Experimenting with Penstemon

One of my backyard projects was to recover a meadow area from an overgrown mass of invasive species (Multiflora rose, Japanese honeysuckle, Autumn Olive, Tree of Heaven and Bittersweet with some poison ivy, river grape and horse nettle to boot).  Last fall and early spring I went in with a heavy duty weed whacker and a chain saw to cut down the bushes.  I treated the larger stumps with concentrated glyphosphate to finish the job.  

The most common native plant in this area is Wingstem, Verbesina alternifolia, which is a tall nice looking, if somewhat coarse, perennial flower that blooms in late summer.  Since I created a lot of open ground I needed to help with the regrowth by adding some additional native species.  My main reference for plant selection was Native Plants for Wildlife andConservation Landscaping - Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  Plants that I have put in include American plum (Prunus americana), Tall Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata),  Elderberry (Sambucas canadensis), Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans).  I also picked up some Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) since it is supposed to be deer resistant. 

White Foxglove Breadtongue are on the left and purple and
white Small's Beardtongue are at the right center of this view.
Both these flowers show well in part shade.

While flipping through the plant lists I realized that I had very little experience with Penstemons, which are very common in meadows.  With the spring native plant sales coming up, I added these to my list.  There are over 250 species of Penstemon, essentially all of which are native to North America, most of them from the western regions.  I focused on eastern species, particularly those indigenous to the mid-Atlantic. 

These are growing in part sun.  The leaves
are opposite and clasp the stem.

The most readily available eastern Penstemon is Foxglove Beardtongue, Penstemon digitalis.  It is a medium tall plant (2-5') with panicles of intensely white tubular flowers for about a month in late spring.  I grew it equally well in both full and part sun.  The flowers seem to be lasting longer in the sunny location. 

This close-up shows the fine hairs that cover the flowering parts.
 The flower is the perfect size for a bee to climb in.

This Eastern Beardtongue is not as leafy.  This specimen
has leaves with edges that roll inward (involute).

Eastern beardtongue, P.  laevigatus, was harder to find.  I eventually found it on-line from Enchanters Garden a nursery that carries many mid-Atlantic native species. Eastern Beardtongue is not a rare species, but it is not as showy as P. digitalis and I believe it is harder to cultivate.  Its range includes the mid-Atlantic and Southeastern states.  It tolerates sun to shade in moist to wet soils.  It has pale lavender to nearly white flowers and at 1-3.5' it is generally shorter than P. digitalis.  Its blooming period is reported to be earlier than P. digitalis, but mine bloomed a little later.  Maybe once these plants are well established the timing will change.

Here you can see the lines down the throat of the flower that act as nectar guides

The leaves of this forest species are broader than
the other two shown here and the stem is leafier. 

The last species that caught my attention was Small's Beardtongue, P. smallii. This plant grows in the mountainous regions of the Southeastern states.  It prefers partly sunny locations.  It is reported to be short lived so I will not dead head it to encourage it to set seed.  The purple flowers are intense and show up well in a shady location.  This is a long blooming species. For me it has been blooming for a month and it looks to go on for a little longer.  I got mine at a plant sale but it is also available from on-line native plant nurseries.

Here the beard on the flower's 'tongue' is very pronounced.

A general problem I'm having with my meadow replanting is deer browsing.  It seems that anything new got chewed on to some extent.  Even the coarse-leaved Wild Quinine got munched.  I have been spraying leaves with hot pepper spray, but the most effective means of protection is to put up a chicken wire cage around the plant.  This is particularly important for the woody plants, once they are large enough they should be safe.  The penstemons were nibbled then left along for a while.  It seems with the appearance of a new generation of fawns everything is being sampled again.  

Zebra Swallowtail

Zebra Swallowtail, Eurytides marcellus, is a common visitor to our property here in west central Maryland.  The native range for this species is the south eastern US.  One reason we have so many is the abundance of  the native Pawpaw trees (Asimina triloba) which are the host plants for the Zebra Swallowtail's caterpillars.  

