Blooms

We are starting to build a registry of plants in bloom throughout the years.
​You can click on each image to see the Latin name, information on each plant, and where in the garden it can be found.

2025

Week of October 6th

White Snakeroot

Michael Dodge Linden Viburnum

Spilt Milk Bush Clover

Veronica, Lapis Tiger’s Tail

Frostweed

Shenandoah Switch Grass

White Snakeroot

White Snakeroot, Argertina altissima 
​One of the last native wildflowers to bloom, white snakeroot is a fairly inconspicuous plant growing in the shade through spring and summer, until suddenly in the fall, its white fluffy flowers seem to be all around. Native to eastern and central North America from Quebec, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories south to Florida and west to Texas, white snakeroot grows in forests, woodland edges, and brushy thickets. In the garden, it prefers partial shade and rich moist soils. White snakeroot grows as a 3-5’ clump and in late summer produces flower stems that branch near the top, usually in opposite pairs. Loose flat-topped flower heads 2-6” across blossom on the branch tops in September-October. Individual flowers are ¼” bright white disk flowers with no petals, so they appear rather fluffy; they have a slight fragrance. A colony of white snakeroot in full bloom with masses of pure white flowers is a striking sight in the forest. Plants bloom for about a month, until frost and are a valuable late season resource for bees, moths, butterflies, wasps, and flies. White snakeroot is a larval host for several species of moths and is host to a number of gall-forming insects. Seeds are small with fluffy ends and are dispersed by wind, but plants spread both by self-seeding and by fairly aggressive rhizome growth. White snakeroot contains a highly toxic mix of ketones, glycosides, and alcohols called tremetol, and was the source of the highly fatal disease called milk sickness, which killed large numbers of Midwest immigrants and settlers in the early 19th century. When the plants are consumed by cattle, both their milk and meat are contaminated by the toxin, which was then passed to humans. Cattle, horses, and sheep were also poisoned if large amounts were eaten. Unfamiliar with the plant, in areas of little pasture or in times of drought, new settlers to the Midwest let their livestock freely roam in the woods, where they would encounter and consume white snakeroot. In humans, symptoms of milk sickness included weakness, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, severe thirst, tremors, foul-smelling breath, delirium, coma, and finally death. There was no cure. The sickness claimed thousands of lives, including Nancy Hanks Lincoln, the mother of Abraham Lincoln, until Anna Peirce Hobbs Bixby, a frontier doctor, midwife, dentist, and scientist in southern Illinois, identified white snakeroot as the cause of the illness in 1834. She had noted that the illness was seasonal, beginning in summer and continuing until the first frost, suggesting that the cause might be a plant that was being eaten. Supposedly, while following some cattle to see what they were eating she encountered and befriended an elderly Shawnee woman who showed her the plant her people knew was toxic. After running tests feeding the plant to cattle to observe its effects, the identity of white snakeroot as the cause of milk sickness was clear. Although the plant was eradicated throughout the area, word of the discovery did not spread far to other communities. Part of this was perhaps due to the lack of physicians or medical journals on the frontier but it is likely that the fact that she was a woman frontier midwife and doctor meant that the information was just not taken seriously. Eventually in 1928 the toxic compound in white snakeroot was found and characterized. Although tremetol is not inactivated by pasteurization, milk sickness is clearly no longer a problem – cows do not freely roam and the large scale of most dairy operations means that any occasional contaminated milk is well diluted by mixing with much larger amounts of clean milk. Despite its deadly history, today white snakeroot can lend a bright and fresh appearance to the fall shade garden with its abundant white flowers as long as its toxicity is understood. It is striking with other fall blooming perennials such as goldenrod and asters and the plants are extensively used by wildlife. At Bedrock Gardens, white snakeroot can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. 

Michael Dodge Linden Viburnum

Michael Dodge Linden Viburnum, Viburnum dilatatum “Michael Dodge” 
​Most linden viburnums or linden arrowwoods have vibrant red berries in the fall, but the Michael Dodge viburnum has gorgeous golden yellow berries that can be spotted from across the garden. They are quite beautiful and abundant. Linden viburnum is native to China, Japan, and Korea where it grows in open forests and forest margins. In the garden, it prefers sun to part shade and moist soil – conditions similar to its native habitats. The plant derives its common name from the resemblance of its rounded serrated leaves to those of the linden tree. The Michael Dodge viburnum was developed by its namesake, a long-term plantsman at White Flower Farm in CT, who was attempting to breed a linden viburnum with larger yellow fruit while he was working at Winterthur Gardens in Delaware. He clearly succeeded, as his cultivar has become highly desirable. The Michael Dodge viburnum grows roughly 8-10’ tall and 6-8’ wide and needs another linden viburnum in the vicinity to get good cross pollination and produce its profuse berries. Flowering in the late spring (May-early June), its small (1/4”) creamy white flowers are held in abundant rounded and showy clusters roughly 5” across. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators - bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. After flowering, the golden fruit (about 1/3”) develops in the early fall and Michael Dodge becomes a highlight in the autumn garden as well as in fall flower arrangements. Although linden viburnum seeds are spread by birds, those of Michael Dodge do not appear to be particularly desirable and they generally persist on the plant through much of the winter. The fruit contrasts beautifully with the fall foliage as it turns shades of russet, burgundy, and bronze – the essence of New England autumn coloration. By late winter, more birds (chickadees, cardinals, titmice, and various sparrows) consume the fruit as it further ripens and/or other food becomes more scarce. In traditional Chinese medicine the fruit, leaves, and stems of linden viburnum are used in the treatment of snake bite, dysentery, and for deworming. Young long straight stems were used to make arrow shafts (hence a common name of arrowwood), while older sturdier branches were made into tool handles. The Michael Dodge linden viburnum is an exceptional, easy care shrub with a long season of garden interest, from its creamy white flowers in the spring to its eye-catching abundant yellow berries that seem to drip from every branch through the fall and winter. At Bedrock Gardens, the Michael Dodge linden viburnum can be found in the Shrubaria (#28) garden.  

Spilt Milk Bush Clover

Spilt Milk Bush Clover, Lespedeza thunbergii “Spilt Milk” 
Spilt milk bush clover is a beautiful shrub that in September covers itself in a cascade of thousands of vivid pink to purplish flowers. The species is in the bean family and is a pea relative, as the pea similarity in the shape of its flowers and leaves suggests. It is native to the eastern Himalayas, China, Korea, and Japan where it grows in forest margins, roadsides, thickets, and on mountain slopes at elevations below 9,000’. There are about 60 species of lespedezas – roughly equally divided between Asia and eastern North America. About 6 of these, mostly Asian, are like bush clover - semi-woody shrubs formed by multi-stemmed clumps that freeze back to the ground each winter. The genus owes its name to a misspelling. Vicente Manuel de Céspedes, served as governor of the Spanish province of East Florida from 1784-1790 and gave permission for botanist André Michaux to search for new plants in east Florida. When Michaux’s work was published in 1803 he named one of the plants in honor of the governor but misspelled it, transforming “Céspedes” to “Lespedeza”. Spilt milk bush clover is a cultivar of Thunberg’s bush clover with distinctive strikingly variegated foliage that looks very much like it has been splashed with white milk. The foliage makes a gorgeous contrast to the bright magenta and purple flowers. Spilt milk bush clover prefers to grow in full sun and well-drained soil but is tolerant of relatively poor soil. Plants produce a multitude of annual gracefully arching woody stems that grow up to 6’ long in a single season and bear the trifoliate, white-flecked bluish-green leaves (1-2” long). In September it produces a profusion of 6-8” long slender purple/hot pink/lavender flower clusters that cover the plant. The individual flowers resemble those of peas and are about ¾” long. Occasional blooms may be produced in July or August. The flowers are an unexpected big burst of vivid color at a time when you might not expect it since most plants in the garden are fading. The bright pink/purple flower shades are lovely with other late bloomers such as asters, black-eyed susans, and mums. Even before blooming, the attractive marbled variegation of the plant contributes interest to a flower border and extends the seasonal appeal of the plant. Spilt milk bush clover spreads in several ways – plants reseed fairly easily and since any long arching stems that reach the ground continue to grow, it can sprout roots where growth nodes are in ground contact. The roots of bush clover, like other plants in the Bean family, have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria that can transform atmospheric nitrogen gas into a form of nitrogen that can be used by plants – a crucial partnership that enriches the soil. Although the woody stems die back to the ground in colder areas much as perennial plant stems do, bush clover is both cold hardy to -30 °F as well as heat tolerant, thriving in USDA zones 4-9. Spilt milk bush clover is a glamorous relatively unknown shrub that between its white-flecked delicate foliage and brilliant hot pink flowers brings exceptional appeal to the garden. Plants are easy to grow and rapidly produce their 3-6’ long stems in the spring, forming a graceful and large fountain of spectacular foliage. At Bedrock Gardens, spilt milk bush clover can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. 

Veronica, Lapis Tiger’s Tail

Veronica, Lapis Tiger’s Tail, Pseudolysimachion kiusianum, Veronica ovata ssp. kiusiana 
​One of the very last perennials to come into bloom in the garden is the beautiful and rare lapis tiger’s tail. Endemic to the Korea peninsula where it grows in meadows and in forest edges, it raises its violet blue flower spikes as most of the plants in the garden are beginning to fade. Previously included within the large Veronica genus where it was considered to be a subspecies rather than a separate species in its own right, lapis tiger’s tail was recently renamed when more detailed genetic information determined it was different enough to be included with a group of 20 Asian and European species in their own genus of Pseudolysimachion. Lapis tiger’s tail grows as a branching multi-stemmed mound roughly 2-3’ tall and about 1.5-2’ wide and has serrated lance shaped leaves with red veins. In the garden it prefers partial shade and average, evenly moist soils. Lapis tiger’s tail looks generally like a number of other species of Veronica that are more familiar to gardeners as speedwell. Veronicas come in many sizes, colors, and shapes with some growing as low groundcovers that tend to bloom in the spring, while others, like lapis tiger’s tail, are much more vertical and bloom largely in the summer. Lapis tiger’s tail pushes this envelope by blooming in late September, when its tall blue flower spikes bring fresh color when little else is blooming. Because they bloom so late, the flowers can be a valuable late season resource for bees and other pollinators. Later in the fall, leaves eventually turn bronze hues. Lapis tiger’s tail brings its beautiful blue spires of flowers to the garden at a time when they are most appreciated and relished, making it a wonderful addition that extends the growing season. At Bedrock Gardens, lapis tiger’s tail can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. 

Frostweed

Frostweed, Verbesina virginica 
Frostweed is a tall native perennial whose common name refers not to the icy white color of its flowers, but to an unusual process that the plant undergoes in late fall, at the first hard freeze. At this time, if conditions are right, the stems of frostweed split and as the sap oozes out, it freezes into dramatic icy sculptures of ribbons and curls. An amazing but very ephemeral sight to behold. Frostweed is native to Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic south to Florida and west to Texas where it grows in meadows, forest openings, and along streams. In the garden it prefers sun to part shade and moist soils but is tolerant of most soil conditions. Frostweed grows 4-7’ tall with ridged or winged stalks with coarse, slightly serrated 7” leaves. Native American populations dried and smoked the leaves as for tobacco, inspiring one of the plant’s other common names, Indian tobacco. They also used preparations of frostweed as a laxative and to treat urinary tract and eye aliments. In the late summer and fall, frostweed bears showy 3-6” flat flower clusters at the tops of the stems. Each individual flower is made up of 4-5 white ray florets and 8-15 white disk florets with highly contrasting dark anthers. The flowers are excellent nectar sources and are highly attractive to a variety of butterflies including Pipevines, Monarchs, and Great Purple Hairstreaks. Bloom peak is usually in about October so is timed well for Monarch migration. In November after blooming, the flowers turn pale green and then eventually a warm brown as seeds mature; small songbirds such as goldfinches and warblers eat the seeds. Frostweed spreads both by seed and by shallow rhizomes and will form a colony, the usual way it is found in the wild. Once the cool weather sets in, the stage is set for frostweed’s most famous act. Conditions for its impressive display are quite specific – the ground must still be unfrozen so the plant can continue to actively draw up water; the dew point (the temperature at which water condenses) must be below freezing; and finally, the temperature drop to below freezing must be relatively rapid. When these conditions are met, sap in the stalks cools and expands and ruptures the epidermis of the plant. When it hits the freezing air and any tiny frost crystals on the stem’s surface, the sap solidifies to ice in thin sheets and ribbons. As sap continues to flow out through the stem, it continues to freeze, pushing the existing ice outward to form delicate ribbons or sheets that can curl and twist, forming elaborate flower-like designs known as frost flowers. These “flowers” are fragile and thin – melting at a touch or as soon as temperatures rise above freezing. A fleeting creation of beauty that quickly disappears. Frostweed is an attractive late blooming native plant with important wildlife benefits and showy flowers that brighten the fall garden. It saves its  extraordinary show for the very end of the growing season, as the curtain goes down and the cold closes in. At Bedrock Gardens, frostweed can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. 

Shenandoah Switch Grass

Shenandoah Switch Grass, Panicum virgatum “Shenandoah” 
​One of the dominant species of the tallgrass prairie, switch grass is a beautiful native whose changing colors brighten Bedrock Gardens’ own small prairie, the GrassAcre. Switch grass is native to much of North America where it grows from roughly 55oN in Canada south to Mexico. Hardy, adaptable, and deep-rooted, it can grow up to 9’ tall but is usually roughly 3-5’. As is obvious from its broad geographic distribution, switch grass can grow under many climatic conditions, lengths of growing seasons, and soil types. Because it utilizes a somewhat different form of photosynthesis that has more efficient water and nitrogen use, switch grass has a competitive advantage under conditions of drought and high temperature; a highly useful adaptation for a prairie native. It is thought now to be the most widely planted native grass in the US. The “Shenandoah” cultivar was developed by Dr. Hans Simon, a well-known German plant breeder and is particularly prized for its striking burgundy-red foliage. Hardy in USDA zones 4-9, it needs full sun for its best color and to maintain its upright growth form. Although it is quite adaptable to various soils, it grows best in a well-drained soil. New growth in the spring is narrow and linear and emerges green with red tips. As the season progresses, the entire plant gradually turns a deep burgundy red; quite beautiful when backlit. Shenandoah’s flowers are tiny, delicate, and reddish pink, carried in open clusters on tall stalks above the foliage. They  appear to float above the plant as an airy cloud. Plants bloom in late summer, by which time the entire plant has taken on an attractive intense wine reddish-purple coloration. Switch grass is a preferred larval host for a number of moth and butterfly species. It also provides good habitat and forage for songbirds as well as ground birds such as turkeys because of its tall cover and abundant small seeds. The flower plumes turn to beige as seeds mature but persist on the plants well into winter as plants enter dormancy. At Bedrock Gardens, Shenandoah is paired with two other distinctive grasses that form a large-scale “floral tapestry” in what was once an open pasture. The three grasses differ in texture and color and are centered on the large “Syncopeaks” sculpture which lends height and focus. Little bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium “The Blues”) is a fine-leaved grass native to eastern North America. Its bluish leaves and stems change to a warm copper in the fall that persists through the winter; both colors contrast beautifully with the burgundy red of Shenandoah. The third GrassAcre grass is Hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra), endemic to Japan. Growing in a cascade rather than in the upright forms of little bluestem and switch grass, Hakone grass has much broader bright green leaves and only grows about 1 ½’ high. The leaves take on a blush of red to pink in the fall and join the other grasses in their seasonal transformation. All three grasses move gracefully in the wind but not together, and the three provide lovely differences in movement, texture, and color across the landscape and across the seasons. At Bedrock Gardens, Shenandoah switch grass can be found in the GrassAcre (#26) garden. 

Week of September 29th

Maximilian sunflower

White Wood Aster

Autumn Crocus

Bergfreund Purple Moor Grass

Winterberry

“Guizhou” White Mugwort

Week of September 22nd

Chinese Fringe Tree

American Bladdernut

Alma Potschke Aster

Japanese Spirea

Buttonbush

Mullein, Butterfly Yellow Mullein,

Maximilian sunflower

Maximilian sunflower, Helianthus maximiliani 
​In early fall, just as it appears it will never bloom, the beautiful cheerful yellow flowers of the Maximilian sunflower finally raise their heads among the dark purple leaves of smokebush next to Bedrock’s Inukshuk sculpture. They make an outstanding floral combination. Maximilian sunflower is a prairie sunflower named after Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian, a German naturalist and ethnographer who encountered and described it while leading an expedition to the American West from 1832-1834. Native to the Great Plains, it has now become naturalized in many areas in both the eastern and western parts of the country, spreading along roads and railways. The Maximilian sunflower shares a number of growth preferences with other tall grass prairie natives – it prefers full sun, moist clay-like soils but can adapt to most soils, has a taproot so can tolerate heat and drought, and grows an extensive rhizome system by which it can spread and form dense colonies. It grows from 3-10’ tall and spans 2-4’; towering above most surrounding vegetation. Beginning in late September, Maximilian sunflower produces its abundant 2-3” showy flowers with 20-40 bright yellow petals surrounding a yellow-brown center. The flowers have a scent similar to that of chocolate and attract butterflies, moths, beetles, and long- and short-tongued bees to consume its nectar and pollen. Its foliage is eaten by butterfly caterpillars and the plants serve as a host for some moth caterpillars. As for other sunflower species, birds and other wildlife eat the seeds. Leaves are coarse and hairy, slightly wavy on the edges, and distinctively folded lengthwise. Lower leaves are long (10”) and narrow while those nearer the top are only 2” long. The plants have a long history of use by native American populations in the Midwest. Its thick rhizomes are edible, providing a food similar to the Jerusalem artichoke. They also used parts of the plant as sources of food, oil, dye, and thread. Early pioneers are said to have planted Maximilian sunflowers near their homes to repel mosquitos and to have used bathwater infused with the blooms to ease arthritic pain. No doubt they also enjoyed the bright blooms as cut flowers. Maximilian sunflower is a cheery and showy native perennial that is easy to grow and produces abundant flowers as most of the garden is winding down. Tall and imposing, it provides a late season source of nectar, pollen, and bright color, and due to its ability to spread from rhizomes, can even help control erosion. While not the plant for every garden situation because of this growth pattern, the plant is an excellent choice for naturalized areas, prairies, meadows, and in sunny borders where it has space to grow. At Bedrock Gardens, Maximilian sunflower can be found in the Baxis (#8) garden. 

White Wood Aster

White Wood Aster, Eurybia divaricata 
​White wood aster is a tough and cheerful native wildflower that blooms in the late summer and early fall, covering itself with a profusion of small starry daisy-like flowers. It is native to much of eastern North America, from southeastern Canada south to Alabama and west to Ohio and Kentucky, growing in dry open woods, along forest edges, and in forest clearings. White wood asters grow best in shade or part shade and although they are happy to grow in moderately moist soils, their ability to thrive in shady dry soils makes them quite useful in gardens. White wood asters generally grow in a mound about 1½-3’ tall and span about 2-4’, emerging from thick rhizomes in the spring. Spreading by rhizome growth, they can form dense colonies. The plants bloom somewhat earlier than most fall-blooming asters since they begin their weeks long bloom season in late summer. Although the fragrant flowers are quite small (1”), they are produced in prodigious quantities and literally cover the plant. Carried in flat clusters at the top of wiry black stems, the flowers have a ring of 5-10 white ray florets surrounding a yellow or rose-colored center disk. As the center disk flowers are pollinated they change from yellow to red. The flowers provide late season pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies and the foliage is eaten by the larvae of several moths and butterflies who specialize in asters. The foliage is also a preferred forage for deer. After flowering, the seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals. Although white wood aster is less popular than many other cultivated asters, it has a valuable niche in gardens - it blooms earlier, requires minimal maintenance, and most importantly flowers well in dry shade. Its delicate airy clouds of star-like flowers glow in the shade, mix well with other plants, and lend a long-lasting beauty to the fall garden that few would want to do without. At Bedrock Gardens, white wood aster can be found in the Swaleway (#14) garden. 

Autumn Crocus

Autumn Crocus, Colchicum autumnale 
​Although it looks much like a crocus and its common name is “autumn crocus”, the beautiful autumn crocus is completely unrelated to the well-known and loved spring crocus bulb. Colchicums grow from a corm (an underground segment of plant stem that includes a growth node) rather than a bulb. They also differ in details of flower structure, and perhaps most easily observed, colchicums and crocuses have very different patterns of foliage and flower growth. Oddly enough, autumn crocus leaves and flowers do not appear at the same time – leaves sprout in the spring without flowers and flowers bloom in the fall without leaves. The autumn crocus is native to the British Isles and to mainland Europe from Portugal to Ukraine where it grows in lowland meadows. It has naturalized in a number of other areas (Sweden, New Zealand, European Russia) as well as in New England, where it has been found growing in fields, edges of lawns, and roadsides in VT, MA, and NH. In the spring, plants produce their foliage (3-8 10” lance-shaped leaves per corm), which then yellows and dies by early summer, when the plants then go dormant. Energy produced by the leaves is critical for later blooming. In September, between 1 and 10 bare flowers emerge from the ground from each corm. Each 4-8” stalk has a 2-3” wide star-shaped, lavender-pink flower made up of 6 petal-like structures. Because the flowers are leafless or “naked”, they are the inspiration for another of the plant’s common names - “naked ladies”. Autumn crocus’ uncommon flowering pattern of blooming in the fall without any leaves is thought to be an adaptation to its origin in areas with long summer droughts; plants grew and stored energy during times of spring rains then went dormant during droughts when growth would be difficult. The flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies and are a late season resource for them. Autumn crocus grows best in full sun to part shade, in well-drained soils with moderate moisture. Good soil drainage helps avoid rotting the corms. Plants will tolerate partial shade and some summer drought while dormant, but not year-round dry soils. Spring foliage grows roughly 6-8” tall and spans about 6-8”. A number of cultivars have been developed which have flower colors other than lavender pink (dark rose, white, violet), additional petals, and larger flower sizes. The leaves, corms, and seeds of plants in the Colchicum genus contain toxic amounts of the alkaloid colchicine, a compound used to treat gout and which may prove valuable in cancer treatment. Due to colchicine’s significant physiological effects, the roots and leaves of autumn crocus were used in traditional medicine for a number of ailments including rheumatism, fever, and as a diuretic. Autumn crocus makes a beautiful and unusual addition to the fall garden. Its uncommon “life style” reminds us that there are many ways to grow and flourish. At Bedrock Gardens, autumn crocus can be found in the Straight and Narrow (#15) and Garish (#21) gardens. 

