Redbuds for Summer Foliage Color

Eastern Redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) are known for lighting up the garden in early spring with brilliant, reddish-purple blooms before foliage appears. (For a link to my 2018 blog post about Redbud trees, click here.) The green-leaf types fade into polite obscurity after blooming. Their showy cousins, however, sport foliage that will electrify the summer garden.

It does not matter if your taste leans toward rich purple or screaming chartreuse, upright forms or weepers, there are special cultivars that will be focal features in your summer garden.

‘Ruby Falls’ weeping Redbud

‘Ruby Falls’ is a purple-leaf weeping tree with a compact growth habit that will grow no more than 30 feet. ‘Merlot’ is an upright form with the same maroon foliage. ‘Forest Pansy’ is a taller, older cultivar that is gorgeous early in the season, but its leaves change to mostly green in the heat of the summer.

New growth on ‘The Rising Sun’ Cercis canadensis

‘The Rising Sun’ new growth is apricot, changing to chartreuse and then a bright green. A healthy tree will put on new leaves all summer, so all three colors will appear at the same time. Unfortunately, ‘The Rising Sun’ has weak branch structure and is prone to breaking in windy areas or under snow or ice loads. The specimen in the Mary Snoddy garden lost more than half its limbs in summer storms. Several friends have trees that suffered similar damage, to confirm that this is not an anomaly. It is a beautiful tree and I will add more to my collection, but will site them in an area with a windbreak like the one shown in the accompanying photo, below. ‘Hearts of Gold’ has similar chartreuse color but does not show any apricot or peach tones.

Redbuds are considered understory trees, performing best in the south when given light shade from taller trees. They are one of the few plants that will thrive near black walnut trees. High light exposure results in more blooms and denser growth habit, but expect to provide supplemental irrigation if sited in full sun. Most trees are naturally multiple-trunked, which I find more attractive and natural-looking than those trained to a single leader. Plant them where low-hanging limbs will not block walkways or behead the person mowing the lawn.

Exercise special care to avoid damaging the thin bark. A string trimmer is The Enemy. Injury provides an opportunity for canker or other fungal problems.

Redbuds grow in zones 5-9 and are rarely browsed by deer. They transplant most successfully when small but gain size rapidly. Their life expectancy is about 20 years but may succumb much sooner if exposed to pre-emergents or herbicides.

‘The Rising Sun’(tm) Redbud appears to advantage when seen against a backdrop of darker evergreens, which also serve to protect it from wind breakage.

‘Ruby Falls” is a tree for lovers, covered in burgundy hearts

Practice Tolerance Toward Spittlebugs

Little gobs of foamy stuff have appeared on the stems of various plants in the Mary Snoddy garden. Spittlebugs (or “Froghoppers”) feed by piercing stems and sucking the juices from ornamentals and grasses. The different members of this family exhibit particular food preferences. The Pine Spittlebug, for instance, feeds on members of the Pine (Pinus) family. The two-lined Spittlebug is the one inhabiting salvias and coneflowers in my garden.

Spittlebugs start life as eggs, usually found in tiny orange-ish clusters. The eggs lay dormant during winter. When they hatch in spring, nymphs find a host plant, start eating, and produce “spit.” If you are inquisitive enough to handle this blob of foam, you will find a small, greenish insect at its center. The Spittlebug exudes foam to protect itself from drying out or being eaten as it goes through five molts, growing larger and more defined at each iteration. The nymph stage lasts 34 to 60 days. Adults live up to 42 days. The adult two-lined Spittlebug is rather attractive with its Halloween coloration, black with two orange lines and red eyes. A sharp-eyed observer will see a flash of red when the wings are extended in flight.

Unless the insects are present in large numbers, you can ignore them. The occasional bug doesn’t harm the plant. If you find them too disgusting to tolerate, try washing them away with a strong spray from the garden hose. Infestations can cause damage on centipede grass, especially vulnerable when it is choked with thatch. You should only consider chemical treatments in case of a large infestation. Consult your local Extension office for insecticide recommendations.

This foamy blob conceals and protects a Spittlebug, also known as a Froghopper.

Inside the spittle is the nymph. This one is nearing maturity, probably in its fourth molt.

This photo of an adult Two-Lined Spittle Bug was taken by Royal Tyler, Pro Pest and Lawn Store, Bugwood.org.

Indian Pink, Beautiful Native

Indian Pink, also known as Pinkroot, is a native perennial wildflower. Its tubular flowers light up shady areas and attract hummingbirds. The Latin name, Spigelia marilandica (pronounced spy-GEEL-ee-ah mar-i-LAND-ih-kah) rolls off the tongue easily, with a musical quality that is absent in the common name. Spigelia is considered a threatened species in several states. I treasure my stand, and guard its good health. Plants are not widely found in nurseries. Mine came from a Native Plant Society sale.

Spigelia grows in light shade and prefers damp soil. It will survive periods of drought once established and will not tolerate a boggy area.  Keep the lime away from this one; it prefers an acidic-to-neutral home. Woodland soil high in organic content is ideal. Plants bloom in the Mary Snoddy garden in late-May to June, with flowers occurring at the top tips of the stems. The flowering period lasts several weeks. Plants reach heights up to three feet, in zones 5a through 9b. Flowers are red on the outside and yellow on the inside. The petal tips flare so that both colors are visible - gorgeous!

