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A Floral Star in the November Garden

October 30, 2020 By Bruce Crawford

Let’s face it, November is not a month best noted for flowers. The spectacular fall colors of various trees and shrubs abound, but for the pollinators, there are scant few flowers left to visit. Even most of our native plants have succumbed to the autumn frosts. However, over the past few years, I have noticed one plant that has sustained both blooms and pollinators well into November – Aster tataricus, commonly known as the Tatarian Aster.

Aster tataricus is native to the cold regions of Siberia, Northern China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan, where it is native to moist meadows and wetlands. It is a member of the Asteraceae or Sunflower family, which contains close to 32,000 species. Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) first penned the genus name in 1753 from the Greek Astēr for star, referring to the star-like form of the flowers. Linnaeus established Aster amellus, the European Michaelmas Daisy as the type flower to which all the other plants for this genus are referenced. Initially home to an enormous number of species, the genus was reduced to around 180 species found throughout Eurasia, based on more recent and improved understanding of the genetics. Carolus Linnaeus the Younger (1741-1783), continuing in his father’s footsteps, published this species in 1781 in his book Supplementum Plantarum. The species epithet tataricus comes from Tartay, an archaic name for the geographic region that extended from the Caspian Sea and Ural Mountains east to the Pacific Ocean, including the areas to which this plant is native.

Aster tataricus is a robust plant, to say the least. The coarse, paddle-like shape of the foliage always reminding me of Horseradish with the basal green leaves reaching 16-24” long and up to 6” wide (pictured above). The plants are rhizomatous in nature and can spread over a fairly substantial area of the garden, providing a rather pleasing yet coarse groundcover. In late August to mid-September, the flowering stems elongate, reaching an impressive height of 5-8’ before blooming! The stems are hispid or clothed with straight bristly hairs along with more modestly sized leaves of 3-4” in length and 1” wide. The top of the flower stem branches freely, producing abundant flower buds that open from late September through early November. The flowers (pictured at right) typically have between 12-18 lavender-blue to blue ray florets that resemble petals, surrounding a center of yellow disc florets, creating a beautiful display.

The Aster’s stems are very sturdy and unless the plants have been excessively fertilized, they do not need staking. Although the traditional thought would be to place the plant at the back of the border due to the height, the plants also look great when worked in among grasses such as Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ (Feather Reed Grass) that typically matures to 5’ tall (pictured at left). The blue flowers peaking above the grassy foliage, providing a very natural appearance similar to their native meadows. The flowers also have great symbolism. Hanakotoba is the ancient Japanese art of assigning a meaning to a flower, which in turn allows a person to communicate with others without any spoken words. ‘Flower talk’ so to speak! Aster tataricus expresses remembrance, a tribute I suspect due to its late blooming nature!

If the species form is a bit too tall, the selection named ‘Jindai’ grows to a more controlled height of 3-4’ tall. Rick Darke of Longwood Gardens and Sylvester ‘Skip’ March of the U.S. National Arboretum discovered this selection at the Jindai Botanic Gardens in Tokyo Japan during 1985. Although shorter in height, they are still spreading in nature and need to be watched to ensure they do not grow beyond their bounds by removing unwanted rhizomes early in spring. I have also found this habit to be a benefit, since the plants will spread into neighboring shrubs and create some attractive combinations. In one instance, as pictured at right, the Aster has spread amongst a Bonica® Shrub Rose and the sky blue flower of the Aster looks great growing amongst the soft pink flowers of the Rose! It has also spread into a Salix alba ‘Britzensis’, commonly known as Coral Bark Willow that is coppiced or pruned back to 8-10” annually. The stems of the Willow develop a light red coloration by mid-October, providing a nice backdrop for flowers. Another pleasant combination is with Amsonia hubrictii, the Blue Star Amsonia; the yellow fall color of the Amsonia pairs beautifully with the central yellow disc flowers of the Aster, as seen in the image below. So many combinations!

Both the cultivar ‘Jindai’ and the straight species produce copious amounts of nectar late into the season and are beneficial to a number of pollinators, including bees, beetles, moths and wasps. The plants are best grown in full sun in moist to average garden soil. As I have discovered, they do require more acidic soils and fail to perform well in soils with a high pH. Other than occasionally rogueing out some rhizomes that have ventured too far afield, Aster tataricus is very low in maintenance and truly is one of the ‘Flowering Stars’ in the November Garden.

