What’s Green Now? American Holly

Posted on February 14, 2015 by elizabeth

Ilex opaca; Aquifoliaceae

According to the US Forest Service, American holly is “the hardiest known broadleaf evergreen”. Despite the cold tolerance, it’s a plant of the southeastern US, although it does grow along the Atlantic coast as far north as Massachusetts. And considering how popular it is in horticulture (over 1,000 known cultivars), it’s a little surprising that it’s listed as threatened in Pennsylvania and exploitably vulnerable in New York.

Sadly I have no pictures of the flowers, which are small, white, and inconsequential, or the berries.

More detailed information from the USFS here.

What’s Green Now? Alumroot

Posted on February 13, 2015 by elizabeth

Heuchera americana; Saxifragaceae

Like rock polypody, alumroot grows right out of rocks, or rocky areas with thin soils. Cultivars of Heuchera species are common in the nursery trade; look for them under the common name “coral bells”. They make for nice texture in a shade garden, or as a groundcover near trees (if tree roots don’t out-compete them), though they won’t tolerate foot traffic.

This not-so-good photo is of the exact same plant shown above, taken in early June 2014. Note the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) cascading around it.

What’s Green Now? Rock Polypody

Posted on February 12, 2015 by elizabeth

Polypodium virginianum; Polypodiaceae

There are a few native ferns that are evergreen: ebony spleenwort, some of the woodferns (Dryopteris species), Christmas fern (in milder winters). I’ve seen a few around but haven’t been able to identify them. Rock polypody is pretty easy, though. I love how it grows right out of stone, needing very little soil. Being a fern, of course, it won’t flower, but here’s how it looks in mid July:

There are vast stands of it on the rocky bluffs around Carderock.

What’s Green Now? Spotted Wintergreen

Posted on February 11, 2015 by elizabeth

Chimaphila maculata; Pyrolaceae

This evergreen subshrub is known by a variety of names, including pipsissewa (also used to refer to any flower in the genus Chimaphila); prince’s plume, prince’s pine, and either of the preceding with the prefix spotted or striped; dragon’s tongue, rheumatism root, and who knows how many others. The name “Chimaphila” means winter-loving; the plants certainly appear happy enough peeking through that bit of snow.

Don’t confuse it with the similar Gaultheria species, which also go by the moniker “wintergreen”. Older authorities place both genera in the family Ericaceae, but more recently Chimaphila has been placed in the Pyrolaceae.

Watch for the blossoms starting in mid-June.

What’s Green Now? Eastern Redcedar

Posted on February 10, 2015 by elizabeth

Juniperus virginiana; Cupressaceae

This is a tree that doesn’t get much respect – as a matter of fact, many people dislike it because its role in cedar-apple rust threatens apple trees.

In landscape gardens, I find eastern redcedar unremarkable, though preferable to the ubiquitous arborvitae. In other situations, though, they are gorgeous. I see them lining the road or long driveways or fencelines on old properties, very old and presumably left to grow wild, instead of being pruned and managed. Take a drive along River Road (MD 190) from Seneca through Potomac and watch for them, especially for the craggy, shaggy bark on the lower trunks.

Eastern redcedar is highly adaptable, growing in poor soils and rich, on rocky outcrops (as shown above) and abandoned farmlands. The US Forest Service has a great article about it here.

Elizabeth's Wildflower Blog

hunting in the Maryland piedmont (mostly)

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