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Box 1130 Buckeystown, Maryland 21717-0010 ,Brookshire, Texas 77423-0188 Thermal, California 92274-1139 1-800·999-5459 1-800-765-5459 1-800-365-5459 American Horticulturist Volume 72, Number 8 August 1993 ARTICLES The Prodigal Sunflower by Rita Pelczar ... .. ... ... .. .. .............. .. 15 From food and dye for the first Americans to a possible herbicide for tomorrow, this native keeps giving and giving. A Garden With an Altitude by Marty Carlock ............ .. .......... ..... ... 22 Th@ Betty Ford Alpine Gardens are teaching residents of ski country that they can grow more than just pansies. Shhhh! A Pro's Library Secrets by Keith Crotz . ... ..... ........ .... ... .. ... 28 When amassing a garden book collection, plan on gaining wisdom, not wealth, a book dealer advises. AUGUST'S COVER The Catmint Muddle Photographed by Kusra Kapuler by Elisabeth Sheldon .. ..... .. ..... .. ... ... .......... 34 The annual sunflower is grown the You'll love growing members of the Nepeta clan, but you world over for its seeds as well as may not always be sure what you've plant@d. its beauty. But Helianthus annuus is only one member of a genus that The Plains Cottonwood has been cultivated for at least by Robert Michael Pyle ..... .. .. ...... ............. .... 39 5,000 years. Among the 150 or so A naturalist reflects on the kin of a tree that once saved his life. forms of Helianthus, there are many that deserve a place in the garden. In her article beginning on page 15, Rita Pelczar looks at the history and the horticulture of DEPARTMENTS sunflowers. Commentary .............. .. .. ..... .............. 4 Offshoots ... ..... .................... ... ..... .... 5 Book Reviews . ... .. ... ......... ... ..... 8 Classifieds .. ......... .. ... .. .......... .. .... ... .. 43 Pronunciations . .. .. .......... ... ................. 46 American Horticultural Society The American Horticultural Society seeks to promote and recognize COMMENTARY excellence in horticulture across America. nnovations in gardening are rare. Its OFFICERS 1992-1993 traditional methods and values have Mr. George C. Ball Jr. been derived from the timeless quality President I West Chicago, Illinois of the plants themselves. Mrs. Sarah S. Boasberg However, innovations do sometimes come First Vice President about, both naturally and artificially. Natural Washington, D.C. innov~tion occurs through both long-term Dr. William E. Barrick Seccmd Vice President evolutionary developments and short-term Pine Mountain, Georgia environmental fluctuations. Artinicial innova­ Mr. David M. Lilly tion occurs in the plants themselves as a result Secretary of selection and breeding, alld in their use, St. Paul, Minnesota Mr. Gerald T. Halpin when gardeners choose the plants they will Treasurer grow, where, and how, based on social, aes­ Alexandria, Virginia thetic, and environmental considerations. Innovation keeps cultures vital. Therefore, its occurrence cannot be ignored. This is especially true in horticulture, where innovation, although rare, has BOARD OF DIRECTORS long-lasting effects. For example, there has been much discussion of "water­ Mrs. Suzanne Bales wise" or drought-tolerant gardening, particularly in the American West. Bronxville, New ¥otk Horticultural innovations that have emerged from the southwestern Dr. SheIfan Blair Columbus, Ohio United States and the Middle East include new technologies, such as drip Mrs. Mary Katherine BLount irrigation. Many gardeners in California are converting to native plants Montgomety, Alabama that will withstand low water levels-a welcome development. However, Mr. William F. Brinton Mount Vernon, Maine care must be taken to maintain aesthetic continuity with the look and feel Mrs. Beverley White Dunn of more "water-dependent" gardens that represent an important heritage Birmingham, Alabama in California and that offer a welcome relief from the western landscape, Dr. John Alex Floyd Jr. Birmingham, Alabama especially in the state's interior cities. This year's heavy rainfall and Mrs. Julia Hobart snowpack in the Sierras might seem to assure us that there will