Blog – Page 3 – St. Louis Native Plants

Feed the Birds with Plants

Yesterday at the Partners for Native Landscaping workshop, there was significant discussion about leaving last year’s growth & plant stalks with spent flower heads through the winter for multiple wildlife purposes. One reason is that bugs, including some of our best pollinators, use them for nesting/overwintering sites. One other, which I was tickled to see...

March 1, 2015BySusieVdRInBlog

Spring is on the Way! Vernal Witch Hazel is Blooming!

One of my favorite larger native shrubs, Hamamelis vernalis, lets us know with its mid-late winter bloom that spring is not too far away! It has either golden yellow flowers with a red center or the flowers can be more of a fiery red orange. This 6-10′ tall shrub has a pleasantly sweet fragrance in...

January 25, 2015BySusieVdRInBlog

American Sycamore

Since I have a post that badmouths the London Planetree (Platanus x acerifolia), it seemed fitting to do a positive post about the native, and in my opinion better, relative. Meet the stately American Sycamore, (Platanus occidentalis.) One can’t help but notice this tree when the sky is bright blue and the trees are mostly...

January 19, 2015BySusieVdRInBlog

Frost Flower

Frost Flower: it’s not actually a flower, but dainty ribbons of ice crystals that form on some MO native plants. It can usually be seen late fall-early winter. When the ground is still warm and a hard freeze occurs, the plants’ stems are ruptured. The roots are still sending up water and nutrients from the...

January 7, 2015BySusieVdRInBlog

Cold Weather Does Not Equal Colorless Landscape

You CAN have year-round interest in your yard. Try planting some Ilex verticillata, Winterberry Holly. This deciduous shrub gives you sprays of bright red into the winter when most other plants are not flowering and are dormant. Winterberry Holly stands out best when put alongside other plants that turn a golden color when dormant, such...

December 28, 2014BySusieVdRInBlog

St. Louis Arch Grounds Project – Why the London Planetree?

I realize I am not the only one who is baffled by another large grouping of the exact same tree (monoculture) being used to replace the glorious ash trees on the St. Louis Arch Grounds. But after asking, “Why the same tree for 45% of the trees that cover the arch grounds?” the second question...

October 31, 2014BySusieVdRInBlog

Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)

Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) is the ideal plant for those looking for something with blooms throughout the majority of summer and into the fall. It thrives in drought and full sun and can be used in garden beds, cascading over walls, or even in planters. The magenta flowers are a favorite among many different...

October 28, 2014BySusieVdRInBlog

Indian Physic (Porteranthus stipulatus)

Indian Physic (Porteranthus stipulatus) – This compact, somewhat formal, plant gets to about 2-3 feet tall, and has white, star shaped flowers in early summer. Leaves are lighter green through summer and turn an attractive burnt red in the fall. Indian Physic will do well in a variety of conditions including dry or moist soils,...

October 24, 2014BySusieVdRInBlog

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

Featuring: the White Ash tree (Fraxinus americana). The showy mix of fall color in this ash tree has appeared! A delightful combination of purples, reds, oranges, and yellows. This tree has given us so many things from tool handles to fuel. It also was used medicinally by Native Americans. Wildlife benefits: songbirds, bobwhite, wild turkey,...

October 22, 2014BySusieVdRInBlog

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