Bergfreund Purple Moor Grass

 Bergfreund Purple Moor Grass, Molinia caerulea ssp. arundinacea “Bergfreund” 
​Bergfreund purple moor grass is a tall graceful grass whose summer green-and-purple flowers turn into amazing yellow-orange coppery seed heads in mid autumn, highlighting the changing colors of fall. Purple moor grass is native to Europe, the British Isles, west Asia, and northern Africa where it grows in moist, sunny open environments such as moors, fens, mountain grasslands, and along lake shores. In the garden, purple moor grass grows best in full sun in average, medium to wet soils, preferring somewhat acidic soils with consistent moisture. Hybridized in Germany, the Bergfreund (“Mountain Friend”) cultivar grows as a tussock with numerous arching leaves that resemble a fountain in form. The leaves grow roughly 3’ tall and in mid-summer, tall (4-6’) flower spikes emerge. The curving flower stems are quite graceful and carry long (up to 2’ in length) airy clusters of small greenish-purple flowers. In fall, usually late September through November, as the flowers age and the seedheads mature, the flowerheads turn attractive shades of yellow, orange, and copper. The grey-green foliage also turns a clear yellow and the flower stems become pinkish orange at this time. The entire plant becomes a blaze of glowing yellows and oranges. Viewing the tall, gracefully arching plant backlit in a settling sun is an impressive sight. Since Bergfreund purple moor grass has this airy see-through form it can be grown in many garden areas, filtering but not obscuring its neighboring plants. The tall delicate haze of flowers also adds movement to the garden as it is blown by light breezes. Bergfreund purple moor grass is an easy to grow perennial that adds a colorful and striking vertical accent to the fall sunny garden. Because its handsome fountain of long leaves is attractive even before the tall flower stems mature and add their classic fall shades, it is a plant that is beautiful in the garden for months. At Bedrock Gardens, Bergfreund purple moor grass can be found in the Garish (#21) and Funnel (#13) gardens. 

Winterberry

Winterberry, Ilex verticillata 
​In late September or early October, a transformation occurs out in the garden; what appeared to be a pleasant somewhat non-descript green shrub suddenly becomes a riveting eye-catcher – it is a winterberry and its abundant brilliant red berries have come into their full color. There is nothing particularly remarkable about winterberry early in the season. In June its small (1/4”) white flowers are almost unnoticeable and the shrub itself is fairly ordinary. But the vivid berries change how we see winterberry for the rest of the year. Winterberry is a native deciduous holly that grows in southeast Canada from Newfoundland west to Ontario and throughout the eastern US from Minnesota and Maine south to Alabama, primarily in wetlands such as swamps, damp thickets, low woods and along ponds and streams. It grows as a multi-stemmed shrub to roughly 6-15’ tall and 3-12’ wide and spreads relatively slowly by root suckering. In the garden, winterberry prefers conditions similar to its native habitat - full sun to part shade and moderate to wet soils. It can tolerate cold and heat (hardy throughout USDA zones 3-9), some drought, and soil compaction. While it can spread to form a dense thicket in wet sites, in drier soils it remains a tight shrub. A number of cultivars have been developed for garden use that vary primarily in size and berry color. Its inconspicuous spring flowers attract pollinators such as bees and flies and the plant serves as a food source and host for several species of moths and butterflies. The striking berries that mature in the fall are drupes, a single seed surrounded by a fleshy cover and skin, and are an important food resource for birds. Winterberry is deciduous, so that as fall progresses the foliage colors to yellow and then drops – thus leaving its branches bare to fully display the glowing red berries. The berries are bitter and take a while to soften up so they are usually passed over by migratory birds. They remain, beautifying the landscape, until winter resident birds deplete other food sources and resort to eating the berries in mid- to late winter. Winterberry has been found to attract more than 40 species of birds, including our familiar cedar waxwings, robins, bluebirds, catbirds, and mockingbirds. The persistence of the berries through much of the winter was the inspiration for the plant’s common name of “winterberry”. The sculptural bare branches covered in bright berries are striking in floral arrangements and are a mainstay for holiday decorations. Like other hollies, winterberry contains toxins with significant human effects – the berries can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and leaves and bark can be irritating to the skin. The plants were used in a variety of ways by native American populations. In small doses, medications using bark and berries were used to treat fevers and intestinal problems. Topical applications of the bark were used as an antiseptic and astringent to treat wounds and skin infections. Its traditional medical use is the source of one of the plant’s other common names, “fever bush”. Winterberry is a native, easy to grow shrub with high wildlife value that is at its most beautiful during the cool and cold times of the year when bright color in the garden is rare and most appreciated. Seeing the shrub in winter with its vivid red berries shining in a snowy landscape is a certainly sight to remember. At Bedrock Gardens, winterberry can be found in the Baxis (#8) garden and scattered around the Pond (#5). 

“Guizhou” White Mugwort

 “Guizhou” White Mugwort, Artemisia lactiflora “Guizhou Group” 
​As many summer blooms are fading and the garden transitions to fall, “Guizhou” white mugwort begins to come into its own. Although most artemisia species have inconspicuous light green or yellow flowers and are used in gardens for their appealing silvery grey-green foliage, white mugwort artemisia has multitudes of attractive tiny creamy-white flowers that come into their abundant bloom in early fall. In fact, the plant derives both its species name “lactiflora” (milk white flower) and its common name “white mugwort” from its profusion of white blooms. White mugwort is native to northern India, western China, and Southeast Asia where it grows on forested slopes, in open thickets, and along streambanks. The Guizhou group of white mugworts are a group of plants that originate from seeds collected by Kew Royal Botanic Gardens and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1985 as part of a joint expedition in the Guizhou province of southern China. As a group, they have dark purplish foliage and dark maroon stems rather than the green of the species; differences which serve to accentuate the tiny white flowers. In the garden, the plants prefer full sun/part shade and well-drained, rich moist soil. The sturdy burgundy stems of Guizhou white mugwort generally grow 4-5’ tall but do not require staking; the plants span about 2.5-3’. In late August-September, the stems are topped with loose airy clusters of small white flowers that both contrast beautifully with the dark stems and blend with other tall fall perennials coming into bloom such as asters, coneflowers, and black-eyed susans. Guizhou white mugwort stays in bloom into October and is highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. The fine airy sprays of flowers make beautiful additions to cut arrangements. The basal clumps of blackish purple compound foliage remain attractive. Leaves are highly divided, resembling Astilbe foliage, and have a light musk scent. Generally plants do not spread, remaining in a compact clump with little maintenance. Guizhou white mugwort is a tall and unusual addition to the late season garden whose lax billows of tiny flowers shine against the dark shades of the rest of the plant. Its open and airy texture complements the more intense colors in the fall sunny border and the plant lends a graceful vertical accent as the garden season begins to come to a close. At Bedrock Gardens, Guizhou white mugwort can be found in the Garish (#21) garden. 

Chinese Fringe Tree

Chinese Fringe Tree, Chionanthus retususThe double allée of Chinese fringe trees running either side of the Torii Gate is one of the most beautiful plantings in Bedrock Gardens. In early June when the trees are in full bloom, it is a spectacular and memorable sight. But these trees are also attractive at other times of the year. In September, their abundant clusters of fruit, dark bluish black or slate blue in color, begin to ripen and add beautiful seasonal interest to the trees. Chinese fringe tree is native to Korea, central China, Taiwan, eastern Russia, and Japan and lives in moist mixed forests below about 6,000’ where it usually grows as a multi-stemmed large shrub. In gardens it is usually grown as a small tree, reaching 20-40’. It is related to our native American fringe tree; both are members of the Olive family (Oleaceae). Both species grow in full sun to partial shade and prefer moist soils but are adaptable. After pollination, the female flowers begin to develop their fruit, which perhaps unsurprisingly, looks very much like an olive. It is a drupe, a single seed covered with a thin layer of flesh and peel, which will grow and ripen through the summer into the early fall.
The fruit is roughly egg-shaped, ½ - ¾” long, and starts as an olive green color, transforming to its distinctive and showy dark slate blue as it matures. Just as Chinese fringe trees can just be covered in their fluffy blooms in the spring, they can also produce great numbers of the attractive fruit clusters, adding an appealing color to the fall landscape. As for its American cousin, the fruit is prized by a variety of birds (among them cardinals, blue jays, robins, mockingbirds, and turkeys) and fruit on the ground is eaten by deer and small rodents. Additional fall interest is supplied by the leaves, which turn a golden yellow. Chinese fringe tree is even attractive in the winter after the fruit has dropped, when its exfoliating bark contributes color and texture. At Bedrock Gardens, Chinese fringe trees highlight the Allée (#6). 

American Bladdernut

American Bladdernut, Staphylea trifolia
​Looking a bit like an out of season Christmas tree, American bladdernut trees in late summer into early fall are bedecked with what appear to be inflated bright chartreuse Christmas balls. Not a prank of forest elves, these “balls” are actually the seed capsules of the tree and contain the plant’s ripening seeds. Their odd and distinctive appearance is the inspiration for the plant’s common name of “bladdernut”. American bladdernut is a forest understory tree or large shrub that is native to eastern North America, from southern Ontario and Quebec, west to Nebraska, and south to Arkansas and Florida, and grows along river and streambanks, in floodplains and bottomlands, and in woodlands. In the wild, it is a fast-growing but relatively short-lived tree. If grown in the garden, bladdernut grows best in partial shade to full shade and moist to average rich soils, but will tolerate a range of soils. Plants spread readily from rhizomes, both in the garden and in nature, where it often forms dense thickets. Bladdernut grows 10-15’ tall and occasionally reaches 25’ and is usually taller than wide at maturity. Clusters of beautiful bell-shaped white flowers are produced in April-May and are among the earliest spring flowers. The flower clusters emerge at about the same time as the leaves. The drooping clusters are 2-4” long on a short stem and are made up of small (about 1/3” long) 5-petaled flowers whose stamens extend beyond the petals. The flowers are largely unscented but attract bumblebees and other bees as well as a variety of fly species. After blooming, the unusual seed pods begin development and by August and September, the papery 3-lobed light green capsules hang from the branches. The 2” capsules are strongly inflated and puffy and may be solitary or in clusters of 2-5. By late fall, the seed pods turn to yellow and then to light brown, and when shaken, the 1/4” hard brown seeds inside can be heard rattling. Bladdernut foliage turns attractive shades of light yellow to reddish-gold and scarlet in the fall, contrasting with the puffy tan seed capsules. The inflated seed pods persist on the tree until mid-winter, providing seasonal interest on the leafless tree. They also make interesting additions to dried arrangements. Seeds are edible and are said to have a taste similar to walnuts; they can be eaten raw or cooked. A sweet, edible oil can also be obtained from the seeds. Between its appealing early flowers and its unique and
unusual seed pods, American Bladdernut is a native plant with multi-season features that can’t help but draw attention in the shade garden. At Bedrock Gardens, American bladdernut can be found in the Shrubaria (#28) garden. 

Alma Potschke Aster 

Alma Potschke Aster, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae “Alma Potschke”
​The Alma Potschke aster brings a remarkable shade of vivid hot pink color to gardens in the fall that few gardeners would want to do without. It is a cultivar of New England aster that was developed by a German plant breeding family named Pötschke and was introduced in 1969; its full cultivar name translates as “In Memory of Alma Pötschke”, and honors the mother of its
breeder. The New England aster was first introduced to Europe in 1710 and was considered to be one of its most important North American plant introductions during the 17th and 18th centuries. Since that time, over 70 European cultivars have been developed, the majority of which are still being sold. New England asters are a rich purple with a yellow center; the bright cerise flowers of Alma Potschke were a color breakthrough and the plant has become justifiably popular. Native to most of the central US, northeastern US, and southeastern Canada, from Manitoba south to Louisiana, New England aster grows in open, often moist environments such as meadows, prairies, marshes, and forest edges. In gardens, Alma Potschke prefers similar conditions – full sun to part shade and medium to moist, well-drained soils. It is tolerant of both drought and wet soils. It grows 3-4’ tall and spans roughly 2-3’, forming a clump of tall stems topped with branching sprays of its 2” neon pink blooms. Beginning in early September, Alma Potschke blooms abundantly for 6 weeks or longer, through roughly late November. Its flowers are an important late season nectar source for a variety of pollinating insects such as butterflies, moths, ants, flies, bees, and bumblebees. Plants also serve as a host for several species of butterfly larvae. In the fall and winter, their seeds are an important food source for small birds. Native American populations used New England asters in a wide range of ways – root preparations were used for pain relief, healing wounds, diarrhea, and fevers. Skin medications using the plant were utilized to strengthen the skin and prevent some skin diseases. Alma Potschke’s masses of showy fuchsia-pink flowers create a stunning display that lights up the autumn garden. The plant is tall, bold, and easy to grow, and its vividly colored flowers are the perfect accent to the warm colors of fall. At Bedrock Gardens, the Alma Potschke aster can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden.  

Japanese Spirea

Japanese Spirea, Spirea japonica
​A favorite with many gardeners, Japanese spirea has bright rosy-pink flowers that bloom in the spring and are lovely with blossoming daffodils and tulips. But it is a shrub that can be coaxed to extend its bloom time considerably and can be used as a brilliant accent for much of the summer and fall. Native to Japan, China, and Korea where it grows in forest edges, in meadows, and along streambanks, it was introduced to the US in about 1870. Easy to grow and tolerant of its growing conditions, it prefers full sun to light shade and moist well-drained soils. Highly popular for many years, hybridization has resulted in a wide range of cultivars that vary in flower color, leaf color, and size. Most Japanese spireas grow in a low mounded form and create a dense cluster of thin stems, generally reaching a height of 2-5’ with a slightly larger spread. The foliage is finely toothed and hybridization has added a host of different shades to the plants’ original green – various greens, chartreuse, gold, and blue-green. In the late spring into early summer, the plants produce masses of flat sprays of tiny lacy flowers – many varieties blooming in shades of pink as in the original species, but now also in white, red, or purple. The plants flower only on new wood and this is the key to extending the plant’s bloom time. Removing the spent flower sprays and shearing the plant back after blooming will stimulate new growth and reblooming, resulting in flowering well into October, as here in Bedrock Gardens. Japanese spirea is an easy to grow shrub that can produce months of beautiful and eye-catching blooms in the garden. Its very adaptability and rapid growth however have eased its escape from cultivation and it has naturalized widely in the eastern US, becoming invasive in many states, including NH. A good thing carried too far. At Bedrock Gardens, Japanese spirea can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. 

Buttonbush

Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis
A common sight in many New Hampshire wetlands, buttonbush is a native shrub or small tree that produces a most uncommon flower cluster – one that looks amazingly like the Sputnik satellite of the 1950’s. Native throughout much of eastern North America from Canada to Florida with scattered populations in the West, buttonbush grows in a variety of wetland environments (swamps, floodplains, streambanks) in soils that range from just moist to those under 3’ of water. If grown in a garden, the plant does well in full to part sun and is adaptable to various soil types, aside from dry ones. Buttonbush is usually multi-stemmed, with an irregular to open rounded crown; it generally grows about 6-12’ tall but can reach 20’. The shrub is most striking in the late spring to mid-summer when its unique flowers come into bloom and it is studded with its highly fragrant white “pincushion” blooms. The small white tubular 5-lobed flowers are held in stalked, densely packed round 1.5” clusters from which the flowers’ long styles protrude about ½”, giving the flowerheads their distinctive spiky look. Highly aromatic with a jasmine-like scent and rich in nectar, the flowers are highly attractive to bees, butterflies, wasps, and hummingbirds. Buttonbush also serves as a host plant for a variety of moth species. By early fall, the flower heads mature into hard round fruits composed of many tiny 2-seeded nutlets that are eaten by various waterfowl and songbirds such as robins, towhees, and kingbirds. These showy reddish-brown fruits persist on the plants through much of the winter. Buttonbush contains a powerful glucoside, cephalothin, which affects both warm and cold-blooded vertebrates by destroying red blood cells. Toxic to people, pets, and livestock, it induces convulsions, vomiting and muscle paralysis when eaten. Aware of its physiological effects, buttonbush was used medicinally by Native Americans for a number of aliments such as fever, kidney stones, dysentery, constipation, and diarrhea with affects highly dependent upon dosage. Although best known for its extraordinary and unusual flowers, buttonbush is a native shrub with amazing versatility and exceptional wildlife benefits. Plants are attractive across several seasons, are tough and easy to grow in wet areas that discourage most shrubs, and can even help control soil erosion. They are an excellent choice for water features, rain gardens, and low wet areas in the garden. At Bedrock Gardens, buttonbush can be found around the pond (#5) and near the Swaleway (#14) gardens. 

Mullein, Butterfly Yellow Mullein

Mullein, Butterfly Yellow Mullein, Verbascum roripifolium
​Butterfly yellow mullein is an unusual plant from Greece and Bulgaria that produces a tall cloud of bright yellow flowers that seem to float in the air like butterflies. It is part of the large mullein family native to the Mediterranean region that includes both perennial and biennial species and grows in disturbed areas, meadows, forest margins, and rocky hillsides. When used in gardens, mulleins generally form huge sturdy spires of blooms and can contribute substantial vertical accents. Butterfly yellow mullein is a biennial species however, that is unlike the vast majority of its family members. It forms very thin stems and its delicate blooms are carried in a graceful open cloud rather than being held on a densely congested spike. Certainly a very different effect. As for most mulleins, butterfly yellow prefers full sun and well-drained soils. Since it grows from a deep taproot, it can tolerate drought and dry soils. Butterfly yellow mullein grows about 3-7’ tall and spans 1.5-2’; although it can be tall, its airy “see-through” growth form means that it doesn’t obscure neighboring plants. As a biennial, the plants produce a basal rosette of highly serrated leaves in their first year and then send up flower stalks in their second year. The tall thin stalks are highly branched and the plants have a lengthy bloom season; butterfly yellow mullein flowers throughout most of the summer and into the fall. Individual flowers are roughly 1” in diameter, have 5 petals, are a soft lemon yellow with a pink center, and have long anthers with pink wooly hairs. Because of the thin and wiry growth structure that carries the blossoms, plants should be protected from winds. The flowers attract an assortment of butterfly and bee pollinators and the plants are deer and rabbit resistant. The plants will self-seed. Butterfly yellow mullein’s long-blooming airy clouds of lemon-yellow flowers make it a stunning addition to a late summer and fall sunny garden. The plants add a lightweight vertical accent that brightens the garden and they complement rather than hide neighboring plants. At Bedrock Gardens, butterfly yellow mullein can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden.

Week of September 15th

Woodland Peony,

Seven-Son Flower Tree

Seventh Inning Stretch Daylily

Golden Valerian, Golden Lace

Korean Feather Reed Grass

Doll’s Eyes, White Baneberry

Woodland Peony

Woodland Peony, Paeonia obovata 
​In late summer, outrageously colored “jester hats” begin appearing in many shady gardens. These dramatic deep blue-black and fuchsia red objects are the seed pods of woodland peonies who bloomed in the early spring. Although virtually all peonies grow best in full sun, woodland peonies are the exception to the rule – they are understory plants of deciduous and coniferous forests at elevations of 700 – 9000’ and prefer the shade. Native to China, Manchuria, Korea, Japan, and Far Eastern Russia, woodland peonies grow in forests under a range of cold to warm/temperate climates and are hardy in USDA zones 3-8. They were introduced to Western horticulture by the famous plant hunter E. H. “Chinese” Wilson in 1900. The species is highly variable; for example, underside of the leaf may be felty, roughly haired, or hairless, petals, filaments, and anthers  may have an array of different colors, the number of stamens can vary from 20-240, and some plants may have twice the chromosome number. This variability led to the classification of the plants into several species and subspecies. Recently however, all woodland peonies were found to fall into a single, highly variable species – Paeonia obovata. They are the first peonies to bloom in the spring (April-May), producing showy highly fragrant single 2.5-5” diameter flowers made up of 4-7 egg-shaped petals in colors that range from white through pink, rose, to purple-red and may even be white with a pink margin. The flowers are simple and very elegant. Plants grow to about 30” tall and in the late summer and early fall (August-September), the seedheads that have ripened all summer burst open to reveal their dramatically colored cobalt and hot pink interiors, akin to a second flowering of the plants. The unusual seedpods add vivid color and striking interest to the fall shade garden. The roots of woodland peonies have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for many years as a painkiller, tranquillizer, an anti-inflammatory treatment, and as a medication for cardiovascular disease and blood loss. An understated and graceful plant that combines simple beauty with refinement, woodland peonies are attractive across several seasons. Their delicate flowers and stunning seedpods make them a favorite in the shade garden. At Bedrock Gardens, woodland peonies can be found throughout the Funnel (#13) and Swaleway (#14) gardens. 

