of WOODS the

I,n the past 30 or so years, we have seen a wonderful re- surgence in the study of ecology and the appreciation of our native species. An interesting phenomenon is that during the early 20th century, native were very popu- lar, but as we climbed out of the Great Depression in the late 1930s, there were some major changes in American land- scapes that eroded this interest.

As suburbs, subdivisions and large corporations became more common, the "natural look" was replaced with more turf, wide expanses of mulch, so- Long overlooked, native woodland phisticated irrigation systems, specimen plants and monocultures, such as large plants have been gaining popularity annual plantings. For nearly 50 years, ecological gardening was practically ig- and are finding a home in the nored. Beginning with the first Earth Day in 1970 and continuing with influential American landscape. authors such as Sara Stein, George Schenk, Roger Swain and Ken Druse, America began to embrace its native landscapes once again.

Text and photos by LESLIE VAN BERKUM

AMERICAN NURSERYMAN AUGUST 15, 2005 Botanical name Common name Actaea alba I rubra white baneberry / Sanguinaria red baneberty canadensis Anemone vlrginiana thimbleweed bloodroot; poppy family Anemonella thalictroides rue-anemone Antennaria neglects everlasting Light: part shade Aquiiegia canadensis wild columbine Height: 6 to 9 inches Asarum canadense wild ginger Bloom: April to May Zone: 3 to 9 Aster divaricatus I macrophyllus .. aster Bloom color: white Cimicifuga racemosa black snakeroot Soil: moist and well-drained Claytonia virginica spring beauty Corydatis sempervirens rock harlequin Choice groundcover with large, Gauittieria procumbens wintergreen rounded, deeply lobed leaves. Foliage Geranium maculatum wild cranesbill Hydrastis persists until August unless ground tiepatica americana hepatica dries out, and it can be a striking Heuchera americana American alum root canadensis groundcover. Lovely pure white Hydrastis canadensis goldenseal goldenseal; buttercup family emerge from curled leaves, which are Jeffersonia diphylla twinleaf Light: part shade amazing to watch. Flowers last only a canadense Canada mayflower Height: 8 to 15 inches few days. Knobby red have Mitchella repens partridgeberry Bloom: May Zone: 5 to 7 sap that resembles blood. To propa- Panax quinquefoiius American ginseng Bloom color: vwhite gate, break rhizomes in fall and Penstemon laevigatus beard tongue Soil: moist, slightly acidic to neutral replant one-half-inch down and tilted Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas fern in the soil. Chief problem is stem rot Sanguinaria canadensis bloodroot This herb was overcollected where Sanguinaria loses its leaves. Try Smilacina racemosa false spikenard for medicinal purposes in the less mulch and a grittier soil. A sterile Tiaretia cordifolia foamflower 19th century. It is slow to double form is occasionally available, Uvutaria grandiflora bellwort re-establish and is not found originally found in Michigan. Viola pubescens downy yellow violet commonly due to suburban development. Twin, mapletike leaves are held horizontally, Anemonella thalictroides making it a good ground- rue-anemone; buttercup family cover. Golden-colored rhizomes root along length; Light: full to part shade Height: 4 to 8 inches to propagate, divide rhizomes Bloom: May to June Zone: 4 to 9 when dormant or layer half Bloom color: white to pink with yellow centers pieces in sandy loam in moist Soil: well-drained, pH 6, best to add limestone every one to two years area. Raspberrylike held in center of leaves are unusual and ornamental. Tolerates some dry conditions, but goes dormant if too dry. Voles love to eat roots.

