Pretty native wildflowers & more from Master Gardeners

Virginia bluebells. Photo courtesy Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org

You might want to include Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) or trillium in your spring garden. Find out why in two articles in this month’s edition of WNY Gardening Matters, produced by the Master Gardeners in Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County.

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) is the loveliest spring native wildflower, according to the article by Carol Ann Harlos. Other good news is that Virginia bluebells are not usually favored by deer or rabbits.

Another pretty native plant is trillium.

There are fewer trillium plants growing in the wild, according to the article by Lyn Chimera, so if you have the right conditions, planting a few trillium will help preserve our native biodiversity.

It can take eight years from the time a trillium seed is planted to the time it produces a flower, which is why the plants are expensive and why illegal digging of trillium is a big business. Before you buy a plant, find out where it was grown.

Trillium
Trillium grandiflorum. Photo courtesy Becca MacDonald, Sault College, Bugwood.org

Other articles in this month’s issue are:

Late Blight. Tomato lovers, watch out for this disease that usually happens during high humidity at the end of summer. This article is by Nancy Mauerman.

Easy houseplant: Pothos. You might not recognize the name of this houseplant, but you’ve probably seen it. And if you’re a beginner or want a plant that is easy to care for, you should try it. This article is by Lisa Marie Gee.

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