What’s in Bloom

Magnolia virginiana, commonly known as sweet-bay or swamp-bay magnolia, is an evergreen to partly evergreen tree native to the eastern United States. It grows 10-35 feet tall and blooms May through June, with white, fragrant flowers.  Magnolia virginiana will grow in full sun or partial shade and in moist, organically rich soils, but will also tolerate wet boggy soils and pond margins. The cone-like fruits of this tree are bright red showy seed pods. The cultivar ‘Jim Wilson’ was selected for its fast growth, upright habit, cold hardiness, and lush dark-green foliage.

Butterfly-weed is a type of milkweed that is native to North America. It grows in open, upland woodlands, dry fields or prairies, and on rocky slopes or glades. This clump forming perennial has orange, occasionally red or yellow, flowers that bloom from late May until August, and which attract butterflies, as well as bees and nectar-loving flies.

Hydrangea arborescens (smooth hydrangea) is a deciduous shrub native to the eastern United States, where it grows naturally in woodland edges, streambanks, and moist forests. Valued for its reliability and adaptability, it produces large clusters of creamy white flowers from early to midsummer that gradually age to soft green. Unlike many hydrangeas, smooth hydrangea blooms on new wood, making it less susceptible to winter damage and ensuring consistent flowering year after year. Its nectar-rich flowers attract pollinators, while its tolerance of partial shade and a variety of soil conditions has made it a favorite in gardens throughout its native range. 'NCHA1' Invincibelle Spirit® is a cultivated selection and highly valued for being the first pink-flowering cultivar of the species.  

Deschampsia cespitosa (tufted hair grass) is a cool-season ornamental grass native to much of the Northern Hemisphere, including North America, Europe, and Asia. Forming neat clumps of fine, arching foliage, it is best known for its airy, cloud-like flower panicles that rise above the leaves in early summer, creating a soft, shimmering effect in the garden. Adaptable to a range of conditions, tufted hair grass performs well in moist soils and tolerates more shade than many ornamental grasses. Its graceful texture provides movement and contrast in mixed plantings, while the seed heads add lasting interest well into the season. In natural settings, it serves as valuable habitat and food for wildlife, making it both an attractive and ecologically beneficial addition to the landscape.

Spigelia marilandica commonly known as Pink-Root is a native to the United States, from Maryland south to Florida, west to Illinois and Texas.  Spigelia grows in moist woods, ravines, or along stream banks in partial to full shade. This perennial can grow up to two feet high and one and half feet wide. Pink-Root produces bright carmine red tubular flowers which are two inches long with a yellow inside, and attracts Ruby-Throated hummingbirds from late May to the end of August.

Although known as the Japanese stewartia, Stewaria pseudocamellia is found in both Japan and Korea. It is a small, slow-growing, pyramidal, deciduous tree which typically matures to 20 to 40 feet. It has cup-shaped, camellia-like white flowers two and a half inches in diameter with showy orange-yellow anthers. The flowers appear in early summer. The Korean name for this tree is No-gak-namu which translates as "deer's horn tree", which symbolically describes the beauty of the mottled, peeling bark with its tones of orange, green and grey.

One of the most interesting features of many Grevillea species is their intricate, tube-shaped flowers that attract specific pollinators. The flowers' long tubular shapes are ideal for birds with long beaks, while their colors and nectar production make them irresistible. It's a great example of co-evolution between plant and pollinator. Although the tree is native to Australia, it was originally introduced to many parts of the world, including Africa and the Pacific Islands, where it became an exotic ornamental plant. Because of its rapid growth and long-lasting wood, some people referred to it as the "Australian timber that traveled the world.“ The Aboriginal people of Australia have a long history of utilizing grevillea plants in a variety of ways. Some species of Grevillea, particularly the larger, woody shrubs and trees, have a remarkable ability to regenerate after bushfires, which are common in Australia. Grevilleas have adapted to fire-prone environments by having a "fire-resistant" seed bank. Even though the plant might burn down in a fire, the seeds in the soil are often able to survive the heat and sprout anew once the fire has passed. 


 

Form: Stoloniferous and spreads by rhizomes 12"-18" tall. Spread of 12"-24" at least. Foliage: Wonderful umbrella-like leaves, silky when young on upright stalks to 12"-18" tall. Peltate, deeply divided with jaggedly, toothed lobes 12"-15" across. Flower: June-July, pinkish in color without rays, of botanical interest only.

You may be familiar with the common roadside wildflower Queen Anne's lace, also known as wild carrot, with a flat-topped cluster of white flowers, reminiscent of lace. This ornamental selection, 'Dara', produces flowers from light pink to purple-red. Along with its fine textured foliage, which adds a slight airy feel to summer planting beds and borders, ornamental carrot can be used as a cut flower and later in dried arrangements.

Phragmipedium China Dragon is a newer slipper orchid hybrid that was registered in 1996. One of its parents (P. besseae) was only just discovered in 1981. It is a terrestrial orchid native to the forests on the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains.  The flower is reddish orange in color, with a pouch-shaped labellum and 4-5 inch long spiraling lateral petals. The bright color of this hybrid comes from this parent, while the long petals are from its other parent, P. caudatum, whose petals can reach 2.5 feet.   

Subtle color among the waterlilies

Nelumbo nucifera 'Ai Jiangan' is an elegant cultivar of the sacred lotus, a species native to Asia and cultivated for thousands of years. Its soft pink-white, multi-petaled blooms rise above the water on sturdy stems, surrounding a distinctive yellow seedpod. The large, circular leaves are remarkably water repellent, causing droplets to bead and roll away while carrying dust and debris, a self-cleaning phenomenon known as the "lotus effect." In addition to its ornamental beauty, the sacred lotus has long been valued as a food crop, with its rhizomes and seeds commonly used in Asian cuisine. Flowering throughout summer, 'Ai Jiangan' embodies the sacred lotus's enduring symbolism of purity and renewal.