Plant Reference E--H - Lower Marlboro Nursery

Echinacea purpurea

Coneflower

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 3-9. A popular and very showy 2'-3' native with large, lavender-pink flowers whose petals often flare back interestingly from the prominent golden brown cones. Flowers for a long period in summer in full sun to half shade and average soil. An excellent border or meadow plant, and fine for cutting. Goldfinches love it.

Elymus hystrix (Hystrix patula)

Bottlebrush Grass

N. America, z. 5-9. The mid-green leaves of this Eastern woodland grass grow in a loose, upright tuft to about 2'. The flowering spikes exceed that by a foot or more, topped with large, stiff, and bristly spikes of paler green—the "bottlebrushes". The spikes are quite showy and fine for cutting if picked early before they can shatter. Good for naturalizing in partial to full shade, dry to moist soil.

Epimedium x perralchicum 'Frohnleiten'

'Frohnleiten' Barrenwort

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

Garden origin, z. 5-9. A very handsome evergreen Epimedium with sprays of bright yellow flowers in spring, followed by elegantly bronzed new leaves that turn deep green and leathery in summer. Rapid spreading for an Epimedium but not aggressive, it is a valuable specimen or groundcover in partial to full shade and moist, well drained soil. Drought tolerant once established. Very desirable.

Epimedium x rubrum

Barrenwort

Garden origin, z. 4-8. A marvelous specimen or groundcover for the shady garden, about 1' tall. Its dainty red and cream flowers appear in early spring, quickly followed by heart-shaped leaves which come up a delicate red, changing to light green with red edges. In fall they turn a deep red and hold well into winter. In late winter they should be cut back to allow the new spring flowers to be seen. Tolerates dry shade very well.

Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum'

'Sulphureum' Barrenwort

Garden origin, z. 5-9. Another beautiful, evergreen, drought tolerant Epimedium which forms dense, slowly spreading clumps of red-tinged foliage and spring flowers of soft yellow and cream. Like most Epimediums it is very durable.

Erigeron pulchellus

Robin's Plantain

N. America, z. 4-8. Robin's Plantain is useful as an edger, groundcover, or rock garden plant. Its 8"-wide, softly hairy rosettes lie close to the ground and spread to form solid mats. In mid-spring, 15-18" stalks arise from the rosettes, each bearing several daisy-like flowers with many pale pink rays and a yellow center. Sun to part shade, moist, well-drained soil.

Eryngium aquaticum

Rattlesnake-Master

N. America, z. 7-9. an unusual, nearly unknown native for moist to wet soils and sun. Rattlesnake-Master has dark green, leathery leaves and slender stems to 4' topped in mid-summer by oval, scaly, silver-white flower heads somewhat like the popular annual, globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa). An attractive companion for Lobelias, Heleniums, and moisture-loving grasses; the heads can be dried for arrangements. May be short-lived, but seeds itself.

Eryngium yuccifolium

Button Snakeroot, Rattlesnake Master

N. America, z. 4-9. An interesting native that will tolerate either moist soil or dry sand/gravel, Rattlesnake Master has gray-green leaves resembling Yucca and 3' stalks bearing clusters of globular, greenish white flowerheads in summer. A good plant to mix with other bold summer bloomers such as Purple Coneflower, Butterfly Weed, and Black-eyed Susan. Full sun to part shade, moist to dry soil.

Euonymus americanus

Strawberry Bush

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 5-9. Strawberry Bush is a thin, suckering shrub with green stems and sparse, leathery leaves that passes almost unnoticed in its woodland haunts—until its seed capsules ripen in the fall. The capsules are large, spiky, and strawberry-pink, and split open upon maturity to reveal four vermilion berries dangling from fine threads. A bushful of them is an astonishing and beautiful sight. Strawberry Bush is a dubious choice for gardens because of its lax habit and susceptibility to scale insects, but is quite nice for naturalizing at woods' edge. It will grow readily in dense shade but sets fruit best with some sun; the green stems add winter interest.

