Onoclea sensibilis The native Sensitive Fern is called sensitive because it shrivels up at the first sign of frost. It is well adapted to wet or moist soils, where it spreads out happily (and quickly) by rhizomes. In slightly drier areas it spreads more slowly though it does not tolerate completely dry soil and will dry up until next Spring if it is too dry. It’s rather coarse texture is a welcome addition to a shady rain garden or along…
Hemerocallis fulva While there are Day Lilies native to the area, Orange Day Lilies are. They were brought to the United States in the 19th century and once planted spread rapidly through their roots and can be invasive creating dense patches that natives can’t penetrate. That being said, many gardeners (including early owners of the Arboretum) value them for their hardiness and enjoy watching them open one flower at a time that lasts one day. They last a long…
Helleborus x hybridus A flower that begins to bloom in February and lasts until May? That’s the Lenten Rose. Though the flowers point downward the leaves stay green throughout the winter and it’s not a favorite meal of deer!. Actually what we call flowers are the plants sepals and the flower is almost invisible but the sepals are beautiful! The plant faithfully comes back for years and the blossoms are beautiful floating in a bowl of water on your table…
Lobelia siphilitica If you’ve got a wet spot Great Blue Lobelia (also called the Blue Cardinal Flower) is the plant for you. A native of Pennsylvania Great Blue Lobelia attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and is an exceptional plant for bumble bees and other pollinators we count on. It’s happy in sun or part shade, grows 2′ to 3′ tall and provides blue blooms for late Spring. It’s been around a long time. Iroquois used it for a cough medicine. The Meskwaki…
Kirk Brown, Kirk’s Lawn Care Kirk Brown first learned about GreenAllies and the Althouse Arboretum on Facebook less than two years ago and reached out to see how he could help. His initiation to GreenAllies was when he became one of the volunteers who helped with the initial demolition work on our farmhouse. He continued to help by planting trees and clearing trails and most recently used his lawn care business equipment and expertise to help create our new addition…