It takes several years for a newly planted Spigelia to reach its potential. Established clumps can be divided for propagation, but plants will reseed themselves if left alone. Flowers are followed by seed capsules that explode when ripe and spread their seeds around. It may take a year or two for those self-sown babies to bloom. Plants can also be propagated by cuttings taken in May, before flowering begins.

Appreciate Spigelia for its beauty but don’t be tempted to nibble. All parts are toxic, containing a form of strychnine poison.

Blue Eyed Grass - Petite Wildflower

Today’s blog features Sisyrinchium (pronounced sis-ee-RING-kee-um), commonly known as Blue Eyed Grass. Despite its name, it is not a grass but a member of the Iris family. Blue Eyed Grass is not a showstopper that will catch your eye from a distance. Rather, its subtle beauty is enjoyed as a little surprise in your lawn or flower beds. The blooms are tiny, so it is best appreciated when planted near to eye level, either from raised planters or containers. Blue Eyed Grass will grow in sun or partial shade. They spread fastest in damp soil but will do well in any well-drained soil, zones 4-9.

Seeds are available, but if you convince a friend to donate a clump, the plants will spread into colonies via rhizomes. Appearing in early spring and sporadically thereafter, the blue blooms have yellow throats that serve as runway lights to pollinators, directing them to the pollen and nectar-rich blossoms. Honeybees love this plant.

The grassy foliage of Sisyrinchium will blend into the lawn and can be sheared (translation: trimmed via lawnmower) without damaging the plant. Leaves may reach 10 inches or more in length, but their growth habit is more horizontal than upright, so the plant height is usually 6 inches or so.

Blue Eyed Grass isn’t a “wowzer” plant, but a sweet, delicate treat.

The yellow centers and darker veins are directional markers for honeybees.

Sweet little blooms, one-fourth the size of a thumbnail

Black Snake Appreciation

Some people are so terrified of snakes, any snakes, that it would be pointless for me to attempt to convince them that some of these reptiles are quite beneficial indeed. I’m thinking of the handsome black snakes that live quietly in and around the Mary Snoddy garden. These shiny black snakes are found across the entire southeastern US. The Latin name is a mouthful so, with apologies to herpetologists, let’s be content with calling them Black Racer, King Snake, Chicken Snake, Black Rat Snake, Coachwhip, Ring Neck Snake, or simply Black Snake. There are differences between these (the Ring Neck wears a yellow-green necklace, for instance) but as a gardener I don’t feel the need to distinguish. And it is a certainty that I am not going to examine the anal plates of any snake I encounter to make an exact determination. They all share an endearing characteristic – they dine on mice, rats, voles, squirrels, frogs, lizards and (best of all!) have an appetite for poisonous snakes like the copperheads that share the same territory. Not so charming is their taste for bird eggs and even small birds. Take the good with the bad.

My husband subscribes to the theory that “the only good snake is a dead snake,” so I was surprised when he summoned me outdoors to look at a pair. Near the base of a damaged black walnut tree, I witnessed something I had never seen before. Two black snakes were wrapped around each other in a slow dance. I confirmed with Google that what I was seeing was mating. Call me a voyeur, but I couldn’t stop watching. Their dance was slow, graceful, and anything but erotic. Thirty minutes later, they disappeared into a previously unnoticed hole at the base of the tree, probably to shower and smoke a post-coitus cigarette. Check out this photo of the two lovers.

A pair of black snakes in their mating dance

According to the University of Michigan, the Black Rat Snake has an average lifespan of 33.9 years. University of North Carolina estimates the average life as a much shorter 23 years. Male Black Rat Snakes reach maturity at seven years, while females mature sexually at nine years. The breeding cycle runs from May through June. As a result of a tryst, Mama Snake will lay between 6 and 24 eggs, which hatch in 37 to 51 days. The emerging babies are about a foot long. For a year or two, the youngsters will stay close to the place they hatched. Adults may reach lengths up to six feet. They shed their external skins as they grow.

Black snakes are found in all types of terrain, from forests to swamps. They are most active during daytime. When they sense a predator, they tend to kink tightly in an attempt to mimic a non-edible stick. This behavior inspired the old-timer’s expression that something was “as crooked as a black snake,” They are not aggressive and escape from humans when given the chance. When trapped or feeling threatened, they release an offensive stink and may rattle the tips of their tails. They only strike when feeling seriously endangered.

The rapid movement of the forked tongue that some people find creepy is the snake’s method of “smelling” their surroundings.  Colloquial advice abounds concerning smells that repel snakes, from human urine to mothballs. There are products designed to repel, but these are toxic to pets and are best avoided. The best way to keep snakes from your home is to block entry points and to remove food sources (pet food) that attract rodents. (Snake repellents don’t have the same fun names as deer repellents. My favorite deer repellents are Not Tonight Deer, Liquid Fence and Hinder.) Farmers welcome Black Snakes for their rodent-eating benefits.

