Re: flood-tolerant plants
Hello Nancy,
Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) blooms just before the Cimicifuga
racemosa. Blooms are not particularly showy. Six soft purplish petals with six
yellow stamens. Foliage is good deep gray-green with a bit of a downish look When
it emerges in spring the new foliage has a purplish-blue cast. Flowers are early
in April. The berries come on in color during August here. Porcelain blue on the
deep side of the color. Not a super showy, just nice and quite to blend well with
many other woodlanders. I happen to like it. Been used as a medicinal herb for
many centuries.
There are quite a few species of Monarda growing in the fencerows, edge of the
wood habitats here locally. something like 5 or 6 species. many of them bloom in
white if I remember correctly. Can't remember which one, but one is very tall...
well over 6 feet. I have not tried these in my garden as yet, but have seen them
on occasion the woods here locally. Yes, M. fistulosa is one of the species. M.
didyma is another species that shows up frequently in seed and plants lists
because of the red color and pink shades.
You do know Monarda are very easy from seed. Just surface sow when the soil
has warmed up above 70 degrees.
Gene Bush Southern Indiana Zone 6a Munchkin Nursery
around the woods - around the world
genebush@otherside.com http://www.munchkinnursery.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Nancy Stedman <stedman@INTERPORT.NET>
snip......
> Gene, can you tell me more about blue cohosh? I see from one of my books
> that it's from the eastern woodlands, which is perfect for me, and that it's
> from the barberry family, which always works well here. Can't find a photo,
> though. How conspicuous are the blue berries in the fall? Sounds like they'd
> go great with cimicifugas.
> And also, Gene, which are the monarda for woodland edge? Is it fistula? The
> monarda I have is a new cultivar from Piet Oudolfs, the Dutch guy (I'd kill
> to see his gardens, but that's another story) I got from White Flower. Not
> so floriferous for me, in the shade, and they do flop over, but they are
> tall and bloomed twice and have only just now been touched with mildew. I do
> so love monarda and wish I could get it to work well for me.
> Nancy
