Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia
Over 40 Years of Growing Gardens and Gardeners
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Clustered Mountain-mint flowers may be unassuming, but their nectar enticed the greatest number and diversity of pollinators out of 86 species monitored by Penn State over 3 years. Showy, silvery bracts accent the flower clusters. Foliage exudes a strong minty aroma when crushed.
This month, our houseplant expert, Evin Morrison, answers questions about aerial roots and browning leaves.
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Though indigenous in the Mid-Atlantic to only a few counties in Pennsylvania, Anise Hyssop grows easily throughout in well-drained soil. Purplish flower spikes, which attract pollinators all summer, add a vertical layer to the garden; leaves and seeds add anise flavor to food.
Weed or #NativeWildflower?
Diodia virginiana (Virginia buttonweed) may be desirable as a native ground cover in its natural wet habitats, but in cultivated landscapes from the mid-Atlantic southward, it is considered an aggressive and difficult-to-remove weed. Learn how to identify and deal with it before it becomes (more) troublesome.
#MGNV Tried and True #NativePlant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Commercially valuable as a food crop, this species yields the best blueberries and autumn color when grown in full sun. Due to widespread hybridization, its distribution in Virginia has been difficult to map.
#MasterGardener #MGNV
Glabrous and glaucous often describe plant parts, especially stems, leaves, and fruits. Glabrous surfaces are smooth, lacking hairs, bristles, and glands. Glaucous surfaces have a whitish, gray, or bluish-green bloom. Most conspicuous on fruits, like blueberries and eastern redcedar, blooms are waxy or powdery coatings that tend to rub off.
