“It turns out the “poison sumac” (Rhus vernix) of my childhood, which I so diligently avoided, wasn’t poison sumac after all, although R. vernix does grow in Indiana.” This is from my reply to a comment from Steve at Portraits of Wildflowers. Steve reports Rhus trilobata grows in Texas, but Rhus lanceolata is more reliable…
Tag: landscaping
Unique Color with Native Plant Scarlet Globemallow
Sometimes envisioning native plants in the home garden or landscape takes some imagination. That’s the case with Sphaeralcea coccinea, also called Desert Mallow, Cowboy’s Delight, and Scarlet Globemallow. This hardy little plant grows along gravel roads, in highway rights of way, and some of the driest habitats Wyoming has to offer, and folks, that is…
Wyoming Fall Colors Include Rhus
The fall colors of Wyoming are subtle, not like the brilliantly brushed hardwood forests of the eastern US. The shades of autumn in the Rockies are more muted with the dark olive evergreens, purple-grey slates, and reddish sandstones providing the back drop for pockets of glowing aspen and roadside ribbons of burning rabbitbrush. The fall…
Sedums, A Tough Beauty
As I have stated before, native plants are my passion as a gardener and landscaper, but I don’t promote the use of natives because I think it will save the world, or because hybridized and introduced species are evil. I plant, experiment with, talk about, and promote the use of native plants because I am…
Natural Variation: The Stuff of Plant Breeding
It’s the natural variation already present in native plants which allows plant breeders to offer cultivars, selections, and varieties to the home gardener. When I consider purchasing plants billed as ‘native’ I narrow my choices to selections of species naturally occurring in my area. Generally, a selection is propagated by selecting plants grown from ‘wild’…
Wyethia for Landscaping
Native Plants for Landscaping Mule’s Ears or Wyethia amplexicaulis. Ok, tell me again why I have never tried to grow this? What’s not to like? Its large 10-12 inch leaves are very unique when it comes to Wyoming native plants. They would lend an almost tropical feel to a garden. The large (3-4 inches), bright…
Hard to Find Plant
Looking for a hard to find plant? Looking for growing information on a specific plant? Yeah, you could do a search using Google, Yahoo, or Bing, but the results will depend on the effort put into the search engine optimization of the source’s website, assuming they even have a website. Instead, check out the University…
Gardening Books
Our local library has two book sales every year. I always look forward to rummaging through the discarded and donated books and magazines for gardening and landscaping books, and I am happy to support the local library. When it comes to gardening books, sometimes old sources have valuable information and forgotten plant lists that merit…
Wildflowers
With over 20,000 flowering plants native to North America, the term ‘wildflower’ does not necessarily mean a flowering plant which will thrive in your particular area. Also, the term ‘wildflower’ can include any flower naturally occurring anywhere in the world. For those reasons, I usually use the term Wyoming native to specifically refer to plants…
Native Antennaria: A Ground Cover with Beautiful Texture
I’ve waxed starry eyed about Antennaria as a ground cover before, but I couldn’t find the photo I took that really highlights the amazing texture of this plant. Imagine this creeping between native stone pavers in an informal patio setting. The texture is almost exotic, while the gray-green color is truly Wyoming native!
Native Plant List for Wyoming
For those just getting their feet wet in gardening with natives or landscaping with natives, the following list found at PlantNative.org is a good place to start. It’s not easy finding plant lists specific to Wyoming. I have no trouble finding native gardening information for California, or even Colorado, but most of the plants used…
Penstemon for Astounding Blue
I’m an amateur botanist, but I’m pretty sure this is Penstemon glaber and P. angustifolia, respectively. For astounding blues, I don’t think any hybridized plant can beat them. I don’t think I have ever seen a flower with the sky blue of Penstemon angustifolia, a Wyoming native that likes poor, dry, sandy soil. I was…
Wyoming Life 