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Regional native woodland garden, midatlantic

14 years ago

I want to make a small area of my yard devoted to regional natives. It's part/high shade. I back up to a nature preserve, and I get some awesome "invaders" from time to time that I can use. At times, it's hard to tell what's escaped someone's yard nearby and what's a real native.

The plants are all in front of an informal NOT native hedge, so I don't need anything super high. I'd like suggestions for plants for the area. Right now, I have jack in the pulpit and some (I hope) native ferns, and I'm going to hunt down some tiger lilies from some of my neighbors.

Other suggestions?

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Comments (3)

birdgardner
14 years ago
Just make sure you have the native tiger lily, L. superbum, and not the Chinese L. henryi.

Try trout lilies, the native ones, and Canada lily too.

Of course they are deer candy but deer-repellent with egg solids and cayenne pepper has kept the deer off my tulips this year. DR will stand for deer resistant in this post, DC, deer candy.

What trees are they growing under - root competition, soil acidity? Moist or dry? Sand, loam, or clay?

Ground cover - ferns (DR), Allegheny spurge (DR) (native pachysandra). Native asarums (DR).

Mayapple (DC). Cardinal flower (DR) if it's damp. Aquilegia canadensis (blossoms eaten). Indian pink, Spigelia marilandica (DR). Coneflower does well in high shade, flowers sometimes eaten. Virginia bluebell (DR). Monarda (DR).

Iris cristata, slug candy. Louisiana iris, DR and SR. (Give this one as much light as you can.) Phlox divaricata, DR.

Vines - Lonicera sempervirens, Dutchman's pipe, cypress vine in rich loose soil.

Shrubs - mini oakleaf hydrangea, Carolina allspice (has been DR but not this winter) Maybe some native azaleas that will stay small - R. austrinum (DR) has a delicious scent, so does R. 'Marydel' (DR) - first is yellow and flame colors, second pale pink. Native witch-hazel for winter scent. Spicebush - spicebush swallowtail host plant. DR. Can take a dry situation - I have it under a Norway maple.

List is heavy on the spring bloomers but that is what most native woodland plants do.
reyesuela
Original Author
14 years ago
Ha! I found out that the wild violets are invaders, not natives. Oh, well!

Heavy root competition, but I water to compensate. Acid soil. Clay.

I have 4 different species of fern on my property which I THINK are native--sensitive (I think), Christmas (I think), and two more.

We have mayapple everywhere..well, outside of the favorite deer paths!

We have some interesting vines I haven't ID'd, too....
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Probably should've mentioned. I'm in Central Indiana - The garden is in a low spot along a major creek, which floods from time to time. The soil appears to be nice, loose loam-you can dig into it with bare hands even without working it. The only major issue is the high PH. I've already planted a few leatherwoods for shrubs, as well as a few spicebushes and viburnums. I'm just wondering what needs to be done - find plants that will tolerate the neutral soil, or amend the soil with peat, sulfur, etc. to bring the PH down. Most of my other gardens are in soils ranging from 5.6 to 6.5 in PH - the woodland area gets flooded occasionally, which deposits agricultural lime, thus raising the PH. Maybe I should just start from scratch on higher ground - unfortunately, the soil is a bit poorer on the higher areas!
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Leaf mold, sounds like a friendly soil base for vine roots. A few shrubs can hide a good size pile of leaves, while it composts. Can you generate some heavy traffic on the paths, or try something root hostile? Fresh, pale, sawdust for the paths, say 4 to 6 inches deep, reduces the available nitrogen in the soil, and prevents growth. Add more as converient, for a year or two. In a year or two it rots and turns brown. Then, it is a great soil amendment, especially for clay. Some mills or lumberyards, will give it to you. Sounds like you would have to hire a young person with a truck though. The advantage is that, new, it prevents growth for a couple of years. Then, you remake the path, to one side of the old path, and can plant in the newly good soil. For huge vines,and shrubs, Think autumn ! We have cut a huge vine or two in the fall. It's very helpful, cut to 14" to 18". As soon as it shows new buds in the spring, cut it back hard. Their buds and energy storage are cut back severely. There was very little follow up growth. Someone may have put something on the stump, maybe vinegar, I don't know. Tall poisen ivy, multiflora roses, akebia quinata etc., hate being hacked in the fall. Don't warn vines or shrubs, with previous cuts, as they will ready buds. Cut in Sept-Oct at leaf-fall, and March at sprouting time. Very frequent cutting short, of some weeds, is right for them. It kills the giant polygonum here, and that spreads awfully underground. Since plants make their own food out of sunshine, you can deprive them of their leafy fuel engines. In 2 years.... A few taller plants near the front of the path, can create a sense of mystery. Ann Lovejoy is a great writer for garden planning. Have fun, what a wonderful challenge. Good luck, florey
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ghoghunter
14 years ago
If you want to see a fabulous Native garden go see Mt Cuba center. We had a wonderful tour this Spring when the Trilliums were all blooming. You can see what the natives look like in ideal conditions and how beautiful they are and also it might help you identify your stuff. It's in delaware so probably not too far although I don't know where exactly you are located.
Joann

Here is a link that might be useful: MT Cuba Center

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