Eupatorium coelestinum

Mistflower

N. America, z. 6-10. Mistflower is a rather variable plant; the form I offer, which I think is particularly nice, grows to about 2', with very fresh looking light green leaves and red stems. The flat heads of soft blue flowers, very like those of the well-known annual Ageratum, don't appear until late September/early October. Sun to part shade, average/moist soil.

Eupatorium fistulosum

Joe Pye Weed

N. America, z. 3-10. A tall and stately native now gaining popularity in the U. S., although the British have admired it for years. Occurring naturally in low, wet spots, where it can exceed 7', it forms a clump of thick stalks with coarse foliage, topped by cloudy masses of dusky pink flowers in late summer. Great for naturalizing in a difficult low spot, beside a pond, or as a background planting in sun or partial shade, average to wet soil.

Eupatorium purpureum

Sweet Joe-Pye

N. America, z. 3-8. Sweet Joe-Pye is one of several very similar species local to our region, and is distinguished from others mostly by a pleasant vanilla scent arising from the bruised leaves. A massive, 6'-plus beauty with large, open heads of pale pink or purple flowers beloved of butterflies in late summer, it's an easy attraction in sun or part shade, average to moist soil.

Eupatorium purpureum 'Little Red'

'Little Red' Sweet Joe-Pye

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 3-8. A New England Wild Flower Society selection for compact size, 'Little Red' will supposedly top out at 4' instead of 7' at maturity, but since the plants are seed-grown they may vary somewhat. At any height, however, Sweet Joe-Pye's broad adaptability and big heads of hazy purple, butterfly-attracting flowers in late summer make it well worthwhile. Sun to part shade, average to wet soil.

Euphorbia corollata

Flowering Spurge

North America, z. 3-9. A deep-rooted, very drought-tolerant plant which occurs naturally in dry fields and along sunny banks, or even in cracks in concrete walks! Its slender stalks and small leaves form a 1'-2' clump, spangled all over in mid-summer with small, long-lasting white flowers. A good naturalizer and also good in borders to blend bulkier plants together. Full sun to a little shade, well drained soil.

Fagus grandifolia

American Beech

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 4-9. Beeches are among the grandest and most beautiful of Eastern American trees and a major food and shelter source for wildlife. Their smooth, silver-gray trunks, sinuous limbs, and wide-spreading, buttressing roots are a major feature of our woodlands, as are their dense crowns of brilliant green spring leaves that turn russett-gold in fall and frequently cling to the branches all winter, slowing fading to palest champagne. Best transplanted when young and relatively slow-growing, Beeches eventually become very large trees, but they are so beautiful and so valuable for wildlife that they should be planted wherever conditions are suitable.

Fraxinus americana

White Ash

N. America, z. 3-9. A tall—60' plus—eastern treewith dark gray bark, pinnate leaves and excellent early fall color. Although in recent years, sadly, it has become subject to various diseases/insect problems, it has good wildlife value and is still well worth planting in naturalized situations in sun to part shade and average soil.

Galium odoratum (Asperula odorata)

Sweet Woodruff.

Europe, z. 3-9. A delicate, charming groundcover for partial to full shade and moist soil, only 6" tall, with whorled leaves and small white flowers in late spring. The dried leaves have a sweet, hay scent and are sometimes used to flavor wine.

Gentiana andrewsii

Geranium maculatum

Wild Geranium, Spotted Cranesbill

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 3-8. A late-spring flowering native with a neat mound of deeply cut, dark green foliage and 1" open-faced flowers in varying shades of lavender-pink. A pretty, long-lived perennial for part to full shade and average to moist soil.

Geranium maculatum 'Slatyfork'

'Slatyfork' Wild Geranium

N. America, z. 3-8. I named this selection myself for my aunt's homeplace in West Virginia where I found it growing. Its flowers are a bright rose-purple—a much deeper color than the norm for the species, but it is otherwise just as easy and adaptable.

