Native Plants
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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Wednesday - June 10, 2009
From: Lyndonville, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Container Gardens
Title: Container native plants for New York area
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I live near Lake Ontario (zip 14098). Would like to know what to plant in window boxes that have southern exposure and are in direct sun 4-6 hrs a dayANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants has selected native plants for you to choose from that are of various heights (all less than two feet), produce blooms at different times of the year, and/or have attractive foliage when not in bloom. They will all grow in part shade (2 to 6 hours of sun per day). If you would like to see more possibilities, please go to our Recommended Species page and select New York from the map or pull-down menu for a list of commercially available native plants suitable for landscaping. You can limit that list by using the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option and selecting from the various categories; for instance, you could select 'Herb' from General Appearance and the appropriate Light Requirement and/or Soil Moisture for your situation. (Note: For those plants that have a wide distribution, e.g., Black-eyed Susan, the early and late bloom times will apply to the more southerly climates.)Aquilegia canadensis (red columbine) , blooms February through July
Campanula rotundifolia (bluebell bellflower) blooms June through September
Dicentra cucullaria (dutchman's breeches) attractive foliage, blooms April and May
Gentiana puberulenta (downy gentian) blooms August through October
Hypoxis hirsuta (common goldstar) blooms May through June
Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine) blooms May and June
Maianthemum stellatum (starry false lily of the valley) attractive foliage, blooms May and June
Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox) blooms March through May
Phlox subulata (moss phlox) a low-growing plant that blooms March through June
Rudbeckia hirta (blackeyed Susan) blooms June through October
Tiarella cordifolia (heartleaf foamflower) blooms April through July
Trillium undulatum (painted trillium) blooms April through June
Viola pedata (birdfoot violet) blooms March through June
Viola sororia (common blue violet) blooms March through May
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