Category Archives: Top Plant Picks

Native Plant Alternatives for Three Common Non-Natives

Posted on by Scott Vogt

One of the great things about native plants is that there is so much diversity found in the prairie.  From wet to dry, sun to shade, clay to sand, there is a plant for every place in the landscape.  The diversity of plants give us so many options and provides alternatives to what is typically planted in gardens and displays in our area.  The non-native plants listed below are coupled with native plant alternatives that make excellent substitutes.

Alternatives for Bugle Weed-Ajuga Cultivars

  • Ater divaricatus ‘Eastern Star’ (White Woodland Aster): This native aster has small white flowers with pink centers that cover the plant in fall.  The attractive foliage is dark green with burgundy highlights.  It slowly creeps to fill in an area, but it is not aggressive.  This is a nice plant for full to part shade.
  • Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger): This native of the woods is quite adaptable, but prefers rich organic soils.  Wild ginger spreads slowly to form colonies.  Plant these about a foot apart and they will form a solid ground cover in two or three years. These will not grow in sun.   The kidney shaped leaves are a soft-green and often cover the flowers, which are brownish and bell shaped.
  • Senecio obovatus (Squaw-weed): I love this woodland native because it looks good all year long.  The rounded dark green foliage is semi-evergreen.  It is a weaver as it spreads to fill voids in a shaded or part shade situation.  The yellow flowers brighten the shade garden in the spring.
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Squaw Weed

Alternatives for Barberry – Berberis spp.

  • Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Little Devil’ or ‘Tiny Wine’ (Ninebark):  We have been growing Ninebark here at the arboretum for many years with great success.  It is quite adaptable and many of the new cultivated varieties have beautiful reddish purple foliage and whitish-pink blooms in the spring.  These two new forms (Little Devil and Tiny Wine) just come in a smaller size.  They ultimately get only three to four feet tall.  They have the same ornamental characteristics and tough demeanor as the larger varieties.  They grow best in average soil with full to part sun.  Good things do come in small packages.
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Physocarpus ‘Little Devil’

  • Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey Tea): If this native shrub can flourish in the prairie, imagine what it will do in your landscape.  This compact native shrub has glossy green leaves.  The showy white clusters are held at the end of the branches in May and June.  It develops a rounded habit (3-4 feet tall) if given room to spread its branches.  The small dark fruit clusters are attractive later in the season.
  • Panicum virgatum ‘Cheyenne Sky’ (Switchgrass): This native grass forms a dense upright bundle, finally maturing to three feet tall.  Red leaves form early in the season and hold fast through the fall.  The entire plant turns shades of yellow and orange in the fall.  I love grasses in the fall and winter because they provide movement in the garden as the gentlest breeze sets the whole plant in motion.  It thrives in full sun and adapts to a wide range of soils, including clay.
Cheyenne Sky

Panicum virgatum ‘Cheyenne Sky’

Alternatives to Maiden Grass – Miscanthus spp.

  • Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gama Grass): We have many clumps of this native grass in the arboretum.  The arching stalks arise from a large base of narrow, gray-green leaves. The interesting flower spikes add another focal point atop the stems from May through September.
  • Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass): This clump-forming native grass can range in size from three feet on up to 8 feet tall.  The medium green leaves ultimately change to yellows, oranges and eventually fading to tan through the winter.  The finely-textured seed heads are open and airy.  They make great screens and produce a nice backdrop for other perennials.  ‘Northwind’ and ‘Dallas Blues’ are exceptional cultivars for the home landscape.
Panicum Northwind.resize

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’

  • Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass): Indian grass matures into a vase shape that is up to six feet tall and three feet wide.  The tannish plumes atop the sturdy stems appear in late summer.  It prefers a medium to dry soil with full sun for best growth.
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Indiangrass

We will follow up these alternatives with some other choices for non-natives in the coming weeks.  It is good to know that there are substitutes for many traditional landscape plants.  Keep in mind that whatever is planted has consequences, both negative and positive.  By choosing natives, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

“You must choose, so choose wisely”.  (From Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)

Plant Profiles: Butterfly Milkweed

Posted on by Scott Vogt

As I drove through the Flint Hills this week in late June, there were orange dots among the prairie grasses that caught my eye.  Few plants found on the prairies of Kansas are as readily recognizable as butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa).  This classic prairie plant found throughout the eastern two-thirds of Kansas blooms from late May into August.