Named after our third president, Thomas Jefferson. Clump former, with leaf blades that are divided in half and resemble butterflies. Blue-green foliage color. Blooms early, but flowers for a short time. Divide foliage. Fine, chinalike blooms persist for four to with sharp pruning six weeks. Goes dormant in hot weather; best tools in early fall, or planted with late-emerging groundcovers. If soil Jejfersonia diphylla dig up seedlings. Also is too wet in summer and fall, Anemonella will twinleaf; barberry family easy from after get crown rot, but tuber will often resprout. Use the urnlike pods turn in drifts under shrubs next to rocks Light: part shade yellow: sow fresh and with groundcovers, such as Phlox stolonifera. Height: 10 to 12 inches (taller when in ) and make sure they Fall planting is best; to propagate, sow Bloom: May Bloom color: white Zone: 5 to 7 don't dry out. fresh, but plants take three years to bloom. Soil: high organic content with neutral pH

AMERICAN NURSERYMAN AUCJUST 15, 200S >9 Herbaceous perennials found under beech, maple, hemlock

Botanical name Common name Actaea atba I rubra white baneberry / red baneberry Adiantum pedatum maidenhair fern Asarum canadense wiid ginger Athyrium filix-femina lady fern Comus canaden5is bunchberry Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman's breeches Heuchera americana American alum root Maianthemum canadense Canada mayflower Mitchella repens partridgeberry Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas fern Smilacina racemosa false spikenard Tiarella cordifolia foamfjower Trillium grandiftorum great white trillium Uvularia grandiflora bellwort

Trillium grandiflorum great white tritlium; lily family

Light: shade to partial shade Height: 12 to 18 inches ^ Bloom: May to June Bloom color: white Zone: 4 to 7 Soil: pH of 6 to 7, moist, weli-drained Adiantum pedatum Long-lived; torms large colonies under decidu. maidenhair fern; polypody family broad leaves in a whorl. White flowers have three pink. TrUlium is often dug trom the wild but shouldn't be; it takes tive to seven Light: part shade years in a nursery from seed to . To propagate, divide rhizomes Height: 12 to 24 inches and plant 3 to 5 inches deep or poke seeds around in shallow holes. There is a Bloom: inconspicuous lovely variety trom the Blue Ridge Mountains called roseum. being propagated Zone: 2 to 8 by the New England Wild Society. Soil: organic and well-drained alkaline

Players in the landscape. It is reward- Deertield, NH.What makes them happy? type and moisture ^ that make up their ing to see an increased number of pro- What are good companions? How can I environment. Most of these gems are fessionals incorporating native plants propagate them in a garden setting (ver- woodland plants, best suited under de- and ecological practices into their own sus nursery propagation facilities)? ciduous or hardwood forests. A couple gardens, as well as their clients' gardens. First, I would like to put these native of them would do well in a woodland In this article, I will highlight a few woodlanders in some kind of context edge, which is a bit sunnier, and some woodland gems that are native to the because alone they are a very tiny slice wil! thrive on water's edge. But let's look northeastern US. I have selected them of the natural world around us. The ob- at a larger picture. because they are plants we are often vious context is their habitat, those cli- Think about the woods that you may asked about at our wholesale nursery in matic conditions — temperature, soil have walked through recently. Were they

Herbaceous perennials found under |i»~

Botanical name Common name Anaphalis margaritacea pearly everlasting Dryopteris marginalis Aster cordifolius bluewood aster leatherwood fern; polypody family Dryopteris margmalis leatherwood fern Light: shade or part shade Fragaria virginiana Virginia strawberry Height: 15 to 18 inches Prunella vulgaris self heal Bloom: none Zone: 2 to 8 Solidago bicolor white goldenrod Soil: humus-rich

Evergreen, with bluish green leaves, nice dark color. Leaves mat to the ground in spring, but this helps lessen erosion. Sori located at leaf margins, thus the name marginalis. Makes a targe, clump-torming specimen that is very easy to grow.

AMERICAN NURSERYMAN 2O AUGUST 15, 2005 Herbaceous perennials found in hemiock ravine Something about soil