Bruce Crawford
Program Leader in Home and Public Horticulture, NJAES

Gardening Notes for October

October 1, 2020 By Bruce Crawford

October marks the true start of autumn and much work for the gardener! We are now racing against time to complete our chores before that first strong frost. September was a fairly dry month, so watering chores are certainly high on the list! Always remember to take a moment and make some notes about your garden. Among other details, take note of what annuals are still looking respectable, which late season vegetables are living up to expectations, and perhaps what woody plants or perennials should be added to enhance the autumn garden for next year!

Things to do:

  • Finish ordering and start planting spring flowering bulbs.
  • tuberous rooted plantsPrepare tuberous rooted plants for winter. Those such as Elephant Ears (Alocasia and Colocasia), Dahlia, Canna, and Banana (Musa and Ensete), which have a storage-type of root system can be dug, allowed to dry (as seen at right), cut back, wrapped in newspaper, and stored in a cool (50-55°F), dry basement. They can also be potted into a container and kept on the drier side throughout the winter.
  • October is likely to be the last chance to take and root cuttings of tender plants, such as Spurflower (Plectranthus), Coleus, and Geraniums. Other plants that are not of hybrid origin can be overwintered by collecting the seed and stored in the lettuce draw of the refrigerator. Various species of Solanum, Asclepias, Nicotiana and Amaranthus are ideal for overwintering in this manner. Remember, the average frost date is October 15th, although frosts appear to be coming later and we may not receive a killing frost until early November.
  •  Red Stemmed WillowsTime to take care of your containers. Bring in, empty and clean any valuable containers to prevent damage from freeze-thaw cycles of winter. Wash clay containers inside and out to remove salts from fertilizers. For plastic and other weather resistant containers, add annuals that are more tolerant of frost for autumn color, such as Chrysanthemums, Ornamental Cabbage, Kale or even Red Stemmed Willows (Salix alba ‘Britzensis’), which can remain and provide color throughout the winter (pictured at right)!
  • Keep those lawn mower blades sharp! If the fallen leaves are not too thick, shred them weekly with the lawnmower and use them as mulch for your flowerbeds. The finer pieces that remain behind actually help improve your turf when they filter to the bottom and break down.
  • Early October is still ok for over seeding bare spots in the lawn so long as you are able to irrigate it at least weekly.
  • Remove annuals that appear tired or are frosted. They can be replaced with an attractive bed of pansies. During the winter, lightly mulch the pansies with straw or shredded leaves as they will make a great show come spring.
  • Plant deciduous trees and shrubs. This is actually the ideal time to plant woody plants, since the soil is still warm, allowing most species to produce roots well into December and better preparing them for the stress of next summer. Planting evergreens is fine through the middle of October, but it is best to wait until spring if planting goes much later. Evergreens are still transpiring water through the foliage and without an adequately developed root system, they often scorch during the winter.
  • Make certain all trees and shrubs planted this year still receive a weekly watering should rainfall be slight.
  • shredded leaves for mulchFor the vegetable garden, it is time to finish harvesting potatoes and squash. Carrots, radish, chard, sun chokes, parsley and other cool season crops can be harvested as needed. Garlic should be planted by mid October and mulched with salt hay or shredded leaves (Pictured at right). Areas of the garden that are bare can be mulched with compost, manure (fresh or composted) or seeded with winter rye or other green cover crops. These cover crops can be turned into the soil early the following spring and provides a great source of organic matter.
  • If you are interested in adding a low tunnel to your vegetable garden, seed out the cool season crops now, such as spinach, lettuce and kale and line out the hoops. As the temperatures begin to drop, cover the hoops with agribon (a fabric material) and then with the advent of hard frosts cover with poly. This allows the crops to continue to grow throughout the winter months or until harvest!
  • Remove the foliage of problematic perennials such as Bearded Iris and Peonies. The foliage serves as a location for the Iris Borer to ay their eggs and for Peonies, the old foliage retains the spores for Powdery Mildew. It also helps to reduce fungal disease for next year and eliminates winter cover for mice, moles and voles!
  • For seed producing plants like the various species of Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan) and Echinacea (Purple Cone Flower), it is best to not cut the flower stems back until spring, since the seeds provide food for Gold Finches and other seed loving birds. Butterflies also seek shelter under flower heads during early fall. Rudbeckia maxima, the Large Coneflower, is pictured below.
  • Where possible or in more wild areas, leave the leaf litter behind, since it provides cover for larvae, egg masses, hibernating native bees, dormant spiders and many other beneficial insects!
  • Ornamental Grasses are typically left standing for the winter interest, but the stems also provide a home for cavity nesting native bees, as do old raspberry canes.
  • Evaluate Oaks for Bacterial Leaf Scorch, which is easy to spot due to the lack of rainfall. If the leaves have turned brown in August and September under the duress of the drought, have an arborist evaluate the trees for spring treatments or removal.

