This is one of my favorite plants! I was truly amazed by Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’! I do not plant butterfly bushes as they are not native and are invasive. Instead, Phlox paniculata is a wonderful native plant to North America and attracts butterflies all summer. Gorgeous pink or lavender blooms, upright and low maintenance— I planted three along my fence. This year I will add more on the other side of the fence so that the neighbors can enjoy them…
Some plants are pretty yet called invasive, but what can one harmless plant do? Somewhere in the 1950’s or maybe 60’s, long before the environmental movement came into being or used the word ‘invasive’ to describe plants or even really understood the consequences of planting certain non-native plants, Pastor Althouse planted a small area of his property with Vinca. Now, 60 years later you can see Vinca covering a large area of the 17 acre property. While beautiful, with periwinkle…
Native Dogwoods We welcome our neighbor’s Dogwood tree to reach over our fence. If you are looking for an attractive tree or shrub for all seasons, please consider a native Dogwood. Native to Pennsylvania are the following: Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum), Flowering White Dogwood (Cornus florida), Gray Stem Dogwood (Cornus racemosa), Redosier Dogwood (Cornus seicea) ‘Cornus florida’ is a tree that I am considering planting this spring! Paula Ziegler is a local resident who has a concern for the…
Lindera benzoin Common Name: Spicebush Spring is here for me when Spice Bush is displaying its delicate yellow flowers. I have been fascinated with this native PA shrub because it is the host plant for the spicebush swallowtail caterpillar which is the coolest looking caterpillar ever! The design of the caterpillar resembles a tiny snake. The “eyes” are actually a design. Spicebush does best in moist soil but I have been moving my shrub around the yard for the past…
Rudbeckia triloba This is a short-lived native perennial but it self-seeds so that you never know it’s gone! Covered with small daisy like flowers with brown centers it can grow up to 5′ tall and will brighten the garden for several weeks during mid-summer. Plant in full sun in average soil. Cut back after flowering to encourage rebloom or if you do;t want it to seed (you want some of course!). You can learn more here. This plant will be…