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Butterfly milkweed is a stout one to two foot tall perennial with a deep, coarse, fibrous root system.  Flowers range from deep orange-red in the eastern part of its range to lighter orange and finally yellow farther west and south in Kansas.  Unlike the numerous other milkweeds found in Kansas, butterfly milkweed does not exude a white milky sap when the stem is cut or a leaf is removed.

Butterfly weed

Butterfly weed

Generally available in garden centers and nurseries as well as our FloraKansas Plant Sale, butterfly milkweed can easily be used in a perennial border or in wilder, more naturalistic plantings.  Somewhat slow to establish because of the coarse roots, butterfly milkweed is a long lived plant and an excellent competitor in the garden when challenged by more vigorous plants.

While it prefers full sun and good drainage, it will tolerate light shade.  It is also very drought tolerant once established.  Several cultivated varieties of butterfly milkweed have been developed.  These include ‘Gay Butterflies’, a mix of red, orange, and yellow flowered plants, and ‘Hello Yellow’, an exclusively yellow flowered selection.

Flying Flowers of Kansas

Hello Yellow Butterfly Milkweed

The common name is derived from the blossom’s ability to attract butterflies and a host of pollinating insects.  The complex flowers actually have pollen sacs attached to a y-shaped structure or stirrup.  These structures attach to visiting insects and are consequently carried off to the other flowers in the vicinity, allowing cross pollination to occur.  Fruits are long, skinny pods, typically three to six inches long. These contain many seeds, each having a tuft of white, silky hairs.  As the pod dries and splits in the fall, the seeds are carried away by the breeze, each equipped with a tiny parachute-like structure.

Do your garden a favor and include some butterfly milkweed.  Its many ornamental and functional assets, plus its rugged character will make it a focal point in the summer garden for years to come.  Plus, you will be rewarded as pollinators such as Monarchs seek out this beautiful native wildflower.

Favorite Penstemons for the Landscape

Posted on by Scott Vogt

Penstemons are beautiful spring blooming wildflowers that provide incredible color and attractive forms.

I have been convinced through trial and error that some plants are more garden worthy than others.  If matched with the proper sunlight and soil, penstemons fit that category.  Whether planted in the spring or fall, all of the penstemons will bloom the next year.  Right now our penstemons are putting on a show.  They have spectacular tubular flowers of white, pink, red or lavender, depending on the species and varieties.  Here are some of my favorites for three different garden types.

 

For a more formal prairie garden…

Shell-leaf Penstemon (Penstemon grandiflorus) – Found in prairies throughout the Great Plains, it has thick burgundy stems, waxy blue-green leaves and large lavender flowers. Plant in full sun in any soil that stays medium to dry throughout the year. Grows up to 3’ tall.

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‘War Axe’ is an exceptional strain of Shell-leaf Penstemon.  Seeds collected from plants with maroon, red, purple, and pink blooms are mixed together and planted.  The resulting plants will have one of these colors and each plant is different.  What a surprise in the spring!  Same form and cultural requirements as the species.

Smooth Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis) – I love this penstemon as a perennial border.  The white flowers in spring have just a blush of pink and develop interesting seed heads.   It adds outstanding form and texture to any landscape throughout the year.  Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’ is a beautiful selection of smooth penstemon with attractive reddish-purple foliage and soft pink tubular blooms.

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Photo courtesy Walters Gardens

Tube Penstemon (Penstemon tubaeflorus) -The snow-white flowers shine in the spring garden.  The morning dew covers the tubular blooms in the morning.  Each stem reaches for the sky, ultimately growing three feet tall.  Pollinators flock to the flowers, especially large bees that dangle from flowers as they try to crawl inside to reach the nectar at the back.  It is amazing to watch the different pollinators work these flowers.

Native companion plants for the formal prairie garden: Spiderwort (Tradescantia sp.), Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa), and Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Penstemon tubaeflorus. Photo courtesy Craig Freeman

Penstemon tubaeflorus. Photo courtesy Craig Freeman

 

For a pond or stream edge…

Smooth Penstemon is an excellent choice.  It is very adaptable to wetter environments.  It has thrived next to our pond edge for years with no ill effects from flooding or too much moisture.

