This week: Spectacular Sassafras
Hello! Sassafras trees (Sassafras albidum) rank very near the top of my list of favorite trees. When I was a kid, Sassafras trees were fascinating because of...
This week: Huckleberry, a Fall Favorite
Hello! Our tour of fall foliage continues with a native shrub that is typically found in woodlands, Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata). In September and...
This week: Handsome Cinnamon Fern
Hello! Fall foliage isn’t limited to trees and shrubs. Some ferns sport outstanding autumnal colors, like the handsome Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum...
This week: Are Milkweed Bugs friends or foes?
Hello! If you grow milkweed, you may have noticed more than just Monarch caterpillars feasting on the plants. You’ve likely seen at least one form of a...
This week: Pearly Everlasting Outlasts the Fall
Hello! Now that fall is underway, Goldenrods and Asters are dotting the landscape. But, don’t overlook another fall bloomer that also happens to be in the...
This week: Advantages of Planting Plugs
Hello! This week, I planted 45 native plants in a little over an hour using only a garden knife. How was this incredible feat accomplished? I was planting...
This week: Leave Snags Standing for Birds
Hello! This newsletter is typically focused on living plants, but there is also ecological value in dead ones, often for habitat creation. We’re encouraged...
This week: American Pokeweed Is Pretty and Poisonous
Hello! I recently swiped past a social media post where someone had pruned an American Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) plant into a tree shape — a strange...
This week: Ragweed and Mistaken Identity
Hello, Welcome to Ragweed season! Sadly, Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is a native plant that can be a nuisance and is best removed. One male...
This week: Making Plans for Next Year’s Garden
Hello! As the summer winds down, it’s time to take stock of the garden. What changes, if any, should be made for next year? By evaluating it now, you can do...
This week: Cup Plant Surprises
Hello, Time for some fun facts about an interesting native plant with a dubious reputation! Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum) is native to the eastern and...
This week: Butterfly Season
Hello, If you planted a garden full of native plants, you’ve probably been getting some butterfly visitors. Consider this a quick who’s who of a few common...
This week: Wild Petunia, No Relation to Annual Petunias
Hello! This summer, I’ve been experimenting with Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis). Wild Petunia is native to the Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest. In Pennsylvania,...
This week: Blazing Star Blooms!
Hello! Blazing Star (Liatris spicata) is easily one of my favorite plants. While Liatris are typically associated with the Midwestern and Plains prairies,...
This week: Pioneering Staghorn Sumac
Hello! Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) is a northeastern understory tree with some big benefits: it’s gorgeous, wildlife loves it, and it has more than a few...
This week: Emily Dickinson’s Favorite Flower
Hello! It’s time to open the mailbag! Recently, a reader sent me a photo of Ghost Pipes (Monotropa uniflora) that she spotted while hiking in the Smoky...
This week: Anise Hyssop, a Worthy Mint!
Hello! If you like the look of Lavenders and Catmints in the garden, but don’t love that they aren’t native, try Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) instead....
This week: Choosing Milkweed for Monarchs
Hello! Monarch butterflies are the unlucky poster child for the plight of our native beneficial insects. The number of Eastern monarchs has declined by more...
This week: Coreopsis for Every Garden
Hello! Coreopsis (also called Tickseed) is an unassuming garden workhorse. It blooms from June through August, and once the blooms slow down, you can...
This week: Raise a Glass to Hophornbeam
Hello! Let me introduce you to Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), a native understory tree that, to quote the eminent horticulturalist Michael A. Dirr, “has...