This Zebra Swallowtail is checking out the thermal blanket on our pool.
It's probably looking for some moisture.

This was one of the first butterflies to visit us this spring, showing up in the first part of April (didn't have my camera handy).  At that time it was feeding on nectar from the purple deadnettle, Lamium purpureum, that shares space in our lawn and woodlands.  When gathering nectar it is usually vibrating in a sort of feeding frenzy and it is hard to get a good photo.

A shutter speed of 1/40 is too slow to still those fluttering wings.

Yesterday while working around the pool I spotted one of these, most likely in search of moisture.  It was moving a little slower, so I could get some clearer photos.  This is the first time that I noticed it with its wings folded up and being relatively still.  

The tips of the swallowtail look like the antennae of the pseudo-butterfly.
The striped body is pretty cool, too.

What hit me here was that, when folded up, the wing shape of this swallowtail looks like another butterfly pointing in the opposite direction.  That has got to come in handy when predators are about.

New Seedlings and Sprouts

While a few established plants did not make it through this past winter most did and are performing quite well now.   A number of plants that I put in last fall which I had written off as lost 'suddenly' reappeared in the middle of May.  These include a Passion Vine,  some New York fern and False Goatsbeard (Astilbe biternata).  It was very fortunate that I left the plant tags in the ground otherwise I may have totally missed these late arrivals and possibly removed them as weeds or planted something else on top of them.   The False Goatsbeard is an excellent example.  This was a new plant for me so I did not know when it would resprout or what it would look like.  As the photo shows the new shoot could easily be mistaken for a dead twig.  Now that it has leafed out it looks like what I would expect for and Astilbe.

The new shoot comes up reddish-brown with tightly curled leaves.

Astilbe biternata is the only North American species of Astilbe.  It grows to over 3' tall.

The intensity of the red markings on the leaves is variable in the wild type plants

I have mentioned many times before that we are on a mission to remove the Garlic Mustard from our property.  In addition to improving the biodiversity it is giving us the opportunity to closely observe the other plants that were growing under the mustard canopy.  The other day after pulling some garlic mustard I found a patch of Jumpseed, Persicaria virginiana, (formerly Polygonum virginiana) that was growing in an unmanaged area.  I wanted to compare this to some red-flowered Jumpseed that I got from a nearby nursery.  

These Jumpseed from a nursery have a similar number of leaf veins,
but the shapes of its leaves is variable.

 Because most Jumpseed blooms with whitish flowers I was uncertain whether the red flowered plants were North American (var. virginiana f. rubra) or from an Asian species (var. filiformis) which normally has red flowers.  These varieties have different leaf shapes and number of veins on the leaf.  See this link for the original publication.  The characteristic leaf shape for the Asian species is obovate with an attenuate or cunnate base.  The nursery-grown plants have similar number of veins as the wild type (5-9 pairs), but the leaf shape is variable with a single plant having leaf shapes that match either species description.  Bottom line... I'm just not sure.

No garlic mustard in these Mayapples, but there
was woodland phlox and some galium species mixed in.

Another thing we noticed was that there was a large patch of Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) that was nearly devoid of garlic mustard.  I don't know if the Mayapples are actively defending against garlic mustard invasion or if this area has just not been invaded yet.  It does support the practice of having a good dense ground cover to shade out/exclude invasive species.  

Seedlings

I am seeing seedlings returning from 2 native annuals that I set out last year.  I am finding large masses of American Pennyroyal, Hedoma pulegioides,  near where I had planted them last year.  The seed that I sowed last spring did not germinate well last year (only 1 or 2  plants).  But seeds that had over-wintered are germinating like gang busters.  So despite what the seed packet says, some cold, moist stratification or fall planting of this species gives much better results.  I am encouraging these in my vegetable garden because they are reported to repel crawling insects due to the strong aromatic scent.  I am hope that it will have a similar effect on mammals as well.

 

These seedlings look similar to those of some Salvia species;
however, they can be distinguished by their strong aromatic scent even at this age.

