*Gardening with Mary

Native Plants

Many of us wonder what the difference is, but never ask.  A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally planted where it was growing.  What a mystery then, because many wildflower seeds are sold in seed packets called wildflower.  We all have a sort of romance about the term, "Wildflower", use it for weddings, etc.  The term to nurserymen is described as a plant that has never been altered, that it grows now as it was in the beginning of time.  Wildflowers are dug up, transplanted, placed into gardens far from where they were originally found, but they are still that same unaltered plant.  When this happens, some call them native plants.  Some wildflowers are found in almost every garden.  Centaurea cyanus, Coreopsis tinctoria, Dianthus Barbatus, California poppy, and Gypsophila elegans are to name a few.

Native plants on the other hand are stated to be one that develops naturally, or has existed for many years in an area.  Like there is always chicory blooming along the roadside in Erie County Ohio, therefore we consider it a native plant.  Plants can be trees, flowers, grasses and other plants.  Many of these special plants have adjusted to live in harsh climates, and exceptional soil conditions.  These conditions cause some of them to exist in very small ranges or areas.  The Lakeside Daisy comes to mind, for it is a native plant to only one small area of Ohio, in Lakeside.  This makes the plant very special.  There is a wonderful collection of native to Ohio plants at the Governor's mansion and Heritage Gardens in Columbus, Ohio.  Check http://www.governorsresidence.ohio.gov/green/default.aspx for this info, or contact the Ohio State University Extension office nearest you.  Some of the known plants are Compass Plant, Goldenrod, Purple Coneflower, Prairie blazingstar, Culver's root, Black-eyed Susan, and Yellow coneflower.   Most of these flowers are available at our local nurseries and greenhouses.