Plant A Goldenrod For Pollinators

It’s National Pollinator Week! In celebration I wanted to highlight a family of wildflowers that is one of the most beneficial for our native pollinators: the Goldenrods.

Florida has dozens of native goldenrod species, all in the Solidago genus. They all bloom in late summer, fall and sometimes through the winter in warmer climates. The genus is known for it's stalks covered in clusters of small, sunny yellow blooms. Goldenrods are often incorrectly blamed for seasonal allergies because the showy blooms open at the same time as the ragweed plant-the real culprit. Goldenrod pollen is not airborne, it relies on pollinators to move it from plant to plant and rewards these busy insects with rich nectar and pollen to eat. The goldenrods are an indispensable source of nectar and pollen in the fall and I rarely see a plant in bloom that isn’t being used by bees, butterflies, beetles, wasps or other insects.

We have a few of our favorite native goldenrod species in stock now. They are all reliable perennials and bloom in late summer through fall;

• Seaside Goldenrod, Solidago sempervirens- adaptable to many soils, salt-tolerant. Tolerant of wet soils and drought tolerant once established. Very showy stalks of blooms 3-6ft tall. Plant forms a clump and will reseed, but not aggressively. Full to part sun.
• Sweet Goldenrod, Solidago odora- pretty pyramidal clusters of yellow blooms atop stalks 3-4ft tall. Average garden soil, adaptable to clayey soils. Anise-scented foliage is used in teas. Clump grower, reseeds. Full to part sun.
• Downy Goldenrod, Solidago petiolaris- one of the most uniform and ornamental, forms a clump 2-3ft tall-doesn’t spread. Average soil and water needs. Full sun.
• Wand Goldenrod, Solidago stricta- sends up tall, thin ‘wands’ 2-4ft tall topped with blooms. Adaptable to many soil types. Full to part sun.
• Wreath Goldenrod, Solidago caesia- arching branches of blooms on 2ft tall stalks. Reseeds and spreads by root. Full sun to part shade.

Narrow-leaf Sunflower

Helianthus angustifolius is an herbaceous perennial for full to part sun. We call it narrow-leaf sunflower, but you’ll sometimes hear it called swamp sunflower also. Be aware however that there are other Helianthus species which are more commonly known as swamp sunflower in our area. They get considerably taller than narrow-leaf sunflower and spread very aggressively.

Narrow-leaf sunflower is native from North and Central Florida to Texas and as far north as Long Island and west to the Ohio River valley. Although it’s inconspicuous most of the year, you cannot miss its brilliant, yellow flowers in the fall. They would brighten the gloomiest of days; and it’s not stingy with them either. Plant this native perennial in your garden and you will have lots and lots of flowers to brighten your yard with plenty left over to cut and share. Every year Donna Legare (co-owner of the nursery) brings bouquets into the nursery and to friends and neighbors who are under the weather or need cheering up. It always seems like she has a never ending supply. Donna did tell me however to mention that this plant is not for everyone. Like swamp sunflower, it does spread; but we’ll get to that.

If you do decide that narrow-leaf sunflower is for you, give it plenty of room in full sun if possible. If a spot in partial sun is the best you have to offer it, pinch the plants once or twice early in the summer to encourage branching. Otherwise they will probably be leggy. They will still bloom beautifully in partial sun, just not quite as much so as in full sun.

Narrow-leaf sunflower grows to five feet. It attracts butterflies, birds and lots of native bees. It is salt tolerant and pretty pest resistant if it gets enough sun. It also tolerates a wide variety of soils from sand to poorly drained clay soils. It prefers moist soils but thrives in well-drained soil as long as it is watered adequately enough to become established and during dry spells.

Okay, so here’s the warning . . . this wonderful native perennial that is so tolerant of poor soil does spread and will go a little crazy when planted in well-drained, good garden soil. Although it is not as aggressive as swamp sunflower, it will spread by underground rhizomes, and you will find yourself having to pull some up (Donna says they’re easy to pull). For most of us it is well worth the trouble. In my fifteen years here at Native Nurseries, I’ve had more than one customer complain to me about its aggressiveness; but I do not remember any of them saying they were willing to dig it up and get rid of it. Once you’ve experienced this autumn wonder, it’s a hard habit to break.

At Native Nurseries, we typically stock Helianthus angustifolius (a/k/a narrow-leaf sunflower) in quarts and 1-gallon pots. Currently we have 1-gallon pots only. As always, give us a call to check availability before making a special trip (although we’re always happy to see you). Sorry . . . we do not ship plants.

Some information for this blog post came from the following sources –

http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=3497

http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=HEAN2

http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/demo/plant_profiles/helianthus_angustifolius%20.html

NC Cooperative Extension

Post Date: 6/11/15

Senecio a/k/a Golden Ragwort

­­­­­­­If you’ve been noticing a lot of yellow, daisy-like flowers in shady gardens this last week or so, you’ve most likely been seeing Senecio a/k/a Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea). This native wildflower forms an evergreen, perennial groundcover in the right conditions. It’s often used in the sun up north, but our southern sun is too strong for it, so plant it in full to part shade here in the Tallahassee area. It likes moist soil, but also does well in normal garden conditions. For this reason, it’s a great choice for rain gardens. It’s also a good choice for attracting bees and makes a good cut flower, too! American Indians used the roots and foliage for a medicinal tea. The foliage is mildly toxic however, so we would not recommend you try it yourself. Senecio’s satiny, heart-shaped basal foliage grows to a height of eight inches. Its flower stems grow to two to three feet and produce clusters of golden-yellow flowers up to one inch in diameter. It spreads easily - by both root colonization and seed and will spread and fill in faster if you let it go to seed. It will also go through a messy stage if you do so. Plants expend a great deal of energy to create seed – energy taken from other processes such as foliar growth. For that reason, it will look a bit scruffy for a period of six to eight weeks after seed dispersal. I let it go to seed in my yard for the first few years after I planted it; but once it had formed a nice thick mass, I started cutting the flower stems at the base as soon as they were past their prime. If you do so, you will avoid that scruffy period.

Once it’s established, maintenance is easy. Keep Senecio watered during dry periods, and you may have to do a little pulling to keep it contained. That’s pretty much it, other than cutting those spent flower stems. The only pests that ever seem to bother it are leaf miners, but they are easy to control. When you see their tracks on the foliage, simply remove those leaves and throw them away. Leaf miners do lay eggs inside the leaf however, so be sure to throw them in the trash and not on the ground.

At Native Nurseries, we stock Senecio most of the year in quarts and 1-gallon pots. Currently we have quarts only. As always, give us a call to check availability before making a special trip (although we’re always happy to see you). Sorry . . . we do not ship plants.

Some information for this blog post came from the following sources –

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PAAU3

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=l350