The other annual that is coming back is Partridge Pea, Chamaecrista fasciculata.  Last year I started most of these indoors after  2 weeks cold, moist stratification and pretreatment with an rhizobactrium innoculant.   These germinated quite well both indoors and out.  This spring I am seeing many new seedlings near to their parent plants. 

The leaflets of Partridge Pea will fold up at night and when briskly jostled.

These blooms have just opened, the white petals
doubled in length a couple of days later.

As I was coming back from pulling more garlic mustard I stumbled upon another plant that I did not see last year.  I believed that it was Robin's Plantain, Erigeron pulchellus, because of the larger flowers and the spatulate basal leaves.  On digging a little deeper I realized that this was Common Fleabane, E. philadelphicus.  This species is indicated by the clasping leaves on the flower stalk. While not a beautiful garden plant is a pleasant surprise in the woods.  Most of my plants are actually growing on the path on the more compacted soil.  Perhaps I didn't see them last year because they had gotten trampled before they could bloom.

Just a note on the invasives front:  The garlic mustard is starting to go to seed now (late May), so we are trying to bag it up right away; also Mile-a-minute vine is starting to grow and the stilt grass is about an inch tall now.  It is really best to pull the mile-a-minute now before the thorns develop later in the season.

Getting into Spring: Wildflowers and managing Ticks

I have been fortunate not to have been bitten by any deer ticks so far.  One of the actions I am doing to keep that streak going is to put out homemade tick tubes twice a year.  These are paper tubes with several (5-8) cotton balls heavily treated with permethrin.  The idea is that mice will collect the cotton and use it in their nests.  There the permethrin will kill the ticks on the mice and break the deer tick life cycle early on.  Check out this link for more information.  We also spray our work clothes with a dilute solution of permethrin to deter ticks and especially chiggers.

I usually put out one batch of tubes in Mid-March, targeting a time when mice begin building nests.  I put them near brush piles and other places where mice might nest.  I use an orange flag to hold them in place and mark the location.  If there are still cotton balls left over I look for a different location to put the tube.  I also put out another set in the fall with the idea that mice will use them for their winter habitats.   

This springtime tube distribution also gets me out in the woods when the spring wildflowers are going to town.  This year has been more exciting than last.  It may have been the cold winter, or that my wife and I have been removing large quantities of garlic mustard, but the quantity of native wild flowers appears to be up. 

The flowers of Bloodroot only last a couple of days.

One plant that I missed entirely last year was Blootroot, Sanginaria canadensis.  In fact, I ordered a few of them to put into the garden, thinking I had none.  But an early March walk in the woods revealed that we have many of these plants.  One possible reason I missed seeing them before is that each plant has a very short blooming period, maybe 3-4 days, and I just wasn't in the right place at the right time.  

The three stem leaves on this Cutleaf Toothwort
are easy to see here.

Another early bloomer is the Cutleaf Toothwort, Dentaria laciniata.  The highly dissected leaves are a helpful clue to identifying this plant.  Also this Toothwort has three leaves on its flowering stalk, unlike its close relative D. diphylla, which has only two. These species have been moved over to the genus Cardamine and now it appears that the currently accepted name for the Cutleaf Toothwort is Cardamine concatenata.  

This was the only pink-tinged Dutchman's Breeches that I found.

One of the most common spring wildflowers in our woods is Dutchman's Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria.  Its flowers last longer than those of bloodroot.  Most of them are bright white.  However, a few plants have flowers that are pinkish.  Of the hundreds of plants in our woods I only found one with a pink coloration.  

Mayapples open like little umbrellas on the woodland floor.
These leaves will expand to 8 inches or more.

While they will not be blooming for a month or so, the leaves of Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum, are appearing throughout the woodland areas.  Having a healthy layer of native ground covers like these should help in our battle against invasive species like garlic mustard and stiltgrass. 

I am trying a number of native ground covers like these under some pine trees
to replace the Vinca minor.

The Labrador Violet that I planted last season needed to be uncovered from a heavy layer of pine needles.  After a couple of days of exposure the leaves expanded and the first blooms opened up. 