‘Husker Red’ is a selection of Smooth Penstemon with wonderful deep red foliage.  The white flowers are similar to the species with a blush of pink.  It thrives wherever you plant it.

Native companion plants for the pond edge: Gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), Kansas Gayfeather (Liatris pycnostachya), Meadow Blazing Star (Liatris ligulistylis), or Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccafolium)

 

For a rock garden…

Cobaea Penstemon (Penstemon cobaea) – Found regularly within the Flint Hills region on road cuts and exposed bluffs and hills, it has large white flowers with lavender lines inside the throat.  Plant in full sun in a medium to dry soil.  Grows to 24” tall.

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Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus) – This penstemon is not native to our region, but is quite adaptable.  The foliage is clean and evergreen with the rosy-lavender blooms held on one side of the upright stems.  It grows to 24” in full sun and a lean, medium to dry soil.

Native Companion plants for rock gardens: Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa), Shortstem spiderwort (Tradescantia tharpii), Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata), Narrow-leaf Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)

Establish these penstemons like any other perennial with daily watering for the first few weeks after planting and check them periodically through the year.  You will be rewarded by these resilient wildflowers.  They have spectacular flowers that you must experience.  Wow is all I can say.

 

 

Shade plants worth trying

Posted on by Scott Vogt

There is always that area in your landscape that is shaded.  These areas can be frustrating, because they don’t grow turf well leaving the soil bare.  Here are a few good shade plants to spruce up that dark corner of your garden.

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Columbine, Aquliegia canadensis

Delicate but tough wildflower for the shade garden.  Flowers are red with yellow that bloom in April and May.  Plants ultimately reach 12-24 inches tall in part-shade to shade.  They are quite adaptable, but prefer an average to moist soil.

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Appalachian Sedge, Carex appalachica

This sedge looks like it came straight from the 80’s big hair days.  The punked out spikes reach 12 to 18 inches straight up in any shade garden. This lovely sedge is native to dry woods.  Its fine texture and fountaining habit make it a lovely groundcover in dry shady sites, even in the root zone of trees.

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Woodland Phlox, Phlox divaricata

This native phlox is a favorite spring wildflower.  It can be found along streams and in open woods.  The 12 inch clumps are covered with delicate 1.5 inch lavender flowers in May.  Quick to fill in areas when happy, it requires little or no maintenance.

Photo courtesy of Walters Gardens.

Epimedium ‘Lilafee’

This dwarf Epimedium grandiflorum is one tough cookie in the landscape.  In mid-spring, the new ear-shaped foliage emerges with a dramatic bronzy-lavender color.  The delicate violet flowers dance above the heart-shaped foliage.

white wood aster

White Woodland Aster, Aster divaricatus ‘Eastern Star’

This nice selection for the woodland border has pure clean white flowers atop the mahogany stems.  It blooms in September and October, adding splashes of color to your shade garden later in the season.  It prefers part-shade to shade in an average to moist soil.  It is a weaver that slowly fills open areas, but it is not aggressive.

Scott’s Top Ten Sun-Loving Plants for Spring 2015

Posted on by Scott Vogt

One of the themes this spring for planting is diversity.  By planting a diversity of wildflowers and grasses in your garden, you will attract many different forms of wildlife, including pollinators and birds.  A wide variety of plants blooming at different times of the year will provide interest and beauty throughout the growing season.

As we have been busily getting ready for the plant sale this week, I can’t help but notice the diversity of plants available this spring.  There are so many wonderful plants to choose and incorporate into a landscape setting.

Here are my top sun-loving plants for the spring sale:

Asclepias_viridis

Green Antelopehorn (Asclepias viridis)

This is the 2015 Kansas Native Plant Society wildflower of the year.  It grows 18 to 24 inches tall with green flowers in May and June.  It loves full sun and thrives in dry prairies.  Monarchs use milkweeds as a host plants.  Grow this species or any other milkweeds to increase habitat for the perilous populations of monarchs.

Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.

Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.

Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’

It is beautiful in flower and foliage.  In early spring, the whitish-pink tubular flowers emerge.  Bees and even hummingbirds flock to these flowers to sip the sweet nectar.  Not only is it attractrive when blooming but the maroon-purple foliage adds interest the rest of the year.  A plant for the front of a border that is attractive at many different seasons of the year.

Blue Grama Blonde Ambition

Blue Grama, Boutleoua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’

I was blown away by this grass last summer.  It looked fantastic with the airy golden flowers all summer.  The horizontal eyelash-like flowers wave in the wind atop the fine blue-green foliage.  It grows effortlessly in any sunny site and just about any soil.  Great in mass plantings or along borders edges.  Quite the dramatic, unique grass.

Vernonia Iron Butterfly

Ironplant, Vernonia lettermanii ‘Iron Butterfly’

I have grown to appreciate the toughness of this wildflower.  This selection found in Arkansas has fine foliage like Amsonia hubrichtii but stays more compact.  The dark purple flowers cover the entire plant in late summer attracting pollinators by the herd.  It thrives in hot dry locations.  When other plants are wilting, it is performing like a champ.

Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.

Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.

Arkansas Bluestar, Amsonia hubrichtii

I have put this plant on my top ten list just about every year because it is a great plant.  Sky blue flowers in spring develop atop stems with narrow leaves that whorl the stem.  Each plant can grow about three feet tall and three feet wide.  The real show is in the fall as the entire plant turns a beautiful golden yellow.  Plant in mass or alone in the middle of the border.  A garden worthy plant that should be used more.

Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.

Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.

Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Twilight Zone’

This is a new and improved form of native Little Bluestem.  It colors up beautifully in the early fall but the iridescent silver-mauve foliage from spring to fall is eye-catching. Growing stiffly upright, this grass reaches three to four feet tall by the end of summer.  Plant as a backdrop for other perennials because the foliage is a wonderful complement.  Great native grass for interesting foliage and form.

Photo courtesy Terra Nova Nursery.

Photo courtesy Terra Nova Nursery.

Agastache ‘Raspberry Summer’

What an awesome perennial!  The large, dark raspberry pink blooms cover this plant all summer and into fall.  Pollinators flock to the blooms and make the plant come alive with activity.  Plant in full sun and well-drained soil.

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Yellow Purple Coneflower Echinacea paradoxa

A yellow purple coneflower is a paradox.  However, it is tough and beautiful.  The flowers emerge in May and June with long yellow ray petals.  It grows best in full sun, ultimately reaching 3-4 feet tall.  Mix with native grasses like Little Bluestem or Switchgrass to showcase the attractive seedheads later in the year.

Solidago ‘Little Lemon’               Photo courtesy of North Creek Nurseries 

Solidago “Little Lemon’

Goldenrods get a bad rap for causing allergies.  Actually, they don’t cause your allergies in the fall – that is the fault of the ragweed pollen instead.  So now that you know that tid-bit of information, you can plant this dwarf goldenrod in your garden.  It grows to 12 inches tall and mixes well with short grasses along a border or edge.  Plant in full sun for best results.

Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.

Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.

Beebalm Monarda ‘Cherry Pops’

Brilliant cherry-red flowers cover this new bee balm in midsummer.  The well-branched plants have clean mildew-resistant foliage creating a compact mound.  Each nectar sweet flower attracts hosts of pollinators throughout the summer.  Great new form for the front of a border or along a sidewalk.

It is time to get these plants in the ground.  The beneficial rains of the past few weeks have really got me itching to plant some of these varieties this spring.  There are so many beautiful plants that are worth trying.  Hopefully, you will have a chance to stop by the plant sale, take a look and give some of them a try in your own garden.

False Indigo: Beautiful Baptisias Reach for the Sky

Posted on by Scott Vogt

Every spring I marvel at the changing landscape, especially prairies that have been burned.  A seemingly lifeless and brown prairie is turned black by fire and reduced to ashes.  This important process removes last year’s growth, allowing the sun to warm the soil.  This warmth is just what native wildflowers and grasses need to emerge from their winter slumber.  They jump to life in just a few warm days, turning the charred plains emerald green.

In this new growth, there are some very recognizable plants that stand out.  Indigos rise from rocky hillsides and dot the landscape in early spring with beautiful blue, white and cream flowers.  They thrive in challenging environments because of their deep roots.  The roots of wild indigos can be quite extensive – reaching down over ten feet deep – making them impervious to drought.

