White or pink blooms in spring (April-June). Erect, herbaceous perennial. Found in moist, rocky, wooded slopes. Flowers are pollinated by flies. The high tannin content of the leaves deter herbivory by deer and the like, and is an explanation to the myriad uses the Native Americans found for it as a healing medicinal.
View More DetailsCercis canadensis
Redbud is a small ornamental tree that can be used in the landscape as a specimen or placed in naturalistic groups at the edge of the woodland. Clusters of rose-purple flowers line the stems before the foliage emerges in late April and persist for 2 to 3 weeks. Grow this tree in partial shade to full sun and preferably in moist, well drained, neutral or slightly alkaline soils, but it is adaptable to dry conditions.
View More DetailsMertensia virginica
A sure sign of spring’s impending arrival is the masses of bright blue flowers of Virginia bluebells borne above its fresh green foliage. This herbaceous perennial wildflower happily seeds itself in the garden, quickly forming large drifts. They prefer bright sun in early spring followed by shade later as the forest canopy expands. By summer, Virginia bluebells die back to the ground allowing other perennials to extend the gardening season.
View More DetailsAquilegia canadensis
This adaptable native flower has distinctive petals which extend backward into long, hollow spurs which hold nectar. The shape and red color of the flower attracts ruby-throated hummingbirds. Adaptable, but prefers rich, moist and slightly acidic soil.
View More DetailsTrillium luteum
Striking yellow, three-petaled flowers, borne atop mottled grayish-green to blue-green leaves, makes yellow trillium an especially attractive perennial. Yellow trillium is among the easiest of all trilliums to grow and thrives in filtered shade, well-drained, and neutral to alkaline soils.
View More DetailsPhlox divaricata
This charming wildflower creates a haze of blue in the spring atop delicately branched stems as it spreads happily in the woodland garden. Woodland phlox is an herbaceous perennial that is among the most reliable and carefree plants, producing large clusters of fragrant lavender blue flowers on 6-10″ tall stems. Woodland phlox performs best in well-drained, neutral to slightly acidic soils in shade, though it will tolerate morning sun.
View More DetailsNodding trillium is a delightful addition to the woodland garden with its appealing white, three-petaled blossoms held above robust foliage on gently curving flower stalks. This fleeting spring perennial is at home in moist and well drained, neutral to slightly acidic soils in shade to partial shade. Nodding trillium can grow to 20″ tall, developing robust, multi-stemmed, many-flowered clumps. It is particularly effective in naturalized woodland masses. Nodding trillium partners texturally well when naturalized with Thalictrum thalictroides, Delphinium tricorne, Phlox stolonifera, Phlox divaricata, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, Stylophorum diphyllum, and Mertensia virginica.
View More DetailsA Mt. Cuba Center Plant Introduction. Pink Pearl rue anemone is an attractive lavender-pink selection of the typically white flowered rue anemone. Numerous 1″, upward facing flowers comprised of petal-like sepals are highly attractivein April just as the earliest blooming spring wildflowers emerge. ‘Pink Pearl’ produces its flowers atop 4″ to 10″ tall stems, with delicate, slightly lobed foliage, reminiscent of maindenhair fern. The wiry stems rise from a cluster of tuberous roots that look like miniature dahlia tubers. ‘Pink Pearl’ should be planted in part sun to full shade in moist but well-drained soil that ranges from slightly acidic to neutral. It typically goes dormant by early summer.
‘Pink Pearl’ was introduced by Mt. Cuba Center in 2007.
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