What’s in Bloom

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ is a well-known cultivar selected by Proven Winners for its reliable performance and striking blooms. Originally developed in the Netherlands, it features large, upright panicles of flowers that open a distinctive pale green in midsummer before gradually shifting to creamy white, pink, and rose tones as the season progresses. This deciduous shrub is adaptable to a variety of soil types and thrives in full sun to partial shade. Growing 6 to 8 feet tall and wide, 'Limelight' is appreciated for its strong stems, long bloom period, and suitability for both garden use and cut flower arrangements. Look for other panicle hydrangea in bloom in the gardens. 

The Meadow Garden is filled with plants that benefit wildlife.  Cup-plant is a native perennial that grows to 8 feet tall.  Its perfoliate leaves, which clasp around the stem forming a cup, collect water for birds and insects.  Cup-plant provides nectar and pollen for a variety of bees, while birds, especially goldfinches, eat its seeds. 

‘Hummingbird’ is a dwarf selection of the deciduous shrub Clethra alnifolia that displays full-size flowers on a compact three foot plant. The flowers release a wonderful scent when the upright panicles bloom from July to August. Sweet pepperbush prefers moist soil in dappled sun but will tolerate a little less light or even full sun and is hardy from USDA zones 4 to 9.  This American native is deer resistant and is a vigorous spreader.  It also attracts butterflies.

Lobelia cardinalis, commonly known as cardinal flower, is a striking perennial native to North America, celebrated for its vivid scarlet-red blooms that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Typically found in moist environments like stream banks and wetlands, this plant thrives in full sun to partial shade and can grow up to four feet tall. Its bright flowers bloom from mid to late summer, providing a vibrant splash of color when many other plants begin to fade. Despite its beauty, all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested, a natural defense that helps deter herbivores, like deer. Not only does it enhance garden biodiversity but it also plays an important ecological role in supporting native pollinators.

Joe-Pye-weed is a native plant, related to asters, that attracts butterflies and is profuse in our late summer Meadow.  It was used medicinally by Native Americans for the treatment of fevers, and was named for the Mohican leader, Joseph Shauquethqueat, who was also known as Joe Pye. 

Like many cacti in the Cereus genus, it produces large, fragrant flowers that bloom at night. These blooms are usually white and attract nocturnal pollinators like moths and bats. After flowering, Cereus stenogonus can produce colorful, edible fruit often called "pitaya" or "apple cactus fruit." The inside is usually juicy and sweet, somewhat like a less sugary dragon fruit.

Petraeovitex bambusetorum, commonly referred to as the Nong Nooch-vine, is a rare and ornamental woody climber native to parts of Southeast Asia. It is notable for its attractive, arching flower spikes that feature a combination of yellow and purple hues, offering visual interest throughout the blooming period. The plant belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae), although its appearance is quite distinct from typical members of that group. It gained attention and its common name from the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden in Thailand, where it has been cultivated and displayed. This vine prefers tropical to subtropical climates, thrives in warm, humid conditions, and is often used as a botanical curiosity in specialty gardens or collections.

This impressive specimen lived for almost 100 years in Japan before surviving an arduous journey to the United States. Developed by the Chinsho-en Nursery in Takamatsu, Japan in the upright style, today, under masterful care, it is thriving.

 A member of the aster family, dahlias bloom from early August to frost, offering spectacular late season color.  Dahlias can be grown in partial to full sun from tubers, which are planted in the spring, and come in many enticing sizes, shapes and hues.

Scarlet Rose Mallow also known as Texas Star Hibiscus, is a striking native perennial prized for its bold, star-shaped scarlet red flowers that bloom from midsummer to early fall. Towering up to 6–8 feet tall, it adds dramatic height and color to rain gardens, pond edges, and moist borders. This heat-loving plant is a favorite among pollinators—especially hummingbirds and large butterflies, drawn to its vivid blooms. Its flowers also attract bees. Despite its exotic appearance, Scarlet Rose Mallow is easy to grow making it a stunning and ecologically beneficial addition to native plant gardens.

Eucomis is a bulb with a flower reminiscent of a pineapple, hence its common name, pineapple-lily.  Native to southern Africa, pineapple-lily blooms in summer for several weeks.  This selection, ‘Oakhurst’, features dark foliage and stems.  Pineapple-lily grows in full sun and well-drained soil and is hardy to USDA zone 6, although protection from too much winter moisture will help prevent rot.  

Nymphaea ‘David’, hardy waterlily, in the Waterlily Display.

Franklinia, or the Franklin tree is a small deciduous tree in the camellia family. It was first discovered by the Philadelphia based botanists John and William Bartram on the banks of the Alatamaha River in Georgia in 1765. William Bartram collected seed in 1773, and successfully cultivated the plant at the Bartram gardens in Philadelphia. Bartram named the new plant Franklinia alatamaha in honor of his father’s friend Benjamin Franklin.  It is a unique tree as it is the only species in its genus, and it is now extinct in the wild. The original stand of trees was restricted to a small area and the species went extinct soon after its discovery, with the last confirmed sighting recorded in 1803. The probable causes for its demise were increased activity associated with settlers; for example fires and land clearance. All known living specimens in cultivation today are descended from the seed collected by William Bartram.  Interestingly, while the tree was discovered in Georgia, it performs well in more northern climates. It has therefore been hypothesized that the tree was pushed south during the last ice age, then stranded when the ice retreated. The trees that the Bartrams discovered might have been the last remnants of a once much larger population.  The Franklin tree is available commercially and is prized in cultivation for both its story and its fragrant camellia-like flowers and red fall foliage.