Bruce Crawford

Program Leader in Home and Public Horticulture, NJAES
yellow flower

Plant of the Month for October 2020 – Salvia

October 1, 2020 By Bruce Crawford

Salvia – A Sensational Plant for Autumn Color

October is the month that truly evokes autumn. The temperatures are starting to cool, the foliage has started its autumn symphony of colors and many of the summer annuals are now looking tired. This is the time when gardeners truly need a new plant palette for late season color. Although Salvia, commonly called Sage, is typified in NJ by summer blooming annuals, some of the species and cultivars really begin to shine in autumn, and Salvia leucantha or Mexican Bush Sage is among the best!

Salvia is the largest member of the mint family or Lamiaceae containing close to 1,000 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, biennials and annuals found throughout Central and South America, Eastern and Central Asia and the Mediterranean. The genus name was first used in the writings of Pliny the Elder. Born as Gaius Plinius Secundus (23-79AD), he was a Roman general who studied plants and natural environments throughout his military expeditions. The genus stems from the Latin Salvere, meaning to feel healthy. He was most likely discussing the culinary Sage, now known as Salvia officinalis that had long been renowned for its healing and health virtues. SalviaThe common name of Sage also originated from the word Salvere, which transitioned to the Old French Sauge, and later to the Middle English Sawge before finally becoming the word we know today! The Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) officially named it Salvia officinalis in 1753. It is also the ‘type’ species for the genus, to which any new or existing species are compared. The species epithet officinalis was a term that Linnaeus originally coined in 1735 and used repeatedly throughout his career. It stems from the Latin officina, which initially meant workshop or place of work. It transitioned to the name of a storage room in monasteries where medicines and medicinal plants were stored. Officinalis means ‘belonging to an officina’ and Linnaeus affixed this epithet time and time again to describe plants or animals that were known to have medicinal benefits.

Salvia flowers come in a multitude of colors, ranging from red to white to various shades of blue and indigo. Often the calyx or leafy bracts at the base of the flower are darker in color as seen above in a flower of Salvia ‘Amistad’, which adds to the ornamental appeal. The size of the flower also varies from ½” to nearly 3” in length. The flowers are also much beloved by pollinators but, what remains hidden from casual observations is the rather unique mechanism for ensuring pollination. The corolla is a combination of all the petals and Salvia petals are divided into a large overarching upper corolla lip and what appears like a pollinator landing pad for a lower lip, as seen in the image above. Both the long thread-like stigma that receives the pollen and the anthers that shed pollen are located within and protected by the arching upper corolla lip. What makes pollination unique is how the anthers became modified over time to ensure pollination. Anthers consist of a slender threadlike filament that is attached to the base of the flower with typically two pollen releasing structures at the apical or tip of the structure called theca. The theca are actually connected to a small horizontal structure called a connective, which in turn is joined to the tip of the filament. SalviaIn most plants the connective is so reduced in size that the theca appear to be attached directly to either side of the filament. In Salvia, it is speculated that the anthers became reduced from an initial count of 4 to 2, while the connective became elongated, pushing one theca closer to the tip of the upper calyx lip and the other, nonpollen bearing theca, deeper into the base of the flower. Over time, the lower or basal theca lost their ability to generate pollen and joined together, producing a wishbone shaped structure that pivots on the tips of the two filaments. In the image above of Salvia Embers Wish™, the lower lip of the corolla was cut, exposing the nearly white connectives and filaments that are attached to the lower corolla. The knife tip is pointed to the lower, non-pollen bearing theca. The arrow points to the filaments, upon which the connective pivots. At the very base of the flower are the nectaries that are laden with a sugary liquid, which the pollinators naturally wish to reach when visiting the flower. When the insect or bird enters the flower or pushes in its beak to reach the nectaries, it hits the bottom end of the wishbone structure, allowing the two pollen releasing theca to pivot down upon the back or head of the visiting pollinator. After several days, the anthers finish releasing pollen while the two stigma that are seen protruding out of the front of the flower above, become receptive to pollen and lower, brushing across the back of the visiting pollinator and collecting the pollen deposited from a previous flower. Thus, the sacrifice of the two theca to create this pivoting wishbone structure actually enhanced the chance of pollination rather than diminished. In addition, with the anthers and stigmas ripening at different times, the flower will not ‘self-pollinate’, since crosspollination creates more vigorous offspring. Ingenious!