Botanical name Common name Woodland plants need plenty of organic Acfaea alba I rubra white baneberry / red baneberry matter in the soil. The soil structure of Adiantum pedatum maidenhair fern most woodland environments is complex Aquilegia canadensis wild columbine and delicate. Soil should never be Arisaema triphyllum Jack-in-the-pulpit chopped, tilled or especially sifted. New Asdepias incamata swamp milkweed soil research shows that the structure of Campanula rotundifolia bluebell soil is best preserved if soil is not turned. Cornus canadensis bunchberry Bulldozing does a terrible disservice by Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman's breeches compacting the soil and damaging the Erythronium americanum yellow trout lily roots of trees, many of which are close to Eupatorium purpureum Joe Pye weed the surface. Amending a vi/oodland gar- Mitchelia repens partridgeberry den with local organic materials, such as Onoctea sensibitis sensitive fern ™'^* shredded leaves, needles, shred- Polygonatum biflorum small Solomon's seal ded bark and compost, once a year is all Polptichum acrostichoides Christmas fern the soil should need, and rarely should Potentilla tridentate three-toothed cinquefoil you need to fertilize. Soil tests at local Smitacina racemosa false spikenard cooperative extensions are recom- Streptopus roseus twisted stalk mended, but an easy test to make sure Trillium erectum I grandiflorum wake robin / great white trillium you have good organic matter is to take Uvuiaria grandiflora beliwort 2 cups of soil from the top 6 to 8 inches of your woodland area, and put It in a 1-quart mason jar. Fill with water, shake Arisaema triphyllum vigorously and wait 24 hours. You then Jack in the-putpit; arum family should have four layers: a thick layer of large-particied duff, a thin layer of clay, Light: shade, part shade a thick layer of silt and a thin layer of Height: 18 to 30 inches sand at the bottom. Bloom: May to June Bloom color: purple and green Zone: 4 to 8 predominantly pine trees? Oak trees? Soil: rich and moist Perhaps shady hemlock ravines? Most plants in the woodland areas can be Forms a nice groundcover with large, paired grouped in loose associations that form three-parted leaves. Also can be a nice specimen communities based on the conditions plant. Unusual flowers made up of a hooded that are favorable to the plants that live spathe (pulpit) and a spadix (preacher) inside. within it. Often, under pine trees, with Male and female flowers are on the same plant more acidic soil, you find Cornus but are not fertile at the same time. Best to plant canadensis {bunchberry} growing in as- in fait. A. triphyllum grows from a corm. Often sociation with Gaidtheria procumbens cooked and eaten by Indians, hence another (wintergreen) and perhaps Milchetla common name, Indian turnip. Note: Poisonous if repens (partridgeherry). Studying the raw. To propagate, break off the offsets that forn^ various communities in wild areas on edge of corm, and replant 4 to 6 inches deep. around us gives structure to what seems like nature's chaos, as well as models for planning woodland gardens in our clients' properties. It also gives us a Actaea sense of humility as we manipulate the rubra world around us. not to mention some red baneberry; wonderful design ideas based on our buttercup family natural environment. Light: part shade Height: 24 to 48 inches Place of origin. These tree communi- Bloom: May to June ties are changing and evolving con- Bloom color: white stantly. Each one will eventually give Zone: 3 to 7 way to a new group of plants in a Soil: rich and moist process called succession. I'll use the ex- ample of an abandoned farm in the Northeast. The first flush of growth is Fonm »tare|V, handsome clump with divided, ferny foliage. Flowers are brushlike and weeds, such as ragweed and horseweed. become beautiful, but the berries are poisonous. Hard to divide because rootstalks During the next few years, the open are swollen and tough. Try scattering berries and lightly raking them into soil. Simitar meadowland becomes filled with bien- variety, A. pachypoda {doll's eyes) often found with A. rubra in wild. If soil is too wet nials and meadow perennials, such as or dry, foliage will decline, but usually the plant will survive. Aster, Monarda, Rudbecicia, Solidago and