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Baptisia ‘Indigo Spires”

Locally, only two varieties of indigos grow in the prairies of south-central Kansas.  Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis var. minor) has a stately posture.  The entire plant is stiffly upright and forms a miniature canopy with the attractive blue-green foliage.  The showy spires of small pea-like blooms develop in May.  Later in the season, oblong brownish-black seed pods emerge providing another highlight to this beautiful wildflower.  They love any sunny spot with well-drained soil.  They are difficult to move once established because of the deep tap roots.

Native Blue False Indigo

Native Blue False Indigo

Cream Wild Indigo (Baptisia bracteata) is the other indigo found in our area.  It is one of the earliest wildflowers to bloom. In fact, one of the plants outside the Visitor Center is showing flower buds now, in the first week of April.  The creamy-white flowers are held horizontally to the ground in long prostate clusters.  Again, these flowers turn into brownish-black seed pods filled with small beans.  The entire plant has a fuzzy appearance from leaves to the stem.  They are tough and drought tolerant when planted in a well-drained soil with full sun.

Other nativars (cultivars of native plants) worth trying are Baptisia ‘Blue Berry Sundae’ Blue flowers, 24-36 inches tall; Baptisia ‘Cherry Jubilee’ Maroon/yellow flower, 30-36 inches tall; Baptisia ‘Lemon Meringue’ Lemon/yellow flowers, 36 inches tall; Baptisia ‘Vanilla Cream’ Pastel yellow flowers, 24-36 inches tall; Baptisia ‘Indigo Spires’ Dark Purple flowers, 36-48 inches tall; Baptisia ‘Blue Towers’ Blue flowers, 48-54 inches tall; and Baptisia ‘Pink Truffles’ Pink flowers, 30-36 inches tall.  All of these varieties will be available at our upcoming plant sale in just a few weeks time.

Baptisia 'Lemon Meringue'

Baptisia ‘Lemon Meringue’

Baptisia 'Pink Truffles'

Baptisia ‘Pink Truffles’

Baptisia 'Cherries Jubilee'

Baptisia ‘Cherries Jubilee’

I have always been enamored with Baptisia.  They are so resilient.  They effortlessly survive in the toughest conditions.  To see a whole prairie dotted with indigos as far as the eye can see is amazing.  The stunning beauty of these wildflowers can be brought home as well.  They adapt to any sunny landscape setting.  I can’t resist their charm and beauty.

 

A Garden-Worthy Perennial: Threadleaf Bluestar

Posted on by Scott Vogt

Amsonia hubrichtii, the threadleaf bluestar, is one of my favorite plants.  It was not well known among gardeners until the Perennial Plant Association named it the 2011 Plant of the Year.  The species was discovered in 1942 by Leslie Hubricht growing in the Ouachita Mountains in central Arkansas.  The species was later named in her honor.

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Each plant has ornamental qualities that make it stand out from other perennial wildflowers.   In May and June, clusters of small powder blue, star-like flowers top the strong stems.  The stems are encircled with soft, narrow leaves resembling pine needles, making each plant look like a small shrub with feathery texture and incredible fullness. I have found them to be extremely hardy, drought tolerant and very low maintenance.

The real show develops in September when the foliage turns a butter yellow fading to a golden brown by October.  One specimen plant is spectacular in each season of the year, but a group of ten or more massed together and strategically located are quite stunning.  Individual plants can reach up to 48 inches tall and 24-36 inches wide.  They prefer full sun to partial shade and an average garden soil.

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This summer I have only watered them 3 times, so they are tough.  At the arboretum, they are planted along the east border paths.  Amsonia hubrichtii is a dynamic perennial that deserves a place in your garden.

Other Amsonia are just as ornamental, but offer different textural elements and sizes for just about any sunny to partial shade landscape setting.  They are Amsonia illustris, Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’, Amsonia cilliata and Amsonia rigida.

Find amsonia hubrichtii and other garden-worthy perennials on our Plant List 2015 and visit us at our FloraKansas Spring Plant Sale, April 24-27, 2015.