A dear friend of mine would sing loudly when picking blackberries in an attempt to alert snakes to her presence and scare them away. Her song had a charming refrain, (“Go Away Snake, Snake Go Away”) but did little to ensure a non-encounter. Black snakes don’t have external ears. Instead they hear by sensing vibrations with an efficient inner ear. She would have been more successful by imitating the heavy footfalls of Big Foot.

Snakes are cold-blooded reptiles. They can raise their temperature by basking in the sun and lower it by hanging out in the shade. They hibernate in winter and may gather in numbers up to sixty to share warmth. Their mouths have a unique unhinged jaw structure that enables them to eat prey up to three times their apparent mouth size. They eat only when hungry. During warm weather, a snake may eat every three days or as little as once per month. Inactive snakes, such as those in zoo captivity, may only eat a couple of times a year.

Any snake raised in the wild will bite if it is grabbed. The result is similar to a bee sting in pain. Aquarium-raised snakes are more accustomed to handling by humans and are more docile. If you find a snake sunning on your concrete drive or some other undesired location, try using a boom to shoo it away. Teach children to leave snakes alone or at least to admire them from a distance.

This black snake is attempting to look like a stick, to avoid an encounter with an interested gardener (me).

Black And Blue Salvia

I’ve never met a Salvia that I didn’t like, and Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ is at the top of the favorites list. They typically start blooming around Father’s Day in my zone 7b garden. To the delight of my hummingbirds, they opened much earlier this year (first blooms on May 8). The hummers ignore the feeders to sip nectar from the cobalt-blue blooms with black calyxes.

The Black and Blue specimen in the Mary Snoddy garden arrived as a 4-inch pot from the local nursery more than ten years ago. The first year was just okay, but the following years it flourished. The plant has spread by rhizomes and is now more than six feet across after numerous divisions. I have moved pieces to several locations throughout the grounds and given away countless divisions. It shows best when planted in masses rather than singles.

This is the tallest Salvia in the Snoddy garden, reaching five feet or more. It is an ideal candidate for the back of the flowerbeds. In the hottest part of the year (August), it usually takes a break from flowering. At that time, I use an electric hedge trimmer to cut it back to two feet. I give it a booster of liquid fertilizer after pruning and it rapidly regenerates and will bloom again about four weeks later. Flowering continues all the way to freezing weather. The top growth dies to the ground in winter and should be removed. Plants are perennial in zones 7 to 10, but can be grown as annuals in cooler areas. In zone 7, it is best to protect your dormant plants with a light winter mulch like pine needles.

Black and Blue is an easy plant to grow in full sun, with little to no supplemental irrigation. Oddly, several recipients of my divisions have reported failures after transplanting. I potted up a three-gallon container earlier this year, and for the first few weeks, I thought it was a goner. The top growth turned black and died. In the last week, it has regenerated from the roots and looks healthy. Perhaps it just resents disturbance. Black and Blue has the square stems typical of members of the mint family and is easily propagated by cuttings. I have rooted cuttings in both soil and water with equal success.

During its first year, Black and Blue grows thick, knotty rhizomes that resemble black fingerling potatoes. These underground storage chambers allow the plant to survive long periods of drought. Once established, it is truly a fuggedaboutit plant. Deer ignore it and the pollinators love it.

A honeybee visiting ‘Black and Blue’ Salvia

A large clump of ‘Black and Blue’ Salvia, begging for division.

Singing the Blues

Regular readers may notice a clear color preference. I admit it — I love blue flowers, including those that might be considered weedy. As a child, my favorite color in the box of Crayola 64 (the beginning of each school year started with a fresh box “with a built-in sharpener!”) was definitely Cornflower Blue. I learned to love Cornflowers from an early age. Wild Cornflowers edged the fields of my grandparents’ farm. My mother identified them as Ragged Robins. She also told me that ALL snakes were deadly and I might keel over if I even looked at one too long. She was well-meaning, but wrong on both counts.

Ragged Robin is the common name for another flower with similar petals. The blue blooms in these photos are Centaurea cyanus (pronounced Cen-TUR-e-a sigh-AN-us), commonly known as Cornflowers or Bachelor's Buttons. They earned the Cornflower moniker because they bloom in corn fields throughout the US and UK, in all zones. How’s that for accommodating?

As a result of social distancing, I am suffering a case of cabin fever. My husband took me for a country drive, and obediently braked and reversed when I screamed, “Stop - I need a photo!” I don’t know whose pasture I invaded, but I hope they enjoy the blue haze as much as I did.

Seeds are available for this drought-tolerant plant that is native to Europe but has naturalized across our country. The seeds sprout easily and the plants grow rapidly up to 30 inches. Named cultivars may be shorter. They bloom like mad during the spring, then fade into obscurity. If you resist the urge to deadhead spent blooms, they will reseed and naturalize. They look outstanding when seen with a yellow weed that blooms about the same time in our Zone 7b. (Sorry, I don’t know the name of the yellow weed.) Grow them in full sun. Shade produces a weak, floppy stem.