Seven-Son Flower Tree

Seven-Son Flower Tree, Heptacodium miconioides 
​By mid-September flowering trees in the garden are few and far between, making the beautiful white blossoms coming into bloom on the seven-son flower tree both a delight and surprise. Their sweet scent, reminiscent of jasmine or honeysuckle, only adds to the pleasure. A member of the honeysuckle family, the seven-son flower tree is the only member in its genus. Its common name in English is a direct translation of its Chinese name and translates roughly as “flower with seven children”, referring to the structure of the flower clusters. Seven-son flower is endemic to China and is quite rare, even when it was first collected by E.H. “Chinese” Wilson in 1907, working for Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. Found on cliffs at 3000’, Wilson could only find a single seed, so just dried specimens were collected and returned to the Arboretum where they sat until examined in detail in 1916, were determined to be a new species, and were given a name; “Hepta” meaning "seven," and “codium” indicating the resemblance of the flowerhead to poppy flowerheads, yielding a name meaning “having seven structures resembling poppy heads”. The First Sino-American Botanical Expedition in 1980 was first plant collecting trip to China by western botanists since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Collecting viable seeds of the seven-son flower tree was among its many goals. Returned to the Arnold Arboretum, the seeds were readily cultivated and then introduced to Western horticulture. The beauty of the tree, its ease of growth, and its versatility have resulted in its relatively rapid growth in popularity and its increase in availability. Seven-son flower is a fast-growing deciduous large shrub or small tree, growing to roughly 30’. Cold-hardy to -30F , it prefers full sun to part shade and moist soils. In September as much of the garden is winding down, it produces its abundant display of clusters of 1/2” five-petaled flowers which persist for several weeks. The blooms are highly attractive to butterflies, bees, and bumblebees and provide a late season nectar source. But for seven-son flower, the color show continues even after the flowers have faded. After flowering, the sepals that support the flowers at their base persist, elongating and turning a vivid red, making it appear as though the tree was reblooming in a remarkable second show that lasts into November. The foliage turns yellow in the fall, adding contrast to the bright rose-red “flowers”. In the end, leaf drop in the late fall allows the seven-son flower tree to display its last seasonal asset, as its beautiful exfoliating bark is revealed once the leaves are gone; one final attractive feature that endures throughout the winter. The seven-son flower tree is an outstanding specimen plant that has great appeal throughout the seasons. Easy to grow and undemanding, its graceful form and moderate size mean that it is an asset wherever it is planted. At Bedrock Gardens, seven-son flower trees can be found circling the Termi (#4) garden and at the edge of the Funnel (#13) garden. 

Seventh Inning Stretch Daylily

Seventh Inning Stretch Daylily, Hemerocallis “Seventh Inning Stretch” 
​The Seventh Inning Stretch daylily is a vivid red cultivar that is one of the last daylilies to come into bloom. Sometimes called the “perfect perennial” because they need little care, tolerate heat and drought, have few pests, and have gorgeous flowers in an amazing array of colors and shapes, daylilies are almost always a great addition to the garden. Their common name is derived from their flowering pattern – each flower only lives a single day. Daylilies are native to eastern Asia – China, Korea, Japan, and southern Siberia, but are widely naturalized throughout much of the US where they are a common sight growing along roads and in old abandoned gardens. Although widely naturalized in North America by the early 1800’s, little work on hybridizing daylilies was undertaken until the late 1800’s. One of the efforts in hybridization has been to extend the length of their blooming season. In general, the flowering season for most varieties is roughly 4-7 weeks. In the early 1970’s, hybrids were developed that rebloomed after their initial flowering. One of the earliest of these hybrids was “Stella d’Oro”, still one of the most popular varieties today. Another approach has been to develop daylilies that begin to bloom earlier in the spring as well as later into the fall. By using a mix of cultivars, daylilies in a garden can be blooming from March or April through October or later. The Seventh Inning Stretch daylily is a variety that stretches these seasonal boundaries by blooming quite late in the summer and staying in bloom into October. Hybridized by Bob Sobek in Westford MA and introduced in 2005, it is a vibrant red with a green-yellow throat and is one of the most eye-catching blooms in the late garden. Plants grow roughly 40” tall and the flowers are 4.5” in diameter. Late blooming daylilies are a valuable and easy-care addition to an autumn garden. They introduce fresh life and color as trees begin to turn and many continue to bloom until stilled by frost. The brilliant red of the Seventh Inning Stretch daylily brings a warming glow to the garden as one of the last perennials still blooming. At Bedrock Gardens, it can be found in the Garish (#21) garden. 

Golden Valerian, Golden Lace

Golden Valerian, Golden Lace, Patrinia scabiosifolia 
​Golden valerian is a relatively new perennial that adds a blast of summer brightness to the garden in the late summer and early fall. A member of the honeysuckle family, it is native to southeastern Siberia, Mongolia, the Russian Far East, most of China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan, where it grows in sunny grasslands on hills and mountains. A member of the Japanese Seven Flowers of Autumn, this group of plants is treasured for their simple beauty and appreciated for their late bloom. As might be expected since it was first collected growing on grassy steppes in eastern Siberia, golden valerian is quite cold-hardy. In the garden it prefers full sun and average well-drained soil and will tolerate heat and humidity. In the spring, golden valerian forms a basal mound of deeply serrated leaves 1-1.5’ tall; leaves were thought to resemble those of scabiosa and inspired its species name of “scabiosifolia”. In early summer 4-6’ tall flower stalks begin their growth, and by July or August the open flower clusters of tiny acid-yellow flowers come into bloom. In flower through October, the bright, almost fluorescent bloom clusters have an airy see-through look since there are few leaves near the stem tops. This means that the colors of neighboring plants can easily be seen through the haze of bright yellow flowers. Since the stems holding the flowers are the same brilliant yellow, the entire top of the plant is part of the cloud of blooms. Another of the plant’s common names, golden lace, perfectly describes this effect. The flowers attract bees and other pollinators and provide a useful late season source of nectar and pollen. After the flowers fade, much of their remaining structure retains the golden color and green seed bracts develop. The flowerheads make a bright and distinctive addition to fresh or dried arrangements. Foliage takes on deep orange and red tones in the fall. Golden valerian’s late and very long flowering period is unusual for its family, and it makes the plant a valuable addition to the fall garden. Its airy acid yellow flowerheads bring a bright accent and contrast beautifully with the colors of other fall blooms. At Bedrock Gardens, golden valerian can be found in the Straight and Narrow (#15) garden. 

Korean Feather Reed Grass

Korean Feather Reed Grass, Foxtail Grass, Calamagrostis brachytricha 
​Korean feather reed grass produces beautiful rose-gold flower plumes in the late summer that rise well above its foliage, sparkling as they catch the sun and swaying gracefully as they catch light breezes. It is a gorgeous plant in the garden. Native to central and eastern Asia where it grows in moist woodlands, Korean feather grass is unusual among ornamental flowering grasses since it is adapted to and grows well in partial shade, unlike most grasses that require full sun. Adaptable, it will also grow well in full sun where the growth form will be tighter, and although it prefers medium to wet soils, it is tolerant of heavy clay soils. It spreads slowly by rhizomes, and may also modestly self-seed in moist shady soils. Plants form a fountain-like mound of narrow ½” wide stiff leaves in the spring, which grows to about 3’ tall and roughly 2-3’ wide. In September the pink feathery flower plumes appear on 4-5’ stalks, rising well clear of the foliage. Plumes are purplish red when they first open, then age to pink and finally to gold and light greenish tan as the seeds ripen. The large flower heads are beautiful in the warm fall sunlight and positively glow when they are backlit. Plumes can be cut and used in fresh or dried arrangements where they keep their open feathery texture when dry. As fall progresses, the foliage turns a soft yellow to orange, providing additional seasonal appeal. Valued for its large luminous pink flower plumes that gleam in the sun, Korean feather reed grass is a distinctive ornamental grass that reaches its peak after many garden plants have faded. Because it can be grown in partial shade as well as full sun and in average to wet soils, it can be used in many garden settings in large groups or as a shimmering and unique accent. At Bedrock Gardens, Korean feather reed grass can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée Garden. 

Doll’s Eyes, White Baneberry

Doll’s Eyes, White Baneberry, Actaea pachypoda 
Described by some as “the plant that looks back at you”, doll’s eyes is a memorable and eye-catching (!) woodland perennial. Native to eastern Canada, the eastern US south through FL, and throughout the Midwest, it grows in moist hardwood and mixed forests, thickets, north-facing wooded slopes, bluff bases, and ravines. In the garden, it prefers shade and humus-rich moist soil, but can be adaptable. It grows as a mound of Astilbe-like foliage from a thick rhizome to about 2.5’ tall, producing 4” flower stalks of frothy fragrant white flowers in May and June. The flowers provide pollen to pollinators such as bees but have no nectar. The flower stems thicken as flowering finishes and turn a bright red as the berries develop in the late summer. These distinctive berries are the most striking feature of the plant and the reason it is grown in gardens. Roughly ½” in diameter, they are the size and shape of the white china eyes once used in dolls. A black scar from the flower’s stigma completes the illusion, creating a black iris in the “eye”. The contrast between the vivid red flower stem and white berries is dramatic. The entire plant is poisonous, particularly the berries, and contains cardiac toxins; the inspiration for one of the plant’s common names of “baneberry”. Aware of the plant’s physiological effects, some Native Americans used root preparations to treat coughs and colds. A number of birds such as ruffed grouse, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, and robins that are unaffected by the toxins, will eat the berries and can aid seed dispersal. But many animals ignore the fruit, likely due to its toxicity. This disinterest results in the persistence of the berries on plants until frost and a longer season of ornamental show. Doll’s eyes is an easy to grow native perennial whose bright white berries held on gaudy red stalks add an unusual, memorable, and perhaps slightly unnerving effect to the shade garden. At Bedrock Gardens, doll’s eyes can be found in the Tea House (#29) garden. ​

Week of September 8th

Pink Turtlehead

Great Blue Lobelia

Happy Single Flame Dahlia

Himalayan Horse Gentian

Chinese Licorice

Matrona Sedum

Pink Turtlehead

Pink Turtlehead, Chelone lyonii 
​The unusually shaped, vividly pink blooms of pink turtlehead bring pops of bright color to the shade garden in the late summer and early fall. Although native to damp woodlands and streambanks in the southern Appalachian Mountains, the plant is hardy and adaptable from USDA zones 3 through 8 and has naturalized in much of New England and NY. Both its common and scientific names are linked to its unusual flower shape. The 1” blooms are carried on dense flower spikes at the top of the plant and are somewhat similar to those of snapdragons. The blooms are tubular and are composed of 2 lips – an upper lip that serves as a protective hood and a lower lip that provides a landing area for pollinators. Together, the hooded 2 lips resemble a turtle’s head emerging from its shell, hence the common name “turtlehead”; its genus Chelone is Greek for tortoise. The plant’s species name honors John Lyons, a Scottish botanist, who was an avid plant collector in the Allegheny and Appalachian Mountains and who died, probably of malaria, in 1814 while collecting. Although hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to the flowers, pink turtlehead is largely pollinated by bumblebees, since they are strong enough to open the flowers’ hoods to access the nectar and transfer the pollen. Pink turtlehead grows roughly 2-4’ high and 2-3’ wide and has a long bloom season, from early August through mid- to late September. Flowering begins at the bottom of the spike and blooming continues, working up the spike. Pink turtlehead grows best in part shade and damp to wet soils but is tolerant of more sun and drier conditions. It will spread slowly by rhizomes and will eventually form a modest colony; but is not considered invasive or an aggressive spreader. Plants will also self-seed in favorable moist soils. A number of cultivars with darker pink flowers or reduced height have been developed – they include the amusingly named “Hot Lips”, “Pink Temptation”, and “Tiny Tortuga”. Because pink turtlehead produces its abundant bright flowers after many perennials have finished blooming, it brings new color and freshness to the shade garden in late summer. Flower stalks are also interesting and attractive additions to cut flower arrangements. Pink turtlehead is a hardy native perennial that requires little maintenance and supplies lively color to shady areas into the fall. It is a wonderful addition to the garden that eases the transition from the bright flower colors of summer to the deeper shades of fall. At Bedrock Gardens, pink turtlehead can be found in the Swaleway (#14) garden. 

Great Blue Lobelia

Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica 
Offering a beautiful contrast in shape and color to the many black-eyed susans blooming in the late summer, great blue lobelia produces deep cobalt blue blossoms held on long-lasting flower spikes. Native to eastern and central Canada and the US, from Maine and Manitoba in the north to Alabama and Texas in the south, it is found in moist prairies, lakeshores, streambanks, floodplains, and swamp forests. In the garden, blue lobelia grows best in full sun to part shade in moist soils, similar to its native environments. Plants grow as a single stiff leafy stalk 2-4’ high from a central taproot, with a dense elongated flower cluster 4-12” long at the top of the stalk. The long bloom period runs from late July/early August through September. Although individual plants tend to be relatively short-lived, blue lobelia will self-seed. The 1” flowers are tubular with 2 lips and are typically a showy deep blue or violet but may sometimes be light blue or even white; the tubular section of the flower is frequently striped. Flowers have 5 petals – 3 on the lower lip that are fused and 2 on the upper lip that curl backwards. They bloom from the bottom of the stalk upwards and although they attract a wide variety of pollinating insects (bees and butterflies) and hummingbirds, almost all of the actual pollination is done by bumblebees. Using the lower lip of the flower as a landing area, a bee of the correct weight, usually a bumblebee, will depress the petals enough that it can force its way into the flower to access the flower’s nectar. Depressing the bottom lip also lowers the flower’s stigma so that it brushes against the bee’s back and picks up any pollen there, achieving pollination. Some bumblebees cheat and defeat this clever system by just chewing a hole in the flower to obtain nectar. Native North American populations used blue lobelia to treat respiratory and muscle problems. They also recommended the ground roots of the plant as a cure for syphilis to the well-known botanist John Bartram, who included it in his notes on American plants, added to “Medicina Britannica”, published in 1751. Its use became widely popular at the time in Europe and the American Colonies, but was ineffective, surviving only as the inspiration of the plant’s memorable species name. Blue lobelia adds vertical interest to the garden and the long bloom season of its brilliant deep blue flowers adds beauty and light to the late summer as well as supplying late nectar to many pollinators. At Bedrock Gardens, great blue lobelia can be found in the Swaleway (#14) garden.  

Happy Single Flame Dahlia

Happy Single Flame Dahlia, Dahlia “Happy Single Flame”
The Happy Single Flame dahlia is an eye-catching 4” daisy-shaped dahlia cultivar with a single row of vivid red petals that blend into a golden halo around a darker yellow center, and whose dark, almost black, foliage manages to make the fiery flowers appear even brighter. Happy Single Flame is one member of the Happy Single hybridization program and was introduced in 2005. There have been roughly 40 cultivars developed and introduced to date and the plants share a number of characteristics – blooms are single-flowered and daisy-like and may be a single color or bi-color (as for Happy Single Flame) in a range of brilliant shades, foliage is quite dark – purple to almost black, and plants are relatively compact, 2-3’, so plants do not need staking. As a group, they are gorgeous and highly versatile for many garden settings, from containers to single accents of color to mass plantings. Dahlias are tropical plants, native to Mexico and Central America, and were used in many ways over thousands of years by populations there. Plants were used as a treatment for epilepsy by the Aztecs and the long hollow stems of some species were used as water pipes or straws. In fact, dahlias plants were identified to the Spanish by names that translate as “water pipe flower” or “water cane”. Throughout Central America, dahlia tubers are still roasted to produce a traditional extract to flavor beverages; called dacopa, it is said to have an intense mocha coffee taste. An important component of Oaxacan cuisine in southern Mexico, the large, sweet potato-like tubers of several varieties of dahlias are still grown to be eaten. Apparently the Spanish tried to promote the tubers as a food crop to Europeans but had no success. Although Spanish explorers reported seeing dahlias in 1525 in Mexico, it was not until 1789 that tubers and seeds were introduced to Europe; after this, it has been used primarily as an ornamental garden plant and other uses became secondary. Today, dahlias are widely hybridized, with plant sizes ranging from 1-7’, flower colors across the rainbow, and an amazing variety of flower shapes. There are currently an estimated 57,000 registered dahlia cultivars with roughly 100 new hybrids added each year. Cold-hardy only to USDA zone 8, the fact that dahlias grow from tubers means plants can survive periods of dormancy, so the tubers can be lifted from soils, stored in a cool environment, and replanted when temperatures warm in the spring after frost. Like all dahlias, Happy Single Flame prefers full sun and rich well-drained soil with even moisture. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators including bees, small beetles, and butterflies. Happy Single Flame grows about 2-3’ tall and 2-3’ wide and blooms from July through much of the fall until temperatures cool. The blossoms make beautiful and long-lasting cut flowers with the additional benefit that cutting promotes more blooming. Its rich saturated red and yellow flowers make a striking contrast to its intense dark foliage over the plant’s long bloom season and its compact size means that plants can be used in many places in the garden. Happy Single Flame dahlia would make a dramatic addition to almost any sunny garden. At Bedrock Gardens, Happy Single Flame dahlia can be found in the Garish (#21) garden.

Himalayan Horse Gentian

Himalayan Horse Gentian, Himalayan Feverwort, Triosteum himalayanum 
​The Himalayan horse gentian is an unusual Asian perennial grown primarily for its attractive bright red fruit in the late summer into the fall. Native to the Himalayas, from India to Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet, and western China at altitudes of roughly 9,000-13,000’, it grows in open hemlock and spruce forests, along streambanks, and in damp grasslands. In the garden, Himalayan horse gentian grows best in partial shade and moist, well-drained soils, conditions similar to its native environment. Related to honeysuckles, its common name is somewhat confusing since the “horse” refers to the coarse appearance of the plant, not the animal, and it neither resembles nor is related to gentians. Himalayan horse gentian grows roughly 1-4’ tall and spans 1-2’ with oval hairy leaves that grow in pairs along the stems. In late spring to early summer (May-June) it produces small clusters of flowers at the tops of stems or as a spike on branches. Although small, the ½” flowers are attractive; greenish yellow with reddish brown to purple on the interior. Although not a native species, Himalayan horse gentian is likely pollinated by the same insects that pollinate American horse gentians, bumblebees and other long-tongued bees, which are able to reach the nectar in the flowers. After pollination, whitish berries, roughly ½” in diameter, ripen to bright red and can persist until winter. In its native Himalayas, the ripe fruit have been used traditionally as a “blood purifier”. At Bedrock Gardens, Himalayan horse gentian can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. 

Chinese Licorice

 Chinese Licorice, Yunnan Licorice, Wild Licorice, Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis​  
​In the late summer, Chinese licorice develops fascinating large spiky seed heads looking rather like small hedgehogs climbing all over the plant – a true eye-catcher! These distinctive structures are the source of the plant’s species name; “echinus” is Greek for spiky or prickly. Hedgehog or Chinese licorice is native throughout Southeastern Europe (Bulgaria, Greece, Ukraine, eastern Russia), Iran, the Arabian Peninsula, China, and Japan. It grows in grasslands, scrublands, and along streams and rivers as a 3-6’ multi-stemmed shrub with compound grayish blue leaves that have an aromatic scent. Part of the Pea family, Chinese licorice grows in an upright clump whose stems then sprawl and wind through neighboring plants, similar to other members in its family. In the garden, it grows well in full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soils. In mid-spring into early summer, it produces 3-4” oval clusters of small pale blue vetch or pea-like flowers that mature into the prominent showy seed heads. Chinese licorice has a long history of human use. It is perhaps best known as a source of  licorice flavoring since its roots have high concentrations of glycyrrhizin, a compound 50 times sweeter than sugar. Root extracts have also served as a sugar substitute. To be truly traditional, licorice must contain glycyrrhizin, but German, Russian, Scandinavian, and other licorices add a number of different flavorings to achieve their characteristic tastes. The candy called red licorice in the US is made with a process similar to traditional licorice but has no actual licorice root in it. The fibrous dried roots are somewhat sweet alone and are chewed - particularly helpful for teething children, and apparently can serve as a teeth cleaner. Tea made from the roots is said to be an excellent thirst quencher. Fabric dyes are produced from roots and leaves and coarse fibers produced from stems can be used to make rope. Chinese licorice also has a long history of use medicinally, particularly in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is used as a mild laxative, tonic, and expectorant. In the garden, Chinese licorice roots in combination with symbiotic soil bacteria can fix nitrogen, transforming atmospheric nitrogen into a useable form for plants. Attractive and interesting in the garden, it is truly a "plant of many talents". At Bedrock Gardens, Chinese licorice can be found in the Garish (#21) garden.

Matrona Sedum

Matrona Sedum, Matrona Stonecrop, Hylotelephium telephium “Matrona” 
A chance hybrid from the garden of a plantsman in Freiburg, Germany, and first introduced in 1991, Matrona sedum is a tall succulent that blooms abundant clusters of soft pale pink flowers in the late summer. The plant makes a strong impression in the garden with a beautiful contrast between its broad mauve flowerheads of tiny star-like blossoms, darkly purple veined, purple-blue-green leaves, and its tall 2’ rich burgundy stems. Both the dark coloration and tall height are improved characteristics over the plant’s parents. Like most sedums (and the Hylotelephium genus of taller sedums, recently separated from the shorter sedums), Matrona prefers full sun and good drainage. It tolerates heat and poor soils, and its succulent leaves make it drought tolerant. It is also quite cold hardy, growing well between USDA zones 4-9. Reaching roughly 1.5-2’ tall and spanning 1-1.5’, Matrona blooms from late summer through late fall, from August to October, and attracts legions of butterflies, wasps, and bumblebees. But its attractive stems and foliage add appealing color before the plant blooms and the aging of the flowerheads to burgundy and then to brown continues its interest in the garden for 6 months or more, into the fall and winter. Since Matrona’s flower stalks are quite sturdy, they remain standing erect for much of the winter, adding a useful vertical accent that even catches snowfall in the old flowerheads. Low maintenance and easy to grow, the Matrona sedum brings striking long-lasting color to the sunny fall garden. It is an outstanding addition whether planted as an accent or in large masses. At Bedrock Gardens, Matrona sedum can be found in the Garish (#21) garden.  

