Class of 2016 -- Coreopsis lanceolata, lanceleaf coreopsis

Lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) started to bloom on May 11th.

Why I'm growing Coreopsis lanceolata in my garden...

1) Lanceleaf coreopsis is native to Tennessee and throughout much of the Eastern U.S.

2) Missouri Botanical Garden says it can grow in full sun and tolerate deer, drought, heat and humidity. (I've got all of those in abundance!)

3) I found an 1890 (!) article in The Garden magazine saying that C. lanceolata grew "exceptionally fine" on heavy clay soil during wet summers.

4) Michigan State University says that lanceleaf coreopsis flowers are very attractive to bees and other beneficial insects.

5) The Missouri Prairie Foundation says that C. lanceolata seeds provide food for finches.

Do you grow lanceleaf coreopsis? If so, what has been your experience with this plant?

Class of 2016 -- Ilex decidua, possumhaw

Ilex decidua, possumhaw holly, photo by Earl McGehee

Why I'm growing Ilex decidua in my garden...

1) It is native to Tennessee, throughout the Southeast and into southern portions of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.

2) Powell Gardens in Kingsville, Missouri calls it drought-resistant, while Texas AgriLife Extension says it also can cope with poor drainage.

3) Missouri Botanical Garden says it can tolerate heavy clay soil.

4) From what I've seen in person at Cheekwood Botanical Garden in Nashville, Ilex decidua flowers attract bees. (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center agrees that all holly flowers provide bees with a good source of nectar.)

5) As the name implies, Ilex decidua is a deciduous holly,which means its berries should be conspicuous in the wintertime. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center notes that possumhaw berries provide food for songbirds, gamebirds, opossums, raccoons and other wildlife.

Note that Ilex decidua is a dioecious species, meaning that both cross-pollination must occur between male and female plants in order for the females to bear fruit. I only planted one female cultivar, so it will be interesting to see if the bees manage to bring pollen from any male possumhaws growing wild or in other nearby gardens. I'e also heard that female possumhaw plants can bear fruit if they receive pollen from male Ilex opaca (American holly) trees.

6) The Native Plant Society of Texas says that possumhaw is deer-resistant and serves as a host plant for dusky-blue groundstreak butterflies.

Do you grow possumhaw? If so, what has been your experience with this plant?

New Resource: Botanical Garden List

You never know who you'll see at a botanical garden!
Here a cute frog crashes the party at Powell Gardens' Festival of Butterflies.
Photo by Greg Boege

Dear Garden of Aaron readers,

Thanks for all your support and valuable feedback over the past year!

I would like to draw your attention to a new resource - a list of U.S. botanical gardens that I have added to the right sidebar. 

I'm sure this list is not comprehensive, but I hope that I've included most of the biggest and best botanic gardens in the country.

If I've missed any notable names, please contact me or use the comments section below to let me know.

(In the future, I hope to add a list of major U.S. arboretums. Since some botanic gardens - like the one in Dallas - seem to define themselves primarily or equally as arboretums, they'll end up on that other list.)

Hopefully these links to botanic gardens around the country will help you to discover gardens in your region or give you ideas of gardens you can visit when you travel.

What are your favorite U.S. botanical gardens? I've got to give some hometown love to Cheekwood, but I also was incredibly impressed with a visit a couple of years ago to Powell Gardens outside Kansas City, particularly the 12-acre Heartland Harvest Garden. Well-played, Powell!

Which garden would you most like to visit? I have to say that I'm hoping to visit some of the famous nearby gardens in upcoming years, including the botanical gardens in Memphis, Atlanta and St. Louis, plus the University of Tennessee Gardens in Knoxville!

Gorgeous Gaura

Do you like tough, carefree plants that bloom for a looooong time (no deadheading required)? Well, you might want to take a close look at Gaura lindheimeri 'Siskiyou Pink'.

Per this bloom chart from Missouri Botanical Garden (one of my favorite gardening information sources), Siskiyou Pink typically starts blooming around the end of May and lasts until the beginning of November!

For more on Siskiyou Pink Gaura, check out this detailed description, also by Missouri Botanical Garden.

I bought these two Gaura (plus one more that is not shown on the video, but is thriving just as well as these) from Bluestone Perennials.