The typical color is Cornflower blue but a pink, white or burgundy bloom may pop up occasionally. Cornflowers attract bees and butterflies, and are a wonderful addition to your wildflower garden or meadow. Makes a good cut flower, too.

A closer look

A sea of blue in a country field. The reddish color in the distance is wild sorrel, also in bloom right now.

Bluebirds Bring Happiness - How to deal with a dropout

The Eastern Bluebird is one our most beloved birds.  This easily identified species is choosy about their nesting sites. Development destroyed much of their natural habitat and has led to a serious decline in population. Concerned citizens maintain a number of nesting boxes in an attempt to regenerate the numbers.

Nesting boxes should be installed before February, when nest building begins, and should remain up all year to provide protection during cold weather. Bluebirds will raise two or three broods each year, but will not re-use a nest built for the prior brood. This means you should remove the old nest just as soon as the little ones fledge. Allow the box to remain open a day or two to air out. This helps keep insect populations down.  Do not use pesticides inside or outside the boxes.

Regardless of our age, most people enjoy watching birds build their nests and feed their young. One of the nest boxes in the Mary Snoddy garden is mounted on an old sign post pole, with a baffle to make it safe from cats and snakes. Our bluebirds get busy every February, with eggs arriving a short while later. I tap on the side of the box before I open the front, and Mother Bird obligingly exits while I do an egg-count and later a baby-check. The parents don’t seem to mind my benign interference. I cheer them on as the hatchlings fledge, but feel a sense of loss at the same time. (Empty nest syndrome, anyone?)

The internet is filled with instructions and videos on how to build and place a bluebird nesting box, so I won’t replicate those instructions here. The North American Bluebird Society has an informative website. Visit  http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/nabs-fact-sheets/  Here’s an extract: Site nest boxes on poles (not trees) in open areas. Provide water and food sources. Exclude predators. Enjoy!

This week I saw a baby robin that had fallen from its nest but was not able to fly. I saved it from an approaching predator (one of the Snoddy farm cats) but was uncertain how to proceed with the indignant little package of fluff and attitude. I found a graphic provided by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, What To Do When You Find a Baby Bird. It has great advice, so I shared it as a photo.

Checking the nest box for an egg count.

…And here they are!

This baby robin plopped onto the netting I use to protect Hosta from hungry deer. I placed it back into a nearby shrub, and the parents soon coaxed it into the air, but not before it threatened me with bodily harm.

Pretty Persicaria, Easy For Shade

My apologies, readers. Yesterday’s blog contained an error in the plant photo identification. This is the corrected version. Sorry!

If you are looking for a low-maintenance plant with attractive foliage that will fill a shady area quickly, look no further than the Persicarias. Persicaria (pronounced per-sih-KAR-ee-uh) genus has a reputation for invasiveness but there is at least one member of the genus that is well-behaved. The common name, Knotweed, does not lend appeal. There are two species worthy of consideration.

Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’ leaves are burgundy marked with a vee-shaped shield. It has tiny white (sterile) flowers, but is grown for the lovely foliage. Unlike some of its cousins, Red Dragon has a clumping habit. It does not spread underground by stolons. It will, however, root if one of the stems rests atop soil. I have not encountered this, but a peony support or modified tomato cage would ensure it does not.  

Persicaria virginiana ‘Painter’s Palette’ brightens a shady area with pale yellow-to-cream foliage marked with green, pink, dark green and burgundy variegations. It is sometimes identified as Tovara virginiana. Painter’s Palette does spread by underground runners, so take great care to ensure that it does not extend into undesired areas. It produces skinny stems with tiny red flowers. These are attractive when seen up close, but are not particularly impressive.

Both Red Dragon and Painter’s Palette will reach 24 inches in height. They are low-maintenance, tolerating just about any soil and limited drought, though they thrive in partial shade with regular irrigation. Consider them as an alternative to Hosta. Because the beauty of these plants is in their foliage rather than blooms, they provide a much longer season of appeal than flowering plants. Although Persicarias are in the same family as buckwheat, they are not edible. Both species die to the ground in winter and return reliably in zones 6-8, maybe wider. In the Mary Snoddy garden, deer nibble on Red Dragon while they ignore the adjacent planting of Painter’s Palette. I don’t know why. I have given up trying to determine why certain plants are deer fodder.

Even though it is not perennial and it is not for shade, another Persicaria that deserves an honorable mention is Persicaria orientale. Its common name, Kiss-Me-Over-The-Garden-Gate, lured me into planting it. Unlike the two mentioned above, Kiss-Me is an annual.  It is grown from seed in full sun. It will not transplant, so must be started directly in the ground.  It reseeds, so an initial success is usually followed by a reappearance year after year. The Japanese Beetles love it as much as I do. By late summer, the leaves are tattered, so I have let this one slip from the Snoddy garden.