Week of September 1st

Plumleaf Azalea

Chinese Prickly Ash

Red Cauli Sedum

Cutleaf Coneflower

Willow Gentian

Anise Hyssop

Plumleaf Azalea

Plumleaf Azalea, Rhododendron prunifolium 
Long after the beautiful spring blooms of azaleas and rhododendrons have faded into only a memory, the plumleaf azalea sets the woods ablaze with its brilliant red flowers in late August. A wonderful surprise in the heat of late summer! Plumleaf azalea is considered to be one of the rarest North American azaleas and the latest blooming. It is native to only the states of Georgia and Alabama, growing in densely wooded ravines and steep streambanks in the Chattahoochee River Valley. First collected in roughly 1913 and first cultivated in 1918 at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum in Boston, it produces 1.5-2” 5-pointed funnel-shaped vivid red to bright orange-red flowers with elegant long stamens that are held in clusters of 4-7 flowers. Growing 8-12’ tall and roughly 6-8’ wide, plumleaf azalea has an open spreading form and despite its southern origin, is hardy to USDA zone 5, as in NH. Populations in the wild appear to show high variability in bloom time, size, and color, ranging from deep scarlet through orange-red, apricot, salmon, to pink. These native populations are in decline due to a number of factors – among them habitat destruction, poaching, and overbrowsing by deer. The beauty of the plant and its singularly late bloom season have spurred efforts to produce hybrids; these efforts have been aided by its natural variability. Locally, Weston Nurseries in MA have used the plumleaf azalea to extend flowering times of summer-blooming azaleas into August, with cultivar bloom colors that include cherry red, dark orange, and light pink. As for most rhododendrons, plumleaf azalea prefers shade and moist, acidic, and well-drained soils but will tolerate partial shade. Although its flowers have no scent, they attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, particularly since they bloom so late. The foliage turns to an appealing plum shade in the fall; the inspiration for its common name. Plumleaf azalea is a gorgeous native shrub that puts on an amazing floral show that is always a bit of a surprise in the late summer.  It is all the more appealing since it occurs in the shade against a backdrop of dark green leaves, making the vibrant bloom color seem even brighter. The plants are hardy, easy to grow, and unusual and they are a wonderful addition to any shady garden. At Bedrock Gardens, plumleaf azalea can be found in the Shrubaria (#28) garden. ​

Chinese Prickly Ash

Chinese Prickly Ash, Flatspine Prickly-Ash, Zanthoxylum simulans 
​Chinese prickly ash is an attractive deciduous large shrub or small tree that is primarily grown as a source of Sichuan peppercorns, a key ingredient in Chinese cuisine. Native to China, Taiwan, and Korea and growing on open hillsides and woods, it has rather knobby branches and a vase-like architecture; its trunk and branches both bear broad spines, the source of its common name. Chinese prickly ash grows to about 20’ tall and has 3-5” compound leaves which resemble ash leaves; they are strongly fragrant when crushed. The leaves are also edible, adding a pleasant scent and light peppery taste as a garnish or in a salad. The abundant small (3-4 millimeter) green flowers are held in loose clusters and open in mid- to late summer, adding a chartreuse hazy look to the tree. In fall the 4 mm round red fruit ripen, darkening to reddish brown, and split open to release glossy black seeds. It is the seed capsules however, rather than the seeds, that are harvested, dried, and used in cooking. The spice has a unique scent, flavor, and heat and adds hints of citrus, black pepper, and a savory pungency to dishes. It is a crucial ingredient in the frequently used Chinese ‘five spice’ mix. Resin from the plant’s bark and roots is used traditionally as a powerful stimulant and tonic. In the fall, leaves turn a vivid yellow, adding seasonal interest in the garden and an attractive contrast to the red fruits. Chinese prickly ash grows best in full sun or part shade and prefers moist, well-drained soils. It is an attractive multi-faceted small tree whose leaves and peppercorns are both useful and bring a unique fragrance to the sunny garden. At Bedrock Gardens, Chinese prickly ash can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden.  

Red Cauli Sedum

Red Cauli Sedum, Sedum telephium “Red Cauli”  
The vivid hot pink flower clusters of Red Cauli sedum draw and catch the eye of anyone that sees them in the late summer garden. Resembling small (4”) heads of bright pink cauliflower (the inspiration for the cultivar name), the flowers are a striking contrast to the plant’s deep red stems and blue-green leaves tinged with purple. Red Cauli is colorful all season long – in the spring, plants form an arching mound 12-18” high of purple-red stems holding notched blue-green succulent leaves that become flushed with purple as they grow; in mid-summer, abundant clusters of pale pink flower buds develop and open in late summer to reveal the tiny star-like, intensely pink flowers, which gradually deepen to a deep rich ruby red; by the fall, maroon seeds have developed and add an accent to the autumn garden. With a lengthy bloom season running from late July into October, all four flower stages can be seen on plants at times. The mature deep red flowers are some of the darkest developed in sedums and the closest to a true red color in the group. The bright raspberry and deep red flowers attract a variety of pollinators such as bumblebees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Like all sedums, Red Cauli prefers full to part sun and average to dry soils, although it tolerates some moisture; plant coloration deepens as the amount of sun increases. With its succulent, water-storing leaves, Red Cauli and other sedums are highly drought resistant. An outstanding plant in all seasons that becomes a true feature of the late summer garden, Red Cauli sedum is a gorgeous and memorable addition to a sunny garden. At Bedrock Gardens, Red Cauli sedum can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. ​

Cutleaf Coneflower

Cutleaf Coneflower, Rudbeckia laciniata 
​Cutleaf coneflower is a tall lanky native perennial that produces large drooping lemon yellow flowers from late summer into the fall, brightening the autumn garden. Native to North America from most of southern Canada and throughout the lower 48 US states except CA, NV, and OR, it grows in floodplains, moist thickets, woodland edges, and along stream and riverbanks. In the garden it prefers similar conditions – full to part sun and moist well-drained soils. Cutleaf coneflower grows 3-10’ tall and spans 2-4’, and from late July into September features showy 2-3.5” bright yellow daisy-like flowers with drooping petals and domed green center flower disks that are held in loose clusters on the tall stems. The plants have long been cultivated for garden use and were introduced into Europe in the early 1600’s. Several well-known attractive cultivars have been produced (Hortensia, Goldquelle, Herbstsonne), some with increased petal numbers over the 6-12 typical of the species. Leaf shape varies along the stem; the large bottom leaves are deeply cut or divided with 3-7 toothed lobes (the source of the plant’s common name of “cutleaf”) and gradually become smaller, with few or no lobes at the top. The leaves are edible and native Americans ate the young stems and leaves either raw or cooked. Cutleaf coneflowers have a well-developed rhizome structure and can spread fairly aggressively, forming colonies of plants. The flowers are a nectar and pollen source for a variety of insects, including bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, and a number of fly species. The foliage also serves as a food source for assorted insects and after plants have died back, bees nest in the dead, hollow stems. In the fall, the flower cones change from green to yellow as they mature, eventually becoming golden brown seed heads that attract goldfinches and other small birds. With its clear yellow flowers held high on tall stems, cutleaf coneflower creates a long-lasting show over its lengthy bloom season, particularly in the partly shady areas it prefers, where its masses of bright blooms bring color and light. Although its natural ability to spread by rhizome growth limits its use in some garden settings, plants can provide erosion control and are an excellent choice in damp meadows, wildflower gardens, and shady woodlands where it can have room to expand. At Bedrock Gardens, cutleaf coneflower can be found in the Swaleway (#14) garden. 

Willow Gentian

Willow Gentian, Gentiana asclepiadea
One of the most beautiful flowers in the fall, willow gentian produces trumpet-shaped 2” flowers in a deep sapphire blue, a rare color in the garden. Native to mountains in Central and Eastern Europe to Turkey and Iran, Western Asia, and Siberia to North America, its original habitat was open montane woodlands, forest edges, moist meadows, and streambanks. In the garden, willow gentian prefers partial sun or open shade and rich moist, well-drained soil, conditions similar to its native environment, and is thought to be one of the easier gentians to grow. It is one of the larger species in its genus, producing gracefully arching stems that grow from a central mound to roughly 2-3’. Leaves grow in pairs along the stem, are lance-shaped, smooth, and glossy; they are the source of the plant’s common name since they were thought to resemble willow leaves. In late summer into fall, clusters of 2 or 3 flower buds develop in each of the leaf axils in the center of the stems that then open into the deep “gentian” blue flowers, pointing upward and outward along the long stems. Willow gentian has a long history of use in traditional medicine dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, and was thought to have both anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effects. Plants have also been used to make herbal bitters and flowers can be used to produce a blue dye. In addition, willow gentian figures in traditional folklore, where it was thought to have magical properties, protect from evil spirits, and bring good luck. Flowers are a valuable source of late season nectar for a number of pollinating insects such as bees, butterflies, and moths. Leaves are used as a food source by caterpillars of swallowtail butterflies. Willow gentian is a beautiful perennial for the fall garden where its graceful stems laden with brilliant sapphire flowers make it a seasonal highlight. Outstanding in any shady garden, planting willow gentian on a slope where its arching stems can create a flowering cascade is particularly lovely. Long-lived and not particularly fussy about growing conditions, it makes an exceptional addition to the fall garden. At Bedrock Gardens, willow gentian can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden.

Anise Hyssop

Anise Hyssop, Agastache foeniculum
Blooming from mid-summer into fall, anise hyssop produces 3-6” tall flower stalks tightly packed with whorls of small (1/3”) unscented soft lavender to violet purple flowers that are absolute pollinator magnets. A single plant is capable of generating upwards of 90,000 flowers. Considered one of the best native plants for a variety of pollinators, anise hyssop attracts butterflies, bumblebees, honey bees, carpenter bees, a number of  species of moths, and hummingbirds. Since blossoms open over a long blooming period, they assure a lengthy nectar and pollen season. Native to prairies, dry forests, and fields in the upper Midwest into Canada, anise hyssop is a member of the mint family that forms a clump 2-4’ high and roughly 1-3’ wide, growing from a small taproot through rhizome spread. Plants also self-seed readily. Anise hyssop prefers full or partial sun and average to dry soils and once established, is drought tolerant. The foliage grows on square stems and is fragrant; both are characteristics of the mint family. Leaves smell like licorice or anise and are the inspiration for the plant’s common name. They can be used in herbal teas, as flavoring in jelly, in salads, or when dried, in potpourri. Flower spikes make attractive additions to fresh or dried flower arrangements. Native American populations used the plants for cough, fever, and diarrhea relief, and for wound treatment. A reliable and hardy native plant with delightfully scented foliage and showy flower stalks that both contribute a vertical accent to the garden and appeal to pollinators, anise hyssop is wonderful addition to a sunny garden. At Bedrock Gardens, anise hyssop can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden.

Week of August 25th

Henry Eilers Sweet Black-eyed Susan

Cherry Brandy Black-eyed Susan

Leopard Plant

Laceflower, Golden Lace

Flowering Spurge

Henry Eilers Sweet Black-eyed Susan

​Henry Eilers Sweet Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia subtomentosa “Henry Eilers” 
A black-eyed susan that has an entirely different look than every other black-eyed susan, Henry Eilers sweet black-eyed susan is a distinctive and eye-catching addition to a sunny garden. This distinctiveness is created by the shape of its yellow petals, which are rolled and fused rather than flat. This gives the flowers a quilled effect and results in flowers that rather resemble spiky asterisks or pinwheels. Sweet black-eyed susans are native to the Central US where they grow in moist to wet prairies, woodland edges, and creekbanks. A natural genetic variation, the Henry Eilers black-eyed susan was found in Southern Illinois in a prairie remnant adjacent to a railroad by Henry Eilers, a horticulturist and retired nurseryman, and was named after him. The “sweet” in its common name is taken from the sweet vanilla scent emitted by its leaves when crushed. Henry Eilers grows best in full sun and prefers average to moist soils but can tolerate part-sun, heat, high humidity, and clay. Rich soils however, may make the tall plants flop. Henry Eilers grows about 4-6’ tall and spans about 2-3’. A shorter cultivar, logically enough named “Little Henry”, has been bred which only grows to roughly 3’, a useful height for the front of the garden. Henry Eilers produces masses of 2-3” lemon yellow flowers with chocolate brown center cones from late summer into the late fall. Although the flowers of sweet black-eyed susans have little scent, they attract a host of different bees, beetles, and butterflies and are an important late-season nectar and pollen source. Flowers make excellent and long-lasting cut flowers and if let go to seed, are consumed by birds in the fall. Henry Eilers is a reliable and long-blooming native perennial that brings a unique and completely different look to a sunny garden. Its amusing and cheery flowers catch the eye and the plants are beautiful both in large plantings or as a distinctive late-season accent in many types of gardens. At Bedrock Gardens, Henry Eilers sweet black-eyed susans can be found in the Funnel (#13) and Garish (#21) gardens. 

Cherry Brandy Black-eyed Susan

​Cherry Brandy Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta “Cherry Brandy” 
A stalwart of the mid- to late summer garden, black-eyed susans are beautiful daisy-like plants that most gardeners would hate to do without. They are native to sunny open woods, prairies, and meadows throughout Eastern and Central North America and have become naturalized in the west. The Rubeckia hirta species has been extensively hybridized, resulting in a range of attractive cultivars with additional petals, shapes, and colors such as the Chim Chiminee variety, found elsewhere in Bedrock Gardens. But the Cherry Brandy black-eyed susan is the first red cultivar, introduced in the early 2020s. Cherry Brandy is a bicolor, sporting deep red petals that darken to a mahogany red around a chocolate brown center cone. The flowers are 3-4” across, and like the original species, plants are in bloom from mid-summer into fall, when many other perennials begin to fade. Growing 18-24” tall and roughly 12-18” wide, Cherry Brandy prefers full sun but grows well in a range of well-drained soils; plants can tolerate heat and drought. Black-eyed susans can be biennials or short-lived perennials but are winter-hardy throughout USDA zones 3-7. Because it self-sows easily and comes true to type from seed, Cherry Brandy can maintain a presence in the garden even if individual plants die. Flowers can be deadheaded to encourage additional blooming and in part because they are held on sturdy stems, the blooms make excellent cut flowers. Like the original species, Cherry Brandy attracts a wide variety of pollinators – butterflies, moths, and bees, and can serve as a host for the larvae of a number of butterfly species. In the fall, goldfinches and other birds eat the seeds. Cherry Brandy black-eyed susan is a bold and beautiful addition to the sunny garden. It retains the reliability and easy care of the original species but extends its color range, interest, and ability to add contrast with other plants. At Bedrock Gardens, Cherry Brandy black-eyed susan can be found in the Garish (#21) garden. ​

Leopard Plant

Leopard Plant, Ligularia dentata “Desdemona” 
​Leopard plant is an impressively hefty perennial whose most ornamental feature may be its striking purplish coarse foliage. The serrated leathery round leaves emerge in spring as dark purple, then turn deep green with touches of purple, purple undersides, and purple stems as the season progresses, growing up to 12” wide. “Desdemona” is a cultivar introduced in 1940 with this enhanced purple foliage coloring instead of the uniform green seen in the species and is grown as much for this attractive dark colored foliage as for its flowers.  Leopard plant is native to mountainous areas in China and Japan where it grows in damp woodlands and along streambanks. In the garden, it prefers shade to part shade and moist to wet soils, conditions similar to its original habitat. Plants grow roughly 3-5’ tall and 3’ wide, sending up thick purple/red flower stalks in the early summer bearing large buds which open to reveal ragged 2-3” orange-yellow daisy-like flowers in clusters. Blooming in late July and August, the flower spikes contrast dramatically with the purple foliage and add a bold accent to the garden. The colorful coarse-textured leaves alone have a decorative, almost shrub-like presence in the garden. The plant’s dark shading and bold large scale make a highly ornamental statement in the shady garden. At Bedrock Gardens, Desdemona leopard plant can be found in the Garish (#21) garden. 

Laceflower, Golden Lace

Laceflower, Golden Lace, Patrinia monandra  
Producing a tall lacy haze of chartreuse-yellow flowers from mid-summer through early fall, laceflower is a member of the carrot family whose color makes all neighboring plants look better and shine brighter. Native to grasslands, thickets, and forest edges from the central Himalayas to China and Taiwan, its basal clump of jagged leaves sprouts 3-4’ highly branched flower stalks in the early summer.  The red-flushed stalks yield an abundance of small five-petalled lemon yellow-lime green flowers in dense flat-topped clusters in mid- to late July. These long-lasting flowers are followed by equally long-lasting and attractive chartreuse seed heads, not greatly different in color than the flowers. This gives the appearance that the plants have been in bloom for months and extends their seasonal interest. The flowers appeal to a range of insect pollinators including bees and butterflies and are a source of late season nectar and pollen. The old bleached seedheads can be an attractive accent in the winter garden. Laceflower prefers full sun to light shade and average moisture levels; it is a biennial (flowering in its 2nd year) or short-lived perennial. Plants will self-seed however to perpetuate their presence in the garden. Laceflower resembles several other species in its genus, particularly Patrinia scabiosifolia, also called golden lace. Laceflower blooms slightly earlier, grows slightly shorter (3-4’ rather than 4-6’), and blooms at several levels on its flower stalk rather than mostly at the plant top. Laceflower is an unusual perennial with a long season of interest in the sunny garden. Its lime yellow flowers and seedheads flatter other summer and fall flower colors and the airy see-through structure of the flowerheads means that neighboring plants are not obstructed. At Bedrock Gardens, laceflower can be found in the Garish (#21) garden. ​

Flowering Spurge

Flowering Spurge, Euphorbia corollata 
​Blooming from early summer into the fall, flowering spurge lends a fluffy cloud effect to the garden when in blossom, similar to the look of baby’s breath. In fact, another of the plant’s common names is “baby breath of the prairies”. A native from southeast Canada and the central and eastern United States, flowering spurge originally grew in open woods, rocky clearings, and dry prairies. In a garden it prefers full sun to part shade and well-drained dry soils but will tolerate virtually any soil type or quality as long as drainage is good. Plants grow up to roughly 3’ tall and span about 1.5-2’. The growing pattern of the leaves is rather distinctive – leaves alternate from side to side along the stem but then below the flower, change to a whorl around the stem of 3 or more leaves. The flowers are quite small, about ¼”, and are surrounded by 5 white bracts that look like petals but are actually modified leaves, much in the way that the small poinsettia flowers are surrounded by red bracts. The flowers bloom from early to late summer and are produced in great profusion, so much so that reportedly the sheer weight of them can tip a plant to one side. Like other spurges, flowering spurge has a milky sap that can be irritating to the skin and eyes. Native Americans used the plant medicinally in a variety of ways – among them as a laxative, a salve for sores, a pin worm treatment, and a treatment for urinary tract problems. The pollen and nectar-rich flowers attract a number of different pollinators including bees, wasps, flies, and butterflies, and serve as an important nectar source for the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly. In the fall, the foliage turns an appealing red and seeds are eaten by wild turkeys and several other species of birds. Flowering spurge will spread through rhizome growth and self-seeding but not aggressively. The airy clouds of abundant white flowers make flowering spurge a beautiful companion to other plants in the garden and make it a gorgeous long-lasting addition to cut flower arrangements. The combination of its ornamental flowers, low maintenance requirements, and wildlife value add up to a useful and attractive plant that can find a spot in many gardens. At Bedrock Gardens, flowering spurge can be found in the Garish (#21) garden. 

Week of August 18th

Baldwin's Ironweed

Blackberry Lily

Hairy Balls

Korean Angelica

Papyrus, Paper Reed

Rosinweed, Whole-leaf Rosinweed

Korean Angelica

Korean Angelica, Purple Angelica, Angelica gigas
Korean angelica is an amazing architectural plant that never fails to draw attention in the garden. It is both quite large (5-6’ tall, 2-4’ wide) and its stems and flowers are a deep rich plum color which stands out beautifully against the plants around it. Native to streambanks, forest edges, and meadows in Korea, China, and Japan, it grows best in full sun to part shade and rich average to moist soils. Korean angelica is a biennial, meaning it takes 2 years to bloom and then dies, or a short-lived perennial. However, it self-seeds well, so its presence in the garden is maintained. In mid-summer the substantial maroon-purple stems elongate to 5 or 6’ and produce dramatic very large flower buds that split open in mid-August to reveal 6-8” broadly domed flowerheads made up of intense dark plum small flowers. The flowers are nectar-rich and are highly attractive to a wide range of bees, butterflies, and wasps. The flowerheads make spectacular additions to cut flower arrangements because of their size and coloration. Blooming continues for several weeks, until roughly mid-September, and is followed by the formation of interesting seed capsules in late September. The roots of Korean angelica have been used in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine for anemia, pain, infection, menstrual pain, and rheumatism. Chemical analysis suggests that the roots contain a range of compounds that appear to have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activity. Korean angelica is a bold and dramatic addition to the garden. Its deep rich coloration is highly ornamental, particularly since it blooms late in the season when many flowers have finished, and its large scale contrasts beautifully to small, finer textured plants. At Bedrock Gardens, Korean angelica can be found in the Garish (#21) garden.

Papyrus, Paper Reed

Papyrus, Paper Reed, Cyperus papyrus
Papyrus is a tall tropical perennial that brings a striking, exotic look to a sunny garden. Native throughout Africa where it grows in swamps and along river and lake margins, it is the plant used by ancient Egyptians to produce papyrus, one of the world’s first papers. Papyrus has now been introduced around the globe and while seldom used for paper, can be eaten or used to make traditional small boats. Both adaptable and a vigorous grower, papyrus has become invasive in FL and has naturalized in LA, CA, and HI. It has more recently become popular as an ornamental plant. Although plants in the wild can reach 16’, ornamental cultivars have been bred to be shorter and more in scale for gardens. Varieties such as “King Tut” or “Baby Tut” can grow quite rapidly but only to 3-5’ or so. Papyrus grows as a clump, producing a dense cluster of strong triangular stems from woody rhizomes. New rhizomes and stem bases have papery brownish scales which are actually the much reduced leaves. Each stem is topped by an umbrella-like flowerhead cluster that is made up of abundant (100+) thin shiny bright-green rays and resembles a feather duster. This can grow to 4-12” across and develops individual brown-green flower clusters at the ends of the rays. The flowers eventually form seeds, brown nut-like fruits. Papyrus prefers moist soils, as might be expected, but will thrive with average moisture. It also prefers full sun, which aids in keeping the tall stems stiff and straight. With its fireworks-like flowerheads on tall stems, papyrus makes a dramatic addition to the garden as well as to flower arrangements, lending both a tropical and exotic air. It is also beautiful and highly appropriate in water features. At Bedrock Gardens, papyrus can be found in the Garish (#21) garden.

