Native things blooming in a Tennessee yard - 2014

You're right, greenthumb. I have so many sad-looking things this year I sometimes forget that most of what I have is fairly hardy. Terribly sad-looking, but it will survive.

Question: can I plant Asarums under my maple trees?

While all the "gingers" were once classified as Asarum, the glossy ones are now Hexastylis. Asarum canadensis is the only Asarum in the Maryland to Tennessee section of the country. The Hexastylis species are a more southern group of plants and not as hardy as Asarum canadensis (Zone 3).

Asarum canadensis likes moisture, so if you grow it under Maples you'll need to water it regularly.

That's what I was afraid of. I need something that can take dry conditions - at least once it is established.

For dry shade consider ferns such as Asplenium platyneuron, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Dryopteris marginalis, Polypodium virginianum and Polystichum acrostichoides. Some possible herbaceous perennials to try are Aquilegia canadensis, Aster divaricatus and A. cordifolius, Chimaphila species, Dentaria (Cardamine) species, Wintergreen, Hepatica, Rue Anemone, Mayapple, Bloodroot, and Smilacina species. I planted Dryopteris marginalis under fir trees in my sister's yard and they thrive in her dry, year-round shade. While not native, Lamium species will work as ground cover.

Greenthumb, thanks for the information about Asarum canadensis, which is what I have (had?). If it comes up, I'll move it again because it's now in an area that probably will be too dry. I'll find some middle ground.

I'm trying to find low-growing, native, preferably evergreen groundcovers for a dry (because it's sloped) area of my yard, and Chimaphila is a good idea.
I have some Sedum 'Utah' growing there, and it stayed green all winter, as did Forget-me-nots. Neither are native to this area, but I'm glad something survived! Just about everything I tried in that area last year died in a month or so. It was a frustrating and expensive learning curve.

This message was edited Mar 22, 2014 8:31 PM

the Hexastylis kept some green all winter for me and the Asarum is the one died to the soil level. Both are planted under maples. Asarum actually spreading by its third-fourth year there.

Checked our Asarum patches again this afternoon and did not see any trace, but I am confident that the patches will eventually emerge and be bigger than last year. Don't think any of you need to despair about your ginger.

I'm glad to hear I don't have to give up on it just yet!

Cville, the Virginia Native Plant Society put together this list of native groundcovers for shade: http://vnps.org/download/VNPS%20Brochures/Alternatives-to-English-Ivy.pdf

Many of the recommended plants are ones Greenthumb mentioned above, but it might give you some more ideas.

Thanks, sally, greenthumb and Muddy. I have several ideas now. I might transplant some of my creeping phlox and add something else that blooms in summer. Hmmmm....

Things are almost ready to pop around here! Lots of buds, soon lots of blooms.


http://www.clayandlimestone.com/

it looks greener there than here. We keep getting cold blasts!. she does such nice pictures.

All of a sudden, we're getting lots of buds. I have a flowering quince (not native) that is loaded with buds and putting out lots of leaves at the moment. Then we'll have a night that's very cold.

I agree. She does do beautiful photography. I always have a lot of "operator error" with my photos. :)

Wild geranium
Asclepias syriaca
Linum (flax)
Echinacea tennesseensis (TN Coneflower)

very nice pictures of a very pretty assortment!

Yes indeed! I love the blue of the flax.
My wild Geranium isn't blooming any longer. I assumed it was done for the year.

Thanks. My flax has just finished blooming and I believe it is forming seeds but I'll have to keep an eye on it and see what happens. My wild geranium has just finished blooming as well. Now it is getting so hot that a lot of things will be done for this year. ;(

yeah, kind of a downer when the heat sets in. And diseases...everything is so fresh and perfect in spring when it first starts....

My Anemone virginana grew nicely over winter and is blooming a lot. Flowers are not showy, petals, or are they sepals/ bracts? are small.

Sally, Anemones have no petals, but white sepals. (Since you asked)

thank you!!

It may reach 100° (heat index) here by Thursday. Ugh!!!

I haven't seen the Cooper's Hawks as often so far this year. Yes, if only they could be trained to take the critters we don't want.