salviaAlthough many summer blooming forms of Salvia are still in bloom come October, one of the best species for autumn is Salvia leucantha, commonly called Mexican Bush Sage. It is native to central and eastern areas of Mexico that feature tropical and subtropical weather conditions. In February of 1791 it was named by the Spanish botanist Antonio José Cavanilles (1745-1804), who was one of the first botanists from Spain to appreciate and accept Linnaeus’ concept of genus and species. Leucos is Greek for clear, white or pale, and Anthos is Greek for flower, describing the white flower that is subtended by a velvety purple calyx. As the weather cools, the flower color deepens to a light lavender in color, as seen in the image at right that was photographed in early November. The plants mature to 2-3’ tall and wide, with the arching, 4-6” long flowering racemes beginning to appear in late August and continuing until heavy frost. The 3-4” long leaves are oppositely arranged and much like the calyx, they are also slightly pubescent. Like all the species of Salvia, Mexican Bush Sage prefers full sun and well-drained soils and thanks to the scented foliage, it is also deer resistant. It also makes a superb container plant and is an excellent substitute for Chrysanthemums should you be looking for something different.

The various cultivars and species of Salvia remain a very popular addition to summertime gardens, but gardeners often overlook the late summer and autumn bloomers since they lack flowers when most people are buying plants in May or June. When considering the autumn garden, look to adding this spectacular annual to your garden. Spectacular for adding late-summer through November color to the Garden, for its interesting pollination strategy and for its ease of culture! This is a Salvia that most certainly belongs in your garden!
salvia

Bruce Crawford
Program Leader in Home and Public Horticulture, NJAES

Gardening Notes for September

September 4, 2020 By Bruce Crawford

September marks the start of getting the garden – and the gardener – ready for a long winters rest. To this end, consider how best to overwinter and to make room for your favorite non-hardy plants indoors, as well as considerations for your outdoor hardy plants and any new plantings. Fortunately, we still have several months remaining for plants to grow, so there is no rush! Continue to take good notes and pictures on how you weaved together your perennials and annuals this year, since after the first frost these pictures will be all that remains of this year’s favorite combinations!

Things to do:

  • Continue to keep your lawn mower blades set high for cutting your lawn. Rain has been ample, although rather sporadic. The temperature look to be average or cooler for the start of the month, which will minimize the stress on the turf.
  • September is a great time for the reseeding of bare spots, or for the installation of sod. The upcoming cooler temperatures, heavy dews and typically consistent autumn rainfalls combined with warm soil temperatures promotes good root growth and turf establishment.
  • September is a good time to fertilize your lawn. If you wish to fertilize once a year, September is an ideal time as it aids in developing a good root system throughout the winter for next summer’s heat.
  • September is a good time to aerate those portions of the lawn that receive excessive foot traffic or have otherwise developed compacted soils.
  • If you have yet to start, take cuttings of your favorite annuals that you wish to overwinter. It will be ready to be potted-up in 4-6 weeks. It is far easier to over-winter a small plant that should be free of most insect and disease than lifting a large plant from the ground or outdoor container and bringing it inside.
  • Colchicum

  • Harvest and clean the seed from those annuals and vegetables that come true from seed. Allow them to dry and store them in small paper pouches that are properly labeled and place them in the refrigerator (not the freezer) until next spring.
  • Remove those annuals that look excessively tired or leggy and keep removing annual weeds such as crabgrass and stilt grass. Annual weed seed will continue to germinate and appear as long as the temperatures are warm. Remember, on average a seed lasts for seven years and one plant going to seed equates to seven years of additional work!
  • Send in your bulb orders! October is a great month for planting bulbs. For Colchicum (Pictured at right), get in your orders in early September or look for them in your favorite garden center. They bloom in late September into early October with typically pink or white flowers and they are deer resistant!
  • As a reminder, don’t order just 6-12 bulbs if you are looking to make an impact. For minor bulbs (bulbs that measure close to ½” in diameter), you typically need 50-100 bulbs to begin to make an impact and obviously, the more the better. These bulbs include Snowdrops (Galanthus), Squills (Scilla) Grape Hyacinths (Muscari) and pictured below, Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa) species. For major bulbs, such as Daffodil (Narcissus), Tulip (Tulipa) and Flowering Onions (Allium) species, 25 to 50 bulbs will make an impact on the Garden.
  • Chionodoxa