Rosinweed, Whole-leaf Rosinweed

Rosinweed, Whole-leaf Rosinweed, Silphium integrifolium
Rosinweed is a tall sunflower look-alike that produces large lemon yellow flowers from mid-summer through early fall. Native to eastern and central North America from Ontario south to Alabama and as far west as New Mexico, it originally grew in prairies and meadows. Growing from a deep taproot to 6-7’, it is tall but somewhat shorter than other rosinweed species which can reach as much as 12’ tall. Rosinweed prefers full sun but is adaptable to a range of soil types and is highly tolerant to drought due to its taproot. Small rhizomes grow from the taproot, enabling it to spread and it can form colonies, but not aggressively. The basal leaves wither away by the time the plant flowers, but leaves on the stems remain. These are stemless and arranged opposite each other and give the appearance that the stem emerges from a single leaf; they are the inspiration for the plant’s species name “integrifolium”, meaning “whole leaf”. Flowers are 2-3” in diameter and have yellow petals as well as a yellow center disk. Their nectar attracts a variety of bees, butterflies, and moths. Plants are used by gall wasps to overwinter developing larvae. Rosinweed was used in a number of ways by native American populations – roots were used as a pain killer and its fragrant rosin was used as a chewing gum; the source of its common name. Rosinweed is currently under development for use as an oil source and as livestock forage. It is also under consideration as a companion plant in solar panel farms since it is adaptable and attractive, needs little maintenance, and can form colonies. Rosinweed is a tough native plant that needs little care and produces showy cheery daisy-like flowers that attract pollinators over a long growing season. It is a lovely addition to a sunny meadow or wildflower garden. At Bedrock Garden, rosinweed can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden.

Baldwin's Ironweed

Baldwin’s Ironweed, Western Ironweed, Vernonia baldwinii
Baldwin’s ironweed is a tall (3-5’) native perennial that in mid to late summer produces an abundance of large flattened clusters of showy vivid reddish-purple or magenta small flowers. Flowering occurs at the top of the stem, can be a foot across or more, and is composed of a complex branching pattern of separate flowerheads. The flowerheads appear rather fluffy since they are made up of just flower disks or centers, without any petals. Named for William Baldwin, an American botanist and physician who first collected it, Baldwin’s ironweed is native to the Midwest, from central Texas north to Nebraska and Iowa and east to Illinois and Arkansas. Although many other ironweeds prefer wetlands, Baldwin’s grows in drier soils in prairies, dry woods, meadows, and fields in full sun. It produces abundant rhizomes and can spread vigorously; some Western states consider it a pasture weed. Blooming into the late fall, the large flowerheads attract a variety of bees, butterflies, and other insects, and serve as an important late-season nectar source. Several moth species feed on the plant and goldfinches, among other birds, eat its seeds. Perhaps best suited for planting in natural areas, meadows, or wildflower gardens where its ability to spread and form colonies can be accommodated, Baldwin’s ironweed provides a burst of intense color to sunny areas late in the season, lasting until chilling temperatures begin to close down garden growth. At Bedrock Gardens, Baldwin’s ironweed can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden.

Blackberry Lily

Blackberry Lily, Iris domestica (previously Belamcanda chinensis)
Although the plants are similar in appearance to irises, in mid-summer the blackberry lily blooms beautiful yellow to orange 2” flowers spotted with crimson speckles that look very much like lilies, not irises. This somewhat confusing mix of characteristics led to a 2005 scientific reclassification based on DNA evidence, moving the plant from its own genus into the Iris family to which it was shown to be related; since its old species name was already taken, the blackberry lily received both new genus and species names. Native to sunny grasslands, meadows, and open forests in India, Russia, China, and Japan, the appeal of its gorgeous flowers has increased its global distribution, with introductions to Europe in the 1700’s and to North America and the Caribbean in the 1800’s. Like many irises, blackberry lilies grow flat sword shaped leaves in a fan roughly 2-3’ tall from tuberous rhizomes. Taller branching flower sprays arise from the fan, each bearing 3-12 flowers. Each individual bloom may only last a day but the plants produce a succession of blooms over the weeks-long bloom season from mid- through late summer. After flowering, bulbous seed pods are formed which mature in the fall, splitting open to reveal shiny black seeds that look very much like blackberries; the inspiration for the plant’s common name. The attractive seedheads extend the plant’s seasonal appeal and can be an interesting addition to dried flower arrangements. Although blackberry lilies tend to be a relatively short-lived perennial, the plants spread fairly easily from both rhizome growth and self-seeding and can create a continuous patch. Blackberry lilies prefer full sun to light shade and well-drained soils and can be tolerant of some drought once established. Their rhizomes have a long history of medicinal use, particularly in China, where they have been used to treat sore throat, coughing and other lung conditions. Modern work suggests that compounds in the rhizomes may have a range of physiological properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, and anti-tumor effects. Blackberry lily is an excellent addition to the sunny garden - it is a tough and adaptable perennial with unusual, striking flowers and its fans of foliage and its conspicuous seedheads add interest and contrast. At Bedrock Gardens, blackberry lilies can be found in the Barn (#17) and Garish (#21) gardens.

Hairy Balls

Hairy Balls, Bishop’s Balls, Swan Plant, Balloon Plant, Gomphocarpus physocarpus
Although hairy balls milkweed blooms in mid- to late summer, it is the large round spiny lime-green seed pods that develop in the late summer that capture attention and make it an object of interest in the garden. These seed pods give the plant several of its rather whimsical names and are the main reason to grow it in gardens. Native to southeast African grasslands and bushlands, hairy balls milkweed now grows wild in many tropical and sub-tropical areas. It prefers areas in full sun with well-drained soils and is drought tolerant. Its flowers are not particularly showy and resemble those of other milkweed species. They bloom in drooping clusters made up of several small (about ½“), waxy white star-shaped flowers that have a faint vanilla scent. Although the flower nectar attracts many different types of butterflies, bees, and other insects, flowers can only be pollinated by vespid wasps and hornets. After pollination, the quirky seed pods begin development, becoming softly inflated balloon-like structures covered in soft hair-like spines and reaching the size of limes or tennis balls. Rather amazing. Stems with these seed pods make an exotic addition to floral arrangements. When mature in the fall, the seed pods release numerous seeds with tufts of silky hairs for dispersal, similar to our native milkweed. Hairy balls can reach 4-6’ tall and span 2-3’ and is perennial only in USDA zones greater than 8-10. The plant has a milky latex sap and is toxic to cattle, sheep, horses, donkeys, and pigs. Like other milkweeds, it is a valuable food source for Monarch butterfly caterpillars, who use the sap to decrease palatability of the mature butterfly. A sure conversation starter, hairy balls milkweed is quite an unusual and fascinating addition to a sunny garden. At Bedrock gardens, hairy balls milkweed can be found in many locations – among them, the Garish (#21), Barn (#17), Ping, and Welcome Court (#1) gardens.

Week of August 11th

Sweet Pepperbush, Summersweet

Ox-eye Sunflower, False Sunflower

Joe Pye Weed

Cream Pincushions, Cream Pincushion Flower

Chinese Meadow Rue

Broom Corn

Cream Pincushions, Cream Pincushion Flower

Cream Pincushions, Cream Pincushion Flower, Scabiosa ochroleuca
Cream pincushions produce great masses of small (2-3”) creamy light yellow flowers on wiry multi-branching slender stems that blend beautifully in a sunny garden border. Native to Europe and western Asia where it grows in grasslands and meadows, it grows and flowers best in full sun. Cream pincushions form an airy clump of lacy grey-green foliage that grows roughly 1.5-3’ tall. With a long taproot, it can adapt to a range of soils moistures, from average to dry, making it easy to grow and requiring little maintenance. Cream pincushion flower blooms from mid-summer well into the fall; deadheading can promote more flowering. After flowering, cream pincushions form interesting seedpods resembling spiky balls, which add appeal and may be the inspiration for its common name. Plants will happily self-seed. The delicate and distinctive flowers are highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators and also make an excellent cut flower, lending a wildflower air to bouquets. Cream pincushion’s soft buttercream-colored flowers are produced in great numbers over its long bloom season and bring a graceful lightness to the garden, blending well with other pastel perennials and contrasting with larger-scale plants. Cream pincushion flower is a hardy, low maintenance plant that covers itself over its long growing season with an abundance of flowers that draw pollinators and can be used in rock gardens, sunny borders, and many other settings. At Bedrock Gardens, cream pincushions can be found in the Straight and Narrow (#15) garden.

Chinese Meadow Rue

Chinese Meadow Rue, Thalictrum delavayi
Blossoming in airy clouds of dark lavender flowers on tall wiry purple stems, Chinese meadow rue makes an unforgettable impression in a partly sunny flowerbed. Native to streambanks and shaded mountains in western China, Myanmar, and Tibet, it prefers part shade and well-drained, humus-rich soils and fares poorly in areas with hot humid summers. Growing as a tall (5’) and narrow (2’) dense clump of fine textured lacy foliage, Chinese meadow rue will sway gracefully in summer breezes. Foliage is blue-green and resembles that of maidenhair ferns. Blooming from mid-summer into fall, the lavender flowers have conspicuous creamy yellow long stamens and are nectar-rich, attracting bees and butterflies. Spectacular when planted in a group to emphasize its see-through clouds of airy flowers, Chinese meadow rue can also serve as a contrast to plants with larger-scale foliage or as an elegant tall accent plant. A beautiful addition to any shady garden, Chinese meadow rue brings sprays of gorgeous color, gentle movement, and an airy lightness to the landscape. At Bedrock Gardens, Chinese meadow rue can be found in the Straight and Narrow (#15) garden.

Broom Corn

Broom Corn, Broomcorn Sorghum; Sorghum bicolor var. technicum
With stalks rising as much as 15’ tall and topped with a large spray of seeds, broom corn makes its presence in a garden very obvious. Although its stalk looks like a corn stalk and its common name would suggest that it is some sort of corn, broom corn is actually a strain of sorghum, native to Central Africa and one of the world’s most widely grown grains. Broom corn is one of 4 broad classes of sorghum that have been bred for different qualities: grain sorghum (for grain size and quality), sweet sorghum (for high stem sugar content and forage), grassy sorghum (for forage), and broom corn (for the length of the flower clusters used in manufacturing brooms and brushes). Like other sorghums, broom corn prefers full sun but is tolerant of heat, drought, and poor soils. Broom corn does not produce an ear like corn or a tight, seed-packed cluster like other sorghums, but rather has been bred to produce a long tassel-like spray of seeds. These long fibrous seed heads (panicles) can reach 3’ in length. Once the seeds are removed, panicles are bound into traditional brooms and brushes, a use that goes back many hundreds of years. Benjamin Franklin is credited with introducing broom corn to the United States in the early 1700s and it was grown as a crop on large scales through the 1800’s. In the garden, broom corn makes an unusual and highly ornamental accent and its nutritious seeds are loved by birds. If not being made into brooms, the seed head plumes are attractive in fresh or dried arrangements, wreaths, or other decorations. Once a center of broom corn agriculture, Arcola Il still holds an annual Broom Corn Festival. This year the festival is being held Sept. 5-7 and includes a National Broom Sweeping Contest, a 5K/10K race, a parade, and a concert. Sounds like fun… At Bedrock Gardens, broom corn can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden.

Sweet Pepperbush, Summersweet

Sweet Pepperbush, Summersweet, Clethra alnifolia
Sweet pepperbush is a densely-branched deciduous native shrub that produces abundant spikes of highly fragrant white flowers late in the summer, when few shrubs are blooming in the shade. Its natural habitats are wet forests, marshes, and streambanks from Maine to Florida and west to the eastern edge of Texas, so in cultivation it prefers shade to partly shady areas with moist soil. Sweet pepperbush grows to roughly 3-6’ tall and spans a similar width. In conditions similar to its native environment, it will produce suckers and eventually form colonies or thickets. Blooming on 2-6” spikes from the bottom to the top, the white or pale pink flowers have a strong sweet scent and produce a high-quality nectar. This makes them very attractive to hummingbirds and a host of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators at a time when nectar sources are becoming less abundant. Seeds in the fall are consumed by birds and the foliage turns a golden yellow, adding seasonal appeal. Hybrids have been developed with smaller sizes, stronger pink flower color, and more flower spikes. Sweet pepperbush makes an outstanding addition to shade or woodland gardens since its white flowers contribute a bright accent. If planted near a deck or patio, the late summer bloom fragrance can be enjoyed by the gardener. A dependable and tough native shrub with the highly valuable ability to bloom abundant, highly scented flowers in late summer in the shade, sweet pepperbush makes an attractive shrub for many types of gardens. At Bedrock Gardens, sweet pepperbush can be found in the Swaleway (#14) garden.

Ox-eye Sunflower, False Sunflower

Ox-eye Sunflower, False Sunflower, Heliopsis helianthoides
Blooming profusely throughout the summer, the ox-eye sunflower is a cheery native perennial perfect for a sunny garden. Adaptable and easy to grow, it produces bright yellow daisy-like flowers on tall stems from early summer to the start of fall. Native to eastern and central North America from Saskatchewan to as far south as Texas and New Mexico, it grows wild in open woodlands, prairies, fields, and along roadsides. Ox-eye sunflower prefers full sun and reasonably moist soil, but is highly adaptable. The plants are a substantial presence in the garden, growing 3-5’ tall and roughly the same width. Produced in great quantities, flowers are 2-3” across, attract butterflies and other pollinators, and make excellent cut flowers. Deadheading will extend blooming. A variety of song birds enjoy the seeds in the fall. A number of highly successful cultivars have been developed, several of which are also in Bedrock Gardens. They vary widely in plant size, petal number, and bloom color. Between its joyful abundant flowers, hardiness, ease of growth, and appeal to pollinators, the ox-eye sunflower has all the characteristics that make it an outstanding choice for a sunny garden. At Bedrock Gardens, ox-eye sunflowers can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden.

Joe Pye Weed

Joe Pye Weed, Eutrochium maculatum (Atropurpureum Group) “Gateway”
An absolute butterfly magnet in the garden, Gateway Joe Pye Weed is a tall native perennial thought to be one of the best plants for attracting pollinators and other wildlife. The genus is native to North American marshes, wet meadows, and damp forest edges and includes several similar species that can hybridize and can be difficult to clearly tell apart. The “Gateway” cultivar is more compact than the species (growing to 4-6’ rather than 7’ or so) with tighter and thicker flower heads, but it retains the species’ attractive wine-red stem coloration and its mauve pink flower color. The leaves grow in whorls of 4-5 and also have an attractive dark red shading in their center when young. Blooming from mid-summer to early fall, the showy large flower heads (12-18” in diameter) are composed of small dusky-pink or mauve purple individual flowers. Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators are enticed by these nectar-rich flowers and the plant is a larval host for a number of moth species. In the fall and winter, the seed heads are highly ornamental, particularly when snow-covered, and are a food source for small birds. Joe Pye Weed grows best in sunny to part shade areas with moist to wet well-drained soils, and can form small colonies by rhizome growth. Familiar to native Americans, who used Joe Pye Weed in treatments for digestive, urinary, kidney, and women’s reproductive problems, the plant is thought to be named after a Stockbridge, Massachusetts Mohican sachem named Joseph Shauquethqueat in the 18th and early 19th century who was known to his white neighbors as Joe Pye. Big, bold, and beautiful, Gateway Joe Pye Weed has a garden presence that gets attention from humans as well as wildlife. Its height, colorful stems, and substantial frothy flower heads make it a valuable garden addition as a dramatic accent, a backdrop in a border, or in a large group planting in a meadow. At Bedrock Gardens, Gateway Joe Pye Weed can be found in the Swaleway (#14) and Garish (#21) gardens.

Week of August 4th

Phenomenal Lavender

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Verrone's Obsidian Dahlia

Glory Bush, Passion Flower

Wild Petunia

Verrone's Obsidian Dahlia

Verrone’s Obsidian Dahlia, Dahlia “Verrone’s Obsidian”
Verrone’s Obsidian dahlia is an unusual and striking hybrid that is almost unrecognizable as a dahlia. Named after the deep velvety wine-red, nearly black, color of its petals, it is beautiful in a garden bed or bouquet, where it adds contrast and drama. The deep rich color of the petals also contrasts with the warm yellow flower centers, and the 8 rolled and reflexed petals form a 3-4” star-shaped flower. Dahlias are bushy tuberous perennials native to Mexico and South America and must be dug and lifted from gardens in areas colder than USDA zones 8-11. Well known to the Aztecs and other South American peoples, dahlias were brough to Europe by the Spanish where they have been highly hybridized. There are about 42 species of dahlias (a subject of some debate) and today varieties have flowers in every color under the rainbow aside from blue and in sizes ranging from less than 1” up to 12” or more. Introduced in 2011, Verrone’s Obsidian has an appealing combination of striking unusual blooms, hardiness, and prolific, easy growth. It prefers full sun and rich well-drained soil, like all dahlias, and grows 2-3’ tall and roughly 1.5-2’ wide by the end of the season. It blooms from mid-summer to the first frost and cutting the flowers stimulates additional blooming. Verrone’s Obsidian makes a dramatic addition to a sunny border and its unusual blooms make long-lasting cut flowers that add interest and contrast to arrangements. At Bedrock Gardens, Verrone’s Obsidian dahlias can be found in the Straight and Narrow (#15) garden.

Karley Rose Chinese Fountain Grass

Karley Rose Chinese Fountain Grass

Karley Rose Chinese Fountain Grass, Pennisetum orientale (or Cenchrus orientalis) “Karley Rose”
Called the most famous fountain grass, the Karley Rose Chinese fountain grass cultivar is a stunning ornamental grass whose abundant rose-pink flower spikes catch the light and glow in the garden. The species is native to Asia and derives its common name from the growth of the flower spikes which spring upward and outward from the upright basal leaf clump like water spraying from a fountain. The basal leaves grow roughly 18” tall with flower spikes rising above, to 2.5’-3’ tall. The Karley Rose cultivar was found roughly 20 yrs ago (2002) in CT, growing in a planting of the species and was named after the grower’s daughter, Karley Rose. It has larger, fuller, and darker smoky pink flower plumes than the species, as well as a longer bloom season and greater cold tolerance; hardy to USDA zone 5a where NH is located. It prefers full sun but grows in average to dry soils. Quick to establish and  drought tolerant once established, Karley Rose’s lengthy bloom period goes from early to mid- summer into fall. The foliage changes to a tannish straw-yellow in the fall and remains attractive into the winter. Karley Rose is beautiful planted in containers, as an accent in the garden, or in mass plantings. Its many flower spikes catch the glow of the sun and sway in the breeze, creating both interest and movement in the garden. At Bedrock Gardens, the Karley Rose Chinese fountain grass can be found by the Belgian Fence (#20).

Burning Hearts False Sunflower

Burning Hearts False Sunflower

Burning Hearts False Sunflower, Ox-Eye Daisy, Heliopsis helianthoides “Burning Hearts”
Burning hearts false sunflower is a showy daisy-like perennial that brightens any sunny garden. Introduced in 2016, it is a cultivar of our native oxeye daisy or false sunflower that originally grew in woodland edges, prairies, and along roadsides across the central and eastern US and Canada. Its common name of false sunflower reflects its similarity to the true sunflower, a close relative. Burning hearts produces abundant 2-3” flowers composed of golden yellow petals with a vibrant tomato red ring around the cone-shaped brownish-yellow center. Its leaves and stems are an attractive dark green and purple and provide a beautiful contrast to the vivid flowers. The flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators, and birds, particularly finches, eat the seeds in the fall. Bloom season is long, from early summer to mid-fall, and spent flowers can be removed to extend flowering. Blossoms are long-lasting when cut. Burning Hearts grows as an upright clump to about 3-4’ and prefers full sun and medium to dry, well-drained soils but is quite adaptable to both moist and dry areas. Hardy and easy to grow, burning hearts supplies an abundance of bright blooms to the garden over several months and is an outstanding native addition to any sunny border. At Bedrock Gardens, burning hearts false sunflower can be found in the Garish (#21) garden.

Phenomenal Lavender

Phenomenal Lavender, Lavandula x intermedia “Phenomenal”
Evocative of Provençe and glowing purple fields of highly scented herbs in the warm sunshine, lavender in the garden brings a touch of France to NH. Part of the mint family which includes other highly scented herbs such as thyme, rosemary, and basil, lavender is native along the coast of the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East, South Asia, and India, where it thrives in full sun and well-drained, dry soils. With roughly 47 species, there are varieties that offer diverse bloom times, flower forms, sizes, and levels of cold tolerance. Lavender species are commonly broken into 5 basic types, based largely upon these characteristics - English, French, Spanish,  Portuguese, and Lavandin (hybrids of English and Portuguese lavenders). English and Lavandin lavenders are most familiar to those of us in more northern latitudes since they are able to grow in England in climates similar to the US (USDA zones 5-10). Lavadin types combine the English lavender cold tolerance with the heat tolerance found in Portuguese lavender. They tend to grow faster and larger than English lavender but have retained its fragrance and hardiness. The Lavandin lavender “Phenomenal” was discovered in 2007 as a single anomalous plant growing in a lavandin bed in PA. It appears to be the toughest cultivar ever found, highly tolerant of high heat and harsh winters and resistant to high humidity, a lavender bane. Phenomenal grows quickly to 2.5-3’ tall and roughly 2-2.5’ wide and blooms in mid- to late summer in whorls of small highly fragrant bright purple-blue flowers on 5” spikes held above its mounded grey-green scented foliage. It often produces a second flush of flowers in the late summer and early fall. Like all lavenders, it prefers full sun and well-drained, light sandy soils with fairly low fertility. For hundreds of years, lavender has been used in many ways and owes its common name in fact to the Latin word “lavo” (to wash) due its early use in scenting bathing water. Its beloved flower and foliage fragrance is used in essential oils, soaps, candles, and aromatherapy and some lavenders find their way into the kitchen. Phenomenal and other Lavandin hybrids are generally not eaten, but both flowers and foliage are used in sachets and potpourri. It is little surprise that since its discovery, Phenomenal lavender has achieved great popularity. It is a celebrated, beautiful, and tough plant that can add sweeps of scented color in the late summer garden and it pleases the senses on many levels. At Bedrock Gardens, Phenomenal lavender can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) as well as at the base of the Belgian Fence (#20).

