I hope you are continuing to research and plan for your garden this spring. It is just about time to plant warmer season vegetables and flowers, and it may be a good time to consider some plants native to our area. Native plants are of great benefit in our gardens; they do well in our climate and growing conditions, they are readily available, and they are beautiful. This week features two American natives for you to try – the Roughleaf dogwood and the American beautyberry. Both are shrubs that do very well in Oklahoma – let’s examine them.
Dogwoods, Cornus florida, are known for their beautiful blooms in the spring, but the variety we commonly see, especially in states like Virginia and Georgia, with the lovely white or pink bracts does not generally do well in Oklahoma except under special conditions. The Roughleaf dogwood, Cornus drummondii is native to our area and it has lovely blooms and foliage as well.
kAm#@F89=627 5@8H@@5 😀 2 4=F>A:?8 D9CF3 @C D>2== EC66 E92E 8C@HD FA E@ `e 766E E2==j :E 92D 7=2E\E@AA65 4=FDE6CD @7 4C62>J H9:E6 7=@H6CD 7C@> pAC:= E@ 62C=J yF?6 E92E 492?86 :?E@ 92C5 H9:E6 7CF:E =2E6C 😕 E96 DF>>6C] %96 =62G6D 2C6 23@FE c :?496D =@?8 2?5 E96 DFC7246 😀 D=:89E=J C@F89 E@ E96 E@F49[ 2?5 E96 =62G6D EFC? 2 =@G6=J AFCA=:D9\C65 😕 E96 72==] p=E9@F89 E9:D A=2?E 92D >2?J ECF?[ 2?5 😀 A6C764E A=2?E E@ 4@?EC@= 6C@D:@? @C D96=E6C @E96C A=2?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 #@F89=627 5@8H@@5 😀 6IEC6>6=J G6CD2E:=6 2?5 😀 7@F?5 ?2EFC2==J 😕 2 G2C:6EJ @7 H6E E@ 5CJ D:EF2E:@?D 7C@> 62DE6C? %6I2D E@ p=232>2 2?5 ?@CE9 E@ ~?E2C:@] xE AC676CD D@>6 >@:DEFC6[ 3FE E@=6C2E6D 5CJ 4@?5:E:@?D :7 :E 😀 A=2?E65 😕 566A D@:=] p55:E:@?2==J[ :E H:== 252AE 7C@> 7F== DF? E@ 962GJ D9256[ AC@5F4:?8 >@C6 7=@H6CD E96 >@C6 DF? :E C646:G6D] xE 8C@HD BF:4<=J 2?5 AC@5F46D >2?J DF4<6CD[ 2?5 E9:D 42? 36 2 ?682E:G6 😕 J@FC 82C56? @C ?62C J@FC =2H?] w@H6G6C[ :E 😀 A6C764E 7@C 96586D[ 3@C56CD[ DE23:=:K:?8 32?J D9256 82C56?[ 2?5 :E 😀 2 =@G6=J @G6CDE@CJ 7@C >J E@25 =:=:6D[ 4@=F>3:?6D 2?5 9@DE2D] x D:>A=J ACF?6 E96 DF4<6CD E@ <66A :E 7C@> E2<:?8 @G6C E96 365] %96 7=@H6CD 2EEC24E 3FEE6C7=:6D 2?5 E96 7CF:E 😀 BF:4<=J 62E6? 3J E96 3:C5Dj 😕 724E[ E9:D A=2?E AC@G:56D 7@@5 7@C 2E =62DE c_ DA64:6D @7 3:C5D 😕 E96 H:=5 =2?5D42A6Pk^Am
kAm%96 p>6C:42? 362FEJ36CCJ 😀 2?@E96C }@CE9 p>6C:42? ?2E:G6 E92E 8C@HD H6== 😕 ~<=29@>2j :E 7@C>D 2 C@F?5 D9CF3[ d E@ g 766E E2== 2?5 H:56] qC2?496D 4C62E6 =@G6=J 2C496D H9:49 36?5 E@ E96 8C@F?5] ~?6 G2C:6EJ[ r2==:42CA2 2>6C:42?2[ 92D D>2== =2G6?56C\A:?< 3=@DD@>D 7C@> yF?6 E@ pF8FDE[ H9:49 E96? 7@C> 4=FDE6CD @7 D9@HJ AFCA=6 36CC:6D 😕 =2E6 DF>>6C] %9:D A=2?E 😀 62DJ E@ >2:?E2:?[ 2?5 42? 36 FD65 2D 2 D4C66? @C 2446?E 😕 J@FC 82C56?j :E 8C@HD 62D:=J 😕 7F== DF? @C =:89E[ 52AA=65 D9256 😕 2 G2C:6EJ @7 D@:=D]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C G2C:6EJ @7 362FEJ36CCJ[ @?6 E92E x 92G6 😕 >J 82C56?[ 😀 E96 G2C:682E65 ‘sF6E’[ r2==:42CA2 5:49@>2E2[ H9:49 92D >65:F> 8C66? =62G6D H:E9 H9:E6\J6==@H 6586D] xE 3=@@>D H:E9 D>2== H9:E6 7=@H6CD H9:49 492?86 E@ H9:E6 36CC:6D E9C@F89 >:5\pFEF>? :7 E96 3:C5D 5@?’E 62E E96> 7:CDEP %9:D D9CF3 😀 D=:89E=J D>2==6C E92? E96 p>6C:42?2 2?5 😀 2=D@ H6== DF:E65 E@ 2 G2C:6EJ @7 =2?5D42A6 FD6D] q642FD6 @7 E96 =:89E =627 6586D[ :E 42? C62==J AC@G:56 2 3C:89E DA@E 😕 J@FC 82C56?] xE 😀 92C5J 7C@> +@?6D d E@ g 2?5 E@=6C2E6D >2?J D@:= EJA6D]k^Am
kAmpD J@F 2C6 A=2??:?8 J@FC 82C56?[ 36 DFC6 E@ 4@?D:56C E96D6 E6CC:7:4 ?2E:G6 A=2?ED 7@C J@FC =2?5D42A6P 2?5 7:?5 E96 A=2?ED @7 J@FC 5C62>D 2E E96 r=6G6=2?5 r@F?EJ |2DE6C v2C56?6C p??F2= !=2?E $2=6P y@:? FD pAC:= `a 7C@> `_ E@ a 2E E96 r=6G6=2?5 r@F?EJ u2:C q2C? 2E E96 u2:C8C@F?5D] %96C6 H:== 36 =@25D @7 A=2?ED – 3C:?8 J@FC H28@?P *@F 2C6 DFC6 E@ 7:?5 E96 A6C764E A=2?ED 7@C J@FC 82C56?Pk^Am