I noticed that these blooms open the widest when the sun is at full strength.

In my last post I noted that there were many Spring Beauties and Spicebush beginning to bloom in the woodland areas.  I was asked whether these species would do well in full sun.  I do know of one or two Spicebushes that are growing in full sun in rather damp soil.  Then just the other day I noticed some Spring Beauties growing in the middle of the lawn in full sun.  So I guess the answer is yes; however, full sun is not their preferred habitat.

Needed to use my hat to get the flowers to be visible.

Last fall I planted several small Yellowroots, Xanthorhiza simplissima.  These plants flower just before the leaves open up.  It is very easy to miss these small maroon colored flowers.  The primary landscape use of Yellowroot is as a medium tall, fine textured ground cover.  

The pubescent flower stem is an identifying feature
of this species of Saxifage

My newest find while distributing the tick tubes was  Early Saxifrage, Micranthes virginensis.  These were growing at the base of a Beech tree mixed in with some white Spring Beauties.  The unique flower growing out of a basal rosette of bluntly lobed leaves stood out as something different from the other flowers in the area. 

The last wildflower that I spotted last week was a Dogtooth Violet, Erythronium americanum, growing near our house.  I had seen some growing near a stream but I was surprised to find this in an upland area.  It may have been planted there by the previous owner.  My wife spotted this as she was pulling out Garlic Mustard.  It is most easily recognized by the mottled foliage.  The flower is only present for a relatively short amount of time.

This Trout Lily started blooming about 2 weeks after the Bloodroot.  
This flower is on the pale side for E. americanum, it could be different species or a variation. (On looking more carefully, this is E. albidium, based on the spreading tip of the style; it's united in E. americanum.)

Spring is making an Appearance

With all the snow and low temperatures the Winter of 2013-14 seemed like it would never end.  But looking back at photos from this time last year, native plant growth is only a week or so behind 2013.  I almost did not venture out into the woods for an informal survey, but I'm glad I did.  While only a few native species were in bloom, many have broken ground and are forming flower buds.  Here are some photos of the highlights.

When walking through the woods, it pays to look up once in a while.

Many of the native spring wild flowers most active while the tree canopy is open.  Now they have have enough light to photosynthesize and store up energy.  Once the trees leaf out there is not enough light for these plants to continue to grow so many of them shut down for the summer.  These plants are known as the spring ephemerals.  

The first plants I noticed were the Virginia Bluebells, Mertensia virginica.  These first appear as purplish-gray buds through the leaf litter.  If last year is a guide they should be blooming in about 2 weeks.

As the leaves of these Virginia Bluebells mature they lose the purplish blush.

I was surprised to see the Spring Beauties in bloom.  There are only a few of them now.  Their number should continue to increase into May.  These grow from corms, so technically they are native bulbs.  If I happen to dig up any later this spring I will move them up into the bulb gardens closer to the house.  

These blooms are mostly white, pinkish ones appear later in the season.

The finely divided foliage of Dutchman's Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria, is also making an appearance.  I don't know if this species can be distinguished from Squirrel Corn, D. canadensis, just by the foliage.  I am making the assignment based on only seeing the former species last year.

The new foliage of all 3 eastern Dicentra species is very similar.
Off to the right are some leaves from Spring Beauties.

White Avens, Geum canadense, will bloom until later in the summer, but it is producing fresh foliage now.  It is recognizable by its deeply divided gray-green foliage.

One of the large basal leaves of White Avens  is at the lower right in the photo above.  

I saw a lot of leaves of Toothwort, Cardamine diphylla, and a few with flower buds. I also saw some leaves of cut-leaved Toothwort, C. laciniata.  These have similar coloration, but the leaves are deeply cut into five or more fingers.  These species were formally classified in the genus Dentaria.

You can see a mauve-colored flower stalk just left of center, above.

I purchased a couple of Golden Ragwort, Packera aurea, at a native plant sale last fall.  You can see that they over wintered well and it looks like they have already begun to spread.

