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    Native Plant of the Week: Common Violet
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Apr 3
    • 2 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Common Violet

    Family: Violaceae Name: Viola sororia - Common Violet Bloom Time: March - May Flower: Violet Purple Soil Condition: Moist, Average, Well-Drained Light: Sun to Shade Height: 4-6" tall with an equal spread Native Range: Eastern North America including Long Island Zone: 3 to 7 Pictures: Viola sororia (Common Violet) and Viola sororia 'Freckles' - Common Violet Cultivar Forget the European dandelion and plant some Viola sororia in your yard for the birds, bees, caterpillars and
    208 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Oak Sedge
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Mar 28
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Oak Sedge

    Family: Cyperaceae Name: Carex pensylvanica - Oak Sedge 'Bloom Time': May 'Flower': White/Brown Soil Condition: Dry, Average Light: Partial Shade, Shade Height: 8-12" tall by 24" wide Native Range: Eastern North America including Long Island Zone: 3 to 8 Carex pensylvanica is a fine textured, cool season sedge for tough places like under Oak and Pine trees. Plants spread slowly by stolons and rhizomes to make a large colony. This makes it a great lawn substitute under Oaks an
    119 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Lowbush Blueberry
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Mar 21
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Lowbush Blueberry

    Family: Ericaceae Name: Vaccinium angustifolium aka Lowbush Blueberry Bloom Time: May-June Soil Condition: prefers moist to dry, acidic, sandy, well-drained soil Light: Full Sun to Partial Shade Height: 6” - 24” Native Range: Northeastern United States Zone: 2 to 7 Flowers: white flowers pics: female bumble bee on flower, berries beginning to form, summer foliage, fall foliage Vaccinium angustifolium is a lovely deciduous, twiggy shrub with adorable bell shaped flowers
    142 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Wafer Ash
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Mar 7
    • 2 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Wafer Ash

    Name: Ptelea trifoliata - Wafer Ash or Hop Tree Family: Rutaceae Bloom Time: June Flower: Greenish Yellow Soil Condition: Dry-Moist Light: Sun-Partial Shade-Shade Height: 15-20' tall by 15-20' wide Native Range: Eastern and Central United States including Long Island Zone: 4 to 9 Ptelea trifoliata is a great, slow growing, underutilized small tree or understory tree that will form a colony by suckering and self sowing. If planted in full sun, the soil should be consistently
    62 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Anise Hyssop
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Feb 28
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Anise Hyssop

    Family: Lamiaceae Name: Agastache foeniculum - Anise Hyssop Bloom Time: July - Frost Flower: Lavender Blue Soil Condition: Dry, Average, Well Drained Light: Sun, Partial Shade Height: 24-36" tall by 24-36" wide Native Range: North America Zone: 4 to 9 With its beautiful gray-green foliage and gorgeous lavender blue flowers, Agastache foeniculum makes a fantastic plant for the garden or a planter. It is a very important nectar source for our bumble bees and other native polli
    85 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Black Chokeberry
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Feb 21
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Black Chokeberry

    Family: Rosaceae (Rose) Name: Photinia (Aronia) melanocarpa - Black Chokeberry Pictures: Flower with Sphecodes - Sweat Bee (KMS Native Plants), Fruit (Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder) Fall Color (KMS Native Plants) Bloom Time: April - May Flower: White Fruit: Black (Late Summer/Fall) Soil Condition: Moist, Wet, Acidic, Well Drained Light: Partial Shade, Sun Height: 3-8' tall by 3-6' wide Native Range: Northeastern North America including Long Island Zone: 3 to 8 Photin
    120 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Cardinal Flower
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Feb 14
    • 2 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Cardinal Flower

