What’s in Bloom

A beautiful spring Pennsylvania native, flowering dogwood is a medium-sized tree that blooms in late April to early May.  ′Appalachian Spring′ is slow growing but it flowers at a young age and is resistant to dogwood anthracnose, a fungal disease that causes cankers, which kill affected dogwoods.  Like other flowering dogwoods, it has red fruit, that attract birds, and reddish purple foliage in the fall providing another season of interest. 

This deciduous tree native to China, produces large, fragrant, panicles of lavender flowers in the spring.  The wood of this fast growing tree is highly prized and used to make furniture and musical instruments. Japanese craftsmen prize princess-tree wood for making the koto, a six-foot long, stringed instrument that is the national instrument of Japan. Kotos create music when the strings that bridge across the hollow body of the instrument, are plucked. The unique sound is distinctively energetic and reflective because of the resonance of the princess-tree wood.

This orchid was once more common in southeastern Pennsylvania, but has become rare due to habitat loss. Lady’s slipper orchids can be incredibly long-lived; the plants seen here were planted in the Garden in 1963.  The greater yellow lady’s slipper was the first species entered into Longwood’s plant conservation program.

Commonly known as creeping phlox, this native wildflower can be identified as a low growing mat-like groundcover. These shade loving, spreading perennials are best used in woodlands, informal borders, or tucked into corners, paths, and rock walls. From late April to early June, the popular cultivar ‘Sherwood Purple’ bears highly fragrant purple-blue flowers on 6 inch tall stems. 

This herbaceous perennial, commonly known as foam-flower, forms compact, dense clumps of basal foliage with creamy, white flowers. The long, dense flowering racemes bloom from late April to early June and prefer the moist, rich soil of a woodland environment. This native species is spectacular when grown in large groupings or as a ground cover.  Tiarella cordifolia grows natively in most counties of Pennsylvania.

Wild cranesbill has delicate pale to deep pink flowers that bloom in early to mid-spring. It has a deeply cut leaf and grows best in a woodland setting in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Forming loose 2 foot mounds in shade, this native geranium will also grow as a groundcover in sun. Hardy to zone 4, wild cranesbill is native to all counties of Pennsylvania.

Trilliums are fascinating spring wildflowers that rely on ants for seed dispersal through a process called myrmecochory, or “ant farming.” Their seeds come with tasty oily attachments called elaiosomes, which ants carry to their nests, eat, and leave the seeds behind to sprout. Trillium flowers give off a strong, sometimes unpleasant odor, especially Trillium erectum, to attract flies and beetles for pollination. True to their name, trilliums feature a pattern of threes in their leaves, petals, and sepals, and although they can grow from seed, they often take years to bloom.

Rhododendron periclymenoides is a deciduous shrub that has pink funnel shaped flowers in late April to early May. This native azalea likes part shade and moist, well-drained soils. It can grow to be 10 feet at maturity and is a lovely addition to a woodland garden.
 

Native from southern Brazil to northern Argentina, this large shrub with evergreen leaves has exotic flowers, and delicious fruits. About the size of an egg, the fruits taste somewhere between a pineapple and a guava, hence the common name, pineapple guava. Fruits may be eaten raw or whipped into a curd as is common in Brazil, but others prepare pineapple guava into ice creams, jams, compotes and baked goods. Unfortunately, ripe fruits bruise very easily and are usually not exported or shipped great distances, which likely explains their exotic identity.

Fothergilla gardenii, dwarf fothergilla

 

Florida flame azalea, is a deciduous azalea native to the southeastern United States, Blooming in early spring before the leaves emerge, its fragrant yellow to orange flowers are rich in nectar and attract a range of wildlife, including hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees. As part of the Ericaceae family, it shares the acid-loving tendencies of other rhododendrons and azaleas. This species plays an important role in the development of modern deciduous azalea hybrids, breeders have long used Rhododendron austrinum to introduce heat tolerance and vibrant yellow coloration into cultivated varieties, expanding the palette of garden azaleas well beyond their traditional hues. Our selections of pastel colored azaleas create dramatic sweeps of color amongst the trees in Peirce's Woods.  It's well worth a stroll to experience the beauty and fragrance of these native treasures!