Blog - Page 7 of 21 - Nature Center at Greenburgh

July 20, 2023February 12, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Native Plants

Monarda: A Balm for the Spirit

In early summer as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds search for nectar and pollen, they find incredible bounty in Monarda – a group that includes some of our most beautiful and valuable native perennials. Watching wildlife enjoy Monarda on a summer day is only part of the pleasure – Monarda has other gifts for humans as well.

The Monarda genus is “endemic” to North America, meaning it is native only to this continent. There are over 20 species of Monarda, and 3 of them, all known variously as “Bee Balm,” “Wild Bergamot,” and “Oswego Tea,” make great garden plants in the Eastern US. All three are colorful, sun-loving, easy to grow, and deer resistant. The pom-pom flower heads are actually clusters of individual tubular flowers loaded with sweet nectar that attracts hummingbirds and a huge variety of pollinators. Flower colors range from pale lavender to pink to flame red.

*Monarda fistulosa* and a happy bumblebee

Monarda fistulosa (most frequently called “Wild Bergamot”) stands 4 to 5 feet tall and blooms with showy lavender flowers from July through September. It is tolerant of poor soil and can handle periods of drought. A true meadow plant, this Monarda is native to most of Southern Canada and almost all of the US east of the Rocky Mountains.

*Monarda fistulosa* in a Midwestern prairie

**Equally happy in a suburban garden, Monarda mixes well with other full-sun perennials**

Monarda didyma (most often called “Bee Balm”) is typically bright red, though there are natural variations and cultivars in different shades of rose and pink. It is shorter than Monarda fistulosa, usually topping out at 3 to 4 feet. It prefers more moisture and is a more aggressive spreader. Monardas are in the mint family and spread by rhizomes as well as seed. While M. fistulosa is less aggressive, Monarda didyma can take over a small flower bed sending runners in every direction, so plant it where it has room to roam. It will form a stunning colony in the right place, with full sun and fairly rich soil. Hummingbirds find it irresistible.

*Monarda didyma* is typically bright red

**A colony of *Monarda didyma* at the Greenburgh Nature Center**

Monarda bradburiana is native to the warmer climates of Southeastern and Southcentral US, but is hardy in Zones 5 to 8, so it does very well as far north as Connecticut, New Jersey, and parts of New York. It is a great garden plant because it is a clump-former, not spreading aggressively by rhizomes, and grows only 1 to 2 feet tall. It blooms in June, earlier than other Monardas, and has interesting shaggy flowers in pale pink.

*M. bradburiana* with Prairie Dropseed at the Nature Center

The common names for these Monarda species seem to overlap. All of them are called “Bee Balm” by many gardeners. And while the name “Wild Bergamot” most often refers to M. fistulosa, it is frequently applied to M. didyma as well. And both M. fistulosa and M. didyma are commonly called “Oswego Tea.” Though botanists would wag a finger and say this is exactly why common names are confusing, all three of these names actually are appropriate for all three plants.

“Bee Balm” refers to an ancient medicinal use of Monarda. Indigenous Americans taught European settlers that applying shredded (or chewed!) Monarda leaves to insect bites or stings neutralizes the pain and speeds healing.

“Wild Bergamot” refers to the flavor of “Oswego Tea.” Indigenous people of the Oswego River area in upstate New York introduced settlers to a delicious tea made from Monarda leaves and flowers. The flavor reminded Europeans of the taste of Bergamot orange, the flavoring in Earl Grey tea. It is often said that after the Boston Tea Party, colonists turned to Oswego Tea and boycotted the English product. That isn’t really a sacrifice: try adding steaming water to a handful of torn Monarda leaves and let it steep for 10 minutes. It’s delicious! Add a little honey and it’s even better.

As an herbal seasoning, both the leaves and flowers of Monarda are very good. Dried leaves of M. fistulosa, which are spicy as well as minty, can be used to season roasted meats. The fresh flowers of M. didyma (pulled individually out of the cluster), have a sweet and citrusy flavor that goes well with fruit, and in salads. Though Monarda plants are vulnerable to powdery mildew if conditions are too damp, it is easy to avoid the affected leaves and select newer growth along the stem and near the flowers.