be much Troy, Ohio available water in the coming years. However, private and public gardens Dr. Richard L. Lower must continue to use plants innovatively. Madison, Wisconsin Mr. Elvin McDonald This issue of American Horticulturist illustrates the wide range of H@uston, Texas wonderful plants in our country, and the varied uses and meanings Mr. William G. Pannill associated with them. The plains cottonwood, although rarely thought of Martinsville, Virginia Mr. Lawrence V. Power as a garden tree, is a sentimental favorite of those in the Great Plains, where New York, New York its presence led pioneers to water and welcome shade. Native Americans Dr. Julia Rapi"ap@rt and settlers found many uses for our native sunflower; it took the Russians Santa Ana, California to develop it as a commercial crop. As is the case with many of us, ancestors Mrs. Flavia Redelmeier Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada of the catmints came from other continents, but their preference for dry Mrs. Jane N. Scarff soils makes them ideal for those low-water landscapes. The Betty Ford New Carlisle, Ohio Alpine Gardens in Vail, Colorado, is a perfect example of how both natives Mrs. Josephine Shanks Houston, Texas and non-natives can be adapted to special situations, in this case high Mrs. Billie Trump altitude and a short growing season. And we bring you an article on Alexandria, Virginia creating a garden book library that matches your own needs and interests, Mr. Andre Viette Fishersville, Virginia whether you grow prairie flowers on our Great Plains, rhododendrons in Ms. Katy Moss Warner the Northwest, or staghorn ferns in Florida. Lake Buena Vista, Florida When your own library fails you, remember that information is as near as our Gardeners' Information Service. Our mission is to disseminate EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR horticultural information and knowledge, and we look forward to sharing Mrs. Helen Fulcher Walutes that knowledge when you call. George C. Ball]r., AHS President 4 AUGUST 1993 American Horticulturist Editor OFFSHOOTS Kathleen Fisher Managing Editor Mary Beth Wiesner Assistant Editor Chris Bright Editorial Assistant Steve Davolt Desigl~ Director Joseph Yacinski Designers Bob McCracken Reg Perry Membership Director Darlene Oliver Editorial Advisory Board Dr. Gerald S. Barad Flemington, New Jersey John Bryan Sausaliro, California John Creech Hendersonville, North Carolina Keith Crotz Chi llicothe, Illinois Panayoti Kelaidis Denver, Colorado Peter Loewer Asheville, North Carolina Janet M. Poor Winnetka, Illinois Dr. James E. Swasey Newark, Delaware Advertising AHS Advertising Department 2300 South Ninth Street, Suite 501 Neighbors spreader. "Your house's last owner fertil­ ArlingtOn, VA 22204-2320 ized the lawn less than two months ago," I (703) 892-0733 by Jeremiah Hana noted. " I fertilize mine only twice a year." Color Separations "Yea h, but yours is already established. Chroma-Graphics, Inc. ow that I think of it, Bob Carr's Mine needs a little work. Within three Printer faith in my green thumb was well months mine'll put yours to shame," he William Byrd Press, Inc. justified. Thanks to hard work, promised as he rolled my spreader from my N Replacement issues of AMERICAN HORTICULTUR· good luck, and the Almighty, I had one of garage. 1ST are available at a COst of $2.95 per copy, The the best yards in the neighborhood. The Neighbors are a funny lot. Some of them opinions expressed in the art icles that appear in AMERICAN HORTICULTURIST are those of the thick, velvety front lawn was accentuated are like family, others are like close friends, authors and arc nor necessarily those of the Society. by a panoramic perennial and rock garden and a few become foes. I wasn't sure where Botanical nomenclature in AMERICAN HORTICUL­ TURIST is based on HORTUS THIRD, Manuscripts, with abundant flowers in bloom all season. Bob would end up on this imaginary scale, art work, and photographs sent for possible publication That was then and this is now. Today, no but I knew right then that he was working will be returned if they are accompanied by a self-ad­ dressed, stamped envelope.