A Tale of Two Penstemons

 

Long ago, perhaps sometime around 2008, I bought a beardtongue perennial at Home Depot. It was grown by a fairly local nursery and was labeled as Blue Ridge beardtongue (Penstemon smallii). I planted it in my yard, it grew well and made babies which I then shared with others and donated to plant sales. About the same time as I was passing around those babies, my friend Sheri was growing Gulf beardtongue or Brazos penstemon (Penstemon tenuis). As we donated them to the plant sale from our two populations, we joked about how similar they were. You can see where this is going, right?

After we finally figured out that my plant had been mislabeled, I pined wistfully for what I thought I had. It didn’t seem likely that I’d run across this species unless I went north. Enter another friend’s contribution to this story: Richard bought a plant of the real thing (Penstemon smallii) and shared seeds with Sheri and me. Plants from those seeds (all credit to Sheri for growing them) are now finally blooming in my garden!

Penstemon smallii (from seed)

Looking at the key for Penstemon, of the two species, Blue Ridge beardtongue has slightly larger flowers which can be densely bearded, and colors are more purple than pink. The largest leaves can also be about 1/3 larger. That is, generally it is a more robust plant. I can see all those characteristics in the plant I have now.

Plants above: Seed-grown Penstemon smallii on left, purchased Penstemon tenuis on right.

I try to learn from my plant mistakes and I try to help others learn what I learned. I should have done some research much sooner. 

How Can I Help (the book)

 

Doug Tallamy’s new book is entitled “How Can I Help: Saving Nature With Your Yard.” Many of us have heard him speak a number of times and it’s always a treat (you can find videos of him to watch for free on YouTube). This book is a thoughtful collection of many of the questions posed to him with answers that give good, clear explanations (including details that he might not always have time to give in live situations).

The questions are grouped by chapters such as Ecology and Evolution, Native and Non-Native Plants, Home Landscapes, and more (ten chapters in all). One chapter is devoted just to Oaks, a legacy of his book, The Nature of Oaks, and subsequent talks on oaks. I particularly enjoyed seeing the photo of the female flower on oak on page 89!

How can we use this information? The Q&A approach helps answer some of our own questions (page 74 has questions about using cultivars, for example), and the book gives us answers to use for some of the questions that we might get ourselves when talking to people about native plants. I particularly like his answer on page 145 about “If the new species [exotic imports] are more fit than the species here, then they deserve to replace them.” His answer on why that is not true is very thorough and includes points about how modern humans have moved plants faster than ecosystems can adapt. 

The chapter on Pest Control includes his famous recommendations on mosquito control; that chapter also includes questions on other pests, including deer.

The Home Landscapes chapter includes a wide range of questions including using glyphosate, trees for smaller spaces, assisted migration, and sub-sections on HOA issues and Leaf Litter. From small yards to large tracts of land, from beginners to experienced gardeners, there are questions for all levels in this book. And for those without property, volunteering is always a way to help.

I especially enjoyed seeing that he starts some answers with “It depends!” (see page 223 for two of them) when answers are not black and white. He does go on to answer the question, acknowledging that when it comes to choosing native plants and using them, there are factors that must be considered.

If you’d like to read an interview with him about the book, the Associated Press interviewed him in April about it. Here is a link to that interview. 

I found the interview while I was looking for the answer to a question of my own: why 499 questions? Why not 500? It was a strange point but I was curious so I contacted him. He said it was the publisher’s choice and that he could have included more. 

I’d say that the intense interest that he’s had since 2006 (and all the questions that people ask!) indicates that the desire to be more impactful in the home landscape is growing nicely.

Plant an oak!

A resource section and index is included at the end of the book.

May 2025 Moment in Nature

You've got to celebrate those plants that take your breath away. This week I rounded the corner to my backyard and caught sight of this plant: bigleaf snowbell (Styrax grandifolius). It's been in that location for a number of years, blooming modestly over time. This year the bloom volume is amazing. Every single branch sports these small white flowers and the overall effect is more magical than my camera can capture.

Bigleaf snowbell (Styrax grandifolius)

Native bee on snowbell

As I tried to capture the beauty, the gentle hum of two bees indicated they were going after the pollen and nectar of these graceful blooms. While this was certainly my #momentinnature for May, it's been extra special to visit this small tree all week to enjoy it again and again.

Spring is an amazing time. Get out there and find your moments.

