Good Things Growing… March 2009

The lightly fragrant flowers of wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) can be blue, white or pale pink.

The Kaul Wildflower Garden contains only plants native to the southeastern US, and their spring show is one of the highlights of this season at BBG. Among many stars in this early, ebullient time, the three plants highlighted here are easy to grow in shade to part sun in average (not wet) garden soils.

Sanguinaria canadensis is called bloodroot because of the orange-red juice found in its leaves, petioles and rhizomes. The 8-10” tall plant is also known regionally as redroot, puccoon, red puccoon and Indian paint. Its 3” wide, white flowers typically have eight narrow petals and showy yellow stamens, and bloom before the single basal leaf is unfurled. Flowers last only a day or two but large populations flower from early March to early May and create a nice, staggered impact. Bloodroot is summer dormant; by late June all evidence of the plant is usually gone.

Phacelia bipinnatifida, scorpion-weed or fern-leaf phacelia, is a 15-24” tall biennial. The specific epithet bipinnatifida refers to the twice-compounded (bi-pinnate), silver-mottled, leaves; purplish hues are sometimes evident. Emerging quickly in late fall, the leaves persist through winter and make a nice companion plant for in and under deciduous shrubs. On second-year plants, the ½” wide, pale blue-purple flowers emerge on a stalked cluster that uncoils (like a scorpion’s tail?) as they bloom; flowers fade in color as they age; dormancy quickly follows seed dispersal.

Phlox divaricata, wild blue phlox, is one of our most beloved native perennials. In early to mid-March, the flat-topped flower clusters are borne atop 12-18” tall stalks that emerge from widely-spreading surface rhizomes. The lightly fragrant, ½”-¾” wide flowers are typically blue, but can be pale pink (rose), lilac-purple, or white as well. Wild blue phlox maintains its dark green leaves through the growing season; in winter, the leaves take on purplish hues, but remain effective in the garden.