  • For both major and minor bulbs, I like to cluster several bulbs in a hole to create a more mature appearance. For minor bulbs, clusters of 3-8 work well while for major bulbs, clusters of 3-4 give a more mature appearance from the start. These are all things to keep in mind as you put together your bulb order!
  • Inspect and evaluate your ornamental small trees, shade trees and shrubs. Even though it has been a relatively moist summer, those plants that are stressed from age or disease will let you know through early leaf wilt or drop. Oaks that have Bacterial Leaf Scorch will have leaves that suddenly turn brown in mid to late August. There are treatments for this disease, but once most of the foliage has turned brown the tree will ultimately need to be removed. It typically attacks older, less vigorous trees and young oaks should still be planted, since the trees feed over 500 native insects!
  • September is an ideal time to add woody and herbaceous plants to the garden. The soil is warm and although it is often a relatively dry month, the cooler days and moister weather ahead will allow the plants to establish an adequate root system before next summer’s heat and potential drought. Woody plants that are not fall transplant hazards can be dug and transplanted, and those that are fall hazards can be planted if they were dug this past spring or grown in containers. If rainfall is scarce, water new plantings every 3-4 days through the end of October.
  • For the vegetable garden, continue to remove plants that are no longer producing. The wet weather of July and early August raised havoc with tomatoes as the fruit is subject to splitting and cucumbers faded from Powdery Mildew. As mentioned last month, Dr. Bob Mellert mentioned that the days to maturity on seed packets applies for springtime seeding. Come autumn, the number should be multiplied by 1.5 to account for the slower growth time due to the shortening days as compared to the lengthening days of spring. Plant leafy crops that appreciate the cooler nighttime temperatures, such as Arugula, Spinach, Bok Choi, Kale and Lettuce. The full list is below:
  • Root Crops
    Beets (45-64 day)
    Carrots (65-80 day)
    Fennel, Bulbing (72)
    Scallions (60 days)
    Kohlrabi (45-60 days)
    Radishes (21-48 days)
    Leaf Crops
    Lettuce (45-55 days)
    Mache (like lettuce) (40+)
    Mesclun Mixes (30-40 days)
    Bok Choy (45 days)
    Salad Greens (28-42 days)
    Spinach (45 days)
    Chard (28-42 days)

    Other
    Broccoli (55-80)

  • If you are planting in containers, consider the leafy crops like Spinach and Bok Choi. They will provide well into the beginning of winter.
  • low tunnels

  • Consider the installation of low tunnels, as seen at right, which are metal hoops covered with a fabric called Agribon. The fabric keeps heavy frosts off a row of cool season vegetables. It enables the gardener to harvest well into December, and for certain crops, into spring! September is a good month to pick-up the materials needed to construct the low tunnels.
  • September is an opportune time to plant garlic too! ‘Music’ is an old fashioned favorite and a good performer, but try some of the many other selections that are on the market too! Plant in a location that will be in full sun through next August, which is the harvest period.
  • If you live with large deer populations, put wire cages around recently planted trees to avoid the bark being rubbed and damaged by bucks. One of their favorite targets are Magnolias, so make certain that they are properly protected. Damage to bark is far more harmful than the nibbling of a few leaves and I have lost many a tree before we start installing cages.

Bruce Crawford
Program Leader, Home and Public Horticulture (NJAES)

Plant of the Month – September 2020 – Helianthus

September 4, 2020 By Bruce Crawford

Helianthus: A Plant with a Sunny Disposition

The autumn months are synonymous with fresh apple cider, donuts and for the garden, Chrysanthemums. I enjoy the many varieties and colors of Chrysanthemums and, aside from a few very hardy selections, I find them to be more ideal candidates for containers than additions to the Garden beds. This then begs the question of what to plant in the Garden? Finding colorful plants for September into October is often a challenge, since many have already completed their bloom. Yet, there remain some great plants and one plant that has consistently amazed me for its sunny impact and length of bloom is the Swamp Sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius.

