Native Herbaceous Plants Provide Shelter and Nesting Sites for Wildlife
Lower-growing herbaceous plants, especially ground covers such as ferns and grasses, can provide seasonal cover and nesting materials for wildlife.
The Last Word
What do the three pictures above have in common? They show the axis of a plant—its stem—and the axes of an inflorescence and a compound leaf—their rachises. To learn why February's last words are important terms for gardeners to understand, click on one of the links to go to the individual Illustrated Glossary page.
Between the Rows – A Guide to Vegetable Gardening:
March 2023
Vegetable Gardening information and events for March 2023.
FERN: Dryopteris marginalis (Marginal Wood Fern)
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Found in woodlands and on rocky slopes and ledges, evergreen Marginal Wood Fern provides year round interest. It is monomorphic so its fronds are virtually the same size and shape, whether or not their undersides bear sori, the spore-producing receptacles. Sori placement along the pinnule margins give rise to the species epithet and common name.
Invasive Plant Video: Burning Bush
The Glencarlyn Library Community Garden coordinators are creating a new series of short videos about locally invasive plants and native alternatives. This series looks at individual invasive plants, discussing how to remove them and suggesting native plants to consider as replacements. This month's post is on Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus).
TREE: Ilex opaca (American Holly)
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
In the 1930s Delaware surpassed all states in producing decorations made of American Holly, which flourished in its countryside and became its State Tree in 1939. Still common in the Coastal Plain and southeastern Pennsylvania, its frequency lessens moving through the Piedmont into the mountains of Maryland and Virginia. Today commercial demand for holly has declined, but its value in the landscape has not. It comes into its glory as temperatures drop and berry-like fruits ripen to brighten the winter scenery.