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 […]

August 24, 2020 Fall Phlox (Phlox paniculata) is a showy perennial forb native to most of the central and eastern United States. There are actually 13 different Phlox species native to Virginia according to The Flora of Virginia, P. paniculata being one of the more common ones. It prefers full sun to part shade as well as loamy soils but […]

August 19, 2020 Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis, V. gigantia, V. glauca) is a tall perennial forb in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). There are many different species of ironweed across the United States, but the most common in Northern Virginia are New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), Giant Ironweed (V. gigantea) and Broadleaf Ironweed (V. glauca). Ironweed grows tallest in moist conditions, but […]

August 10, 2020 Purpletop Grass (Tridens flavus) is a perennial, warm season grass native to central and eastern regions of the United States. It is adapted to shallow, infertile soils and can often grow along roadsides or in open woodlands.  Purpletop is a bunchgrass that typically grows between 2 to 6′ tall with narrow, glossy green leaves up to 2′ long. […]

August 5, 2020 Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is arguably one of the more striking wildflowers with its bright red blooms. This perennial plant has a wide native distribution and is found throughout much of the US and parts of Canada and as far south as parts of South America. It blooms in Virginia in late summer. It can grow up […]