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March Favorites
New England Wild Flower Society staff highlights several of their favorite native plants.
by Dan Jaffe
March madness has so many meanings. For the gardener, it usually means spring is either early or late or perhaps a combination of both - including a late snow, temperature spikes and more. We are always on the edge, planning our gardens, yet wary of working the soil too early in New England.
In March, several plants soothe the gardeners soul:
Botanical Name: Dryopteris goldiana
Common Name: Goldie's wood fern
Sun Requirements: part sun to shade
Height: 36-48 inches
Soil Moisture: average to wet
Zones: 3-8
Ecoregions: 58, 59, 82, 83, 84
There are few ferns that hold up to the grandeur of a mature Goldie’s wood fern. The color is a rich green which turns gold in the later season. While not as large as Matteuccia or Osmundastrum, Goldie’s wood fern still makes an imposing specimen.
Botanical Name: Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium
Common Name: little bluestem
Sun Requirements: sun to part shade
Height: 12-48 inches
Soil Moisture: dry to moist
Zones: 3-9
Ecoregions: 58, 59, 82, 83, 84
Blue-green stems provide good color throughout the season, eventually giving way to a series of seed heads, which cluster up the blades, giving the grass a hedgehog-like appearance. In fall this species turns orange and red.
Botanical Name: Kalmia latifolia Common Name: mountain American laurel Bloom color: white to pink Bloom time: June-July Sun Requirements: sun to part shade Height: 4-12 feet Soil Moisture: dry to moist Zones: 5-9 Ecoregions: 58, 59, 82, 83, 84
There is something special about a mature stand of K. latifolia. The branches have a gnarled and wandering form and the vertically peeling bark lends the stems an ancient appearance. Its flowers are bell-shaped and bud out deep pink, eventually opening to a lighter pink color.
Botanical Name: Liriodendron tulipifera Common Name: tupliptree, tulip poplar Bloom color: orange Bloom time: May-June Sun Requirements: sun to part shade Height: 70-100 feet Soil Moisture: average to moist Zones: 4-9 Ecoregions: 58, 59, 83, 84
Liriodendron is an incredibly fast-growing tree with some of the most unique leaves out there. Large, yellow, orange, and green tulip-like flowers bloom in the early spring. For anyone looking for a large tree in a short period of time, tuliptree is a great choice.
Botanical Name: Monarda didyma 'Fireball' Common Name(s): ‘Fireball' scarlet bee-balm Bloom color: bright red Bloom time: May-June Sun Requirements: sun to part shade Height: 12-18 inches Soil Moisture: average to moist Zones: 4-8 Ecoregions: undetermined
‘Fireball' is a natural selection of Monarda didyma with a vibrant red flower and a dwarfed habit, growing only to 12-18 inches tall. This selection can be used when the vibrant color of Monarda is needed in the front of the garden.
58 Northeastern Highlands
Ecoregion Key:
59 Northeastern Coastal Zone
82 Acadian Plains and Hills
83 Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands
84 Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens
