Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia

Promoting environmentally sound gardening practices for over 35 years!

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) Photo by Elaine L. Mills

Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic

PERENNIAL: Agastache foeniculum (Anise or Blue Giant Hyssop)
New in 2022!

Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic 
Anise Hyssop inhabits widely scattered areas in the northern United States and Canada. Though indigenous to only a few Pennsylvania counties, in the Mid-Atlantic it grows easily in well-drained soil. Its pretty flower spikes, which attract myriad pollinators [WATCH A NEW VIDEO] all summer, add a vertical layer to the garden; its leaves and seeds add an anise flavor to teas, salads and baked goods.

Featured Glossary word: Verticillaster

Read morePERENNIAL: Agastache foeniculum (Anise or Blue Giant Hyssop)
New in 2022!

TREE: Ostrya virginiana ([Eastern] Hop-hornbeam, Ironwood)

Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Despite being one of the hardest of native* woods, Hop-hornbeam is undesirable in commercial forests. It provides interest as an ornamental though, with fluted trunk, exfoliating bark, and drooping clusters of sac- like pods that resemble the fruit of hops, hence its common name.
Featured Glossary word: Strobilus

Read moreTREE: Ostrya virginiana ([Eastern] Hop-hornbeam, Ironwood)
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