Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia
Over 40 Years of Growing Gardens and Gardeners
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Fragrant, showy four-inch spires of white blossoms fall from arching stems late spring. In autumn, the leaves of Virginia Sweetspire turn a vibrant red to orange. This native favorite has graceful open growth habit and performs best in partial shade with moist soil.
Public education classes offered from through August 2024 are now on the website in the Master Gardener Virtual Classroom. Each video has been edited and captioned, and each page includes multiple resources.
Vegetable gardening information and events for October.
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Common throughout much of the Mid-Atlantic, this native boasts graceful arching stems, dainty bell-like flowers, and prominent leaf veins. Its common name may come from resemblance of rhizome scars to the ancient Hebrew seal of King Solomon or from purported “wound sealing properties.”
Land plants have evolved from ten major living lineages, with like plants being grouped together based on whether or not they have vascular tissue and whether or not they have seeds. The two groups of vascular seed plants are the angiosperms (meaning “vessel seeds”) and the gymnosperms (meaning “naked seeds”).
The Glencarlyn Library Community Garden coordinators have created a new series of short videos about locally invasive plants and native alternatives. This month's post is on the Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima). Information is also given for the Spotted Lanternfly, which feeds on the Tree of Heaven.
