The Plants

Thalictrum rochebruneanum, commonly called meadow rue or lavender mist meadow rue, grows in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers a rich, humusy soil and light, dappled sun. Intolerant of the hot and humid summers of the deep South.

Golden Alexander

Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade.

Zizia aurea, commonly called golden Alexander, is a native perennial which occurs most often in small colonies in moist woods and meadows, thickets, glades and prairies. Features flat-topped clusters (compound umbels) of tiny yellow flowers in late spring atop stems growing to 3' tall.

Grow in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun. Avoid wet, poorly drained soils. Needs full sun for best foliage color.

Penstemon digitalis is a clump-forming, a native perennial which typically grows 3-5' tall and occurs in prairies, fields, wood margins, open woods and along railroad tracks. Features white, two-lipped, tubular flowers (to 1.25" long) borne in panicles atop erect, rigid stems. Flowers bloom mid-spring to early summer. Basal leaves are elliptic and stem leaves are lance-shaped to oblong.

Best grown in evenly moist, humusy, well-drained soil in part shade. Will tolerate a range of sun conditions including full shade and full sun as long as evenly moist, well-draining soils are provided. Avoid poorly-drained, wet soils, particularly in winter. Slow and difficult to grow from seed.

Dodecatheon meadia, commonly called shooting star, is a much beloved, native wildflower that is indigenous to much of the eastern United States and typically occurs in open woods and glades, rocky wooded slopes, bluff ledges, meadows and prairies. From each basal rosette of lance-shaped leaves come 1-4 sturdy, leafless, center flower scapes rising to 20" tall. Atop each flower scape is an umbel containing 8-20, nodding, 1" long flowers. Each flower has five swept-back (reflexed) petals and a cluster of yellow stamens converging to a point, thus giving the flower the appearance of a shooting star plummeting to earth. Flower colors are quite variable, ranging from white to pink to light purple. Blooms in late spring.

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Prefers moist, rich soils.

Mertensia virginica, commonly called Virginia bluebells, is a native wildflower that occurs in moist, rich woods and river floodplains.

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, humusy soils, but tolerates poor soils. Will naturalize in optimum growing conditions. Deadheading is tedious and probably unnecessary since plants usually do not repeat bloom. Foliage may yellow in hot summers if soil is allowed to dry out. Foliage may decline after flowering in hot summer climates, at which point it may be lightly sheared back and shaped to revitalize.

Geranium maculatum is a clump-forming native woodland perennial which typically occurs in woods, thickets and shaded roadside areas throughout the State.

Best grown in dry, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates light shade and prefers some afternoon shade in hot summers. Prefers cool summer climates. May be grown in medium moisture, well-drained soils, but often will die out if subjected to wet winter soil conditions.

Geum triflorum is a North American native prairie plant. Perhaps its most distinguishing feature is not the reddish pink to purplish, nodding, globular flowers that bloom in late spring, but the fruiting heads which follow. As the flower fades and the seeds begin to form, the styles elongate (to 2" long) to form upright, feathery gray tails which collectively resemble a plume or feather duster, all of which has given rise to a large number of regional descriptive common names for this plant such as torch flower, long-plumed purple avens, prairie smoke, lion's beard and old man's whiskers.