Glory Bush, Passion Flower

Glory Bush, Princess Flower, Pleroma (previously Tibouchina) urvilleana
Glory bush is a loose tropical evergreen shrub from Brazil whose dramatically beautiful royal purple flowers make it the center of attention in any garden. Blooming from mid-summer into the fall, its 3” flowers are complemented by 3-6” soft velvety elliptical leaves with prominent veins and red edges, contributing additional color. Flower buds are also a velvety red. As a native of the tropics, glory bush is hardy only in USDA zones greater than 9 and in areas such as NH with winter temperatures below about 37o F, it must be moved indoors or treated as an annual. Although usually grown as a shrub (3-6’ tall), in some warmer areas of the US it can grow large enough to form a small tree, 10-20’ tall. Glory bush prefers full sun and well-drained acidic soils and can spread by suckers in warm regions.  A spectacular sight when in full bloom, glory bush brings exuberant tropical color to our temperate zone gardens, if only for our all-too-brief summers. At Bedrock Gardens, glory bush can be found in the Barn (#17) gardens and in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden.

Wild Petunia

Wild Petunia, Hairy Wild Petunia; Ruellia humilis
Abundant light purple petunia-like blooms decorate the wild petunia, an adaptable easy-care low growing native perennial, for most of the summer. Originally found in prairies, meadows, and open woodlands throughout the eastern US as far north as MN, south to FL, and west to TX, wild petunia grows in sun to part-shade and in average to dry soils. Approximately 1-2’ tall, it blooms from mid- summer into early fall; each of its 1.5-2.5” flowers lasting only 1 day. Its leaves and trailing leggy stems are hairy and growth tends to be sprawling, making it an excellent groundcover. Wild petunia attracts a variety of bees and the trumpet-shaped flower appeals to hummingbirds as well as butterflies. It also serves as a host plant for caterpillars of the Common Buckeye and White Peacock butterflies. It can reseed enthusiastically, making it useful as an easy to grow plant that can fill seasonal voids in a garden or weave its way among or below other perennials; its use has increased recently as interest in native plants has grown. Wild petunia is a tough adaptable native that produces a bounty of gorgeous lavender flowers over a long period that are beautiful in the garden and support native insects and wildlife – a win/win for both humans and the environment. At Bedrock Gardens, wild petunia can be found at the CopTop (#25) garden.

Week of July 27th

Bottlebrush Buckeye

Castor Bean

Lizard’s Tail

Inherited Wealth Daylily

Frances Joiner Daylily

Bottlebrush Buckeye

Bottlebrush Buckeye, Aesculus parviflora
​Rated one of the best summer-blooming shrubs for the shade, bottlebrush buckeye produces spectacular 8-12” bloom clusters resembling bottlebrushes in the mid-summer. Native to Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida where it grows in moist woodlands and ravines, it happily grows farther north and is hardy to USDA zone 5, here in NH. Bottlebrush buckeye grows as a dense suckering multi-stemmed shrub to about 6-12’ and can slowly form a thicket. It requires little to no maintenance, tolerates some sun, and adapts to a range of soil moisture and pH levels. Its cylindrical blooms are made up of clusters of tubular white 4-petal flowers with
showy red anthers and long, filamentous stamens. Large and bold from a distance but fine and delicate when closely viewed, the flowers illuminate the shade. Assorted butterflies and other pollinators are attracted to the blooms, including monarchs and several species of swallowtails (spicebush swallowtail shown here). Hummingbirds also seek out the flowers. In areas south of NH, small inedible seeds (buckeyes) are produced after flowering. In the fall, the large palmate leaves turn a clear yellow and extend the seasonal appeal of bottlebrush buckeye. Outstanding in a shady shrub border or in the partly shaded understory of a forest, bottlebrush buckeye is an attractive native with multi-season charms and makes care-free attractive addition to the garden. At Bedrock Gardens, bottlebrush buckeye can be found adjacent to the Termi (#4) garden

Castor Bean

Castor Bean, Ricinus communis
​Looking a bit like a wacky plant out of a Dr. Suess book, castor bean is a striking fast-growing tropical plant that makes an exotic-looking addition to a sunny garden. Although its seed is called a castor bean and gives the plant its common name, castor bean is not actually a bean since the plant is not part of the pea or bean family. The seeds though are quite oil-rich and they served as a replacement for an oil used as a perfume base formerly obtained from beavers
(the genus “Castor”) – so castor bean is a plant whose common name is a misnomer – it is neither a beaver nor a bean. In addition to oil, castor seeds are also rich in the highly toxic protein ricin, which can be lethal to adults if only 4-8 seeds are consumed, making it among the most poisonous common plants. Because ricin is water-soluble rather than oil-soluble however, castor oil can be consumed safely and has been used medicinally in many cultures for thousands of years. Castor seed oil was also used in antiquity as a fuel in oil lamps and continues to be used today in many industrial applications – in paints, varnishes, motor oils, polishes, soaps, inks, and lubricants. Originally native to the southeastern Mediterranean basin area and India, castor bean is now grown worldwide for both ornamental and commercial purposes and it has become invasive in many warm areas, including the southwestern U.S. Its large (6-18”) palmate leaves have prominent central veins and 5-12 coarsely serrated leaflets that can come in a variety of colors (black-purplish, dark red-metallic, bronze-green, or maroon) depending upon the cultivar. Hybrids have also been developed with different levels of seed oil content and with flower colors other than the standard 8-18” fuzzy bright red clusters. In areas free of frost, castor bean can grow to heights of 40’ and even in temperate areas can reach 6-10’ in a season. With its bold star-shaped tropical-looking leaves, unusual brightly colored flowers, and impressive size, castor bean stands out in the garden and makes a dramatic contrast to any nearby plants. At Bedrock Gardens, castor bean can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. 

Lizard’s Tail

Lizard’s Tail, Saururus cernuus
Lizard’s tail is a shallow water emergent perennial that is native to freshwater marshes and wetland edges in eastern North America from FL to roughly Ontario. As an obligate aquatic plant, it requires high moisture levels and prefers shade to part-shade. Growing 2-3’ tall, it produces 4-12” long spikes of small white flowers in mid-summer and early fall that droop at the tip, inspiring its common name of lizard’s tail. Its genus name is also taken from its bloom since Saururus is derived from the Greek “sauros”, meaning “lizard”. Flower spikes have a pleasant scent described as citrusy or similar to that of sassafras; leaves are also fragrant, especially when disturbed. Native Americans used mashed lizard’s tail root medicinally, to treat fevers, aches, and inflammations, particularly of the back and breasts. Lizard’s tail creates a network of dense rhizomes in soils and can form substantial colonies. It has therefore been found useful in attempting to restore or create wetlands since it can hold sediments, limit erosion, and outcompete many weeds. Because colonies of lizard’s tail create a dense cover, they provide shelter and habitats for wildlife such as crayfish, frogs, turtles, and fish. An interesting and attractive addition to a wetland garden that promotes wildlife usage, lizard’s tail has many merits. At Bedrock Gardens, lizard’s tail can be found in the Tea House and Petit Pond (#29) garden.

Inherited Wealth Daylily

Inherited Wealth Daylily, Hemerocallis “Inherited Wealth” 
​Beloved by American gardeners for hundreds of years and found growing wild throughout most of the US, the common orange daylily is actually native to eastern Asia – China, Korea, Japan, and southern Siberia. Few perennials are easier to grow than daylilies, who only need about 6 hours of sunlight and fairly fertile soil to prosper. Thought to have first been introduced to Europe in the 1500’s by Silk Road traders, the daylily’s hardiness and beautiful flowers have now made them popular throughout the world. From Europe, they were carried to the US and Canada by early immigrants who valued their toughness, adaptability, and easy beauty. Although widely naturalized in North America by the early 1800’s, little work on hybridizing daylilies was undertaken until the late 1800’s. Since then, hybridization has accelerated, until by March 2025 roughly 110,000 daylily cultivars have been registered with the American Hemerocallis Society. The range of flower colors, sizes, and shapes has expanded greatly and now includes multi-colored patterns, increased petal numbers, and differences in petal shapes. Modern daylilies dazzle but still retain the plant’s basic adaptability and easy care. Recently many hybridizers have concentrated on producing varieties with an increased number of chromosomes since these plants tend to have sturdier scapes (flower stalks), thicker flowers and leaves, greater vigor, and an increased range of colors. Called “tetraploids”, these daylilies have twice the number of chromosomes of the natural species (diploids). Since 1996, all of the winners of the highest award given by the American Hemerocallis Society have been tetraploid cultivars. 
The Inherited Wealth daylily is a tetraploid variety bred by Robert W. Carr, MD of Ocala, FL and introduced in 1998. Described as having round “voluptuous” pink 5” blooms with a gold edge and a green throat, its top 3 petals are highly ruffled. Growing roughly 28” tall, it flowers relatively early in the season and may be evergreen in more temperate climates than NH. At Bedrock Gardens, the Inherited Wealth daylily can be found in the Welcome Court (#1) daylily garden, donated by Dianne Mrak. Inherited Wealth Daylily, Hemerocallis “Inherited Wealth” 
​Beloved by American gardeners for hundreds of years and found growing wild throughout most of the US, the common orange daylily is actually native to eastern Asia – China, Korea, Japan, and southern Siberia. Few perennials are easier to grow than daylilies, who only need about 6 hours of sunlight and fairly fertile soil to prosper. Thought to have first been introduced to Europe in the 1500’s by Silk Road traders, the daylily’s hardiness and beautiful flowers have now made them popular throughout the world. From Europe, they were carried to the US and Canada by early immigrants who valued their toughness, adaptability, and easy beauty. Although widely naturalized in North America by the early 1800’s, little work on hybridizing daylilies was undertaken until the late 1800’s. Since then, hybridization has accelerated, until by March 2025 roughly 110,000 daylily cultivars have been registered with the American Hemerocallis Society. The range of flower colors, sizes, and shapes has expanded greatly and now includes multi-colored patterns, increased petal numbers, and differences in petal shapes. Modern daylilies dazzle but still retain the plant’s basic adaptability and easy care. Recently many hybridizers have concentrated on producing varieties with an increased number of chromosomes since these plants tend to have sturdier scapes (flower stalks), thicker flowers and leaves, greater vigor, and an increased range of colors. Called “tetraploids”, these daylilies have twice the number of chromosomes of the natural species (diploids). Since 1996, all of the winners of the highest award given by the American Hemerocallis Society have been tetraploid cultivars. 
The Inherited Wealth daylily is a tetraploid variety bred by Robert W. Carr, MD of Ocala, FL and introduced in 1998. Described as having round “voluptuous” pink 5” blooms with a gold edge and a green throat, its top 3 petals are highly ruffled. Growing roughly 28” tall, it flowers relatively early in the season and may be evergreen in more temperate climates than NH. At Bedrock Gardens, the Inherited Wealth daylily can be found in the Welcome Court (#1) daylily garden, donated by Dianne Mrak. ​

Frances Joiner Daylily

Frances Joiner Daylily, Hemerocallis “Frances Joiner” 
​Beloved by American gardeners for hundreds of years and found growing wild throughout most of the US, the common orange daylily is actually native to eastern Asia – China, Korea, Japan, and southern Siberia. Few perennials are easier to grow than daylilies, who only need about 6 hours of sunlight and fairly fertile soil to prosper. Thought to have first been introduced to Europe in the 1500’s by Silk Road traders, the daylily’s hardiness and beautiful flowers have now made them popular throughout the world. From Europe, they were carried to the US and Canada by early immigrants who valued their toughness, adaptability, and easy beauty. Although widely naturalized in North America by the early 1800’s, little work on hybridizing daylilies was undertaken until the late 1800’s. Since then hybridization has accelerated, until by March 2025 roughly 110,000 daylily cultivars have been registered with the American Hemerocallis Society. The range of flower colors, sizes, and shapes has expanded greatly and now includes multi-colored patterns, increased petal numbers, and differences in petal shapes. Modern daylilies dazzle but still retain the plant’s basic adaptability and easy care. Recently many hybridizers have concentrated on producing varieties with an increased number of chromosomes since these plants tend to have sturdier scapes (flower stalks), thicker flowers and leaves, greater vigor, and an increased range of colors. Called “tetraploids”, these daylilies have twice the number of chromosomes of the natural species (diploids). Since 1996, all of the winners of the highest award given by the American Hemerocallis Society have been tetraploid cultivars. 
Hybridized by Enman R. Joiner of Savannah, GA, the Frances Joiner daylily was introduced in 1988. Joiner was one of the most prolific daylily breeders in the 1980’s and 1990’s and Frances Joiner is one of his most famous cultivars, winning awards in 1989, 1992, 1993, and 1995. It is a double daylily with a hose-in-hose form which gives the appearance that one flower is growing from within the center of another.  Growing 24” tall, its 5.5” flower is a rose blend with a green-yellow throat. The beautiful Frances Joiner daylily is lightly fragrant and can rebloom, adding to its appeal. At Bedrock Gardens, it can be found in the Welcome Court (#1) daylily garden, donated by Dianne Mrak. ​

Week of July 20th

Dianne Mrak & the Bedrock Daylily

Easy Ned Daylily

Barbara Mitchell Daylily

Chim Chiminee Black-eyed Susan

False Hemp

Millenium Ornamental Onion

Dianne Mrak & the Bedrock Daylily

Dianne Mrak & the Bedrock Daylily
In the mid-summer, visitors to Bedrock Gardens are treated to a beautiful display of blooming plants before they ever enter the Gardens proper. Although the parking area has a more utilitarian purpose, it also serves as an introduction to the joy and pleasure of growing plants, courtesy of Dianne Mrak, pictured here with her hybrid daylily named “Bedrock Gardens”. Although known as Dover’s “Daffodil Lady” due to her love and expertise in daffodils, Dianne’s plant knowledge is deep and wide-ranging and includes extensive work in daylilies. In 2021, she shared her collection of nearly 350 daylilies with Bedrock Gardens. This generosity is part of a larger pattern of sharing, teaching, and sparking enthusiasm for plants that has been a significant part of Dianne’s life for over 55 years, after she was first captured by the beauty of daffodils in 1970. Leading tours, holding classes, and sharing plants and bulbs both passes her passion and her knowledge along to us all and perpetuates her joy in the wonder and beauty of the garden.  

Easy Ned Daylily, Hemerocallis “Easy Ned” 

Easy Ned Daylily, Hemerocallis “Easy Ned” (see 2nd paragraph for description)
The wild orange daylilies seen along roadsides and in old gardens are so common that most people think of them as native wildflowers, they are not. Almost all daylilies are native to Asia. Their beauty and toughness however, have made them perhaps our most popular garden plants. Not a “true” lily at all, daylilies bloom on a branching stalk (scape) from a clump of thin, arching long leaves, very different in form than a lily; and daylilies grow from rhizomes not bulbs. As their name suggests, each flower of a daylily lasts only a single day. Although there are about 20 daylily species, over the years hybridizers have created more than 110,000 (and counting!) different daylily cultivars. These hybrids vary widely in plant and flower size as well as flower color and shape. They include doubles, plants with different numbers of genes, flowers with multiple colors and patterns, and rebloomers. They can be dazzling in their diversity. The American Hemerocallis Society organizes this diversity by grouping hybrids into classes: Circular, Triangular, Star, Informal, Ruffled, Flat, Recurved, Trumpet, Spider, and Double.  
“Easy Ned” is an example of a spider daylily, which means that the length of its longest petal must be at least 4 times its width (4:1). It was hybridized by Betty B. Brown of Orange TX and was introduced in 1987. An award winner in 1992 and 1998, its “spider ratio” is 5:1; quite spidery. At Bedrock Gardens, the Easy Ned daylily can be found at the Welcome Court (#1) daylily garden, donated by Dianne Mrak. ​

Barbara Mitchell Daylily, Hemerocallis “Barbara Mitchell” 

Barbara Mitchell Daylily, Hemerocallis “Barbara Mitchell”  (see 2nd paragraph for description)
​The wild orange daylilies seen along roadsides and in old gardens are so common that most people think of them as native wildflowers, they are not. Almost all daylilies are native to Asia. Their beauty and toughness however, have made them perhaps our most popular garden plants. Not a “true” lily at all, daylilies bloom on a branching stalk (scape) from a clump of thin, arching long leaves, very different in form than a lily; and daylilies grow from rhizomes not bulbs. As their name suggests, each flower of a daylily lasts only a single day. Although there are about 20 daylily species, over the years hybridizers have created more than 110,000 (and counting!) different daylily cultivars. These hybrids vary widely in plant and flower size as well as flower color and shape. They include doubles, plants with different numbers of genes, flowers with multiple colors and patterns, and rebloomers. They can be dazzling in their diversity. The American Hemerocallis Society organizes this diversity by grouping hybrids into classes: Circular, Triangular, Star, Informal, Ruffled, Flat, Recurved, Trumpet, Spider, and Double.  
The Barbara Mitchell daylily is one of the all-time most popular daylilies. Its rich pale pink ruffled 6” flowers bloom in mid-summer and have a yellow-green throat. Growing to 20” tall, it can rebloom. It was hybridized by Charlie Pierce of Mobile AL in 1984 and has received numerous awards - in 1987, 1990, and 1992. At Bedrock Gardens, the Barbara Mitchell daylily can be found at the Welcome Court (#1) daylily garden, donated by Dianne Mrak. 

Week of July 13th

Chim Chiminee Black-eyed Susan, Rubeckia hirta “Chim Chiminee” 

Chim Chiminee Black-eyed Susan, Rubeckia hirta “Chim Chiminee” 
​Black-eyed susans are a stalwart of the summer garden that are long beloved by gardeners for their cheerful beauty, reliability, and toughness. Winter hardy to USDA Zones 3-7, Rudbeckia hirta is native to open woods, prairies, and fields in eastern and central North America, and has now been naturalized in the west and throughout Canada. They are biennials (flowering their 2nd year of growth) or perennials but will flower their 1st year if planted as seeds in the spring. Because they freely reseed, black-eyed susans remain in the garden even if individual plants die. Their widespread popularity has resulted in the development of a variety of cultivars; one of these is the recent hybrid “Chim Chiminee”. In a departure from the flat golden yellow petals of the black-eyed susan species, those of Chim Chiminee are broad quills and its 4-6” flowers bloom in gorgeous shades ranging from gold, through orange, tan, bronze, to chocolate. Chim Chiminee grows 2-3’ tall and blooms enthusiastically from roughly mid-July through late August. It prefers full sun but tolerates a range of soil conditions and soil moistures, aside from very wet. Thought to be hardy to zone 6, variability in the flowers of Chim Chiminee creates additional interest in a garden. It also means that Chim Chiminee alone can make a beautiful long-lasting bouquet. An outstanding cultivar of an already popular and loved perennial, the Chim Chiminee black-eyed susan is poised for garden success. At Bedrock Gardens, the Chim Chiminee black-eyed susan can be found in the Garish (#21) garden. 

False Hemp, Datisca cannabina 

False Hemp, Datisca cannabina 
False hemp, Cretan Hemp, or Acalbir is one of those somewhat odd, high drama perennials. Although it looks rather like marijuana and its species name demonstrates that even botanists thought its leaves resembled cannabis, it is actually not related at all and is thought to be a distant squash cousin. False hemp is native to the area between Crete and Pakistan, India, and Nepal, where its roots have traditionally been used to make a strong yellow dye. After spring emergence from the soil, its shoots rapidly grow to an impressive height of 8-12’, sprouting the bright green, feathery serrated leaves that can frequently cause botanical confusion. Beginning in early summer, the stalks are covered in long hanging pendants of small white, yellow, and green flowers. The flowers gracefully age from chartreuse green to a downy creamy white to a light tan and are attractive throughout, silhouetted against the sky. Female plants go on to develop dangling strands of petite seedpods. Even though false hemp achieves an imposing height, it occupies a modest footprint on the ground, an area of roughly 1’ square. This growth pattern makes it quite useful in the garden, where it can be planted in the back border close to other plants or serve elsewhere as a dramatic accent plant. False hemp prefers full to part sun and moderate water but is adaptable to different types of soil. False hemp is an impressive and unusual plant in the garden that always draws attention and adds interest and texture on an outsize scale. At Bedrock Gardens, false hemp can be found in the Garish (#21) garden. ​

 
Millenium Ornamental Onion, Allium “Millenium” 

Millenium Ornamental Onion, Allium “Millenium” 
​In the mid- to late summer, the ornamental onion “Millenium” begins to produce its showy purple lollipop flower globes in the garden. Allium (Latin for “garlic”) is a very large genus with roughly a thousand plant species; including many well-known plants with a long association with humans - onions, garlic, scallions, shallots, leeks, and chives. Allium bulbs have long been famous in spring borders, where they put on an impressive display of very large globe-shaped flower clusters on tall stalks or scapes. Less well-known in gardens until recently are the summer-blooming ornamental Alliums. These include the cultivar “Millenium”, developed by Mark McDonough, an allium hybridizer from Massachusetts. Somewhat unusually, McDonough registered his hybrid as “Millenium” rather than using the more accepted spelling “Millennium”. Although Millenium too grows from a bulb, it is a modified bulb on a rhizome, which allows Millenium to form a clump and spread by rhizomal growth, acting more like a perennial rather than a bulb. Forming a 6-12” clump of fairly slender grass-like leaves in the spring, by mid-summer Millenium produces 18-20” flower scapes that are each topped by an eye-catching 2” sphere of rosy purple small flowers. A single clump can produce dozens of globes that last for weeks, putting on an amazing display. The flowers are attractive and long-lasting in floral arrangements, although they betray their origin and contribute an oniony rather than the usual sweet flower scent. Millenium prefers to grow in full sun but tolerates a range of soil types and requires little maintenance. It is a favorite of bees and butterflies and brings outstanding color to the garden just as many summer-blooming plants are beginning to fade. Millenium allium is a beautiful and striking accent for the summer garden that provides bright color and an interesting flower shape as well as attracting a variety of pollinators; it is a standout perennial. At Bedrock Gardens, Millenium allium can be found in the Garish (#21) garden. 