Please do not confuse the above Knotweeds with Mexican Bamboo, a thug also known as Japanese Knotweed. Now listed as Polygonum cuspidatum, it has moved in and out of several genus, including Fallopia, Reynoutria and Otatea. Mexican Bamboo is invasive everywhere. Once established, it is darn near impossible to eradicate. I set a clump on fire numerous times before I finally caved and treated it with nasty herbicides. Even then, it required multiple treatments to kill it. Several years ago, a normally reliable catalog company sold a variegated form that they said would not spread. It was beautiful; I was seduced. They were wrong. It spreads invasively, albeit a tiny bit slower than the non-variegated variety. DO NOT plant Mexican Bamboo. Newsweek magazine ran an article in July, 2014 entitled “Japanese Knotweed: The Invasive Plant That Eats the Value of Your Home.” I rest my case.

Painter's Palette

Red Dragon

Red Dragon

Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate

Mexican Bamboo

Variegated Mex Bamboo

Hug a Tree This Week

Today’s blog focuses on celebration rather than cultivation. We have double reasons to rejoice this week despite our continued self-isolation,  Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Friday, April 24, will be Arbor Day for most of the country. South Carolina celebrates Arbor Day the first Friday of December. In the southeast, fall planting is preferred to spring planting for many tree species.

Earth Day celebrates environmental protection. The five components include science (measuring air and water quality), advocacy through civic engagements, volunteering (especially clean ups), education and community events. Despite COVID-19 restrictions against group gatherings, we can play our individual roles to protect the planet on which we live. Recycle where possible, compost what is appropriate, and reduce use of toxins, including insecticides and weed killers. When toxin use is appropriate, always follow the label exactly. Adding “just a little more” is unnecessary, unhealthy and illegal.

Arbor Day is set aside to plant new trees and to celebrate the ones already in place. The idea originated in Nebraska in the 1880’s and became an official holiday in 1972. Trees are necessary to maintain our way of life. They clean our air and water, create a calming atmosphere for our emotions and satisfy our need for beauty.

This year’s restrictions mean no neighborhood block parties or school groups gathered around a seedling, dropping handfuls of soil into a hole.  Instead, we can read books about trees, summon our inner artist to draw or paint one, photograph our favorites, or simply take an appropriately socially-distanced walk to enjoy them. Even if you can only enjoy the view from a window, take a moment to appreciate all trees do for us: shade on a hot day, protection from winds, food for insects and animals, homes for birds, clean air, reduce harmful greenhouse gas, improve our views, increase our property values and even reduce our stress levels.

If self-isolation has you stressed, go outside and hug a tree.

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) is a favorite in the Mary Snoddy garden. I received it as a seedling at a plant swap in 2005, when it was the size of a pencil. It has grown quickly with no attention. In fall, the needles turn pumpkin-orange before they shed. The bark has a shaggy appearance.

The emerging feather-like foliage of Pond Cypress. Like its neighbor, the Dawn Redwood, this is a deciduous conifer. The limbs are spaced so perfectly that the structure is beautiful even when it is bare. Of all trees in the Snoddy garden, this one is the cats’ favorite. The Cypress family does very well in clay soil.

The Love of the Weird Leads Us Astray

Even experienced gardeners fall victim to plant lust. I learned a valuable lesson five years ago when I purchased an unfamiliar (to me) plant at a spring plant festival. I should have recognized danger when the seller identified the plant by a cute name (“Spotted Dinosaur Food”) and had no clue as to its genus and species. The innocent-looking plant resembled a miniature version of Gunnera, a gorgeous plant that thrives in the Pacific Northwest and will not survive in the heat of the southeast. Gunneras are known for their extremely large, exotic leaves.

The colloquial moniker of my quart-sized purchase meant a long search for its true identity. I am forever grateful for the internet image search results that allowed me to identify my new baby as Petasites japonicia ‘Variegatus’ (pronounced pet-ah-SIGH-tees), common name Variegated Butterbur or Sweet Coltsfoot. The second red flag waved in phrases like “vigorous spreader” and “large colonies.” Now, I wage an ongoing battle to keep mine in check.

Unusual, unimpressive clusters of green blooms arise in late winter, before leaves appear. The plant spreads aggressively by fleshy rhizomes rather than seeds. Their expansion should be restrained by a barrier such as metal edging, concrete or asphalt. Any tiny portion of the fleshy root will regenerate into a new plant. Butterbur grows in zones 3a to 8b. It goes completely dormant in cold weather. Leaves are fuzzy to touch. Deer leave them alone.

Taking its tendency to spread into account, Butterbur makes an impressive show. Leaves of the variegated forms may reach two feet in width. The non-variegated form may reach an impressive four feet in width. Both forms prefer shade to partial shade and plentiful moisture. Spread can be reduced somewhat by providing  lower moisture, but be prepared for wilting leaves in the hottest part of the year.  The leaves have an exotic, tropical appearance that pair well with hosta and ferns.

Plant scale is obvious when compared to my hand.

Variegation is apparent but not overwhelming.

Super Shrub for Shade

Spring has sprung, with colorful flowers galore. Blooms stand out even more when they are seen against a solid green backdrop. Think of those fabulous English gardens, surrounded by hedges of clipped yews. Here in the south, hedges are more likely to be boxwoods, cherry laurels, Leyland cypress or arborvitae. If you need an evergreen backdrop for shady areas, look no further than Aucuba japonica.