AMERICAN NURSERYMAN AUGUST 15, 2005 Herbaceous perennials found under pines

Forms loose colonies, which are Botanical name Common name best when interplanted with Cornus canademii bunchberry other woodland plants. Looks Cypripedium acaule two-leaved lady's slipper nice among mosses, as it stays Gaultheria procumbens .... wintergreen very low. Thick, shiny evergreen Mitchelta repens partridgeberry leaves turn red in fall. Leaves Polystichum acrostictioides,. Christmas fern have a minty flavor and can be used to make tea. large, edible berries are used in teas and toothpaste. Seed rarely germinates in the wild. To propagate, dig clumps from areas in your garden where Cornus canadensis they grow the thickest. Plant bunchberry; dogwood family 4 to 6 inches apart. Light: shade Height: 4 to 8 inches Bloom: May to June Zone: 4 to 5 Gaultheria Bloom color: yellow, white bracts procumbens Soil: rich, moist, acidic (pH of 4 to 5) wintergreen; heath family Needs night temperatures in the 50° or low 60° range to produce seed. Best Light: shade to part shade under ; moisture is very Height: 2 to 4 inches important. To propagate, separate seeds Bloom: June Zone: 2 to 8 from berries in late summer and sow Bloom color: white or pinkish fresh, or dig clumps from your garden Soil: acidic, humus-rich, and redistribute. Has a woody well-drained 1that often grows over rotting logs. and gardening is niore about editingihaii molding.

Verbascum. These sun-loving plants heech, maple and hemlock trees. If these diversity and protection against many of make a perfect place for the seeds of ju- woods are not cut or disturbed, they will the disasters that would only attack se- nipers to germinate. remain a stable community of hardwood lected woodlands, but now cannot travel The junipers will flourish, eventually forests for many years. Where the shade great distances in a woodland monocul- shading out the meadow perennials, hut is deep and cool, hemlocks prevail and ture. Examples would be an insect that providing a perfect nursery for gray provide the densest shade in the forest. only attacks one type of tree or a wind- birches. The gray birches will then shade storm that toppled large oaks, but left a out the junipers. These birches are fairly The good, the had and the natural. growth of young pines. short-lived, hut pines do well in the shade Natural disasters, such as fires, floods, The disturbance with the harshest of their copses and after the pines mature, windstorms and insect infes^lations, impact is human progress because, un- most of the gray hirches have died. such as gypsy moths, will tear large gaps like natural disasters that come and go Pine seedlings, ironically, don't do well in these wooded areas. This is healthy quickly, our progress is relentless and in the shade of their own kind, but oak because as the succession hegins again, steady. After the Great Depression, many trees do very well and, after many more it creates another drift in a tapestry of populations of native wildflowers were years, stately and long-lived oaks will various wooded environments that are cleared to make room for our American prevail. These tall canopy trees provide a in different stages of succession. This strips, or developments, and some did good environment for the growth of tapestry of communities promotes bio- not rebound. Several native perennials. AMERICAN NURSERYMAN AUGUST 15, 2005 Herbaceous perennials found streamside Botanical name Common name Carex pensylvanica Acorus calamus sweet flag Pennsylvania sedge; sedge family Arisaema triphyltum Jack-in-the-pulpit Asarum canadense wild ginger Light: sun or shade Height: 8 to 10 inches Asciepias incarnata swamp milkweed Bloom: May Zone: 4 to 7 Caltha palustris marsh marigold Bloom color: tan, inconspicuous Carex pensylvariica Pennsylvania sedge Soil: not fussy at all Cassia marilandica wild senna. - Chelone gtabra turtlehead Claytonia virginica spring beaut^' Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman's breeches Diphylieia cymosa umbrella leaf Dodecatheon meadia shooting star Erytt)ronium americanum yellow trout lily Eupatorium purpureum Joe Pye weed Gent/ana andremii fringe tipped gentian Geranium maculatum wild cranesbiil Hibiscus moscheutos swamp rose mallow Hypericum canadense St. John's wort Iris versicolor iMNHfe ^^^^ ^'^^ Lilium canadense Canada lily Lobelia cardinalis I siphilitica cardinal flower / great blue lobelia Matteuccia struthiopteris ostrich fern Mertensia virginica Virginia bluebells i. .=^^-«.;. Osmunda cinnamomea I regalis cinnamon fern / royal farn Podophyllum peltatum May apple ^*- .^^^ Potygonatum bifbrum / commutatum small Solomon's seal / great Solomon's seal Rudbeckia laciniata coneflower Sanguinaria canadensis bloodroot Sisyrinchium angustifolium blue-eyed grass Smilacina racemosa I stellata false spikenard Spigelia marilandica Indian pink Sp/ranf/ies odorata fragrant lady's tresses Trillium erectum I grar)diflorum wake robin / great white trillium Uvuiaria grandiflora bellwort Diphylieia cymosa umbrella ieaf; barberry family Light: full shade to part shade Height: 18 to 28 inches Bloom: May to June Zone: 4 to 7 Bloom color: white Soil; moist to wet