Helenium autumnale 'Sunshine Hybrid'

Helen's Flower, Sneezeweed

N. America, z. 3-10. A splendid fall-blooming native, 2'-4', with daisy-like flowers whose velvety petals range from gold to russet to coppery red around a prominent dark brown center. Prefers sun and moist to wet soil.

Helenium flexuosum

Purple-headed Sneezeweed

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 5-9. The flowers of this little-known native are as comical as its name. Each consists of a nearly spherical purple-brown knob poised on top of a ring of scalloped yellow petals that remind me of cheerleaders' skirts. I'm not fond of the adjective "perky", but in this case it fits. The flowers are borne on branching, 1'-3' stems above a basal rosette in mid/late summer. Sun to part shade, average to wet soil.

Helleborus Hybrids

Lenten Rose

Asia Minor, z. 3-10. A real beauty. The palmate leaves are large, glossy, and evergreen, forming 1'-2' clumps almost like a small shrub. Depending on weather and location, plants begin blooming from mid-winter to early spring. The 2" cup-shaped flowers may be pale green, white, or shades of pink, often speckled with maroon. Despite their fragile appearance they last literally for months, bending down under the coldest blasts and springing back up afterwards. Long-lived in partial to full shade and moist soil.

Hemerocallis fulva

Tawny Daylily

Eurasia, z. 3-10. The wild orange daylily, ancestor of many of the modern hybrids, is so common along our roadsides that it is often regarded as a weed, yet it is a more graceful plant than many of its progeny. Its foliage never becomes too congested, and the very long, arching scapes hold their flowers with an air of slender elegance. It is also one of the best plants available for anchoring a slope in full sun to nearly full shade. Spreads rapidly by underground runners.

Hemerocallis fulva 'Kwanso'

Tawny Daylily

Japan, z. 3-10. An old garden favorite, this handsome, double-flowered orange daylily was introduced to the U.S. in the 1800's. I grew up knowing it as 4th-of-July lily, because here in z. 7 it invariably comes into bloom the week of July 4. A good border plant and an excellent groundcover for stabilizing slopes, it requires average moisture and full sun to light shade for best bloom. Increases rapidly.

Heuchera americana 'Dale's Strain'

'Dale's Strain' Common Alumroot

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 4-8. A woodland plant grown more for its 12" mounds of variably silver-mottled leaves than for its sprays of greenish-white flowers. The seed-grown variety 'Dale's Strain' was selected by Dale Hendricks of North Creek Nurseries in PA for superior foliage. A good accent, edging, or groundcover plant for partial shade and moist to dry soil, the silvery foliage contrasts well with other perennials.

Heuchera villosa 'Atropurpurea'

Hairy Alumroot

N. America, z. 4-9. Although not well known, Hairy Alumroot is a handsome evergreen perennial with 1'-high mounds of mildly hirsute foliage topped in late summer by white flowers in airy plumes. The very dark green leaves of the selection 'Atropurpurea' are tinged with wine red, which intensifies in cold weather. Leaf color and late blooming habit make it an excellent choice for part shade and moist, humusy soil.

Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride'

Hairy Alumroot

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 5-8. Softly furred light green leaves form mounds over 1′ tall and wide, erupting in late summer/fall with plumes of airy white flowers which look cool and elegant against an autumn backdrop. A strong, easy grower for use either as a specimen or groundcover, it prefers partial to full shade and withstands dry shade. One of the best of the Heucheras.

Heuchera x 'Montrose Ruby'

'Montrose Ruby' Alumroot

N. America, z. 4-9. 'Montrose Ruby' is one of the best and toughest of the Heuchera hybrids that have become available in recent years. Its soft, maple-like leaves range in shade from red and bronze to green, all heavily washed with silver. The small, greenish white flowers on dark red stems are pleasant but not very significant. A neat, low-growing plant that doesn't wander, it is an excellent accent or contrast plant in partly to full shaded borders.