Golden Ragwort should produce yellow daisy-like flowers on
long stems through spring and summer.

It's amazing that these little flowers will go on
to produce a couple of hazelnuts

The new growth was not limited to the perennials.  The shrubs are also beginning to bloom.  I got this American Hazelnut, Corylus americana, last fall.  It was bearing several nut clusters which grew to maturity last season.  This spring I only noticed the small red female flowers.  There were no male catkins on the shrub.  I don't know if their absence is due to the cold, or the deer.

I would have missed seeing the buds forming on this Yellowroot, Xanthorhiza simplicissima, if I had not remembered where it was planted.  The tops of the plant had been 'cut' back a bit.  Again, I don't know if this was from frost damage or deer browse.  

The flower buds of Spicebush, Lindera benzoin, are about to burst.  The flowering time of Spicebush is similar to Forsythia, but the color of the Spicebush is much more delicate.  In a week or so this area will be in a yellow haze of Spicebush flowers.  

Close examination of a Spicebush branch shows that the flower buds occur in pairs.
This helps with plant ID.

 All the new activity in the woods was not limited to the plants.  A small red speck racing along a a branch caught my attention.  It measured about 1/4 inch long and is 8 legged, like a spider.  Comparing images on a Google search for 'little red spider' led me to tentatively identify this as a Velvet Mite.  This is a predatory species feeding primarily on Arthropods.

This looks like it could be a Red Velvet Mite.  It moved very quickly for an insect so small.

Tree Rings

Our last winter storm (Feb 12th) just brought us a bunch of snow, but no damage to trees or structures.  That was not the case for the ice storm a just over a week before (Feb. 4-5).  Besides losing power for a couple of days we lost a number of trees in the surrounding woods.  Some were standing snags, but a number were live trees.  Also, a lot of branches fell out of the White Pines. 

While beautiful, the ice from this storm stuck to the trees and caused a lot of damage.

Last spring I used available branches
 to build tomato supports.

I've just started cleaning up the mess and am imagining what can be done with all this fallen trees and branches.  I have been setting aside some of the straighter pine limbs to use as vertical supports in the vegetable garden (tepees for beans and cucumbers and trellises for tomatoes).  I am leaving the pine boughs out now in hopes that the deer will eat them, rather than go after my Rhododendrons and Yews.

The Black Cherry with its scaly bark is on the left.
On the right is the Black Locust with deeply furrowed bark.
This Locust was more than 40' tall.

The main use for the fallen trees will be as firewood.  The fallen snags could be used this year, but the live trees will need to be cut and aged for at least a season to dry out.  One of the trees that came down was a  20-30 year old black cherry easily identified by its bark, the lenticels on the branches and the unpleasant  odor where the bark had been stripped off.  I needed to do a little reading to ID the other tree.  I assumed it was one of the many red oak trees here, but the branches had thorns on them. 

Thorns on Black Locust are paired up.  

That suggested some type of locust tree.  Turns out it is a Black (aka Yellow) Locust, Robinia pseudoacacia.  The bark is deeply furrowed and the smaller branches are armed with pairs of thorns.  The 'yellow' part of the common name became evident as I was using the chain saw.  The wood chips had a definite yellow color to them.

Black Locust is considered an invasive species in New England, but here in the Mountains of Maryland we are within its native range.  The trees are subject to wind throw (as happened here) and the wood is weak and brittle.  On the plus side it is very rot resistant, so the old branches could be good supports in the garden.  As the wood burns very hot,  it will also make good firewood.

This section of the truck was growing horizontally.  Note how far off-center the growth rings are.
The wood under the greater tension is more compact (top) compared to the bottom side.

This section taken from straight portion of the truck shows even growth.

As I sawed through the twisty parts of the upper leader I noticed how the growth rings were off center.  This reminded me of a talk given at New England Grows in 2012 by E. F. Gilman from the University of Florida on Advanced Pruning Strategies.  They had done studies on how different pruning methods would affect the mechanical stress on trees.  Check out this link to the work.  In that presentation he showed that wood under tension, known as reaction wood, has thicker cell walls and is denser than wood on the opposite side of a branch.  By comparison, the growth rings on the straight trunk are well centered and evenly sized.