Monarda is known to have anti-microbial and antiseptic qualities. The tea helps with sore throats, mouth sores, and gastric symptoms. Poultices and salves made with Monarda are said to prevent infection and aid in healing skin wounds. Early American colonists also learned to plant Monarda around their beehives. Not only does the honey pick up flavor from the flowers, the anti-microbial effect of Monarda helps prevent diseases in the bee colony.

A balm for the spirit on a summer day…

So, try a cup of Oswego Tea, hot or iced, and watch the hummingbirds, butterflies, and bumblebees share the gifts of Monarda. It is a balm for all of us.

THIS BLOG IS AUTHORED WEEKLY BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

June 29, 2023February 12, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Native Plants, Pollinators

Call the Marketing Department!

One of our most beautiful native perennials is commonly called “Hairy Beardtongue.” Yes, that’s right: Hairy. Beard. Tongue.

**A lovely plant with the worst common name ever!**
Photo: Travis Brady

While non-native flowers, even the invasive ones, often have charming names like “lily-of-the-valley,” “forget-me-not,” “star-of-Bethlehem,” “Queen Anne’s lace,” and “periwinkle,” many of our most beautiful native perennials are tagged with ugly names like “sneezeweed,” “snakeroot,” “milkweed,” “tickseed,” “spiderwort,” and “bloodroot.” Even in that list, the awful name “Hairy Beardtongue” is the loser! We need a rebranding campaign!

But until then, we can stick with scientific names — especially for the beautiful Penstemon genus, a large and varied family of native perennials.

**A garden full of lovely Penstemons in bloom**

The shape of the flowers explains why most Penstemon species are stuck with “Beardtongue” as part of their common names: Rock Beardtongue, Firecracker Beardtongue, Large-flowered Beardtongue, Rocky Mountain Beardtongue, and many others.

Penstemon flowers typically have 5 petals fused together at the top to form a nectar-rich tube. At the open end, two upper petals curve back and three lower petals reach out to provide a landing platform for pollinators. Each flower has 4 fertile stamens bearing pollen, and one infertile stamen, covered with hairy fibers, that rests on the lower lip of the flower. Presumably, that structure is what caused somebody to think of a “bearded tongue.” Why they didn’t think of a “lady’s comb” or “baby bottle brush” instead is a mystery. The scientific name Penstemon comes from the Greek words penta meaning five and stemon meaning thread or stamen. At least that name makes sense.

**Penstemon flower with so-called “beard tongue”**

**Side view showing fertile and sterile stamens**

Penstemon is the largest genus of plants native only to North America. There are over 250 different species of Penstemon found from the northern reaches of Canada through the southern tip of Mexico. The largest number and variety of these species are native to the mountains and deserts of Central and Western North America. They all have major value to insects and birds, and most of them are very pretty.

In the Northeastern US, there are two species of Penstemon that make especially fine garden plants: the aforementioned “Hairy Beardtongue” (Penstemon hirsutus), and the somewhat less disturbingly named “Foxglove Beardtongue” (Penstemon digitalis).

Penstemon hirsutus (the word hirsutus means hairy) is identified by the many very fine hairs lining its stems. It is a wonderful addition to flower gardens: carefree, drought tolerant, deer resistant, and easy to mix with other perennials. The flowers are 12 to 18 inches tall and a soft lavender or pale pink fading to white. Lance-shaped leaves are widely spaced along the stem in opposite pairs so that the stem almost appears to be piercing through them. At ground level, there is a basal rosette, or tight cluster of leaves that remain semi-evergreen in the winter. Penstemon hirsutus is a clump-forming plant that will gradually expand at the base, occasionally spreading by seed, but it is well-behaved in the garden and suitable for smaller spaces.

Downy hairs on the stems of *Penstemon hirsutus*

Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) is named for its vague resemblance to the popular English garden plant, foxglove, and the scientific name digitalis means finger, referring to the fingers of a glove. It grows taller than Penstamon hirsutus, reaching 3 to 4 feet, and has larger mostly-white flowers, with tiny purple stripes on its lower petals as nectar guides for bees. Its native habitat is moist meadows, but it can tolerate stretches of dry weather once established. It survives without any irrigation in the Meadow at the Greenburgh Nature Center and delights visitors in early summer. It can spread itself around more aggressively than P. hirsutus, but is not at all difficult to control. And while its namesake, foxglove, is famously toxic, Penstemon is not. Indigenous people all over North America found medicinal uses for the many species of Penstemon.

