Page 32 - MNLGA Free State Spring 2024_WEB SPREADS

GROWING WITH EDUCATION (Continued) and wide with bright yellow petals surrounding a yellow center eye. ‘Little Goldstar’ is
ball. ‘Sombrero’ has excellent resistance to powdery mildew a compact plant with 2 -2 ½
that when inhaled would cause the person to sneeze. It is and is a part of the Mariachi™ series which also includes inch golden yellow flowers,
not like Ragweed, which has such light pollen, that it has ‘Fuego’ (which blooms a bicolored mix of fiery orange, red and ‘Viette’s Little Suzy’ is also
been collected 2 miles in the sky and 6 miles out to sea. and yellow), ‘Salsa’ (which blooms with dark bold red petals a very compact plant growing
Plants grow 3-5 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide and bloom from surrounding a brown ball), and ‘Siesta’ (which blooms in 1-1 ½ feet tall and 1 foot wide.
September to November, or the first hard frost. The 2-inch bright bluish red petals surrounding a marron eye). ‘Riverton From July to September these
daisy like flowers Beauty’ has soft yellow petals surrounding a brown eye. For small but mighty plants
have 7-20 bright something special, look to ‘Tie Dye’, a French hybrid that produce an abundance of
Designing a garden yellow ray petals displays 3 dimensional petals with goldenrod yellow on top bright yellow flowers and are
that circle around a
with native herbaceous center yellow gold and orange on the bottom, that curl upwards, and surround a great addition to the front
a burgundy eye.
of landscapes.
perennials can be fun, ball. Each ray petal is Rudbeckia laciniata, or Cut Leaf Coneflower, thrives in full sun I hope that you have enjoyed
wedge shaped and
and challenging, when has 3 lobes on the to partial shade in well drained soils. This plant fits in well the rainbows of colors, the
wide variety of textures, and
in Maryland with its tolerance for hot and humid summers.
tips of the petals. The
the garden plants need fertile flowers in the Plants can grow 2 -9 feet tall and 1 ½ - 3 feet wide, but usually the various heights that this
selection of native herbaceous
stay about 3-4 feet tall. Plants spread by rhizomes and can
ball open from the
to thrive despite the outside in. The plants colonize. The 3 ½ inch flowers have a green centered dome perennials, which have proven
hungry appetites of have strong winged with drooping yellow ray petals. They are held aloft on to be less dear to deer. We are PHOTOS ABOVE AND BELOW:
fortunate to be in a state that
branching stems with light green lance shaped leaves and
stems which branch
our native whitetail near the top so the bloom from July to October. The lower 6-inch-long leaves welcomes so many beautiful Pycnanthemum muticum, short toothed mountain mint with bee
flowerings plants in so many different soil types, heat and
have 3-5 deep lobes. Bees are their main pollinators and visit
whole top is full of
Eupatorium dubium ‘Baby Joe’
deer. bouquets of flowers. for both nectar and pollen. Monarchs and other butterflies, cold zones to keep our landscapes vibrant from the earliest PHOTO; LEFT: Rudbeckia Hirta Black Eyed Susans
The dark green lance skippers, and beneficial wasps thrive on the nectar in of springtime to the bitter cold of winters. A Photo credit: Ginny Rozenkranz
shaped foliage can the central eye. The foliage is a host plant for the silvery
grow 3-6 inches checkerspot, wavy-lined emerald moth and other butterflies,
long, lightly toothed and the seeds are enjoyed by the American Goldfinch. A
and attached to the stems in an alternate pattern. When in number of cultivars including ‘Hortensia’, or ‘Golden Glow’,
flower, several butterflies, bees and flies visit for the nectar, have 3-inch flowers that are fully double yellow ray petals
including the red admirals. All parts of the Sneezeweed with no central eye. ‘Autumn Sun’ flowers bloom for over 8
are poisonous if eaten in large quantities. One of the main weeks with the flowers stretching 4-5 inches across with bright
problems with the Sneezeweed family is their susceptibility yellow broad ray petals that surround a pale green eye.
to powdery mildew. Mt. Cuba’s research showed that the Rudbeckia fulgida, or Orange Coneflower, thrives in full
species had excellent resistance to powdery mildew, as sun to partial shade and rich well drained soils. Plants
did ‘Can Can’, with deep red ray petals edged with sunny are upright clump forming, growing 2-3 feet tall and 1-2
yellow. ‘Flammendes Kachen’ blooms in July in orange red feet wide, and can form colonies by spreading through
ray petals edged in yellow, and gradually fades to a soft rhizomes. Once established the plants are very drought
bronze. ‘Tijuana Brass’ has large flowers that feature semi tolerant. An evergreen rosette of leaves in the spring gives
double overlapping yellow ray petals that surround a dark rise to branched stems that are covered with oval lance
yellow eye. There are several cultivars that brighten up shaped 3–6-inch green leaves. The 2 ½ inch daisy-like flowers
the late summer to frost landscape. ‘Balsaluemb’ or Salud bloom prolifically from June to October with 10 – 20 bright
Embers, is a compact selection growing 1-1 ½ feet tall and yellow ray petals surrounding brown center eyes. Flowers
wide and produces brightly bicolored ray petals that are provide nectar for many pollinators, and both the wavy-lined
red tipped with yellow gold. ‘Butterfat’ is a compact plant emerald moth and the silvery checkerspot butterfly larvae
growing 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide with 3-inch-wide bright feed on the foliage. Songbirds, especially goldfinches, enjoy Ginny Rosenkranz
yellow ray petals surrounding a yellow brown eye. ‘Helena the seeds in the late fall and winter. There are many excellent Extension Educator, Commercial
Red Shades’ grows 4 feet tall with red maroon petals tipped cultivars including ‘Early Bird Gold’, a compact plant Horticulture, University of Maryland
and streaked in golden yellow surrounding a dark red eye. growing 2 feet tall with stiff upright stems and 3–4-inch gold Extension, Dorchester, Somerset,
Wicomico and Worchester County
‘Moerheim Beauty’ grows 2-3 feet tall on ridged stems, petaled flowers. Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii, also called 410 749-6141 x106
blooming with coppery red ray petals surrounding a dark ‘Goldstrum’, grows 2- 3 feet tall with large 3–4-inch yellow rosnkrnz@umd.edu
eye. ‘Sombrero’ is a compact plant growing 1 ½ to 2 feet tall gold petaled flowers surrounding a dark brownish black

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