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Natives for Your Landscape The gardening season is almost upon us. March can bring so many things, warm sunny days, snow, ice, wind, rain…. you name it. Anything can, and does, happen in March. This makes March a perfect time for planning your gardens. You’ve heard the buzz about native plants and maybe you’ve thought about bringing some into your gardens, but aren’t sure which ones to pick, or how to use them. Here’s a list of natives that you should be using in your gardens, and how to use them.
Asclepias tuberosa (ButterflyWeed): A lover of full sun and sandy soils. Bright orange flowers in summer (June). Grows roughly 2’ tall by 3’ wide. Is food for the larval and adult forms of the monarch butterfly. Works great in combination with Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea), and Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea).Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflowers): Full sun and adaptable to poor soils. Growing 3’ tall and spreading. Works well in combination with native grasses like Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium), Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus), Switchgrass (Panicum sp.) and other native forbs like Butterfly Weed (Asclepias), Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia), Purple prairie clover (Dalea). Also check out other Echinacea species: Echinacea pallida and a new introduction from the Chicagoland Grows program, Echinacea ‘Pixie Meadowbrite.
Panicum (Switchgrass): another easy to use ornamental grass. There are many cultivars available. ‘Prairie Fire’ and ‘Shenandoah’ have streaks of burgundy in their summer foliage. ‘Heavy Metal’, ‘Northwind’ have a more metallic blue summer color. All are very durable. Growing 4-5’ tall and 3’ wide. Tolerates a variety of soils- very dry to moderately wet. Works well in mass or as a specimen. Use in combination with Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia), Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea), False Indigo (Baptisia), or other grasses. There are MANY other native perennials, trees and shrubs that you could, and possibly, should be using in your landscape! There is a wealth of resources online or you could check out the following books and magazines:
Check
out your local garden centers for their selections of plants native to
your area, and start planting!
by Carey
Boehm-Corrie, ICN Pro of the
Year (2003), Boehm's Garden Center,
Rushville, IL
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copyright
Illinois Green Industry Association
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Baptisia
austrailis: False Indigo. Likes full sun, and will tolerate a range
of soil types. Beautiful bluish-purple blooms in spring. Grows about 3’
tall by 3’ wide. Works great in combination with Little Bluestem (Schizaschyrium),
Switchgrass (Panicum), Purple Coneflowers(Echinacea),
Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia), and Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus). The
Chicagoland Grows program has introduced two new Baptisia
cultivars in the past few years.
Rudbeckia
(Black Eyed Susans): Sunny, gold daisy shaped flowers with black
centers that are raised. They grow about 3’ tall and are spreading.
They love full sun and well-drained soil. Work great in combination
with Switchgrass (Panicum sp.), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium),
Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea), and Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea)
.
Sporobolus
(Prairie Dropseed): a perfect ornamental grass for the front of the
border or bed edges. Grows 18-24” tall, and about 24” wide. Fine
texture in all respects. Loves full sun, well drained soils. Works well
in combination with Butterfly weed (Asclepias), Purple Prairie
Clover (Dalea), and Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea ‘Pixie
Meadowbrite’).
Schizachyrium
(Little Bluestem): another easy to use ornamental grass. Perfect
for the front or mid-border. There are several cultivars
available. Carousel’ Bluestem grows 18-24” tall and wide and does not
flop. Metallic blue summer color, with an array of pinks, coppers, and
red fall color. Works well in mass or as a specimen plant. Perfectly
suited for use with Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea), Black Eyed
Susans (Rudbeckia), Landscape roses (Rosa rugosa),and
False Indigo (Baptisia).
