• About
  • Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and Disclosure

Garden Experiments

Gardening tips, experiments, product reviews, and stories from my backyard.

  • Plants
    • Vegetables
    • Flowers & Plants
  • Projects & Ideas
  • Wildlife
  • Reviews
  • Recipes
  • Gardens & Butterfly Houses
    • Directory of Butterfly Houses by State
    • Garden Tours
You are here: Home / Archives for plant identification

May 21, 2019

My Favorite Plant-It-And-Forget-It Flower: Black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan

If you're looking for a plant-it-and-forget-it type of plant that still produces lots of flowers AND attracts pollinators, then look no further than the black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). This easy-to-grow wildflower is found throughout North America where you can find it alongside roads, in grassy openings and prairies, and even along the edge of forests. They bloom in mid to late summer through fall and vary in height from one foot to … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants / backyard habitat, butterflies, flowers, native plants, plant identification, wildflowers

April 14, 2015

Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia)

Common Blue Violet

The little purple-blue flowers of common blue violet are blooming all over my grass under the trees, where it stays moist for long periods of time. I always try to mow around them as much as I can so that I can enjoy the wildflowers. They bloom in early spring into early summer, from April to June and sometimes July. Common Blue Violet Plant Description This small plant grows about 4 inches high and can be as wide as 5 or 6 inches. It is … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants / erosion control, flowers, native plants, part shade, plant identification, propagation. wildflowers, spring, spring flowers, wildflowers

March 24, 2015

Rosepink (Sabatia angularis)

Rosepink, photo by Paul Jacobs

This beauty can be found growing in the majority of the United States. It is native to the eastern U.S. - as far east as Kansas and Illinois and down to New Mexico and north to Wisconsin. It is also native to Ontario, Canada. Its vibrant pink or white flowers bloom in July through September and are about 1 inch in diameter with 5 petals. The unique star-shaped center of the flower is yellow-green and outlined with a red border. Anthers on the … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / bees, butterflies, flowers, full sun, native plants, part shade, plant identification, propagation, propagation. wildflowers, Summer, wildflowers

February 27, 2015

Bear’s Foot or Hairy Leafcup

Bear's Foot, Photo by Paul Jacobs

Native to the eastern United States, up to Michigan, and across to Texas and Kansas, this perennial plant can be found in forest gaps, along the edges of fields and forests, in thickets, bottomlands, and grasslands. It can grow in full sun or part shade and in a wide range of soil moisture conditions. Plant Description Bear’s foot (Smallanthus uvedalius (L.) Mack. Ex Small (synonym: Polymnia uvedalia)) can grow to be eight to ten feet tall. It … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants, Wildlife / bees, fall, full sun, native plants, part shade, plant identification, propagation. wildflowers, wildflowers, wildlife

October 21, 2014

How to Identify Wild Garlic and Get Rid of It

Wild garlic in my flower bed

Wild Garlic (Allium vineale) can be difficult to remove from your garden. If you see one leaf, then you can be sure that more will soon be on its way. It’s not native to the U.S. and was introduced from Europe. Garlic is perennial, grows in clumps, and has hollow, round, grass-like leaves. If you’re not sure if that’s what you have in your yard, then rub the leaves between your fingers; you can not mistake the smell. This plant reproduces … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants / plant identification, weeds

August 12, 2014

Cutleaf Coneflower: Rudbeckia laciniata

Cutleaf Coneflower

Native to North America, this tall flowering perennial in the Asteraceae family makes a statement in my garden. Not only is it a prolific bloomer, but it also attracts all sorts of insects – bees, butterflies, and other insects. With a height of almost 6 feet, it towers around the base of the sycamore that I have it planted around. The leaves of this plant are highly lobed, making it look like the leaf has been “torn” – hence the source of the … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants / backyard habitat, bees, butterflies, flowers, full sun, native plants, part shade, plant identification, Summer, wildflowers

March 10, 2014

Cross Vine: Bignonia capreolata

Crossvine flowers

As a native plant, cross vine has a big advantage - it's easy to grow, hardy, tolerates the heat, has a low water requirement, and can grow in both full sun and part shade. It's in the same family as trumpet creeper (Bignoniaceae) and the flowers are very similar - trumpet-shaped, 2" long tubular and bright orange-red/yellow. Cross vine is native to the Southeast from Florida to Texas and up to West Virginia: Zones 6-9. My first encounter with … [Read more...]

/ Flowers & Plants / bees, flowers, full sun, hummingbirds, native plants, plant identification, propagation, rooting, vines, wildflowers, winter

November 15, 2013

Mississippi State University Dorman Hall Gardens

The folks at Dorman Hall have been working hard to create a beautiful teaching garden in a small space. I visited there this October and found a variety of garden types and some really cool plants. The gardens around Dorman Hall were established in 2008. A daylily garden, fern garden, butterfly garden, and vine garden were added in 2011. View photos of the daylilies in the garden See the virtual tour of the garden Cacti and … [Read more...]

/ Garden Tours / butterflies, fall, flowers, gardens, native plants, plant identification

October 25, 2013

Plants that provide food and shelter in fall and winter for wildlife

If you’d like to see more wildlife in your garden in winter, be sure to include plants that provide food and cover in the fall and winter. Some of these plants are evergreen, providing necessary cover, and some have fruits, seeds, or nuts that persist into winter.  Here are some (mostly native) plant suggestions that can be used in Zone 7b and throughout much of the southeast. Trees Apples (Malus spp.) American beech (Fagus … [Read more...]

/ Wildlife / backyard habitat, birds, butterflies, fall, native plants, plant identification, winter

September 30, 2013

Mexican Salvia – Fall Blooming, Deer & Drought Resistant

Also known as Mexican bush sage, this salvia produces great fall color (purple and white) that attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. It looks great mixed in with other flowers for interesting color combinations, or planted in a bunch to create a nice edge or border. Where to Plant Mexican Sage This plant thrives in full sun, but will tolerate some afternoon shade. It gets to be about 3-4 feet tall and just about as wide, so give it … [Read more...]

/ Butterflies, Flowers & Plants / bees, butterflies, fall, full sun, hummingbirds, part shade, plant identification, propagation

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

About Me

Welcome! My name is Kathy and I live in Georgia Zone 7B. Gardening has always relaxed and rooted me (literally!). It's my happy place. With more than 25 years of gardening, I am far from an expert, but I learn from all my experiments. This blog talks about the plants, backyard critters, and more that have made my garden special. Read More

Popular Posts

Purple and White Container GardenPurple and White Container Garden12K Total Shares
Don’t Throw Out that Old Bird Bath! Make It a PlanterDon’t Throw Out that Old Bird Bath! Make It a Planter6K Total Shares
Landscape Solutions for the Base of TreesLandscape Solutions for the Base of Trees5K Total Shares
Restore metal outdoor furniture to “like new”Restore metal outdoor furniture to “like new”5K Total Shares
How to Keep Your Gladiolus Flowers From Falling OverHow to Keep Your Gladiolus Flowers From Falling Over2K Total Shares

Tags

backyard habitat bees berries bird feeders birds bulbs butterflies container garden deer resistant DIY projects fall flowers full sun garden pest gardens herbs how-to hummingbirds indoor plants insects moist soil mulch native plants part shade plant identification projects and ideas propagation propagation. wildflowers raised beds recipes reviews rooting shade shade plants shrubs spring spring flowers succulents Summer trees vegetables vines wildflowers wildlife winter

Categories

Plow & Hearth

© Copyright 2022 Garden Experiments · All Rights Reserved ·