Helianthus is in the Asteraceae or Aster Family and, with over 1,900 Genera and 32,900+ species, it would make one very large family gathering at Thanksgiving! In fact, Helianthus alone has over 70 species. The genus name was penned by the Swedish Botanist, Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1753 and is derived from the Greek Helios for sun and Anthos for flower. The botanical and common name of Sun Flower stems from the heliotropic nature of these plants, whereby the flower is able to move and follow the sun as it tracks Westward throughout the day (as the field of Sunflowers depict on the last page). The plants developed this ability to maintain the maximum reflectivity of the flower and heightened ability to attract pollinators. In Greek Mythology, this diurnal movement prompted the story of the water nymph Clytie who was infatuated with the sun god Apollo. For nine days she stared up at him as he traversed the sky. Without food she withered away and turned into a Sunflower, continuing to watch his daily travels for all of eternity!

The type species or the plant by which the remainder of the species are compared is Helianthus annuus, the Common Sunflower. As the species epithet implies, it is an annual and is found throughout Western North America south into Northern Mexico. Seed hardy from zone 2-11, the coarse textured plant with pubescent stems and leaves rapidly grows to 5-10+ feet in height. The flowers have a whimsical quality and make for a very popular cut flower. Most of the hybrids produce one large flower, upwards of 12” in diameter per stalk, but if allowed to reseed, the seedlings are typically multi-branched with a number of smaller flowers. This plant has found multiple uses aside from ornamental, with the fruit being used for oil and food, and the birds love the fruits whether from a bag or right from the flower! Plants prefer full sun and well-drained soils. Recently, a more compact hybrid has come on the market called ‘Sunfinity’ (pictured below, left). It displays a more compact habit to 3-4’ tall and wide, with a continuum of 3-4” diameter flowers from June through September or early October. By comparison, the Swamp Sunflower (pictured at left at Crystal Springs and an individual flower ,right) is a long-lived perennial that prefers moist or water retentive soils and is native from Texas, northeast to Long Island. Also named by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, the species epithet is from the Latin angust for narrow and foli for leaf, describing the narrow leaves which can reach upwards of 6” long. The stout stems typically reaching 5-7’ tall with a spread of 4-6’.

sunfinity
swamp sunflower

One of the interesting aspects of the Asteraceae is the misleading appearance of any given ‘flower’. The word Aster is from the Greek Astēr, meaning star. It is a reference to how the flowers have a star-like center with the ‘petals’ resembling the emanating rays of sunlight. In reality the flower is composed of not one, but 100’s of small, individual flowers! This family was originally called the Compositae, since the ‘flowers’ consist of a composite of many small flowers or florets. The light rays along the edge are ironically called Ray Florets and the circular flowers that compose the central star are called disc florets. The flowers open or mature from the outer edge inwards, with the Ray Florets opening or maturing first and the central disc florets last. All the florets are attached to a plate called a receptacle and the entire structure is called a flower head or capitulum. The showy outer ring of ray florets is typically 3 petals fused into one, strap-like ligule, whose function is to attract the pollinators. Depending on the genus, the ray florets can be sterile or fertile and bare seed. The central disc florets are circular in shape with 5 fused and severely reduced petals. In place of the typical calyx or leafy bracts that subtend the petals, there exists a thread-like structure called a pappus that ultimately aides in the dispersal of the seed. In dandelions, the parachute structure that allows the seeds to magically float about is the pappus. In Helianthus, the pappus matures into two scales that fall off when the fruit is mature. The florets sit upon an ovary which develops into a fruit called a cypsela. Often considered to be an achene, a cypsela and an achene are very similar in that they are both a dried fruit that contains a seed. The difference being a cypsela develops from a double ovary, while an achene develops from a single ovary. In both instances, only one seed is produced. Hence, when you are eating sunflower seeds, you are actually splitting open the dried husks of the fruit, allowing you to get to the edible inner seed!

sunflower

For Swamp Sunflower, I have found it best to site the plant in a location that receives adequate moisture. After planting them several times in more well-drained location, the planting that has proven most successful over the past 10 years is at the base of a hill where it receives all the stormwater sheet flow from above (as seen above at Crystal Springs). The 2” diameter yellow flowers bloom profusely from late September through October and they look beautiful against the clear blue autumn skies. The plants look great paired with Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata), Blue Star Amsonia (Amsonia hubrichtii), Limelight Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’) and even the now drying stems of Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum). The plants are also a host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly and the seeds are much beloved by songbirds, Ruffled Grouse, Quail and Morning Doves. Consequently, it is best to leave the stems up through the winter months.

A champion plant for our native pollinators, Helianthus angustifolius remains an uncommon plant in many gardens, which to me defies logic. Easily grown, long-lived with a very sunny disposition, this is a plant for autumn gardens!

Helianthus angustifolius
Bruce Crawford
Director, Rutgers Gardens

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