Spring Plant Sale Preview: Native Knockouts

Coreopsis 'Early Sunrise'. Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens.

By Katherine Hale

This year’s Spring Plant Sale will feature a wide variety of horticultural selections, from tried-and-true classics to the latest cultivars. We’ll also have trouble-free and reliable southeastern natives for those looking for low-maintenance and trouble-free alternatives to the standard horticultural palate, including these three knockouts:

This 'Snowflake' oakleaf hydrangea is one of several
cultivars growing in Duke Gardens. Photo: J. Holmes

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is a southeastern native shrub with year-round appeal. Huge buds unfurl in the spring to reveal complex lobed leaves before bright pyramidal flower clusters arrive in midsummer. After a vivid display of autumn color, the exfoliating bark of bare branches provides winter interest. They’re an excellent choice for hedges or as foundation plants, especially in places too shady or moist for more conventional options. This year, we’re featuring ‘Snow Queen,’ a sterile cultivar with especially showy sprays of blooms, and ‘Ellen Huff,’ a vigorous, heat-tolerant selection with excellent form.

Cardinal flower. Photo: J. Holmes.

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is another garden-worthy native that sends up distinctive plumes of bright red blossoms irresistible to hummingbirds in August and September. This showstopper requires moist soil to flourish, making it an ideal choice for rain gardens, stream edges and other soggy areas, though a heavy layer of mulch and frequent watering makes drier areas more acceptable. Cardinal flower offers a zing of color and charm in sunny wet meadows or woodland shade gardens, especially when paired with like-minded species like Indian-pink (Spigelia marilandica), ferns or hostas. Left to its own devices, it will naturalize over time in a charming but unaggressive fashion, multiplying to fill in any gaps or openings in its vicinity.

Coreopsis 'Early Sunrise'. Photo: Walters Gardens.

Coreopsis ‘Early Sunrise’ is a compact version of a hardy wild favorite, with all of the charm and none of the sprawl of its undomesticated cousin. Masses of bright yellow flowers emerge on cue at midsummer, and they will bloom for months if regularly deadheaded. Like all coreopsis, ‘Early Sunrise’ flourishes in poor, dry soils and is popular with butterflies, bumblebees and other native pollinators. Keep it out of moist areas and let it naturalize freely in open meadows and prairie-style plantings with good drainage, and you should enjoy many years of colorful blooms.
Whatever your garden type or skill level, we’ll have something for you here, along with expert advice from Duke Gardens horticulturists, Durham Master Gardeners and specialty vendors. We hope to see you there!


SPRING PLANT SALE DETAILS:
Date: Saturday, March 30, 2019
Time: 8 a.m.-noon
Members-only preview sale:  4-6 p.m. Friday, March 29
Member benefits: Duke Gardens members get 10% off all purchases, plus access to the members-only preview sale and a full list of plants in advance! Join online or on site.
Parking: Free during the sale.
Pets not permitted. Please see Duke Gardens' pets policy here.
Wagons + boxes: Our supply is limited; please bring your own if possible, and you'll have more time to spend gathering beautiful plants.
Your support helps Duke Gardens to provide summer internships to aspiring horticulturists from across the nation. Thank you!
Please see our event page for more information, and we'd love for you to spread the word by sharing the event on Facebook and inviting your Facebook friends.

Summer Landscape Plants

oakleaf hydrangea

photo by Jason Holmes

By Jennie Carlisle

Plants are the bread and butter of good landscape design. Ornamental plants can be used as either an accent or focal point in a yard or garden—adding shape, color, texture and fragrance. Their flowers, foliage and fruit provide seasonal flare. Beyond just looking good and smelling nice, ornamental plants add value to a property.

With so many choices available at local nurseries and garden centers how do you go about picking the right ones for your landscaping needs?

Landscape architect Bobby Mottern, Duke Gardens’ director of horticulture, leads a series of seasonal workshops at the Gardens that focus on dozens of plants that are ideal for gardeners in our region. The latest installment, “Landscape Plants for North Carolina Gardens: Summer,” will run for four Thursdays—May 31 to June 14 and June 28—from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Mottern shared some thoughts about some of the plants he’ll discuss in the workshop, and tips for selecting them.

What are your favorite plants to use in landscaping? “I like plants that are easy, plants that tolerate many conditions, plants that look great and that provide multiple points of interest. I love oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia). It’s a big shrub with bold, textured, large leaves that turn brilliant red in the fall, and it has huge white flowers in the summer. Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) is also a nice large shrub that has 8-inch long blue flower spikes in June and July. It’s also deer tolerant. I also love torch lily (Knifophia uvaria), which is a June-blooming perennial with tall spikes of orange, red or yellow flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Are there any new plants on the market we should know about? Yes, new introductions are available every year. A relatively new panicle hydrangea is called ‘Limelight’ for its lime-green foliage. A new dwarf butterfly bush called ‘Blue Chip’ is now quite popular, and coneflowers are available in a variety of colors other than the traditional pink/lavender shades.

Do you have any other suggestions for finding and growing ornamental plants? Be adventuresome.  Always be willing to try new and unusual plants, and share plants with your friends. Perennials always need dividing, and seedlings of certain plants need transplanting. Plants are a great gift and it’s always nice to have a story associated with your plants. I still have plants in my yard that my grandmother grew!

REGISTRATION: To register for Mottern’s class, or for more information, please call our registrar at 919-668-1707. The  class is limited to 15 students, so there is plenty of time for addressing gardeners’ questions and concerns. The fee is $105; $85 for Gardens members. For information about other classes and public events at Duke Gardens, please go to gardens.duke.edu.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens creates and nurtures an environment in the heart of Duke University for learning, inspiration and enjoyment through excellence in horticulture. The Gardens is at 420 Anderson St. 

Jennie Carlisle is an events assistant at Duke Gardens. This column first appeared in the Durham Herald-Sun.