Native plants for mid-Maryland
Coneflower and butterfly milkweed - purple and orange
Lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium) thrive in acidic soils. 8 to 24 in. high, 1 to 3 ft. wide. Can be used for a spreading ground cover under pine trees or on a rocky slope, in a spot where it receives at least a half-day of sun. Space a few feet apart, giving them room to spread naturally. Mulch around plants well with a 3-inch layer of leaf mold, pine needles or wood chips to protect shallow roots from winter heave and improve moisture retention. Keep your blueberries well-weeded to reduce competition for moisture in the root zone.
Large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) - Moist to medium-dry (mesic-dry), sandy-loam to clay-loam soil. Shade to partial shade. Combine with May apple (Podophyllum peltatum), baneberry (Actaea spp), early meadow rue (Thalictrum dioicum) and Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans). Prefers woodlands with an ample amount of humus and leaf litter. Unlike other spring-flowering woodland native plants, large-flowered bellwort has flowers that produce nectar.
Coreopsis behind dustier plants.
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