One of the prettiest wildflowers you can find in the woods is Indian Pink, Spigelia marilandica. This native plant has bright red tubular flowers with a yellow interior that ends in a 5-pointed star. The rich, red color really stands out making it a great flower for the shady areas of your garden. Where Does Indian Pink Grow? Indian pink is also known as woodland pinkroot or worm grass. This perennial flowering plant can be found in 16 … [Read more...]
Japanese Honeysuckle vs Native Honeysuckle Vine
Have you ever plucked a honeysuckle flower, turned it around, and gently sucked the nectar from the tube-shaped back of the flower? If you grew up in the southeastern U.S., I bet you did. That taste of super-sweet honey nectar always makes me think of summer nights spent chasing fireflies and summer days spent running wild and free. Imagine my surprise when taking a class on native plants and shrubs in college that I learned that the yellow … [Read more...]
Obedient Plant – Physostegia virginiana
Deer-resistant AND it can grow in clay soil - what's not to love about obedient plants? Native plants are favorites of mine because they are particularly suited for the local conditions (soil, heat, drought or rain, clay soil) of my area. When I find those native plants with particularly pretty flowers, I add them to my hodgepodge of a garden. This particular plant was a bonus because it is native to Mississippi, it has lots of lovely pale … [Read more...]
Of Ferns and Fiddles – No Hostas Here
The white-tailed deer population in Mississippi is pretty high at around 1.75 million. I think about a third of those are in my neighborhood. It certainly seems like there are that many when they start munching on my garden plants. They leave nothing but the roots. Hostas are like deer candy. I had several hosta plants that I was quite fond of and then one morning, they were gone. The only evidence they had existed was a bit of hosta stubble … [Read more...]