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.
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Wednesday - April 15, 2015
From: Hopatcong, NJ
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Plant Lists, Drought Tolerant, Herbs/Forbs, Wildflowers
Title: New Jersey Native Plants for a Raised Bed
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
I want to plant some native plants in a raised bed in New Jersey along side a stucco wall that gets direct sun and is very dry due to an overhang. Any suggestions?ANSWER:
Let’s start with a list of native plants for your area. Take a look at the Native Plant Database on the www.wildflower.org website and put in the following search criteria: State = New Jersey, habit = herb (for herbaceous), duration = perennial, light requirement = full sun, soil moisture = dry, height = 1-3 feet. This search will reveal 46 native plants to consider.
Some tough possibilities include ...
Achillea millefolium (Common yarrow)
Anaphalis margaritacea (Western pearly everlasting)
Asclepias tuberosa (butterflyweed)
Campanula rotundifolia (Bluebell bellflower)
Coreopsis verticillata (Treadleaf coreopsis)
Echinacea purpurea (Eastern purple coneflower)
Monarda fistulosa (Wild bergamot)
Ratibida columnifera (Mexican hat)
Scutellaria incana (Hoary skullcap)
Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve (Smooth blue aster)
Tradescantia virginiana (Virginia spiderwort)
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