**Foxglove Penstemon (*Penstemon digitalis*) flowers**

*Penstemon digitalis* lights up the Meadow at the Nature Center

Both of these Penstemons bloom for weeks in early summer. They prefer full sun to part shade and are hardy in Zones 3-9. They are not at all fussy about soil conditions and are ideal candidates for low-maintenance pollinator gardens. They are both generally avoided by deer.

Penstemons form interesting seed capsules after pollination and have good fall color. They look great left standing through the winter, providing seeds and shelter for birds, and interesting form and color for gardeners.

**Fall and winter interest: Penstemon in November**

A popular cultivar of Penstemon digitalis called ‘Husker Red’ has purple leaves and pinkish, rather than white, flowers. Although the natural species is of more value to insects, ‘Husker Red’ mixes well with both Penstemon species described here, and adds foliage interest to a mixed flower border.

Penstemons are of special value to native bees and are also visited by hummingbirds. Short-tongued bees will sometimes “cheat,” biting through the tubular base of the flower to reach nectar without trading pollination services. Butterflies also are attracted by Penstemon nectar, and the leaves host a number of butterfly and moth caterpillars. Bumble bees love Penstemon! As they burrow in for nectar, the “beard tongue” brushes pollen off of their bodies, aiding pollination of the flowers.

Come to think of it, why don’t we call that fuzzy 5^th stamen the “bee-tickler” instead of “beard tongue”? Call the Marketing Department! Let’s re-brand the whole genus and declare that the new common name for Penstemon is “Bee Tickle”!

THIS BLOG IS AUTHORED WEEKLY BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

June 15, 2023February 12, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Native Plants

An Eye for Buckeye

Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) and Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) are two excellent flowering shrubs for home landscapes. If you’re ready to move beyond the ordinary, take a look at these beautiful buckeyes.

You’ve probably heard of Ohio Buckeye, a large Midwestern shade tree (Aesculus glabra) that has given its nickname to the state of Ohio, as well as its citizens, sports teams, and even a popular candy. The name comes from the large hard-shelled nut produced by the tree and said to resemble the eye of a deer. Of much greater interest for landscapes in the Eastern US, however, are two native shrubs that go by the same name and are in the same genus.

**Bottlebrush Buckeye (*Aesculus parviflora*)**

Both shrubs evolved in rich, shaded woodlands in the Southeastern US. Now successful well beyond their native range, they are grown in Zones 4 through 9 from New England to Florida. Stretching the definition of “native” a bit seems justified for these beautiful shrubs because of their value to hummingbirds and bees, as well as their superior garden merits.

Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) blooms first, in mid-May. One of its common names, “firecracker plant,” is not an exaggeration! The scarlet flowers blaze out of the shade in wooded areas, competing for attention with rhododendrons and azaleas. The tubular flowers seem custom-made for hummingbirds, blooming just as hummingbirds arrive for the season.

Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) blooms much later. The flower buds stand vertically above the leaves in June, like candles on a birthday cake, but they don’t open until July, when few other shrubs are in flower. The “bottlebrush” flowers are large, white, fluffy, and very attractive to pollinators. They are eye-catching in shade, and last for many weeks.

Like other plants in the buckeye family, both shrubs have large, dark green leaves that are “palmate,” meaning shaped like a hand, with five long narrow leaves on each stem. The leaves have a relaxed, slightly drooping habit, and gradually turn a soft yellow in the fall. Red Buckeye drops its leaves early, and for that reason, may look best with shorter shrubs planted in front of it.

**Bottlebrush Buckeye planted in front of Red Buckeye**

All parts of buckeyes are moderately toxic to humans and most animals. Deer may sample the shrub, but will learn to leave it alone. After flowering, the shrubs produce a globular pod containing large seeds. Squirrels seem to be the only animals interested in them. Indigenous people used the ground seeds of Red Buckeye to poison fish, making them easier to catch. But when prepared properly to remove toxic saponin compounds, buckeye nuts can be ground into a nutritious flour.

Both buckeye shrubs are slow-growing, but they are large and need room to spread their branches in the landscape. Red Buckeye grows taller, 10 to 20 feet, and up to 15 feet wide. It is a clump forming plant and will stay where you put it. Bottlebrush Buckeye stays shorter, 6 to 8 feet tall, but grows up to 20 feet wide. It is a “suckering” shrub that sends out runners tending to form colonies over a number of years. In the right spot, both are low maintenance shrubs.

