Heliopsis helianthoides

Probably my favorite native wildflower is Heliopsis helianthoides, a member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae). Pronounce it heal ee OP sis heal ee ann THOY dees, or you can call it ox-eye sunflower or just plain old Heliopsis. Its genus and species are both Greek in origin. Heliopsis means ‘sun-eye’, and helianthoides means ‘like a sunflower’. That’s a pretty good description as far as it goes, but there’s a lot more to this native perennial and it’s pretty much all good. Here in the panhandle, Heliopsis blooms its heart out from late spring until frost; and it’s tough and drought tolerant. In the middle of July and August when so many other plants in our yards look hot and tired—and so do we unless we’re enjoying our gardens through the window of an air conditioned room—Heliopsis is still beautiful and blooming with a profusion of bright yellow, daisy-like flowers. That’s not to say it would not eventually succumb given no water at all; it just lasts considerably longer than most. I should warn you however that Heliopsis is not the most impressive plant during that first year after you introduce it into your garden. It doesn’t look like much in the pot either. I cannot tell you how many customers I’ve practically bullied into purchasing it. Most of them come back for more though. Once Heliopsis has had a season or two to fill in, it’s just gorgeous.

Plant Heliopsis in full sun to part—although full sun is best for lots more flowers. It tolerates a wide range of soil types from moderately moist to dry, including nutrient poor soils. It’ll grow two to three feet in height and spread and fill in by rhizome. It’s mostly pest and disease free, although it’ll sometimes get aphids. In most cases, I wouldn’t bother to treat them. Heliopsis is tough enough to stand up to them, and having a few aphids around will help attract beneficial insects to your yard.

You can divide Heliopsis in the fall, after you have a good thick clump of it. Use it to fill in bare spots in your garden or pass some on to a friend. They’ll be glad you did and so will their bees and butterflies. Heliopsis is a great pollinator attractant. It also makes a great, long lasting cut flower.

So what’s not to love about Heliopsis! There are cultivated varieties available in the industry, but why bother when the original is such a winner just the way nature made it.

At Native Nurseries, we typically stock Heliopsis in 4” and 1-gallon pots. Currently we have 4" pots only. As always, give us a call to check availability before making a special trip (although we’re always happy to see you). Sorry . . . we do not ship plants.

Some information for this blog post came from the following sources –

USDA NRCS: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.370.1457&rep=rep1&type=pdf

University of Maryland

Cut-leaf Rudbeckia

Native to North America, cut-leaf rudbeckia (Rudbeckia laciniata) is thriving in my perennial garden. Further north it’s an herbaceous perennial, but here in Tallahassee it is usually evergreen. This edible wildflower, most often found in flood plains and moist soil, shoots up rapidly in spring. The new foliage can be used as a salad green or steamed. This time of year it is 4 to 5’ tall with robust, glossy green foliage and flower buds showing. It won’t be long until it blooms profusely with beautiful, yellow-green coneflowers.

Give cut-leaf rudbeckia full to partial sun and regular waterings – it is not drought tolerant. It’s a great perennial to divide and share with friends, and it holds up well as a cut flower.  It’s a good one to add to your butterfly garden – quite pretty alongside red pentas.

My co-worker, Mary at the nursery, likes it even when it’s not blooming because its knee-high basal foliage is very attractive. She cuts the flower stems out at the base once it’s done blooming so it won’t reseed. Cut-leaf rudbeckia does spread, but I do not consider it to be overly aggressive.

At Native Nurseries, we typically stock Rudbeckia laciniata (cut-leaf rudbeckia) in quarts and 1-gallon pots. Currently we have quarts only. As always, give us a call to check availability before making a special trip (although we’re always happy to see you). Sorry . . . we do not ship plants.

Plant A Goldenrod For Pollinators

It’s National Pollinator Week! In celebration I wanted to highlight a family of wildflowers that is one of the most beneficial for our native pollinators: the Goldenrods.

Florida has dozens of native goldenrod species, all in the Solidago genus. They all bloom in late summer, fall and sometimes through the winter in warmer climates. The genus is known for it's stalks covered in clusters of small, sunny yellow blooms. Goldenrods are often incorrectly blamed for seasonal allergies because the showy blooms open at the same time as the ragweed plant-the real culprit. Goldenrod pollen is not airborne, it relies on pollinators to move it from plant to plant and rewards these busy insects with rich nectar and pollen to eat. The goldenrods are an indispensable source of nectar and pollen in the fall and I rarely see a plant in bloom that isn’t being used by bees, butterflies, beetles, wasps or other insects.

We have a few of our favorite native goldenrod species in stock now. They are all reliable perennials and bloom in late summer through fall;

• Seaside Goldenrod, Solidago sempervirens- adaptable to many soils, salt-tolerant. Tolerant of wet soils and drought tolerant once established. Very showy stalks of blooms 3-6ft tall. Plant forms a clump and will reseed, but not aggressively. Full to part sun.
• Sweet Goldenrod, Solidago odora- pretty pyramidal clusters of yellow blooms atop stalks 3-4ft tall. Average garden soil, adaptable to clayey soils. Anise-scented foliage is used in teas. Clump grower, reseeds. Full to part sun.
• Downy Goldenrod, Solidago petiolaris- one of the most uniform and ornamental, forms a clump 2-3ft tall-doesn’t spread. Average soil and water needs. Full sun.
• Wand Goldenrod, Solidago stricta- sends up tall, thin ‘wands’ 2-4ft tall topped with blooms. Adaptable to many soil types. Full to part sun.
• Wreath Goldenrod, Solidago caesia- arching branches of blooms on 2ft tall stalks. Reseeds and spreads by root. Full sun to part shade.