The yellow-splotched or gold-speckled Aucuba japonica (pronounced ah-KEW-bah jah-PON-ih-kah) inspires gardeners to love it or hate it. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. The haters bemoan its in-your-face brightness, using words like “gaudy” or even “obnoxious.” The lovers praise its ability to brighten shady areas. I prefer the non-variegated, solid green leaf variety. In both winter and summer, it provides a polite evergreen contrast to either flowers or bare tree trunks.

For vase arrangements, the gold-flecked forms pair well with yellow Chrysanthemum or yellow Nandina berries. The solid green varieties provide a nice contrast to any red or white blooms. Cut stems have a long vase life. You might even find that they have sprouted roots while they stood in water. These rooted babies can be planted outdoors during warm weather. Aucubas are either male or female. If there is a male in the vicinity, female shrubs bear large red berries (look like giant dogwood fruits) in winter. They are hardy in zones 7-9.

Aucubas are undemanding shrubs. They ignore pollution and salty air. They prefer moist soil with plentiful moisture, but will tolerate most soil types. They will  develop root rot in too wet conditions, so be stingy with the irrigation except during extended drought. Grow only in partial shade to full shade. Leaves scorch and turn black in full sun. Plants grow slowly to heights up to ten feet. Overgrown plants will withstand radical pruning, and will even branch when clipped. Such restrictive pruning should be done in late winter.

This female Aucuba holds onto a few of its berries, as the bloom buds swell prior to opening. These leaves appear to be variegated, but they are laden with pollen from neighboring plants. Ah-choo.

Virginia Bluebells are Ringing

Mertensia virginica (pronounced mer-TEN-see-ah ver-JIN-ih-kah ) is an unwieldy name for a beautiful spring wildflower. Better known as Virginia Bluebells or Virginia Cowslips, this southeastern native thrives in upstate South Carolina, where I live. If you think the Latin name belies the plant’s beauty, consider some of the other common names: Lungwort, Oysterleaf or Roanoke Bells.

Thin stems with rounded grayish-green leaves are topped by clusters of pink buds that open to sky blue, trumpet-shaped flowers. The blooms have five stamens spaced so far away from the pistil that individual flowers are unable to self-pollinate. Instead, butterflies play matchmaker, aided by an occasional bumblebee. The fertilized bloom produces four seeds. If left undisturbed, the seeds give rise to spreading colonies but are not considered invasive. They can also be propagated by division. The arching stems may reach up to 24 inches. They are hardy in growth zones 4 to 9.

Virginia Bluebells thrive in shade and moist soil that is high in organic matter. Pair them with Primroses or Trillium for a gorgeous spring display. They are classified as “ephemeral” which means “fleeting.” Plants appear, bloom, and then disappear as they go dormant until the following spring. This makes them an ideal pairing with hosta, since they will go dormant just as the hosta starts to gain size.

Japanese Rose, Kerria japonica

The color yellow seems to own spring. Daffodils, forsythia, winter jasmine and Carolina jasmine are all in bloom. There is a spot of dark gold (“school bus yellow”) appearing in the woodlands. Kerria japonica (KARE-ee-ah jah-PON-ih-kah), known as Japanese Rose, has clusters of deep yellow blooms against bright green stems. Flowers appear before leaves. Kerrias are tolerant of heavy shade and inhospitable soils. They are unappetizing to deer. Flower color is paler in deep shade. Flowering is best in partial shade.

Japanese Rose has an arching habit similar to Forsythia. The shrub may reach heights of six feet or more, with an equal spread. It spreads by suckering and may grow into a hedge when left alone. To prevent spread, remove all suckers as soon as they appear. If desired, the plant can be pruned down to the ground to reduce its height. Any pruning should be done immediately after bloom season since most blooms occur on prior year’s wood. Any later pruning will reduce flowers for the following season. Stems branch in their second year of growth.

The narrow leaves turn yellow before they drop in autumn. Stems remain green throughout the winter. They have a zigzag growth habit similar to Cercis (Redbud). The cultivar ‘Pleniflora’ (sometimes listed on tags as ‘Plena’) has double flowers and is worth seeking. Its growth habit is a little more upright than ‘Golden Guinea’ which has an attractive single flower. ‘Picta’ has variegated foliage and stays smaller than the non-variegated types but is prone to reversion. If any non-variegated stems appear, prune them out immediately.

Kerrias are easily propagated from softwood stem cuttings or by removing and replanting suckers. If you have a steep bank in your woodlands (ditch or gully), use fast-growing Kerria to reduce erosion and turn an eyesore into a feature.

Yellow Kerria pompoms glow against arching green stems. This photo was taken in deep shade at Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve, Spartanburg SC.

Wary turtles watch as I photograph the nearby Kerria japonica.

Golden Carolina Jasmine Vine

Back in January, I wrote about Confederate Jasmine. Today I want to spotlight Carolina Jasmine (Gelsemium  sempervirens), also known as Carolina Jessamine. This native vine bursts into bloom along roadsides in March, signalling spring is near. The fragrant, tubular flowers make a bright yellow splash as the vine scrambles over shrubs, across the ground and up trees. The vines may reach 20 feet in length. They climb by twining. Without support, it becomes more bush-like as a groundcover. It helps prevent erosion when planted on steep banks.