**A large stand of Bottlebrush Buckeye at Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, NY.**

Buckeyes are understory plants and live happily in moist, organically rich soil. They can take full sun if they have enough moisture, but do better with afternoon shade in hot summers. Planted at the edge of a lawn (or meadow!) with tree cover above, buckeyes will do well, but the ideal spot is in a wooded area where autumn leaves are allowed to remain to enrich the soil. Buckeyes have a loose, open branching habit, so it is easy to underplant them with native ground covers.

**Landscaping with native trees, shrubs, and ground covers adds biodiversity to our neighborhoods**

If you want to create a diverse native woodland for birds, bees, and butterflies, create some habitat by adding these buckeyes under a tree or two — and enjoy the view!

THIS BLOG IS AUTHORED WEEKLY BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

June 9, 2023February 12, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Native Plants

The Fringe Element

After the Redbuds, Dogwoods, and Crabapples have finished blooming, there is another small native tree that continues the spring flower show well into June – if only more people knew about it! Chionanthus virginicus, or Fringe Tree, should be mainstream, but has somehow been relegated to the “fringes” of the suburban gardening world. This is a tree we should see everywhere!

In late May, Fringe Tree covers itself in fluffy white flowers with long, fluttering petals. The flowers are lightly fragrant with a delicate lilac scent. The leaves, which begin to emerge around the same time as the flowers, are large, dark green, and shiny. The resulting effect is stunning.

**The flowers each have 4 long, delicate petals**

**The dark, shiny leaves contrast with the flowers**

Growing to a maximum height of 25 feet and 10-15 feet wide, Fringe Tree is ideal for home landscapes. As a small tree or multi-trunked shrub, it has a rounded shape that rarely needs pruning. It fits beautifully in a border with shrubs and perennials, or it can be featured as a lawn tree in a small yard. It is the perfect size for under power lines or to frame a patio or deck. It flowers best in full sun, but the leaves stay fresher all summer if there is some afternoon shade. In fall, the leaves turn a warm yellow.

**Fringe Tree is a lovely addition to a home shrub border**

Fringe Tree is adaptable to a variety of soil types, but is happiest in slightly acidic soil with even moisture. It is generally care-free and not susceptible to pests or diseases. Compost or organic fertilizer will help get the roots established, but nothing more is really needed over the 50-year life span of this lovely native tree.

**A 5-year-old Fringe Tree at the Nature Center just leafing out in mid-May**

**By June 1, Fringe Tree is in full bloom (with *Zizia aurea*)**

The scientific name Chionanthus virginicus (pronounced “kai-o-nan-thus vir-gin-i-cus”), is from the Greek chio, meaning “snow,” and anthus, meaning “flower.” The name also refers to its native habitat in the state of Virginia, but its original range extended from rich woods and streamsides in New Jersey south to Florida and west to Missouri and Ohio. Today, Fringe Tree grows successfully throughout the Eastern US, Mid-Atlantic, and Central regions as it is hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

Several common names for this lovely tree are more descriptive than the botanical name, including American Fringe Tree, Old-man’s Beard, Grancy Gray-beard, and Sweetheart Tree. An Asian fringe tree has been introduced in the nursery trade, but as always, the native tree is a better choice. Native bees and butterflies visit American Fringe Tree, and it is well-adapted to our soil and climate. In Southeastern states, Fringe Tree is the host plant for several moths in the sphinx moth family.

Fringe Tree is dioecious, meaning the whole plant is either male or female. It is sometimes said that the male tree has showier flowers, but a side-by-side comparison doesn’t always support that notion. If the flowers of the female tree are pollinated by bees that have visited male trees, the female tree will produce interesting fruits that strongly resemble olives. In fact, Fringe Tree is in the same botanical family as olive trees. The fruit is not edible for humans, but many of our backyard birds love it. Cardinals, Blue Jays, Catbirds, Robins, and Mockingbirds will flock to a fruiting Fringe Tree.

**Fruit on a female Fringe Tree**
Photo: Scott Zanon

One of our most famous Virginians, Thomas Jefferson, loved the Fringe Trees of his home state. When he was living in France in 1786, he requested that Fringe Tree seeds be sent to him to share with his European friends. Perhaps not coincidentally, Fringe Tree is considered by European horticulturists to be one of the finest American plants introduced to English gardens.

