (8 -10 inches wide) which features distinctive downy, basal, dark green foliage. Leaves are heart-shaped to kidney-shaped, and delicately veined, and up to 6 inches wide. Cup-shaped, purplish brown, 3 […]

2025 Perennial Plant Of The Year – Clustered Mountainmint

Clustered mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum), aka “blunt mountain mint” or “short-toothed mountain mint”, is a tough and adaptable perennial native to meadows and open woodlands across much of the eastern U.S. west to Texas. (USDA Hardiness Zones 4 – 8) (AHS Heat Zones 4 -10). It is not a true mint (Mentha spp.) but belongs to […]

Christmas Rose

Christmas roses (Helleborus niger), aka Christmas roses, are early winter flowering lenten roses. They bloom around Christmas time if winter temps are generally still mild. Based on the severity of winter temps, start of bloom date will vary considerably between H. niger and the more popular Helleborus x hybridus (H. x orientalis). (USDA hardiness zones […]

Harlequin Glorybower

Harlequin Glorybower (Clerodendron trichotomum) is a rambling 15-foot-tall rambling shrub which can be easily shaped into a multi-stemmed 10-to-20-foot small tree. Glorybower shines in the late summer and early fall landscape. Its sweetly scented, very showy flowers attract the attention of gardeners as well as hummingbirds and butterflies. (USDA hardiness zones 7-10). Where I garden in Northeast Tennessee […]

Surprise / Resurrection lilies

The beautiful colorful large flowers of Spider lilies (Lycoris spp.) pop up overnight in summer (July and August). In the Southeast and mid-Atlantic states, Spider lilies are popular passalong plants. They are known by a number of colloquial names such as “surprise lilies”, “resurrection lilies”, “hurricane lilies”, “Equinox Lily”, and “naked ladies”. They are members of […]

Summer – Fall Care Of Oakleaf Hydrangeas

Oakleaf hydrangea is an upright, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that is native in the Southeastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). Oakleaf hydrangea should be planted in a sheltered location and winter protection (e.g., mulch, burlap wrap) in northerly areas USDA Zone 5, particularly when not fully established. Oakleaf grows in moist, fertile, well-drained soil in sun […]

Mimosa Tree – A Different Option

Over the hot spring and summer months, weedy Mimosa trees (Albizia julibrissin) stand beautiful along U.S roadsides. During the rest of the year, people pay very little attention to this arboreal Asian beauty that inhabit a vast area from Iran to China (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). YES, this tree can be invasive. Read on. From […]

Groundcover Sedums In Containers

Low creeping sedums (stonecrops) are super nice groundcover plants. Consider planting stonecrops in border fronts, on moderate slopes, containers and rock gardens. Plant in the partial to full sun, although many species grow well in light shade. The site should have good soil drainage. Sedums are also planted on “green roof” and “green wall” systems. I […]

‘Sun King’ Aralia Glows In the Summer Heat

Plants with golden foliage can brighten up almost any drab garden patch. Sun King golden aralia (Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’) is no exception, hardy in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. It is also known as Japanese spikenard and mountain asparagus. Under ideal conditions this thornless, rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial grows rapidly to 3-5 feet tall and as […]

MT. Cuba Evaluates BlueStars (Amsonia)

MT. Cuba Center is located near Hockessin Delaware, near Wilmington (USDA hardiness zone 7a.). It has recently published a new trial report on bluestars (Amsonia spp.) for the mid-Atlantic region. BlueStars are a genus of popular, long-lived herbaceous perennials. Most are native to the U.S. and Mexico in addition to one Asian species (A. elliptica) […]