Carolina Jasmine will grow in sun or light shade. Flowering is much better in full sun. It is considered evergreen, but the narrow, glossy leaves tend to turn a bronze shade in cold weather. The vine will grow in zones 7-10, and is tolerant of salty air and moderate drought. The cultivar ‘Pride of Augusta’ has double flowers. Skip the fertilizer or you may have over-abundant vine and fewer leaves. If the plant gets woody with age, blooming only at its upper reaches, it can be renovated by a severe pruning. Take precautions to avoid skin exposure. The sap causes a rash in sensitive individuals (makes me break out similar to poison ivy).

All parts of the vine are toxic and can be fatal if ingested. Do not allow children to confuse it with honeysuckle. They can be poisoned  by its strychnine-related toxins if they suck the nectar from flowers. Neither deer nor rabbits browse Carolina Jasmine.

Gelsemium sempervirens has a cousin, Gelsemium rankanii (Swamp Jessamine) that blooms in both spring and fall. The blooms look the same, but Swamp Jessamine is not fragrant. Both are beautiful when grown on a fence or arbor. Carolina Jasmine is the state flower of South Carolina. The accompanying photos were taken early this morning, before the fog burned off. Those yellow flowers are like drops on sunshine.

Stunning Shade Plant

Variegated Solomon’s Seal is a top performer in the Mary Snoddy garden. It looks good from the time bulbous, pinkish heads emerge from cold soil in March until dry, frost-killed yellow/tan leaves make whispery sounds in autumn breezes. In late spring, dainty white flowers dangle in pairs from the underside of its curved stems, like tiny white bells. These are described as fragrant, but I have never been able to detect a scent.

We do not normally think of tall plants as being groundcovers, but Solomon’s Seal works well as a carefree soil cover in areas where few other plants thrive. Solomon’s Seal is undemanding. It prefers partial shade and moist-to-wet soil, but survives full-sun exposure at a pond perimeter in my zone 7b garden. Elsewhere, I do not offer supplemental irrigation except in extended dry periods. Plants grown in sun attain only half the height of those grown in partial to full shade. It will also tolerate deep shade. They can be grown in containers, but all stems arch the same direction which may give an unbalanced look.

Plants combine well with ferns and hostas, and look especially great when paired with dark green European ginger, Asarum europaeum.

I am a bit of an evangelist when it comes to Solomon’s Seal. Visitors to my garden often admire the large swaths in my shady beds and woodland areas. Though they are best divided in autumn, I grab a sharp shovel and dig clumps of the shallow rhizomes to share. They spread rapidly enough to disguise the removals within one season. Plants are not bothered by insects and are rarely browsed by (my) deer,

There are several anecdotal explanations for the common name, but none of them appeal to me. Instead, I think the gardener who chooses this plant for their shade garden exhibits the wisdom of King Solomon. Variegated Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ was named as Plant of the Year in 2013 by the Perennial Plant Association.

Solomon’s Seal in bloom

Solomon’s Seal buds pushing up in March

Selecting Colors for Flower Beds

Balanced color combinations are the most pleasing to the eye. You do not need to be an expert in color theory to understand that it’s all a matter of saturation. Our eyes tell us that intense orange flowers pair well with deep purple and apricot flowers play nice with lavender.

Almost every combination of hues has advantages. Pastels groupings look great in spring. (See the photo for pink begonias paired with rose-veined Caladiums.) Bold blends of reds, oranges and yellows can hold their own during hot months. Muted shades of burgundy and rust fit our preferences as we enter the autumn months. Neutrals like ivory, white or gray look wonderful as standalones or when used as a peace-making barrier between clashing colors.

When planning your choice of annuals for the year, don’t be afraid to pull out that color wheel from elementary school.  (Don’t have one? Google does. I particularly like those provided by sites that offer printing services, like PengadPrinting.com.) It may inspire you to new levels of greatness in your flower bed choices. It is unlikely, for example, that you would choose to wear an outfit combining chartreuse, orange and purple. Consult your color wheel, however, and you may opt to pair orange zinnias, chartreuse sweet potato vine and violet petunias for beds that zing with energy.

There are four basic color harmonies: warm, cool, complementary and tetradic. Yellow, orange and red are considered warm colors, like fire or the sun. Blue, green and purple are cool colors that remind us of water, grass or the sky. Compound or complementary combinations are generated by selecting two colors on the wheel and the color opposite in a triangle. This produces my favorite combo, blue/purple/yellow. Tetradic combinations use a rectangle rather than a triangle. Example: red, purple, yellow-green and blue-green. If your rectangle has equal length sides (a square), a possible combination is orange, blue, yellow-green and violet. If you love lots of different colors in your beds, you cannot go wrong with a tetradic combination.

If discussions of color theory make you consider going all white with your flower choices, proceed with caution. There are many different shades of white. Ivory will look dirty when seen next to pure white. Some white flowers turn ugly as they age. White azalea and camellia blooms are gorgeous when young but become wretchedly ugly as they wither and brown.