Hosta hybrids

Lucifer Crocosmia

Japanese Burnet, Lilac Squirrel

Coneflower

Lychimachia lanceolata

Meadowsweet

Hosta hybrids

Hosta hybrids, Plantain Lilies, Funkia; Hosta species and hybrids 
​With good reason, hostas are one of the most popular plants grown in shade gardens. Originally native to Japan, China, and Korea, the genus was named in honor of an Austrian botanist, Nicholas Thomas Host, in 1812. It quickly became a foliage mainstay in gardens due to its beauty and the diversity within species and cultivars. Although leaf color in most of the 45 wild species is green, leaves vary in shape, size, and texture and now come in colors ranging from shades of green to white, cream, yellow, and blue. Growing in mounds that can be as small as 3” high and 4” wide and as enormous as 4’ high and 6’ wide, there are over 3000 cultivars. So there is likely a hosta variety for virtually any shade to part-shade gardens. As reflected in one of their common names (plantain lily), the Hosta was once classified with lilies since their flowers resemble those of lilies.
Flowers bloom in mid-summer on woody stalks (scapes) arising from the leaf mound. Usually scentless, flower colors range between white, lavender, and purple and may have prominent stripes. Because Hostas are usually grown for their attractive foliage, some gardeners go so far as to remove flower scapes since they are though to distract from the leave. Interesting, beautiful, easy to grow, and requiring little maintenance, it is no surprise that Hostas have achieved their high popularity. At Bedrock Gardens, Hostas of many sizes, shapes, and colors are found in numerous locations. Look for them in the Tea House (#29), Funnel, (#13), and Swaleway (#14).

Lucifer Crocosmia

Lucifer Crocosmia, Montbretia; Crocosmia x Curtonus “Lucifer” 
​Beginning in mid-summer, the gorgeous bright red blooms of Crocosmia Lucifer draw the attention of both people and hummingbirds in the garden. Adding a tropical note to our northern landscape, the flaming red of Crocosmia Lucifer is so intense it almost hurts the eyes. Lucifer is an intergenetic hybrid developed in 1969 by the well-known British gardener Alan Bloom from two closely related species; it is the hardiest of the roughly 400 crocosmia cultivars. The small genus of about 12 species is native to grasslands in southern and eastern Africa and derives is name from the Greek words for “saffron” (krokos) and “smell” (osme) since its dried flowers smell much like saffron when steeped in warm water. Lucifer’s flowers and narrow pleated, spiky foliage are similar to those of gladiolus, and plants grow from corms, like their cousins crocus and gladiolas. Crocosmia corms aside from the Lucifer cultivar must dug in the fall and stored since they aren’t hardy in NH. Lucifer’s sword-like foliage is attractive even when plants are not in bloom and adds an architectural accent in the garden. Lucifer reaches about 2-3’ high and 1-2’ wide and needs sun and moisture for best growth, although it can tolerate partial shade. Opening from the bottom up, Lucifer’s flower sprays are striking in a garden and since they make excellent cut flowers, they are often used in florists’ arrangements. Because they are relatively stiff and upright plants, crocosmia can be used in the garden back border, as an accent elsewhere in the garden, and in showy mass plantings. Wherever it is planted, crocosmia Lucifer adds bright color and contrast to a garden. At Bedrock Gardens, crocosmia Lucifer can be found in the Garish (#21) garden.

Japanese Burnet, Korean Burnet

Japanese Burnet, Korean Burnet; Sanguisorba hakusanensis
First described in 1907 by Tomitaro Makino, a pioneering Japanese botanist sometimes called “the Father of Japanese botany”, Japanese burnet is native to Japan and Korea where it grows on sunny mountain ridges, in rocky crevices, and in stony grasslands. Its species name means "coming from Hakusan", a mountain in Japan. Blooming in mid-summer into the fall, it produces attractive fuzzy pinkish purple dangling bottlebrush wands of flowers that immediately catch the eye. In addition to these long-lasting, very colorful flowers, Japanese burnet forms a rosette of decorative grey-green leaves made up of serrated leaflets, which adds an interesting texture in the garden and extends the burnet’s seasonal appeal. The plant is roughly 1.5-3’ tall and 2’ wide when in flower, and forms a mat with its running rootstock. It prefers a spot with sun or mostly sun exposure and moist but well-drained average soils. Japanese burnet is both an unusual and highly distinctive plant and always attracts interest. At Bedrock Gardens, Japanese burnet can be found in the Garish (#21) garden.

Coneflower

Coneflower; Echinacea purpurea hybrids 
A classic of the summer garden, purple coneflowers are tough, beautiful, and easy plants that speak of warm temperatures and long lazy days. The genus of Echinacea is part of the larger daisy family and contains only 10 species, all native to eastern and central North America where they grow in prairies and open woods. Well known by native Americans who used them medicinally for a variety of ailments, Echinacea species were first seen by European explorers and reported in western horticulture in the 18th century. Although Echinacea has been used in Western herbal medications, particularly for colds, research suggests it is relatively ineffective. The genus name of Echinacea is derived from the Greek “ekhinos”, meaning hedgehog or sea urchin, which references the characteristic spiky cone-shaped flower center. Growing from a taproot in sun or part shade, coneflowers are adaptable to most soils and drought-tolerant. An important plant for a number of pollinating insects, coneflowers attract a variety of bee and butterfly species. In fall and winter, several species of birds eat the seeds. The spiny conical flower center is surrounded by petals, commonly in shades of white, pink, and purple. Recent hybridization has yielded cultivars with doubled petals and a wide range of colors such as orange, peach, yellow, coral, and green as well as bi-colors. Growing roughly 3-4’ tall, coneflowers bloom enthusiastically from mid-summer to early fall and will reseed in the garden. Coneflowers, beautiful, adaptable and long-blooming, can be used in borders, native, and meadow gardens, and with the variety of cultivars availability, their popularity will continue to grow. At Bedrock Gardens, coneflowers can be found in the Garish (#21) garden.

Lychimachia lanceolata var. purpurea

Lychimachia lanceolata var. purpurea 

Meadowsweet

Meadowsweet, Mead wort, Queen of the Meadow; Filipendula ulmaria Blooming from early summer into the fall, meadowsweet produces plumes of creamy white small flowers that resemble the blooms of astilbes. Originally, native to wet soils in swamps, marshes, wet woods and meadows in Europe and Western Asia, it is now naturalized in North America. Its common name dates from the 1500’s and originally didn’t mean “a sweet plant from the meadow”, but rather referred to its use in sweetening mead. Its species name of “ulmaria” was inspired by the resemblance of its leaves to those of elms (Ulmus). Pollinated by bees, flies, and beetles, meadowsweet forms a tall (3-6’) upright clump and freely reseeds. It prefers full sun to part shade and moist to wet alkaline soils. The entire plant is highly aromatic. Its flowers have a strong sweet scent described as smelling much like an antiseptic; an odor that some find unpleasant.  In 1899, scientists used salicylic acid extracted from meadowsweet to synthesize acetylsalicylic acid, more familiarly known as aspirin. Used in traditional herbal medicine to treat a variety of rheumatic-, inflammatory- and tumor-related diseases, meadowsweet is thought to have further medical potential due to its concentrations of essential oils and salicylates. Easy to grow and long-blooming, meadowsweet is an interesting and attractive plant for moist areas in the garden. At Bedrock Gardens, meadowsweet can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden.  

Week of July 6th

Clematis Hybrid

Black Cohosh

Elderberry

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Asian Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Meadowsweet

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Oakleaf Hydrangea; Hydrangea quercifolia
Mid-summer begins a wave of blooming in the hydrangeas at Bedrock Gardens, where a number of different species can be found. Among them is the beautiful oakleaf hydrangea, native to partly sunny moist woods, ravines, and streambanks in the Southeastern US from NC, west to TN, and south to FL. A deciduous multi-stemmed shrub that grows to 8-12’, its stems sprout from underground stolons and oakleaf hydrangea often forms considerable colonies. Its large coarse-textured leaves were thought to resemble those of the oak (Quercus) and inspired its species name of “quercifolia”. Oakleaf hydrangea’s conical-shaped white flower clusters generally bloom in early/mid-summer and are quite showy at 6-12” long. As they age, the flowers change attractively from immature light green, to white, through mauve, to dark pink, and ultimately to brown. As in may other Hydrangea species, its flower clusters are made up of two flower types – showy blooms with large petal-like structures designed to attract pollinators and inconspicuous fertile flowers without the enlarged petals. Foliage changes to shades of purple and red in the fall, creating additional seasonal interest. After leafdrop, mature stems reveal their exfoliating bark and add another season of garden interest. Oakleaf hydrangea is an adaptable native plant with multi-season features that have made it a favorite in the shady garden.

Asian Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Asian Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Himalayan Cobra Lily; Arisaema ciliatum
A relative of our native Jack-in-the-pulpit, this Asian species has a single distinctive leaf composed of many narrow leaflets set at the top of a 2 - 3’ stem, somewhat like an umbrella with long spokes ending in elongated thin tails. A very different look than our native species with its two tripartite leaves. Originally found in forested areas and woodland edges at moderate elevation in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan, this species prefers shade or part-shade and moist but well-drained organic-rich soils. An ability to store water in its tuberous roots helps Arisaema ciliatum endure times of mild drought. In early to mid-summer, somewhat later than most jack-in-the-pulpits, the plant produces a single rather elegant flower. Held below the leaf on 10-15” stems, the flower is made up of a hood or spathe that may be purple, chocolate, or green with white stripes, which serves to protect the small flowers held on a thickened stalk, the spadix. Like the leaflets above it, the spathe tapers to a long (8”) tail. Flowers are followed by bright red berries in the late summer/fall. Arisaema ciliatum can also increase by rhizomes or stolons and can form colonies over time. A striking, exotic-looking plant, this jack-in-the-pulpit is an amazing addition to a shade garden. At Bedrock Garden, Arisaema ciliatum can be found in the Tea House (#29) garden.

Meadowsweet

Red Umbrellas Meadowsweet; Filipendula “Red Umbrellas”
Native to temperate areas in the Northern Hemisphere, most meadowsweet species prefer full sun to part shade and moist to wet soils. The Red Umbrellas meadowsweet is a recent interspecies cross that exhibits large showy maple-leaf shaped foliage with prominent dark red veining, making it a feature in the garden even when the plant is not in bloom. But from mid-summer into the fall, red umbrellas produces fluffy sprays of soft pink flowers on roughly 1’ stems above its attractive foliage. Relatively compact at about 2.5’ high in comparison to many of the other tall species in the genus, a mature plant will fill about a 2 sq.’ area, making it an ideal size for many gardens. In addition to its merits in the garden, the blooms of red umbrellas also make excellent cut flowers. Between its colorful bold foliage and airy contrasting flower sprays, the red umbrellas hybrid meadowsweet is an outstanding plant for the moist partly shaded garden. At Bedrock Gardens, red umbrellas meadowsweet can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden.

Week of June 29th

Texas Dawn Water Lily

Clematis hybrid

Large Yellow Loosestrife

Giant Fleabane

Stewartia, Japanese or Korean Stewartia

Indian Pink, Pinkroot

Clematis Hybrid

Clematis Hybrid; Clematis “Betty Corning” 
The hybrid Clematis “Betty Corning” is vigorous deciduous climbing vine that covers itself with an abundance of dangling bell-shaped 2” light lavender flowers from mid-summer to fall. Like most clematis, it prefers moist well drained soils in full sun to part shade (hence the gardener’s phrase that clematis like their head in the sun and their feet in the shade). The Betty Corning hybrid is grouped into the Viticella clematis group. Growing a profusion of roughly 6’ stems, its flowers are slightly fragrant that appear on the season’s new growth after having been pruned in late winter/early spring. Presumed to be a cross between Clematis crispa and C. viticella, it was discovered growing in Albany, NY in 1932 by Elizabeth Corning, an accomplished and active gardener as well as the wife of a long-term Mayor of Albany. The Clematis genus is a large one with nearly 300 species and close to 100 cultivars have been produced, which attests to its great popularity in the garden. The “Betty Corning” hybrid is a tough, reliable, and beautiful variety that can be counted on as a focus in the summer garden for several months. At Bedrock Gardens, Clematis “Betty Corning” can be found in the Ping Garden which runs along the Allée (#6) garden. 

Black Cohosh, Bugbane

Black Cohosh, Bugbane, Baneberry; Actaea racemosa 
Black Cohosh is a native wildflower that grows from Ontario south to Georgia and west to Missouri and Arkansas in the moist soils of full to partly shaded woodlands. Its leaves are finely divided and resemble those of Astilbe, reaching roughly 3-4’ over a season. The plant produces tall (2’) stems topped with long wand-like flowerheads of small white blooms above the foliage in mid-summer. The flowers have a sweet, somewhat fetid scent designed to attract its pollinators – flies, gnats, bees, butterflies, and beetles. The drying seedheads add interest to the garden after blooming has ended. The roots and rhizomes of Black Cohosh were used by native Americans for a number of ailments and root extracts are used today in herbal medicines and dietary supplements, often for treating menopausal symptoms and other gynecological problems. Stately with architectural/structural interest, Black Cohosh adds summer bloom to shady areas of the garden after the spring flush of blooming has passed. It is a useful plant that gives drama to the shade. At Bedrock Gardens, Black Cohosh can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden. 

Elderberry

Elderberry, American Elderberry, Canada Elderberry; Sambucus canadensis 
The elderberry is a deciduous shrub growing about 20’ tall that bears large flat clusters of white blooms in mid-summer. Native to North America east of the Rocky Mountains from Newfoundland to Florida and Texas, it prefers sun but tolerates a wide range of soil conditions. Elderberry produces dark purple to black berries in the fall that have traditionally been made in jams, jellies, syrups, and wine. Cooking techniques crush or cook down the berries and separate out the inedible and toxic seeds. The flowers (elderflowers) are also edible and can be soaked in water to add flavor. Making use of the entire plant, insecticide or dye can be produced from the leaves and inner bark. Native Americans also used the inner bark to ease toothache pain. The genus name of Sambucus is taken from an ancient Greek wind instrument of that name made by the removal of pith from the twigs to make whistles. An interesting, adaptable, and attractive shrub with a long history of human use, elderberry adds a bright accent to the back of the summer garden. At Bedrock Gardens, American elderberry can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden. 

Texas Dawn Water Lily

Texas Dawn Water Lily; Nymphaea “Texas Dawn” Texas Dawn is a hardy water lily with mottled leaves and 6-10” vibrant soft yellow flowers produced over a long growing season. Designated the official water lily of Texas, the hybrid was created in 1985 by a Texas resident. Its genus name means “water lily” in Greek and Latin is inspired by mythological water nymphs. Long popular in water gardens, many attractive hybrids have been developed with an assortment of flower colors as well as shapes. The stems and floating leaves of Texas Dawn provide shelter and shade for aquatic species such as fish, frogs, and crayfish and increase habitat diversity. At Bedrock Gardens, Texas Dawn water lilies can be found in the Wiggle Waggle watercourse (#22). 

Clematis hybrid

Clematis hybrid; Clematis Madam Julia Correvon  
​Popular with gardeners since the mid 1800’s, the majority of clematis species are vigorous climbing vines that ascend using twining tendrils. Blooms of spring flowering clematis occur on side shoots of last year’s stems, while summer flowering clematis bloom on new stems. They prefer cool moist soil in full sun and are among the most popular plants in the garden. The genus name is from the ancient Greek word meaning “climbing plant”. The clematis genus includes nearly 400 species as well as nearly a hundred cultivars with a wide range of bloom colors and flower shapes. Clematis species are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere temperate region but seldom found in the tropics. Many species in the genus contain a variety of essential oils and compounds that irritate skin and mucous membranes and a number have been used medicinally. The Madam Julia Correvon cultivar produces roughly 5” bright red/dark pink star shaped flowers with a golden yellow cluster of stamen. Blooming from early summer into the fall, it can grow 8-12’ long and was introduced in 1900 in France. Apparently lost to the horticultural trade during the years of World War I, it reappeared years later named in honor of a well-known French nursery family, Correvon. At Bedrock Gardens, Clematis “Madam Julia Correvon” can be found in the Garish (#21) garden. 

Large Yellow Loosestrife

Large Yellow Loosestrife; Lysimachia punctata 
​Native to Central Europe and Turkey, large yellow loosestrife blooms abundant spears of bright golden yellow cup-shaped flowers tinged with red for weeks during the summer. Named after the ancient Macedonian King of Thrace, Lysimachus, yellow loosestrife spreads enthusiastically but not as aggressively as some closely related members in its genus. Its common name is also derived from King Lysimachus since his name means “ending strife”. It prefers moist soils in full sun to partial shade and makes an excellent cut flower. Highly ornamental, large yellow loosestrife is a lovely addition to a sunny garden, particularly where there is space for it to grow and occupy an area large enough to display its masses of profuse flowers to advantage. At Bedrock Gardens, large yellow loosestrife can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden. 

Giant Fleabane

Giant Fleabane; Inula magnifica “Sonnenstrahl” 
​Giant fleabane is an imposing plant that reaches for the skies and can form an impressive focus in the rear of a sunny garden. It is a tall (6’) member of the Daisy family that bears 6 inch golden yellow, multi-petalled blooms on hairy branching stems in the early to midsummer. While leaves on the stems are notable at 10”, the plant’s basal leaves are truly gargantuan at 3’ long and are of interest even when giant fleabane is not in bloom. Giant Fleabane is native to the eastern Caucus region (southern Russia, Armenia, Georgia), its genus name of Inula is of uncertain origin but was in use by early Romans; given its size, the origin of its species name is clear. The common name of fleabane reflects the belief that Inula would repel fleas. At Bedrock Gardens, giant fleabane can be found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6). 

Stewartia, Japanese

Stewartia, Japanese or Korean Stewartia; Stewartia pseudocamellia 
Stewartia is a beautiful small tree that blooms in early summer, producing abundant 2.5” white blossoms with showy yellow-orange centers. The flowers look like those of camellia, to whom it is related. Although it was named to honor Scotsman John Stuart, a 18th century botanist, an unfortunate transcription error misspelled his name to “Stewart” from the intended “Stuart”. Native to mountain forests in Japan and Korea, Stewartia prefers moist soils and full sun to partial shade. Its foliage turns attractive shades of red orange and burgundy in the fall; and the exfoliating bark of the tree adds both to its beauty and extends its seasonal interest. Its moderate size (roughly 20-40’) and year-round appeal make Stewartia a most attractive addition to the garden landscape. At Bedrock Gardens, Japanese Stewartia can be found in the Barn (#17) garden. 

Indian Pink, Pinkroot

Indian Pink, Pinkroot; Spigelia marilandica 
Indian Pink is a native perennial that grows in low woodlands and along streambanks in full to partial shade from Maryland south to Florida and Texas and west to approximately Indiana. In the early summer it produces unusual 2” vivid red and yellow flowers that are hummingbird favorites. Blooms are roughly tube shaped, red on the exterior and yellow in the interior, and flare open at the top to create a 5-pointed yellow star atop a bright red tubular base. The plant is a source of strychnine poison and was used at times as a dewormer. Adaptable enough to live in full sun if given moisture, several cultivars have been produced that are somewhat shorter than the species as well as ones whose flowers are a darker red or more orange-red. Indian pink is an unforgettable addition to a woodland garden. At Bedrock Gardens, Indian Pink can be found in the Funnel (#13) and Garish (#21) gardens. ​

Week of June 22, 2025

Japanese Climbing Hydrangea, False Climbing Hydrangea

Mountain laurel

Linden Arrowwood, Linden Viburnum

Dwarf Goatsbeard

Japanese cobra lily

Giant Fleeceflower

Japanese Climbing Hydrangea

Japanese Climbing Hydrangea, False Climbing Hydrangea; Schizophragma hydrangeoides or Hydrangea hydrangeoides 
​The false climbing hydrangea is a woody deciduous climbing vine that blooms in the early summer. It is a somewhat petite version of its close cousin, the more well-known climbing hydrangea, with smaller stems, leaves, and smaller, usually white, flowers. The flowers are similar to those of lace-cap hydrangeas, with small fertile blossoms in the center surrounded by showy sterile oar- or sail-like petals. Native to Korean and Japanese forests and streambanks, it prefers partial shade. Cultivars have been developed with pinkish or more abundant outer petals as well as variegated leaves. Capable of growing to 50’ at maturity, this elegant vine is an interesting addition to a woodland garden and is a lighter load on its support structure than its larger cousin. At Bedrock Gardens, false climbing hydrangeas can be seen scaling the pines circling the Nexus area (#3). 

Mountain laurel

Mountain laurel; Kalmia latifolia “Sarah” 
​Mountain laurel is a multi-stemmed evergreen large shrub native to Eastern North America where it grows in woodland margins and forests as well as partly sunny mountain meadows. The cultivar “Sarah” was bred for increased sun tolerance and so can be grown in somewhat sunnier locations than the species. Clusters of flowers cover the shrub in late May or June and the interesting individual blooms are roughly cup-shaped with 5 sides. Bloom colors range from white to deep rosy pink and may include markings in contrasting colors on the inside; hybridization has increased the bloom color range. Flowers of the Sarah cultivar have red buds which open to brilliant coral-pink blooms. At Bedrock Gardens, mountain laurel can be found in the Shrubaria (#28) garden. 

​Linden Arrowwood, Linden Viburnum

Linden Arrowwood, Linden Viburnum; Viburnum dilatatum 
​Native to open forests in Japan, Korea, and China, the linden viburnum has now naturalized to some areas in North America. It is not considered a problem in New England. It produces showy white clusters of flowers from late spring to early summer. Bright red berries, maturing in the fall, are quite attractive to birds. Leaves turn shades of orange, red, and yellow in the fall and lend additional seasonal color. Linden viburnum can grow 8-10’ tall and closely resembles its cousin the native arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) which has more serrated leaves but is similar in overall look, size, and flower. At Bedrock Gardens, Linden viburnum can be found in the Shrubaria (#28) garden. 

Dwarf Goatsbeard

Dwarf Goatsbeard; Aruncus aethusifolius 
​Growing only about 4-6” high, dwarf goatsbeard has attractive compound foliage that masquerades as a fern. The species name was inspired by its leaf shape, which was thought to look like that of the poisonous fool’s parsley (Aethusa). In the early summer, tiny wand-like plumes of small white flowers appear and are carried about 12” above the leaves. Native to Korea, this goatsbeard thrives in sun or part shade and makes an excellent low groundcover or edging plant. The tiny scale of the plant makes it particularly useful in smaller gardens. In the fall, leaves turn shades of yellow and orange and extend its seasonal appeal. At Bedrock Gardens, dwarf goatsbeard can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden. 