Planting for What I Can’t See

 

For centuries non-edible gardening has focused on what is pleasing to us. Explorers have brought back plants from lands far and wide to entertain human senses. We now know that planting ornamental plants for only our pleasure is not helpful to the local ecosystem when our choices cause biodiversity to diminish at the expense of local insects, birds, and even small mammals. I have written before that at least maintaining native bird populations requires about 70% native plants in our environment.

So I plant things. Native things. Lots of different native things. Some of them I don’t see every day – or at all. My crossvine is blooming now. Bignonia capreolata is a native evergreen vine that I planted at the base of a medium-sized maple tree at the edge of my property. I can see the ropey vines as they drape through the lower part of the tree, but I have to use my binoculars to see the blooms. 

Until they drop to the ground – then I know it’s blooming. Those fallen flowers were the inspiration for my post about The Tiny Hands Project. Those little hands are bigger now; our little sprout just turned 7 this week.

The crossvine is just one example of things that I plant not necessarily for me but to support those who have needed it for far longer than I have been around. As we exit another Earth Week – our 55^th since 1970 (and I have been around for all of them!), remember that what we do is not always for us. Plant something for the ecosystem, your ecosystem.

Hike Local: Woodlands Garden

 

I had a chance this week to visit Woodlands Garden in Decatur, GA. It is an approximately 7-acre park in an urban setting. It is open to the public every day during daylight hours (note: no dogs allowed). Originally a private residence, the garden contains the smaller Morse Family Heritage Garden – which has a selection of exotic plants – and extensive trails of Piedmont native woodland plants. A map of the grounds can be found here.

Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)

The trails are easy walking and have good signage both for directional guidance and for many of the plants you’ll see. Several areas had extensive sweeps of single species of plants: narrow-leaf blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) in a sunny area, fernleaf phacelia (Phacelia bipinnatifida) just inside the shade, and in deep shade, patches of Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) and interrupted fern (Osmunda claytoniana) were lush and full of new spring growth.

Phacelia bipinnatifida

Osmunda claytonia

You might spot several of Atlanta’s champion trees. I was able to see the champion devil’s walking stick (Aralia spinosa); it was so mature that the only spines I could see were 6 feet high on the otherwise smooth trunk. 

Foamflower and Phlox

Blooming native spring flowers were sprinkled throughout: woodland phlox and foamflower, tiny wood anemone and native ginger, and gorgeous native azaleas. In the parking area, a flowering native coral honeysuckle lit up the front of the office building while the flowers of wild white indigo (Baptisia alba) and false indigo-bush (Amorpha fruticosa) kept the native bees busy.

Two of the native azaleas

The garden is a well-managed mix of intentional design and woodland wonders. As with any truly urban garden, exotic invasive plants creep in. The staff and volunteers have regular workdays to manage weeds and keep the trails open. If you're looking for inspiration or just to enjoy some natural beauty, stop by and visit this urban gem.

Amorpha fruticosa

 

April is Native Plant Month

 

Beginning in April 2021, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution designating April to be National Native Plant Month. [Since this is a Resolution and not a Law, this legislation needs to be reintroduced each year.]  That designation has continued each year, and each year the message spreads a little further. In Georgia, the native plant society has been using social media to highlight chapter activities around the state, using the national momentum to encourage people get involved locally. The Society’s executive director also wrote a great article to share about ways to celebrate: planting native plants, removing invasive plants, and educating others. Notice that two of those ways don’t even require you to have a garden!

Various national organizations are using the designation to highlight how essential native plants are to creatures that people like: birds, butterflies, and bees. Yes, science has shown us that there is a reason that native plants are required for our native ecosystem to thrive and I’ve written about this before:

Why Native Plants Matter to Birds

Why Native Plants Matter to Bees, Butterflies, and Bugs

Pollinators in Georgia: A Compilation of Articles

I also think that using native plants in our Georgia landscapes help anchor a sense of place and celebrate the natural beauty of our state. That certainly is one of the founding principles of this blog: Using Georgia Native Plants.

I hope you enjoy April and all our natural beauty. My native Piedmont azalea, Rhododendron canescens, is currently in full bloom outside the front window, serving as this week’s installment in gorgeous native flora in my yard (although the golden ragwort, Packera aurea, is certainly trying hard to rival it).

April 2025 Moment in Nature

This month's #momentinnature is really a two-fer. I noticed a row of insect eggs on the twig of an American beautyberry in my yard. As I leaned in to look more closely, I realized there was a very young gray tree frog nestled into one of the branch crotches.

While March has produced some wonderful early blooms, April promises to be amazing! Keep your eyes open for lots of special moments.