Vines: Taking Your Landscape to a New Level

Posted on by Scott Vogt

Vines are underutilized in nearly every garden, in my opinion, including here at the arboretum.  It may be that we don’t have the structures to support them and show off their attributes, or we are unfamiliar with how to grow them.  Either way they need to be used more.  In fact, I think vines are one of nature’s greatest gifts to gardeners.  They can give us shade by covering a pergola, camouflage ugly elements within the garden such as sheds, poles and fences, or bring color, texture, and fragrance to a trellis or arbor.  Vines are utilitarian because they fit into almost any available space.  I need to use them more here at the arboretum, so I thought we could work through this problem together and maybe begin to incorporate these native vines to a greater extent, literally.

Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens ‘Major Wheeler’) is the best selection of honeysuckle I have grown.  It has twining stems with smooth leaves that seem to be resistant to mildew.  But who grows this plant for the foliage?  I love the flowers.  In late spring, it is covered in red trumpet shaped blooms that keep coming well into summer, especially with a post-bloom trim. The hummingbirds will find it from miles around. It grows best in a medium to moist well-drained soil and partial shade.

Major Wheeler Trumpet Honeysuckle

Major Wheeler Trumpet Honeysuckle

Dutchman’s Pipe-vine (Aristolochia tomentosa) is a vigorous, climbing woody vine without tendrils. The interesting pipe shaped flowers appear in May and June.  Large, heart-shaped leaves are attractive throughout the year and turn a nice yellow in the fall.  In Kansas, it is found in the southeastern counties.  I have this vine growing in morning sun and afternoon shade.  It will need a trellis or arbor to grow on and a medium to moist soil.  Pipevine is the host plant for the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.

Grape Honeysuckle (Lonicera reticulata ‘Kintley’s Ghost) is a vine we have been using for several years.  We have it growing on either side of the entrance to the Visitor Center.  The gray-green leaves develop in an attractive eucalyptus pattern.  At the terminal ends of the stems the bright yellow flowers develop in spring.  It can grow in sun to partial shade and prefers an average to moist soil.  It is great in form and flower.

Grape Honeysuckle

Grape Honeysuckle

American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) is grown for the beautiful fruit clusters that develop during the summer and are noticed and eaten by birds in the fall.  Male/female plants are separate and both are needed to produce fruit.  Foliage is attractive on the twining stems.  It grows best in a morning sun location, but can grow in full sun if given some supplemental water during the summer.  Train along fence or over an arbor.  Celastrus scandens ‘Autumn Revolution’ is a form with male and female flowers on the same plants.

Bittersweet Fruit

Bittersweet Fruit

Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata) develops three inch diameter lavender flowers that have a rich fragrance.  These flowers are striking and have religious symbolism.  The vines can reach up to 12’ in one year and die back to the ground during the winter.  Situate in a semi-shade area with a medium to moist soil.  I would mulch lightly to protect crown from harsh winter temperatures.

Other vines for the garden are Pitcher’s Leather Flower (Clematis pitcheri), Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea peteolaris), and Kentucky Wisteria (Wisteria macrostachya ‘Powell’s Purple’)

Don’t miss the opportunity to include these great vines in your garden by visiting the arboretum spring plant sale.  I tend to keep flowers at ground level but these vines will take your garden to new heights and add interest to levels not normally utilized.

For more information on these vines and other garden worthy plants visit the arboretum website at www.dyckarboretum.org.

Fremont’s Clematis: A Rare Beauty

Posted on by Scott Vogt

The other day, I began transplanting seedlings of Fremont’s Clematis for our FloraKansas spring plant sale.  I was thrilled that we actually will have some to offer this year.  In the past, we have struggled to achieve germination, but this year we have been successful.

Fremont's Clematis Seedlings

Fremont’s Clematis Seedlings

The seed from which these plants germinated was collected last summer, as our staff took a detour on our way back from a retreat at the Flinthills Discovery Center in Manhattan.  The seed germinated last fall and overwintered in the seedling flats.  Over the past few weeks they have really come to life and it was time to move them before their taproot grew too large.