Hibiscus coccineus

Scarlet Rose Mallow, Texas Star

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 7-9. A real showstopper! This southeastern perennial can reach 7' in a season when mature, and its stiff canes are clad in large, deeply cut, palmate leaves that look like something straight out of the jungle. But the late-summer flowers are the real show: 6"-wide crimson pinwheels with feathery stamens that protrude like an arrow from a bullseye. Striking as a mass planting or a single accent in rain gardens, at the edge of ponds, or any sunny spot with moist to wet soil.

Hibiscus laevis

Halberdleaf Rosemallow

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 4-9. The common name of this large and handsome perennial derives from the leaves' resemblance to an antique weapon, but far more noticeable are the saucer-sized, rose-pink flowers with a deep-red eye that burst open exuberantly at summer's height. Like other mallows it sprouts late in spring but grows very rapidly as the days heat up, reaching 6' tall and 3' wide at maturity. Tolerant of average to very wet soil in sun to part shade, it's a fine choice for either inland or seashore plantings, and attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.

Hibiscus palustris (H. moscheutos ssp. moscheutos)

Marsh Mallow

N. America, z. 5-10. One of several related species whose very large, showy pink or white flowers with crimson eyes glorify East Coast marshes in midsummer. The flowers are borne on sturdy, shrublike plants 3' to 6' tall which occur naturally in fresh or salt marshes but are quite happy in ordinary garden soil in sun to part shade. At 4" to 6", the flowers of the species are not quite as large as those of the popular hybrids found in most garden centers, but they're not as overwhelming—or as floppy—either.

Hydrangea arborescens

Hydrangea macrophylla var. serrata 'Blue Billow'

'Blue Billow' Lacecap Hydrangea

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

Korea, z. 5-8. This beautiful oriental creates a 4' by 6' mound of boldly textured foliage, studded from top to bottom in June with flat, 4"-5" heads of flowers of a gorgeous medium blue in acid soil, turning lavender to pink in more alkaline soils. As with most Hydrangeas, the flowers fade and change color but remain attractive for a very long period. 'Blue Billow' prefers shade and its lacecap form, with large sterile flowers surrounding the smaller fertile flowers, is more refined than the snowball types and stunning in the woodland garden. Moist to wet soil.

Hydrangea quercifolia

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 6-9. A superb native shrub, big in every way. Growing 6' by 6' or better, its leaves can be 1' long and wide and are matched in scale by the gracefully swaying heads of creamy white flowers in early summer. By midsummer the flowers fade to dusky rose, then to a soft brown complementing the spectacular late fall coloring of the leaves. In winter the bare branches are enlivened by flaking, reddish-brown bark, and still tipped with the dry flower heads. The seeds therein are very small, but still seem to attract winter birds. What more can one ask? A great choice either for specimen use or mass plantings, Oakleaf Hydrangea will tolerate either full sun or full shade, but is best in partial shade with moist, well-drained soil.

Hypericum densiflorum

Bushy St. John's Wort

Available for Fall 2008. Click here to go to the Catalog.

N. America, z. 5-8. Native to Maryland and much of the Southeast, Bushy St. John's Wort is an upright, suckering shrub 4'-6' in height. Its crown is twiggy and thickly clad in small, semi-oval leaves like green minnows; the stems have exoliating bark of a rich mahogany color. In mid-summer it produces clusters of small, golden powderpuff flowers followed by brown seed capsules, both attractive to wildlife. Very adaptable, it grows in dry to wet soils, but prefers full or nearly full sun. Available at the nursery in limited supply.

Hypericum frondosum

Golden St. Johnswort

N. America, z. 5-8. A fine small shub—usually 3'-4' —with reddish bark, narrow blue-green leaves, and golden powderpuff flowers in summer. Nice! It's size and rounded shape make it easy to site in a sunny or partly shaded spot with average, well-drained soil.