Can you help me identify this tree?

I was not able to identify the dead tree that was knocked down.  It has light colored bark that is generally smooth, but cracked into smaller pieces.  The interior wood is evenly white and it was very easy to split. There were no smaller limbs remaining to see the branching pattern.  I welcome any suggestions as to what this might be.  I think there are additional specimens out there which I will check out once the snow melts.

New Seeds for 2014

Since I have been focusing on buying more native perennials from local sources I have scaled back on the number of plants I am starting from seed.  I felt a little guilty about not starting any seeds, then remembered, what about native annuals.  There are quite a few annuals in the nursery trade with native parentage, but in general  finding seed for wild-type annuals can be a challenge. 

Most of the native-derived annuals are from the southern parts of North America, particularly the tropical regions.  The past few years I have mostly been using annuals with North American origins in pots on our deck.

Other than the Ivy Geraniums all these annuals have North American heritage:
Lantana camera, Melanopodium divaricatum, Zinnia 'Profusion' series, Salvia farinacea.

Last year I planted out some native annuals that are also found naturally in the Mid-Atlandtic region, Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) and American Pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegiodes) as well as some short lived perennials Rudbeckia hirta and Monarda punctata which I started from seed.  I will be watching to see if these will reseed successfully.  What I like about the indigenous annuals is that if they find suitable conditions, they will reseed and fill in gaps in the garden and add spontaneity to the landscape that is lacking with plants that only spread vegetatively.

My first choice is to plant regionally native annuals and biennials.  If suited to the site, these plants will naturally spread to fill open gaps between shrubs and perennials.  My second choice is to use visually appealing annuals from tropical North America like Zinnias and Cosmos, that have a low risk of spreading out of control.  Some of these may reseed in protected locations, but they are unlikely to escape into the wild.  I avoid using North American annuals from other regions (or any plants for that matter) with a high risk of spreading.  You can identify many of those on the USDA Plants database by checking under the 'Legal Status' tab for a given plant.  An example is that California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica ) is listed as an invasive weed in Tennessee.  You can also check the Invasive Plant Atlas.

I've sorted my North American annuals for this year into two groups, those native to or naturalized in Maryland and those not found growing naturally in Maryland.

Native annuals found in Maryland

Plains Coreopsis, Coreopsis tinctoria, is originally from the centrals plains but has escaped and is now found growing across most of the US.  It tolerates a range of soil conditions in full to part sunlight.  It is a good nectar source and is reportedly deer resistant!  The long blooming season (June-Sept.) of golden flowers with red centers makes it a good filler plant.  I have not grown this species before, but from what I've read it looks to be easy to grow. 

This Beach Sunflower grew to about 4 ft in a pot.

Beach Sunflower, Helianthus debilis 'Pan'  is native to coastal areas from Texas to North Carolina but has spread as far north as New England.  It would not be found growing naturally in mountainous part of Maryland where I am located.  This annual sunflower differs from the Common Sunflower (H. annuus) in that it is highly branched and, although the stems are long, at 5-7 feet, it tends bend over and weave into neighboring plants.  The branches are usually mottled with purple or white.  The flower is of the typical sunflower form, though smaller, measuring 2-4 inches across and blooming is from July into October.  It likes full sun and well drained soils.  As expected for the beach, this plant will tolerate salty soils.  It performed nicely for me in pots up in Boston.  This species likes warmer soil for germination which is more easily achieved in planter pots or a raised bed. 

These Sulfur Cosmos are competing
for space with some culinary mint.

Sulfur Cosmos, Cosmos sulphureus  is native to Northern and Central Mexico where it is found in open areas along roads and rivers, in forest openings and pastures.  It has escaped cultivation in the United States and populations have been found from Texas to New York and Connecticut and in California.  This species is listed in as a pest plant in Tennessee and Florida.  In my experience in Boston, this species will reseed itself for a couple of years, then fade out unless some new plants are brought in.  What I like about this Cosmos is that it comes into bloom very early in the summer and that it does not flop over as bad as Garden Cosmos, C. bipinnatus.