Fremont’s Clematis, or Clematis fremontii, a rare prairie native from Kansas and Nebraska, is quite different from the traditional climbing clematis species.  It forms a small bush that is covered in spring (late-April) with sugar-bell shaped flowers of purple and white.  Each flowers curls at the end.  The oval leaves are leather tough and covered with fine hairs, almost fuzzy in appearance.  These plants, once established, are resilient.  They develop into large clumps.  We have had several plants in the same spot for over 15 years, in one of the xeriscape beds just outside the Visitor Center entrance.

FremontsClematis2014

Fremont’s Clematis loves sun.  We collected the seed from plants on a rocky hillside in central Kansas.  They are thriving in that windswept exposed prairie.  If they are thriving there, then all they need is plenty of sunlight (at least 6 hours) and a well-drained soil.

I always look forward to their arrival in spring.  They are one of the first plants to emerge and bloom in our rock garden here at the arboretum.  If they are happy, they will give you years of consistent beauty. Be sure to come early to the FloraKansas Plant Sale and get some while they are available!

 

Five Oaks for the Kansas Landscape

Posted on by Scott Vogt

The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It’s the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun.  – Napoleon Hill

If you live in Kansas long enough, you really begin to appreciate trees.  They endure heat and extreme cold along with persistent wind.  Months without rain are common, but so is the occasional soaking rain that saturates the soil.  Trees in this part of the world need to be resilient.

Folks in areas of the country that have an abundance of trees often take trees for granted.  Trees grow easily, but not here.  A good shade tree in Kansas is a luxury.   They need to withstand the rigors of the climate.  To sit under a mature tree on a warm afternoon, enjoy the blue skies and sip your favorite cool drink is a special experience.

Here are five oaks trees that are “plains tough”.   (This is my list, but there are over 10 species of oaks native to Kansas and several other non-native varieties that are equally tenacious.)

OAK TREES FOR KANSAS

1. Bur oak

When I go fishing along the Cottonwood River, I can’t help but notice the huge Bur oaks (Quercus macrocarpa) stretching out their limbs over the river.  West of Hesston, there is one that has a span of over 150 feet.  It is quite a specimen.  This native oak of the eastern two-thirds of Kansas is one of the most adaptable hardwood trees in Kansas.  Generally, it is slow growing, but in the right conditions it can grow two to three feet a year.  Mature height is 50 to 80 feet tall and with a spread from 40 to 60 feet. The Bur oaks don’t typically have great fall color, but it is very sturdy and problem-free.

Bur Oak

Bur oak

 

2. White oak

As part of my horticulture classes at Kansas State University, I had to learn the names of many different plants on campus.  One of the trees I remember the most is a white oak (Quercus alba) on the east side of campus.  It is a beautiful tree with great fall color.  This stately tree stood about 60-70 feet tall with a spread of at least 60 feet.  I would love to have that white oak in my back yard, because I know that it would be there for generations.

White oak

White oak

 

3. English oak

The Kansas state champion English oak (Quercus robur) is in Kinsley.  If it can grow in Kinsley, it can grow anywhere in the state.  It is native to Europe, but a versatile tree in Kansas.  Typical growth is 30 to 50 feet in height and 30 to 40 feet in spread.  Leaves are dark green throughout the year.  They eventually turn brown, but stay on the tree much of the winter.  This tree adapts to most soil types, including heavy clay.  Ours at the arboretum puts on good growth each year – one to two feet.  Give it room to grow and you will be rewarded with an excellent shade tree.

 

4. Shumard (red) oak

The fastest growing member of the red oak family is Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii) making it a great choice for the home landscape.  Its native range is eastern Kansas along moist streams and upland rocky hillsides.  It is quite adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions.  The fall color can be incredible.  It is recommended that you choose your tree in the fall when they are coloring because the species can be variable in fall color intensity.  Shumard oaks are more tolerant than other red oaks of urban areas and challenging sites.

 

5. Shingle oak

Our shingle oaks (Quercus imbricaria) this fall have been spectacular.  The red fall color was more brilliant than in previous years.  The color fades, but the leaves will persist through most of the winter.  Speaking of the leaves, they are unusual among oaks.  They don’t have lobes, but are smooth along the margins.  It is a great form that can thrive in drier conditions.   They grow 40 to 60 feet tall and spread 30 to 50 feet.

Shingle oak

Shingle oak

 

Planting an oak today is like leaving an inheritance to future generations.  Choose wisely!