Gardening with Native Plants - Garden Experiments

How to Tell Boxelder Apart from Poison Ivy

Garden Experiments — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 18:21:38 +0000

When I was learning to identify plants, the leaves of boxelder used to trip me up. The leaves of this tree looked so much like poison ivy to me. There are a few key features that can help you tell the difference between these two plants. Boxelder Similarities with Poison Ivy The leaves and leaflets […]

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The Native Sassafras Tree

Garden Experiments — Wed, 10 May 2023 16:05:38 +0000

I often see sassafras growing along the trails, in the forest breaks, and in old fields. However, it’s the mitten-shaped leaves that stand out to me. If you break off a twig of a sassafras tree and smell it, you get the distinct smell of root beer. My dad used to do this for us […]

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How to Grow Blue Mistflower – Get Lavender Flowers in the Fall

Garden Experiments — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 13:35:04 +0000

In late summer, pockets of lavender color begin to appear along the sides of roads, at the edge of streams, in old fields, and in wetlands or other moist-soil areas. These fuzzy lavender-colored flowers belong to the blue mistflower, also known as wild ageratum, a plant native to the central and southeastern U.S. Adding blue […]

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How to Grow and Care for Swamp Sunflower – Helianthus angustifolius

Garden Experiments — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 16:15:19 +0000

In the middle of summer, the bright yellow, showy flowers of swamp sunflower light up my garden. This perennial’s flowers keep blooming into the fall. It’s late October, and I still have bright yellow flowers that add some fall color to my yard. We have a patch in our backyard that stays wet most of […]

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Best Native Shrubs for Fall Color

Garden Experiments — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 19:33:00 +0000

Fall is a great time to enjoy the beauty of nature in your garden. Native shrubs offer a wide variety of foliage colors, colorful berries, textures, and shapes that will add interest to your yard all season long. Add a few native shrubs for fall color into your landscape! Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) In late […]

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14 Fall-Blooming Native Plants for Your Garden

Garden Experiments — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 16:01:01 +0000

Fall-blooming native plants are easy to grow in containers or in the ground. We have picked our favorite native fall flowers, vines, and grasses to add color to your landscape this autumn. Fall-blooming Native Perennials There are lots of options for flowers available for planting in the fall. Here are some of our favorites options […]

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Grow Cardinal Flower In Wet Soils for Hummingbirds

Garden Experiments — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 08:48:00 +0000

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is a perennial native plant that blooms from mid-summer to fall. The flowers on the bottom of its tall stalk bloom first, gradually opening to the top of the stem. It is also known as red cardinal plant or red cardinal flower. Colorful Plant for Moist Soils – Growing Conditions This […]

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How to Grow Oakleaf Hydrangea

Garden Experiments — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 16:32:25 +0000

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a mounding, perennial, deciduous shrub that can grow to heights of up to 10 feet and nearly as wide (up to 8 feet generally). It produces branches from the base of the shrub, creating a mound-like shape for the plant. It is hardy in zones 5b through 9, but it […]

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Coral Honeysuckle Vine: How to Grow This Native Vine for Hummingbirds

Garden Experiments — Tue, 24 May 2022 20:34:53 +0000

The slender, bright red, tubular flowers blooming at the ends of the coral honeysuckle vine (Lonicera sempervirens) will add a bright spot of color to your garden. The interior of the honeysuckle flowers is often yellow, making them stand out even more against the green leaves of this vine. Although the flowers of this vine […]

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Native Shrubs for Shade Gardens

Garden Experiments — Thu, 19 May 2022 20:28:10 +0000

There are many species of native shrubs that grow in the shade. These native plants need little sunlight and some species can handle deep shade conditions. Add some color and texture to those shady areas in your garden with shade-loving native shrubs that flower in the shade. By adding these native shade shrubs in your […]

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