Focus on Flowers

Rudbeckia hirta is the botanical name for our bright yellow black-eyed Susans that light up our gardens in late summer and fall. 

One of our native lilies is the spectacular Lilium superb, spelled “superbum,” (but it is not pronounced as it is spelt). Its petals recurve, so a common name is Turk's cap. 

The Latin name “Physostegia” refers to the calyx, which covers their seed pods. “Physa” means bladder and “stege” means a covering. Common names are false dragonhead and obedience part because the stems can be bent up and down and sideways without breaking.  

When goldenrod is in bloom, it indicates that fall is in the air. It does not cause hay fever (That is ragweed!), as the pollen of goldenrod is too heavy to be dispersed by the wind.

The lobelia family is extremely diverse but there are two American natives that are hardy perennials: Lobelia cardinalis and Lobelia siphilitica. 

Many years ago, I bought a perennial plant at a nursery, and after I planted it, found that there was a ride-along plant in the pot.

There are few flowers like liatris in the flower world, as the blooms open on top of the stalks first, and the ones on the bottom open last.

Heuchera is the botanical name for coral bells.The one that is most frequently found in our gardens is Heuchera sanguinea -- tiny bell-shaped flowers on 15-inch stems dangle above mounds of deep green leaves. The flowers are bright red, which explains why “sanguinea,” which means blood red, is in the name.

Our native Eupatorium purpureum, commonly known as Joe Pye weed, flowers in late summer and fall, producing tall clusters of fluffy purple flowers. 

Ground cover plants are a bit like area rugs in our homes, as we can mix and match them or plant many of the same type of plant to cover bare patches.