Japanese cobra lily

Japanese cobra lily; Arisaema ringens 
​The Japanese cobra lily is a tall, impressive (1-2’) cousin of our native Jack in the Pulpit. The leaves are trifoliate and the showy flower is thought to resemble a cobra in striking position, with a green and purple-striped hooded spathe covering the flower spike (spadix). Pollinated by flies, the native range of the plant encompasses China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan where it grows in lowland forests. Its presence in a shady woodland garden lends an exotic tropical air. At Bedrock Gardens, the Japanese cobra lily can be found in the Tea House and Petit Pond (#29) garden. 

Giant Fleeceflower

Giant Fleeceflower, White Dragon Fleece Flower; Persicaria polymorpha 
​Not considered aggressive or invasive, although many of its cousin knotweeds certainly are, giant fleeceflower is a substantial clump-forming perennial that can grow 3-5’ high and span a similar width. It prefers moist soils in full sun but is adaptable. Beginning in early summer, it produces large plumes of creamy white flowers which last for weeks above its lance-shaped leaves. Giant fleeceflower is native to rocky slopes in China and Japan. It makes a bold addition to a sunny or part shade garden where it can serve as a contrasting backdrop to smaller plants placed in front. At Bedrock Gardens, giant fleeceflower can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden as well as near the Welcome Court and kiosk, towards Rt. 125. 

Week of June 15, 2025

Peonies miscellaneous

Ninebark

Greater Burnet, Pink Burnet Saxifrage;

Rogersia, Fingerleaf Rogersia

Jerusalem Sage, Tuberous Jerusalem Sage, Sage-leaf Mullein

Purple Dragon

Peonies miscellaneous

Peonies miscellaneous; Paeonia cultivars 
​Among the highlights of the early summer garden are the gorgeous, large, and often highly fragrant blossoms of Peonies. Native to Asia, Europe, and a few to western North America, these perennials have been in cultivation for hundreds of years, particularly in China and Japan; ancient Chinese texts record ornamental peonies developed in the 6th and 7th centuries. Today there are hundreds of peony hybrids with blossom colors spanning the rainbow and variable blossom forms. The genus has roughly 35 species that fall into 3 general groups – herbaceous peonies (those that die back to the ground in cold), tree peonies (those that have woody stems and branches that persist in the cold), and intersectional or Itoh peonies (developed in the 1940’s by Toichi Itoh, a Japanese plantsman, by hybridizing herbaceous and tree peonies; which have characteristics of both parent types). Although peony flowers are relatively short-lived, their spectacular beauty, scent, large size, and abundance have made peonies favorites worldwide. At Bedrock Gardens, peonies are found in many areas, including the Ping (adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden), Spiral (#12), Funnel (#13), and Garish (#21) gardens. 

Ninebark

Ninebark; Physocarpus opulifolius “Coppertina” 
Originally native to hillsides and stream banks in eastern North America from NY to Florida, this ninebark hybrid is a deciduous shrub with attractively colored foliage and contrasting copious white or pink flower clusters in the early summer. Cultivars have been bred with leaf colors ranging from yellow to reddish purple. Its common name derives from its multi-colored peeling bark. Adaptable to a wide range of soil, moisture, and sun conditions, ninebark grows rapidly, achieving a size of up to 10’ high and 6’ wide, and has few pests. Its hardiness and contrasting foliage makes ninebark a great accent plant in any garden. At Bedrock Gardens, ninebark can be found in the Ping garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) garden. 

Greater Burnet, Pink Burnet Saxifrage

Greater Burnet, Pink Burnet Saxifrage; Pimpinella major rosea 
​Resembling a pink version of our more familiar Queen Anne’s Lace, to whom it is distantly related, greater burnet produces airy flat clusters of small pink flowers above lacy basal leaves and is native to clearings in central Europe and the Caucus region. Greater burnet is also related to anise, another Pimpinella species, that is widely cultivated for its aromatic seeds. The roots of greater burnet have been traditionally been used as a remedy for respiratory illnesses. Tolerant of full sun to part shade, its flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies. At Bedrock Gardens, greater burnet can be found in the Funnel (#13) garden. 

Rogersia, Fingerleaf Rogersia

Rodgersia, Fingerleaf Rodgersia; Rodgersia aesculifolia
Native to Chinese damp woodlands and streambanks, rodgersia is a plant that makes its presence known. Grown in gardens for its bold palmate leaves (as much as 12” across), the plant can reach an impressive 3-5’ high and 3-5’ wide. The leaves resemble those of horsechestnuts (Aesculus) and inspired its species name. In early to mid-summer, rodgersia produces large creamy white plumes of fragrant flowers held above the hefty leaves, rather like Astilbe blooms on steroids. The genus name of Rodgersia honors Rear-Admiral John Rodgers, the commander of the Pacific naval expedition in 1852-1856 that reported the first species in the genus. Rodgersia prefers rich, moist to wet soils and sun to part-shade. In fall, it turns shades of red and bronze. An amazing accent plant, it can provide large-scale drama to the garden. At Bedrock Gardens, rodgersia can be found in the Swaleway (#14) garden. 

​Jerusalem Sage, Tuberous Jerusalem Sage, Sage-leaf Mullein

Jerusalem Sage, Tuberous Jerusalem Sage, Sage-leaf Mullein Phlomis tuberosa or Phlomoides tuberosa
Jerusalem sage produces lavender pink/purple flowers in periodic clusters spaced along long straight stems in the early summer. This flowering pattern yields a wonderful architectural structure as an accent in the garden. Because the seedheads persist on the plant, this structure continues into the fall and winter. The seedheads can provide winter food for birds, while in the summer, the flowers attract bees and butterflies. Phlomis prefers fairly rich, well-drained soils in full sun and is native to Asia and central/southeastern Europe. At Bedrock Gardens, Jerusalem sage can be found in the Garish (#21) garden. 

Purple Dragon

Purple Dragon; Pinellia tripartita “Free Tibet” 
Native to forests, forest margins, and roadsides in Japan, Okinawa, Korea, and eastern China, the purple dragon is an Arum that bears a resemblance to our native Jack in the pulpit, a closely related cousin. It derives its memorable common name from the purple coloration of its tall (10”) whip-like spathe, a different shape than that of the Jack in the pulpit which has a wide spathe that flops down. The more common “green dragon” variety of Pinellia tripartita has a green rather than purple spathe. As in Jack in the pulpit, the leaves are 3-part (tripartite) and are reflected in the purple dragon’s species name. Pinellia prefers part-sun to shade and makes an interesting and striking addition to a woodland garden. At Bedrock Gardens, the purple dragon can be found at the Tea House (29) garden.  

Week of June 8, 2025

Large-leaf Rhododendron spp.

Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub, Raulston's Allspice

Fragrant Snowbell Tree

Chinese Fringe Tree

Beauty Bush, Beautybush

Redvein Enkianthus

Week of June 1, 2025

Paw Paw, Pawpaw

Stinking Hellebore, Bearsfoot Hellebore

Foamflower

Upright Wild Ginger

Carolina Rhododendron

Barrenwort, Bishop’s Hat

Large-Leaf Rhododendron spp.

Large – Leaf Rhododendrons 
(Rhododendron spp.) 
Early to mid-June is the season for the extravagant blooming of rhododendrons throughout Bedrock Gardens. This large genus, which ranges in size from small bushes to substantial shrubs and trees, includes azaleas and is native to forests throughout the world. They have been popular garden plants for hundreds of years and there are a great many cultivars and hybrids whose flowers range from white through yellows, oranges, reds, and pinks to deep purple and can include contrasting spots and multiple colors.  Happiest in partly shaded woodlands as understory shrubs, they are adaptable enough to thrive in a wide variety of garden environments. A large rhododendron in full bloom can take your breath away. At Bedrock Gardens, rhododendron can be found in many areas, but are concentrated in the Funnel (#13), Swaleway, (#14), and Straight and Narrow (#15) gardens and are a major feature of the Shrubaria (#28) garden. 

Chinese Fringe Tree ​

Chinese Fringe Tree 
​Chionanthus retusus) 
A prominent feature of Bedrock Gardens is the long double allée of Chinese fringe trees either side of the Torii Gate, running along one of primary organizing axes of the garden. In early June, these graceful trees are at their peak as they cover themselves with their mildly fragrant, feathery white flowers. Related to our native American fringe tree, this species originally grew in China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. Hardy and adaptable, the Chinese fringe tree prefers full sun or partial shade and can grow up to 30-40’; its relatively small size making it quite useful in gardens. In late summer/fall, the trees produce dark blue-black, olive-like fruit that are a food source for birds and animals and that provide another season of garden interest. Fall foliage is yellow and its exfoliating bark lends texture to the winter landscape. At Bedrock Gardens, Chinese fringe trees are the focus of the Allée (#6). 

Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub, Raulston’s Allspice ​

Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub, Raulston’s Allspice 
(Calycanthus x raulstonii “Hartlage Wine”) 
This sweetshrub or spice bush is a thicket-forming rangy shrub that is an interspecies cross between 2 species of sweetshrub. It produces showy maroon fragrant flowers in late May – June and grows best in partial shade. Its flowers can persist well into the summer and are larger and more attractive than its parent species. Plants in the genus Calycanthus derive their common name of sweetshrub or strawberry bush from their bloom scent, described as a mix of pineapple, strawberry, and banana. The Hartlage Wine sweetshrub was named by its hybridizer, Richard Hartlage, an undergraduate student at a NC State University, to honor J.C. Raulston, a professor at the university. At Bedrock Gardens, this sweetshrub can be found in the Shrubaria garden (#28). 

Beauty Bush, Beautybush ​

Beauty Bush, Beautybush 
(Kolkwitzia amabilis “Pink Cloud”) 
​The beauty bush is closely related to two other lovely spring-bloom shrubs, Weigela and Abelia. All three produce abundant trumpet-shaped flowers that grow on long arching branches and can form an impressive sight in the late spring garden, particularly since beauty bush can grow 6-8’ high and 6-8’ wide. Blooms on the Pink Cloud cultivar are larger and more plentiful than those of the species. At Bedrock Gardens, beauty bush is found in the Ping Garden, adjacent to the Allée (#6) and Torii Gate (#11) gardens. 

Fragrant Snowbell Tree

Fragrant Snowbell Tree 
(Styrax obassia) 
The Fragrant Snowbell is a small tree native to the Island of Hokkaido, Japan. It produces beautiful and abundant creamy white bell-shaped flowers in the late spring/early summer. The blooms are fragrant and have showy yellow stamens. They are borne in long (6-8”) hanging tresses from the ends of branches, enhancing their beauty. Historically used in a variety of ways in Japan that employed its strong wood for implements and umbrella ribs, more recently the tree has been used in street plantings where its fragrance can be enjoyed and its flowers seen from below. At Bedrock Gardens, the Fragrant Snowbell can be found on the far side of the pond in the Teahouse and Petit Pond garden (#29). ​

Redvein Enkianthus ​

Redvein Enkianthus 
(Enkianthus campanulatus) 
Redvein enkianthus is a deciduous, large to medium-sized shrub that produces an abundance of lovely bell-shaped flowers in the late spring. Its species name references the form of the flowers (“campanula”, Latin for bell) and red veining on the flowers is reflected in its common name. Native to Japan, where it grows in open woodlands, enkianthus prefers moist acidic soils and partial shade. In the fall its foliage glows in shades of yellow, orange, and red, providing bright color echoes of the autumn tree foliage changing above it. Hybridization has developed cultivars that vary in bloom color from predominantly creamy white to largely maroon with less red veining. A hardy, unfussy plant with multiple season interest, enkianthus is an excellent shrub for many New England woodland gardens. At Bedrock Gardens, redvein enkianthus can be found in the Shrubaria garden (#28). ​

Paw Paw, Pawpaw

Paw Paw, Pawpaw
(Asimina triloba)
Producing the one of the largest edible fruits in North America, paw paw is a member of the tropical/subtropical custard apple family which includes soursop, cherimoya, and custard apple. Paw paw however, is a temperate zone, small deciduous tree native to the eastern US and southern Canada. The tree forms clonal patches (the proverbial “way down yonder in the paw paw patch” of the children’s song) in the understory of hardwood forests. Its fruit is sweet and custardy with a flavor all its own, described as a combination of banana, mango, and pineapple. Paw paw flowers are a reddish maroon and are produced in the early spring. Their somewhat fetid scent attracts its beetle pollinators. The tree is believed to have co-evolved with ancient species of large mammals since their seeds are thought to have been dispersed in the dung of a number of now-extinct megafaunal species – mastodon, mammoths, and giant sloths. Seeds are too large for virtually all fruit-eating species living today to eat and defecate. Following the end of the Ice Age, paw paw has chiefly depended upon humans for large-scale dispersal; some small-scale seed transport is performed by omnivores such as bears, raccoons, and foxes. At Bedrock Gardens, paw paw can be found in the Baxis (#8) garden.

Foamflower

Foamflower
(Tiarella cordifolia)
Foamflower is a woodland perennial that can form an attractive groundcover in shady moist gardens. The majority of species in its genus are native to North America and are widely distributed, from Canada to Mississippi on the East Coast, and Alaska to California into Montana on the West Coast. Spreading gradually by underground rhizomes, foamflower’s interesting foliage and late spring spikes of fluffy white spring flowers make it a foundation plant in gardens that are similar to its native forests. Over the last 10-15 years, many hybrids of the species have been developed that vary in bloom color (white to pinkish), leaf form and color (more spiky or less, red highlights), and propensity to form clumps or spread more widely. Foamflower is closely related to coral bells (Heuchera), and intergeneric crosses, the garden hybrid Heucherella (nicknamed foamy bells), have been produced with an even wider variety of bloom and leaf characteristics, and growth forms. At Bedrock Gardens, foamflowers can be found in the Swaleway (#12), Funnel (#13), and Tea House (#27) gardens.

Carolina Rhododendron

Carolina Rhododendron
(Rhododendron carolinianum)
The Carolina rhododendron is an evergreen, small-leaved rhododendron native to rocky woods and mountain streambanks of the southern Appalachians, north into North Carolina. Commonly reaching about 5’ tall, it can grow significantly larger, as it has in Bedrock Gardens. The Carolina rhododendron blooms in mid-spring, producing abundant clusters of ethereal lavender pink flowers. Hybridization has produced cultivars with deeper pink and as well as white blooms. A beautiful shrub in its own right, the Carolina rhododendron was hybridized by Ed Mezitt of Weston Nurseries in MA with the Daurian rhododendron to produce the PJM rhododendron, probably the most popular rhododendron in New England and a plant that changed the look of spring gardens throughout the region. At Bedrock Gardens, Carolina rhododendrons can be found in the Shrubaria (#26) garden and the Tea House and Petit Pond (#27) garden.

Stinking Hellebore, Bearsfoot Hellebor

Stinking Hellebore, Bearsfoot Hellebore
(Helleborus foetidus “Walter Flisk”)
Named for the strong, somewhat unpleasantly aromatic odor of its leaves and flowers, stinking hellebore flowers in the early to mid spring, producing clusters of green, bell-shaped blooms frequently edged in maroon. Leaves, stems, and roots are all poisonous. Stinking hellebore prefers partial to full shade and its interesting leaf shape makes a valuable addition to a shade garden. Native to mountain areas in Europe and Turkey where it often grows in scrub forests, the deep root system of stinking hellebore makes it resistant to drought. Although its most frequently used common name certainly makes this plant memorable, perhaps its popularity in gardens might increase if we called it bearsfoot hellebore more often. At Bedrock Gardens, stinking hellebore is found along the Swaleway (#12) and Funnel (#13) gardens.

Upright Wild Ginger

​ Upright Wild Ginger 
(Saruma henryi) 
The upright wild ginger is a cousin of the more familiar kidney-shaped, glossy-leaved groundcover European and American gingers (Asarum spp.), from which it derives its species name Saruma, an anagram of Asarum. Introduced to Western horticulture in the late 1800’s, it was seldom cultivated until 1992. Although it has long been used medicinally, it is now rare in its natural environments of shady Chinese forests and streambanks due to habitat destruction. In early spring, its fragrant, fuzzy grey-green leaves are accented by 3-petalled, cheery lemon-yellow flowers. In Bedrock Gardens, upright wild ginger is found along the Swaleway (#12) and Funnel (#13) gardens. 

Barrenwort, Bishop’s Ha

Barrenwort, Bishop’s Hat
(Epimedium 'Pink Champagne')
​Native to Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean, Epimediums have been cultivated and hybridized for many years and the group includes roughly 60 different species. Their common name of barrenwort is thought to refer to their ability to grow in poor soils and deep shade, even under drought conditions, once established; “wort” is an Old English word for plant. The name may also have arisen from the belief that eating its roots may cause infertility in women. Barrenwort’s delicate four-pointed flowers bloom in the spring and come in a wide variety of colors – white, yellow, pinks, purples, and reds. They are carried high above the foliage, appearing to float or dance above the plant. Leaf shapes are attractive and vary between species and cultivars, ranging from rounded to heart-shaped to pinnate and spiky. Leaves are often shaded with red in spring early growth, creating additional interest. At Bedrock Gardens, a number of barrenwort varieties are in the Tea House and Petit Pond garden (#27).

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Week of May 24, 2025

Giant Soloman's Seal

Woodland Peony

Shredded Umbrella Plant

Japanese Wood Poppy

Himalayan Mayapple

Japanese Primrose

Giant Solomon’s Seal; Smooth Solomon’s Seal

​ Giant Solomon’s Seal; Smooth Solomon’s Seal 
(Polygonatum biflorum) 
A native woodland perennial found throughout eastern North America and Canada, giant Solomon’s seal’s common name is supposedly based on the resemblance of its root scars to the seal of the ancient King Solomon. It is usually about 3’ tall but can grow larger. Dangling clusters of edible bell-shaped white and green flowers hang from the stalk, blooming March-June. Its potato-like rhizomes were used as a food source by Native Americans and young shoots are also eaten, similar to asparagus spears. Giant Solomon’s Seal has also been extensively used as an herbal medicine. Caution should always be observed when eating wild plants; giant Solomon’s seal has a similar-looking cousin, false Solomon’s seal or Solomon’s plume (Maianthemem racemosum) that is highly bitter and largely unpalatable. The two species are most easily distinguished by their flowers. False Solomon’s seal in turn closely resembles a different highly toxic plant. At Bedrock Gardens, stands of giant Solomon’s seal can be found in the Spiral (#11), Swaleway (#12) and Funnel (#13) gardens. 

​Woodland Peony

​Woodland Peony
(Paeonia obovata)
Native to China, Japan, and Korea, this species is a peony that lives in shady environments, unlike virtually all other peonies. Its lovely delicate white (or pink) flowers bloom in May-June and are followed in the fall by showy jester-hat shaped seedpods that burst open to reveal blue-black seeds nestled on a magenta interior. The seedpods add much interest to a woodland garden at a time when blooms are becoming scarce. At Bedrock Gardens, broad swaths of woodland peonies can be found in the Swaleway (#12) and Funnel (#13) gardens.

Shredded Umbrella Plant

Shredded Umbrella Plant
(Syneilesis aconitifloria)
​The shredded umbrella plant is a woodland perennial native to Japan, China, and Korea. Although it flowers later in the summer, it is most interesting in the spring when its white, wooly leaves emerge from the soil. Closely furled along its single stalk like an umbrella, the leaves look amazingly like an angry cat has attacked them and torn them to pieces. The rhizomes spread and gradually form a groundcover about 18” high of tattered 9-10” diameter small “umbrellas”. At Bedrock Gardens, shredded umbrella plants can be found in the Spiral Garden (#11) as well as along the Swaleway (#12) and Funnel (#13) gardens.

​Japanese Wood Poppy

​Japanese Wood Poppy
(Glaucidium palmatum)
Highly prized by gardeners, the Japanese wood poppy forms a roughly 2’ wide clump that produces beautiful large pinkish flowers in the spring that resemble poppies. It requires a cool climate and protection from cold drying winds, conditions found in its native habitat of mountainous forests in Japan. It is a star of the spring woodland perennial garden. At Bedrock Gardens, Japanese wood poppies can be found in the Swaleway garden (#12).

Himalayan Mayapple
​

​Himalayan Mayapple
​Sinopodophyllum hexandrum)
 The Himalayan mayapple is one of 3 mayapple species at Bedrock Gardens. Along with the others, our native mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) and the Chinese mayapple (Podophyllum pleianthum), it shares a preference for shady moist soils. All 3 flower in the late spring and produce a relatively large egg-shaped fruit that ripens in the summer, but fruit color varies between the species as does flower and leaf coloration. Although our native mayapple goes dormant and disappears in the summer, the 2 Asian species do not and continue growth. All 3 spread by underground rhizomes and can form substantial colonies. Mayapples produce a toxin (podophyllotoxin) which can irritate the skin and share a history of medicinal use by native populations. Although the leaves, roots, and seeds are poisonous if eaten in large amounts, the fruit of the American mayapple can be made into jelly when ripe. At Bedrock Gardens, Himalayan and Chinese mayapples can be found primarily in the Funnel (#13) and Swaleway (#12) gardens. American mayapples also grow in these areas, as well as in the Shrubaria (#26) and throughout Bedrock’s woodlands.

Japanese Primrose

Japanese Primrose
​​(Primula japonica)
Sometimes called the candelabra primrose, this beautiful perennial produces blooms in whorls along its flower stalk as the stalk grows from a basal cluster of crinkled leaves . Each stalk can carry as many as 5 or 6 rings of flowers and reach 18” high. It is happiest in moist shady areas and blooms in shades of white, purple, pink, and magenta in May-June. It attracts a variety of pollinators such as butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds and will self-sow if happy. A mass of Japanese primroses in bloom is truly a memorable sight and brings bright color to shady areas. At Bedrock Gardens, Japanese primroses can be found in the Tea House and Petit Pond (#27) garden as well as in the Swaleway (#12) garden.