At one time, color combinations of bedding annuals in the Mary Snoddy garden changed each year. I followed a patriotic theme one year, using white Catharanthus (vinca), red Salvia and blue Wave petunias. The following year it was red, pink, rose and white Zinnias, followed by a year of yellow Marigolds and purple Verbena. In the last six years, I have transitioned towards perennials and shrubs rather than annuals. I will reserve one bed for annuals, so that I can play with different color combinations. Change is fun.

Pink veined Caladiums paired with giant pink begonias at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville

Yellow and red Portulaca in a hanging basket for a combination that never needs supplemental water.

A new container planting of primary colors. The Rumex at the rear serves as a moisture indicator, wilting when it is time to water. The sweetgum balls atop the soil serve to discourage my cats from napping here.

Pink Flowering Trees in Winter

If I could point to an origin for my love of gardening, it would be my admiration for a series of trees around the main entry at my college, Furman University. In the ugliest part of February, a circle of trees around the entry fountain were covered in gorgeous, ruffled pink blooms. I fell in love without knowing their identify. Now I know that they were flowering cherry trees, Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan.”

Flowering cherries are short, both in stature and life-span. They may reach up to 25 feet tall, and usually live 20 years or less. Site them in full sun. Trees prefer moist soil but will not tolerate a boggy situation.

Higan Cherry, Prunus subhirtella, is taller, reaching to 40 feet. They are more heat and cold tolerant than the serrulatas.

Prunus mume, Flowering Apricot, is easily confused with the cherries. It blooms earlier, in late January. The cultivar ‘Peggy Clarke’ is widely available. An elementary school nearby has a row of these along the entrance drive. In bloom, their frothy pink blooms look like a row of giant spun-sugar cotton candy-on-a-stick.  All the Prunus members have prominent horizontal marks on their trunks, called lenticels.

Ornamental cherries are prone to a long list of problems: blights, viruses, insects, leaf spots, and mildews. They are so beautiful that we ignore their issues.

Winter Witch-Hazel

Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis, pronounced ham-ah-MAY-lis) is native, widely found in southeastern US woodlands. It blooms in winter, a welcome bright spot in in the garden.

Witch-hazel blooms consist of four strap-like petals, secured to the stem via a darker calyx. The fruit and flowers occur on the stems at the same time, an oddity. Several cultivars are widely available. Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’ has yellow-to-orange flowers and Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Dianne’ has rusty red flowers. If yellow is your color of choice, seek out ‘Arnold Promise,’ or ‘Princeton Gold.’ Seeds are a preferred food for wild turkeys and other wildlife. 

The roundish leaves have pleats that remind me of Viburnum. The pretty, bright green leaves change color in the autumn. Varieties with yellow blooms tend to have yellow fall foliage, while those with red blooms show a redder fall color. Witch-Hazel is one of the woods of choice among dowsers, those who use divining rods (Y-shaped sticks) to detect water sources underground. Dowsing is also called “water-witching” (or “hooey” by skeptics).

Witch-Hazel enjoys the same cultural conditions as Redbud (Cercis canadensis) or the Dogwood (Cornus mas) featured in this blog last week. The zig-zag stems resemble that of Cercis. The bark of Witch-Hazel is smooth while the Cornus is rough and flaky. Like the Cornelian Cherry, it splits the difference between short tree and tall shrub. Trees prefers high, filtered shade but will take more sun in cooler zones. They grows best in acidic, moist soil, Zone 3-8, with a mature height up to 30 feet. 

Natural astringent properties have made Witch-Hazel a common topical treatment for acne or minor skin irritations. You will find it on the ingredients list of several cosmetic skin toners. It doesn’t sting like rubbing alcohol, so it is a better option for children’s scrapes. 

Under-plant Witch-Hazel with bulbs like crocus or daffodil. Grafted shrubs tend to sucker, so remove any growth below the graft line. 

Writer’s note: There seems to be no consistency in the common name. Use your choice:  Witch Hazel, Witch-hazel, or Witchhazel.

Hamamelis ‘Jelena’ in bloom

Not Your Average Dogwood

Weeks before common white Dogwoods (Cornus florida) burst into bloom throughout my woodlands, their cousin, Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) decorates its bare branches with blooms that look like tufts of yellow fringe. With a few years of maturity, those blooms will develop into one-seeded red berries, hence the common name. Unlike cherries, the fruit is tart almost to the point of being inedible. Unless they are completely ripe, they produce the same pucker as an unripe persimmon.

Reaching heights of 20 to 25 feet, fast-growing, multi-stemmed Cornelian Cherry sits between short tree and tall shrub. This tough plant grows in zones 4 to 8. It will tolerate acidic clay soil and infrequently needs supplemental irrigation. In the southernmost zones, it prefers shade during the afternoon. Remove any suckers to prevent development into a thicket.

Although rare, trees can fall prey to blight, leaf scorch, cankers, leaf spot, mildew and an assortment of scale insects. It exhibits resistance to the anthracnose that plagues Cornus florida.

Trees are deciduous. A variegated cultivar is available. Fall color is negligible. After leaf-fall, the scaly bark is attractive. Deer may nibble on young trees but avoid mature specimens.