Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia
Over 40 Years of Growing Gardens and Gardeners
While poinsettias and holiday cacti. are two of the most popular plants to pop up this time of year, there are a few more that are worth bringing home and shining a spotlight on. Read on to learn about Norfolk Island Pine, Frost Moss, and Amaryllis.
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Low maintenance and showy, Trumpet Honeysuckle blooms intermittently until frost with coral flowers and red fruit present together. A more compact cultivar, ‘John Clayton,’ produces fragrant yellow flowers and copious orange-red fruit. It was discovered in 1991 on the grounds of a 17th century Virginia church. The species name “sempervirens” refers to the plant’s evergreen habit, particularly in the South. The Virginia Native Plant Society selected Trumpet Honeysuckle as Wildflower of the Year for 2014.
Featured Glossary word: Perfoliate
The Glencarlyn Library Community Garden coordinators have recently created a new series of short videos highlighting the beauty of native plants. We are sharing these videos on our website every month as well as glossary words that go along with each month's topic. This month's focus is on native ground covers.
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
This native tree of northeastern and north central North America can be very long-lived; along the cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment in Canada, specimens could be over 1,000 years old. The common name, which means “tree of life,” refers to the medicinal properties of the bark and foliage, which cured scurvy.
Featured Glossary word: Ethnobotany
Do you have a budding young master gardener in your family? Are you looking for a holiday gift to encourage interest in gardening, nature, and the environment? Here are some books recommended by Extension Master Gardeners and by the American Horticultural Society.
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Common throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region, Partridge-berry is a sweet trailing plant with shiny, rounded evergreen leaves distinguished by a stripe down the mid-vein. The paired white tubular flowers form half-inch stars in early summer followed by red berry-like fruits (drupes), which may persist through the winter into early summer. The Virginia Native Plant Society named Partridge-berry as Wildflower of the Year in 2012.
Featured Glossary word: Drupe
