Horticulture Report: Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox)

Plant Name: Phlox divaricata
Common name: Wild Sweet William/Woodland Phlox
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: .75’ – 1’
Spread: .75’ – 1’
Bloom Time: April – May
Flower Color: Rose/Lavender or Violet/Blue
Exposure:Part Shade to Full Shade
Soil Requirements:Medium, Humus, Well-Drained Soil; Drought Tolerant.
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Showy, Fragrant Flower; Attracts Butterflies & Hummingbirds; Deer Resistant.
Note:Powdery Mildew can be a problem; Cut back stems after bloom. Roots at Nodes to Form Mat Foliage.
Uses: Evergreen Ground Cover; Rock Gardens; Border Front & Cover for Early Spring Bulbs.
Native to: Eastern North America
Oregon Native:NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-8

Report: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photo: The Missouri Botanical Gardens http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/phlox_divaricata

Horticulture Report: Mountain Mint

Plant Name: Pycnanthemum muticum
Common name: Mountain Mint
Plant Type: Perennial
Plant Height: 1’ – 3’
Spread: 1’ – 3’
Bloom Time: July – September
Flower Color:  Pink, White, Red, Purple, Blue
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Fertile, Well-Drained.
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Attracts Butterflies & Bees, Wasps; Drought Tolerant; Spearmint Aroma.
Note:  Aggressively Spreads by Rhizomes.
Uses: Naturalize in Native Plant Gardens, Cottage Gardens; Border Perimeter’ Vertical Structure in Winter Garden.
Native to: Midwest to South to Eastern North America & California
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 8

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo from: The Day –Green and Growing: Some native plants get aggressive, and that’s why we love them Author: Kathy Connolly https://www.theday.com/storyimage/NL/20190718/NWS01/190719660/EP/1/1/EP-190719660.jpg&MaxW=800&q=62

June 28, 2020 Today in the Garden

Himalayan Cinquefoil, Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, Daylily, Geranium macrorrhizum

Photos by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Horticulture Report: Jeffersonia diphylla (Twinleaf)

Plant Name:  Jeffersonia diphylla 

Photo by James Henderson, University of Tennessee Herbarium

Common name: Twinleaf
Plant Type:  Herbaceous Perennial
Plant Height: .75’ – 1.5’
Spread: .5’ – .75’
Bloom Time:  March – May
Flower Color:  White
Exposure:  Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist, Humusy,
Well-Drained.
Water Needs: Medium
Attributes: Showy Flower & Fruit; Tolerates Heavy Shade; Interesting fruit after flowering.
Note: Susceptible to Slugs & Snails.
Uses:  Shade Garden; Native Plant Garden; Ground Cover; Shady Rock Gardens.
Native to:   Eastern North America
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 – 7

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Horticulture Report: Virginia Sweetspire

photo by: Wasowski, Sally & Andy (Wildflower.org)

Plant Name:  Itea virginica
Common name:  Virginia Sweetspire
Plant Type:  Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height: 3’ – 6’
Spread:  4’ – 6’
Bloom Time:  April – June.
Flower Color:  White
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade.
Soil Requirements:  Moist, Acidic,
Sandy to Loam to Clay.
Water Needs: High
Attributes: Red to Purple Leaves in Fall hanging on through Winter; Attracts Nectar Insects; Provides Bird Cover; Some Deer Resistant.
Note:  Blooms best with better fall color if planted in full sun at least part of day.
Uses:  Massed Plantings; Rain Garden; Foundation or Hedge.
Native to: Southeast North America
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC member

Oregon Native: Oceanspray

Plant Name:  Holodiscus discolor
Common name: Oceanspray
Plant Type:  Broadleaf Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height: 4’ – 10’
Spread:  10’ – 15’
Bloom Time: May, June, July
Flower Color: Creamy White
Exposure:  Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist; Gravelly or Rocky Soil; Adaptable to Most Soils, but with Good Drainage.
Water Needs:  Tolerates Low to High Moisture Level.
Attributes: Fragrant Flowers; Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds; Host for Beneficial Insects.
Note:  Prune severely each year after flowering to maintain graceful shrub; Susceptible to Fire Blight.
Uses:  Hedge; Deer Resistant
Native to: British Columbia to California
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5b – 10b

Report by: Viki Ashford

Photo from: Native Plants PNW http://nativeplantspnw.com/ocean-spray-holodiscus-discolor/