So, if you’re looking for a beautiful small flowering tree, Fringe Tree is an excellent choice. We really should bring it back from the fringes and into the mainstream of American home gardens!

THIS BLOG IS AUTHORED WEEKLY BY CATHY LUDDEN, CONSERVATIONIST AND NATIVE PLANT EDUCATOR; AND BOARD MEMBER, GREENBURGH NATURE CENTER. FOLLOW CATHY ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE PHOTOS AND GARDENING TIPS @CATHYLUDDEN.

June 1, 2023February 12, 2025 Cathy Ludden Around the Grounds, Native Plants

Pardon the Interruption…

Can a garden plant connect us to a past so unimaginably distant that Earth itself was unrecognizable?

If we interrupt our routines, just for a moment, we can consider a plant that links us to an ancient time. Osmunda claytoniana, commonly known as “Interrupted Fern,” looks perfectly at home in a modern garden, yet it is essentially the same plant it was over 200 million years ago! Even before the first T-rex appeared, Interrupted Fern inhabited lush woodlands on proto-continents that later splintered, collided, and drifted apart.

A fossil found in Antarctica tells the story. In the late Triassic period (252-201 million years ago), the land mass that is now Antarctica had a temperate climate. There, growing near a stream in a shady forest, an Interrupted Fern became encased in sediment and then fossilized. The fossil reveals a plant that is virtually indistinguishable from Interrupted Ferns growing in gardens and forests in the Northeastern US today! Most plant and animal species found on Earth in the Triassic became extinct millions of years ago. Of those that survived, most have undergone so many mutations and evolutionary changes that they are virtually unrecognizable. But Interrupted Fern has continued – essentially without interruption!

Osmunda claytoniana is called “Interrupted Fern” because of its unusual and readily-identifiable structure. While most ferns carry their spores on separate stems or on the undersides of leaves, Interrupted Fern sends up fertile spore-bearing fronds from the center of the plant with feather-like clusters of “sporangia” in mid-stem. As the spore clusters ripen and drop away, the mid-section of the frond is “interrupted” leaving bare space between the leaves.

**Spore-producing structures interrupt the leaves on fertile fronds**

**As spores mature, they dry up and drop away**

**The fertile fronds are left “interrupted” between leafy sections**

Interrupted Fern is a great landscape plant. It emerges in early spring and remains fresh and upright throughout the summer, making an architectural statement in the garden. The fronds typically reach about 3 feet in height, and form an attractive vase shape. The fern expands its territory from the rhizome slowly, over a decade or so, eventually forming a clump. Once established, a clump of Interrupted Fern can be very long-lived. Thriving examples have been found in gardens abandoned for over fifty years. A colony of a naturally-occurring hybrid between Interrupted Fern and its close relative, Royal Fern, in Virginia is thought to be about 1,100 years old.

**A 30-year-old clump of Interrupted Ferns looks great under mature trees along a driveway in suburban New York**

Though it once lived in Antarctica, Interrupted Fern is found today only in Eastern and Central US and Canada. It does best in rich, moderately damp acid soil in full to part shade, but it grows taller (4-5 feet!) with more sun. Hardy in Zones 3 to 7, it is not palatable to deer – or dinosaurs, apparently. It provides cover to small birds and mammals, and makes an excellent underplanting for trees, especially at the edges of wooded areas where leaves are allowed to remain in place, enriching the soil.

Interrupted Fern dies back to the ground in late fall, leaving a mounded crown at the surface of the soil and a network of fine roots below. The rhizome can be dug for transplanting with a sharp spade in early spring by cutting the roots 4 to 6 inches from the crown and settling the crown in the new spot at the same height, spreading the roots out under a light layer of soil. Leaf mulch or compost are much better than bark mulch for keeping the soil moist and cool. In spring, the fronds emerge covered with long, fuzzy hairs and unfurl over a week or so. Once established in a suitable spot, Interrupted Fern really needs nothing more from humans!

**From dinosaurs to automobiles, a living fossil in the modern world**

As we worry about climate change, destruction of habitat, and the alarming loss of plant and animal species in what scientists are calling the “Sixth Great Extinction,” there is some comfort in observing this lovely plant that has seen more than one apocalypse and managed to survive unchanged. This ancient fern may just survive it all.