    Family: Campanulaceae Name: Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower Bloom Time: July - August Flower: Scarlet Red Soil Condition: moist to wet, rich Light: Sun, Partial Sun, Shade Height: 24-48" tall by Native Range: North America including Long Island Zone: 3 to 9 Lobelia cardinalis is a short-lived perennial that makes a lovely addition to the partially shaded garden by giving a pop of red, which is an unusual color for wildflowers. After a stem flowers, that part of the plan
    113 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Blue Flag Iris
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Feb 7
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Blue Flag Iris

    Family: Iridaceae Name: Iris versicolor - Blue Flag Iris Bloom Time: June Flowers: Purple, Lavender, Violet Soil Condition: Average-wet, acidic, rich Light: Sun to Partial Shade Height: 24-36" tall by 24-36" wide Native Range: Northeastern North America including Long Island Zone: 2 to 7 Iris versicolor is a true low maintenance plant and can handle average garden soil as well as being submerged in a pond. Rhizomes are toxic and may cause a rash if touched without gloves. Bl
    71 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Red Chokeberry
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Jan 31
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Red Chokeberry

    Family: Rosaceae Name: Aronia arbutifolia - Red Chokeberry Bloom Time: March - May Flowers: White with red anthers Fruit: Red Soil Condition: average-wet, well drained Light: Sun to Partial Shade Height: 6-10' tall by 4-8' wide Native Range: Eastern North America including Long Island Zone: 4 to 9 Aronia arbutifolia is a fantastic four season, multi-stemmed shrub. In the spring it is loaded with white flowers and early pollinators before the glossy, dark green foliage eme
    129 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Wild Columbine
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Jan 23
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Wild Columbine

    Family: Ranunculaceae Name: Aquilegia canadensis - Wild Columbine Bloom Time: May-June Flowers: bicolor red and yellow Soil Condition: dry to moist, well drained Light: Partial Shade, Shade Height: 20-36" tall by 12-18" wide Native Range: Eastern United States including Long Island Zone: 3 to 8 Aquilegia canadensis is a native perennial that will self sow readily in the garden creating a naturalized effect. The showy, nodding, bicolor flowers are a nice brightener for shady
    159 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week - Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Jan 17
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week - Short-Toothed Mountain Mint

    Name: Pycnanthemum muticum - Short Toothed Mountain Mint Family: Lamiaceae Bloom Time: July - September Flowers: white to blush pink with lavender spots and silver bracts Soil Condition: moist-average, well drained Light: Sun-Partial Shade Size: 24-36" tall by 24-36" wide Native Range: Eastern United States including Long Island Zone: 4 to 8 Pycnanthemum muticum is in the mint family and it will naturalize but it will not take over your yard like the invasive true mints in th
    79 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week - Blue Wood Aster
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Jan 10
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week - Blue Wood Aster

    Native Plant of the Week - Symphyotrichum cordifolium Family: Asteraceae Name: Symphyotrichum cordifolium - Blue Wood Aster Bloom Time: August - October Flower: loose panicles of pale lavender Soil Condition: well drained, dry to moist Light: full sun to partial shade Height: 18” - 36” Native Range: Eastern and Central North America including Long Island Symphyotrichum cordifolium is a fantastic pollinator plant for late summer to early fall. It’s supposed to be deer and r
    97 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week - American Wintergreen
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Jan 3
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week - American Wintergreen

    Family: Ericaceae Name: Gaultheria procumbens - American Wintergreen Bloom Time: June-August Soil Condition: dry-moist, well drained, organically rich, acidic Light: Partial Shade, Shade Height: 3-6” Native Range: Eastern North America including Long Island Flowers: white bell shaped, sometimes blush Gaultheria procumbens is a lovely evergreen ground cover that spreads by underground roots for shady spots. New foliage growth is a lovely shade of cranberry red. The flowers are
    220 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Threadleaf Mountain Mint
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Dec 28, 2021
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Threadleaf Mountain Mint

