Page 50 - Free State Summer 2023

GROWING WITH EDUCATION A Ginny Rosenkranz

Native Herbaceous Perennials

that are not Dear to Deer

erbaceous perennials are wonderful to purchase for but the success of their growth will depend on the size of the
the landscape. They are mature plants with strong herds and the education of all the young hungry yearlings.
Hroots, excellent foliage, and beautiful flowers, but Many of our native plants that are resistant to deer browsing
are smaller than shrubs or trees making them easier to carry do their job by their fragrance, spines, texture, or because
and they are more affordable. By its name, a perennial plant the plants are poisonous. This list of native perennials
lives longer than an annual, which only thrives for 1 year, and for Maryland has been compiled using lists from many
outperforms the bi-annual which has foliage the first year universities and nurseries in the northeast states and is not
and flowers the second year, often dying after blooming. alphabetical, but in the order of blooms.
Many herbaceous perennials only live for 3 years while others The earliest of our deer resistant native perennials are Phlox
will live for decades; some will stay rooted in its original spot subulata or Moss Phlox, blooming from February to May
while others will spread slowly or quickly by modified stems depending on where in Maryland it is planted. This is a
called rhizomes and stolons, and others will spread their lovely evergreen groundcover that thrives in full sun and well
genetics with their fertile seeds.
drained soils. Plants only grow 3-6 inches tall but will spread
Designing a landscape requires consideration of plants that 1-2 feet and some will self-seed. The flowers come in shades
will grow in sun or shade, wet, moist or dry soils, acidic or of red, pink, purple, blue and white with a few bi-colors. The
alkaline soils, organically rich or lean soils, and how they will fragrant star shaped blooms have 5 notched flat petals that
behave in the landscape. When designing with perennials, attract butterflies and other native pollinators. In the winter
most homeowners only look at the colors of blooms and the awl shaped foliage is a soft green-yellow that brightens
possibly the texture of the foliage. A landscape designer up to medium green from spring to frost. Phlox subulate is a
has to take in not only the color and texture of the plants wonderful long-lived perennial that has very few problems
but the order of blooms, how tall and wide the plants will as long as it lives in the sunshine with excellent soil drainage.
grow, and how much they will spread in the landscape. The earliest shade lover to bloom is Arisaema triphyllum, or
Many homeowners purchase their perennials in spring when Jack-in-the-Pulpit, blooming from April to May. Jack-in-the-
the temperatures are comfortable, and the weeds are less Pulpit thrives in full to part shade and demands organically
intimidating. They fill their gardens with spring-blooming rich, moist to wet soils. Plants emerge from the soil in March
flowers then are disappointed when the blooming period is with 2 large dark green compound leaves divided into
over. A good design needs to plan for foliage and flowers 3 leaflets on a long petiole, creating an umbrella for the
from late winter, spring, early mid and late summer, and emerging flower. The 1-2-foot-tall flower is green or purple
autumn. It should also consider the mature heights and on the outside of an almost translucent upright spike that
widths to design for depth and layering.
shows off the striped green and white or purple on the inside
Unfortunately, all the planning for perfect plants for the site (Jack). The spike has lots of tiny purple and green flowers
can be demolished by the growing hungry population of that are enclosed in a spathe (pulpit) which wraps around
our native white tail deer and in some areas, the invasive the lower part of the spike and grows up and over to cover
Sitka elk. By planting deer resistant native perennials, we the spike like a hood. When young, all of the flowers are
will be providing food and shelter for our native pollinators male, but after a few years the top of the spike produces
and songbirds, and beauty for our landscapes. There male flowers and the female flowers are formed on the
are a number of lists of native plants that will thrive in the bottom. They mature into bright red berries in mid to late
landscapes of Maryland and are resistant to deer browsing, (continued on next page)

50 SUMMER 2023 • Free State News