After blooming the flowers of this Sneezeweed turn white
and disappear into the foliage. These did reseed
 into the pot the following year.

Sneezeweed, Helenium amarum 'Dakota Gold' grows to about a foot in height and is covered with self-cleaning yellow flowers from early summer to frost.  It is originally a native of the Ozarks but has spread throughout the southeast and as far to the northeast as Massachusetts.  It tolerates dry soils and is also resistant to deer.  When I tried these a few years ago I had excellent germination without any pretreatment of the seed.  The small size and intensity of bloom make this a good candidate for the front edge of a border.

The native ranges of these next two plants actually include the Mid-Atlantic region.

Adlumia blooms from late June to frost.  The shiny black seeds
are easily collected by shaking the dried flowers on the vine.

Allegheny Vine, Adlumia fungosa  is a biennial vine, native to mountain woods of the American East.  I have blogged about this plant in the past.  It's one of my favorites.  This is a true biennial, the first year is spent as a tight rosette of finely divided leaves.  The second year the vine climbs about 10 feet and it blooms with pale pink dangling heart-shaped flowers.  The vine is rather delicate so it needs support and not too much sun.  I have lost some due to the wind causing the plant to twist.  In its native state it often climbs over rocks, rather than scaling trees.  

Miami Mist, Phacelia purshii, is a winter annual that is native to Mid-Atlantic states and lower Mid-West.  It has small, fringed lavender-colored flowers that bloom in spring.  As a winter annual, it needs to get its start in the fall, as temperatures cool and moisture increases.  From what I have read, the seed should be exposed to warm summer temperatures to break the seed dormancy.  So I will direct sow some of these in June and also put some outside in small pots where I can keep an eye on them.  They overwinter as a rosette of leaves, then put forth a flowering stalk the following spring.

North American Annuals Not Hardy in Maryland

These last three plants have not been found growing in the wild in Maryland.

These Bluebonnets were growing at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.
I doubt I will have such good results in Maryland, but I'll try.

Texas Bluebonnet, Lupinus texensis  is a Texas native and my wife's favorite flower.  I have tried these once before with limited success.  This is due at least in part to the very different growing conditions in the Northeast.  Besides soil composition, it takes much longer for the northern soils to warm up relative to Texas.  On doing a little more reading, I found that it is helpful to inoculate the seeds with the correct bacteria to help with nitrogen fixation.  I found that Prairie Moon Nursery offers a variety of  inoculum for different legumes in small packets at a reasonable price.  Also, the Bluebonnets are winter annuals, like the Phacelia above.  I will plant some seeds this spring, like regular annuals and I will hold some back for fall planting.  My concern is that our winters may be a bit too cold for them to survive.  Anyway, we have a little garden for Texas plants (south-facing, drier soils) and we'll see what happens. 

Spanish Flag, Ipomoea lobata, is an annual vine from Mexico that grows to 5-10 feet.  I found no records that show it to be self-sustaining in the contiguous US.  It produces racemes of tubular flowers in mid-to-late summer that change from red to orange and then white as they mature.  These flowers are favored by hummingbirds.  I've seen  this vine used to quickly cover a chain-link fence.  When starting from seed, scarification and presoaking in warm water is recommended.

Texas Sage blooms from late July to frost.

Texas or Hummingbird Sage, Salvia coccinea, is native to the southern states. But I've had it reseed in Boston for several years in protected locations. I've grown it successfully in both pots and in a raised bed.  I like the taller more open form of this red Salvia compared to the heavier dense blooms found on the commonly available annual Scarlet Sage, S. splendens.  

As I recall, bumble bees would get nectar by landing on the top of the flower and sticking their tongues into the calyx tube at the base of the flower.  It will be interesting to see how our hummingbirds approach this flower.