    Family: Lamiaceae Name: Pycnanthemum tenuifolium Common Name: Threadleaf Mountain Mint Bloom Time: June-September Soil Condition: dry-average-moist, well drained, tolerates clay Light: Sun-Partial Shade Height: 24-36” (may grow to 48” in rich soil) Native Range: Eastern United States including Long Island Flowers: white with lavender specks Maintenance: if necessary, divide when plants get too wide. Benefits: Not to be confused with the invasive European mints like spearmint,
    117 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week - Common Witch Hazel
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Dec 19, 2021
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week - Common Witch Hazel

    Hamamelis virginiana - Common Witch Hazel Family: Hamamelidaceae Name: Hamamelis virginiana - Common Witch Hazel Bloom Time: October - December Soil Condition: moist-average-dry, slightly acidic, well drained Light: Partial Shade - Sun Height: 10-15’, rarely to 25’ Native Range: Eastern North America (including Long Island) Flowers: yellow Maintenance: prune in early spring, if necessary, to remove dead or damaged branches Hamamelis virginiana is a multi-stemmed, irregularly
    102 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the week: Blue Mistflower
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Mar 22, 2021
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the week: Blue Mistflower

    Name: Conoclinium coelestinum aka Eupatorium coelestinum - Hardy Ageratum Family: Asteraceae Bloom Time: late summer - fall Soil Condition: well drained Light: full sun to partial shade Height: 24” - 36” Native Range: Eastern North America Conoclinum coelestinum is best used for naturalizing in wildflower and native gardens as it can be quite aggressive. Fills in empty space quickly to combat unwanted weeds. Blooms for at least 8 weeks and makes a great cut flower. F
    32 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Kinnikinnick or Bearberry
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Feb 16, 2021
    • 2 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Kinnikinnick or Bearberry

    Name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi aka Kinnikinnick or Bearberry Family: Ericaceae Native Region: North America Hardiness: Zones 2-7 Soil Condition: dry-moist, rocky, sandy, acidic Light: Sun to Partial Shade Height: 6-12” Bloom Time: April-June Flowers: urn-shaped, white tinged with pink followed by ¼” bright red berries Arctostaphyllos uva-ursi is a very slow growing, trailing, evergreen ground cover found in sandy locations like the edges of the Long Island Pine Barren
    129 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Christmas Fern
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Feb 2, 2021
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Christmas Fern

    Name: Polystichum acrostichoides - Christmas Fern Family: Dryopteridaceae Bloom Time: Fern, non-flowering Soil Condition: Dry to Moist, Well Drained Light: Partial Shade to Full Shade Size: 12-30” tall with equal spread Native Range: Eastern North America Zone: 3-9 Polystichum acrostichoides is a lovely, clump forming fern for dry and moist shady spots. It received its common name, Christmas Fern, because it stays green right through the holiday season. It was also us
    23 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Hydrangea quercifolia
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Jan 20, 2021
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Hydrangea quercifolia

    Common Name: Oakleaf Hydrangea Family: Hydrangeaceae Bloom Time: June-July Flowers: 6-8" cone-shaped clusters with combination of showy sterile and inconspicuous fertile flowers Soil Condition: Moist-Average, Well Drained Light: Partial Shade Height: 4-5' tall by 5-6' wide Growth Rate: Moderate Native Range: Southeastern United States Hydrangea quercifolia is an outstanding four season shrub but not the easiest to find since there are so many cultivars available no
    20 views0 comments
    Native Plant of the Week: Sorghastrum nutans
    Kimberly Simmen
    • Jan 20, 2021
    • 1 min

    Native Plant of the Week: Sorghastrum nutans

    Family: Poaceae Common Name: Indian Grass Bloom Time: August - September Flowers: Panicle, light brown with yellow stamens Soil Condition: Dry - Moist Light: Sun Height: 3-8’ Native Range: Eastern and Central United States Sorghastrum nutans is an upright, warm season grass with lovely blue-green foliage. This beauty is best in a native garden, wildlife garden or meadow setting. It needs a lot of space because it will self sow readily. Absolutely breathtakingly beau
    8 views0 comments
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