Orange-grass St. John’s Wort (Hypericum gentianoides) is an herbaceous annual species native to eastern North America.6-10” tall with an upright, wiry appearance due to tiny, appressed leaves. Prefers sandy or rocky areas, and requires disturbance to survive.Common name orange-grass was inspired by the citrus smell occurring when leaves are crushed.  Orange-grass St. John’s Wort (Hypericum gentianoides), also known as pineweed or […]

August 8, 2021 Scaly Blazing Star (Liatris squarrosa) Scaly Blazing Star (Liatris squarrosa) is a perennial wildflower in the aster family with purple tuft-like flowers that are popular with botanists and pollinators alike. These flowers grow above large, square, overlapping bracts for which the plant is named. They grow on unbranched stems 1-3 feet tall with small alternate leaves. Scaly blazing star is native to dry, sunny habitats with rocky or sandy soils such as prairies, savannas, limestone and sandstone glades, and open woodlands.  Populations of unplanted scaly blazing star can be indicators of high-quality native grasslands, as they thrive in dry soils […]

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens) is an evergreen woodland orchid native to the eastern half of the United States and Canada.Has beautiful, ground-level leaves with unique white veining. Got its common name from its rattlesnake skin-like leaf pattern, its leaf arrangement similar to unrelated plantains, and its down-covered flower stalk. Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens) is a woodland orchid native to […]