Forms a large, handsome clump with large, striking leaves, roughly rounded but with jagged lobes and a twinleaf appearance (another common name is pixie parasol). Native to the Blue Ridge Mountains, does best with constant moisture and cool nights. Small, white six-petaled flowers become ornamental fruits with red pedicels. Takes three to four years to reach maturity; great native substitute for Hosta. Bold texture contrasts well with ferns, such as lady fern or cinnamon fern. Propagation is easiest by division, but quite difficult from seed. (more streamside exar such as goldenseal and American gin- What they've learned is fairly simple. We shouldn't mind a few chew holes or seng, also were collected aggressively for Woodland gardening is more about edit- the occasional mildew; native gardens are medicinal purposes. ing than molding. The four things to re- never picture perfect, and this is part of Thankfully, we have seen an increased member are: protect the canopy (the high- their charm. Also, many times the chemi- interest in our native species and preser- est trees); remove invasive species that may cals used to fight minor pests and diseases vation of our woodlands. Many new try to take over; discourage animal pests are worse than the inflictions themselves. homeowners have worked on preserving when necessary; and control insects and the wooded areas in back of their new diseases only when they threaten the Plant and grow. Soil management is houses, instead of clear-cutting them. health of plants in the garden. an essential element in gardening, yet AMERICAN NURSERYMAN AUGUST 15, 2005 Spiranthes odorata fragrant lady's tresses; orchid family

Light: sun to part shade Height: 12 to 24 inches Bloom: September to October Zone: 5 to 8 Bloom color: white Soil: moist or boggy, acidic

Spigelia )n moist soil, this Appalachian native forms a bushy clump in two to three years. Has sessile marilandica leaves in pairs up each stem. Stunning red and Indian pink; logania family yellow flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds. Light: sun to part shade Plant a large group to ensure enough ripe pollen Height: 12 to 18 inches and fertile stamens at the same time. Used by Bloom: July to August Indians for expelling worms, due to poisonous Bloom color: crimson with alkaloid, as found in most members of the yellow inside logania family. Another common name is worm Zone: 5 to 9 grass. Capsules turn a lighter green when ripe. Soil: fertile and moist Make sure seed is brown, then sow fresh. most woodland soil is best left alone. Dodecatheon Dead plants and animals decomposing meadia generate the organic matter that is so shooting star; aster family vital to its structure. One may want to add amendments to increase the or- Light: sun to part shade Height: 12 inches ganic content, but usually this is not Bloom: May to June Zone: 4 to 7 necessary [sidebar, page 22). In design- Bloom color: white to pale pink ing, choose plants that do well in the Soil: moist in bloom, well-drained, existing woodland community. They pH 6 and under will eventually form drifts of various groundcovers and clump-forming ^ Striking "badminton birdie" flowers; perennials among the trees and shruhs. " thrives in moist spring soils while in This tapestry is ever changing, as some bloom. Low, basal foliage, flowers on plants go dormant after blooming in 10- to 12-inch stems. D. meadia goes the spring, groundcovers spread and ! . dormant after bloom, then it is best to intermingle later in the season, and cover lightly in mulch and do not water. clump formers and shrubs provide ac- ''; Plant them at base of stone that can serve cent. Worth the wait, a woodland gar- as a marker while dormant. To propagate, den gives the greatest pleasure to the plant 3-inch sections of the fragrant keen observer, the educated consumer rootstock one-half-inch deep. Takes about and the careful editor. ^ two years to produce a flowering plant. Leslie van Berkum is a lecturer on The variety D. amethystinum is a vivid perennials, especially foliage, natives and pink, but is not as easy to grow. the new and unusual. She and her hus- band. Peter, are owners of Van Berkum Nursery, Deerfield, NH. V AMERICAN NURSERYMAN 28 AUGUST 15, 2005