Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia
Over 40 Years of Growing Gardens and Gardeners
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Ninebark provides seasonal interest with showy flowers, winter-persistent fruits, and attractive bark, which molts in thin strips to expose underlayers. Found throughout much of the Mid-Atlantic, this drought-tolerant, adaptable shrub grows in open woods, river and stream banks, and rock outcroppings.
As the chill of winter sets in, it’s not only humans who seek warmth and comfort; our houseplants need special care, too. During the colder months, low light levels and cooler temperatures can stress plants, slowing their growth, making them more susceptible to pests and diseases, and just not looking their best. Learn how a little preparation and attention can ensure your indoor greenery thrives even in the harshest of winter climates.
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Commercial demand for American Holly, the State Tree of Delaware, for use in holiday decorations may have declined over the decades, but its value in the landscape has not. As temperatures drop, its evergreen leaves and red, berry-like fruits brighten the winter scenery.
Join Master Gardeners in the Arlington/Alexandria unit of Virginia Cooperative Extension in a series of monthly articles reposted from 2021 as we explore the topic of climate change and practical actions individuals can take in their home landscapes in response. This month, we’ll present an overview.
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
This trouble-free shrub, also known as Carolina Allspice, delights the senses with fragrant, showy, spring flowers when planted as a specimen or screening hedge near a front door or patio. While primarily native to several southeastern states, it does well in Northern Virginia.
Curious about floral design? Understand the importance of the receptacle (not the vase used in floristry but the part of a flower stalk bearing the floral parts) and hypanthium. Explore nature’s ingenious arrangement of floral parts and how botanists interpret those arrangements to categorize flower type—hypogynous, perigynous, or epigynous.
