Red and Green Groundcovers

Mother Nature is celebrating the holiday season by decorating with red and green. On a walk through the woods , you might spot Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) or American Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Both these groundcovers have deep green leaves, white blooms in late spring/early summer, and red berries in fall/winter.

American Wintergreen, also known as Boxberry, Checkerberry or Eastern Teaberry, is a woody, evergreen, mat-like groundcover. It has tiny white flowers that are shaped like smooth urns. In fall and winter, bright red berries, about the same size as a single Nandina berry, contrast attractively with the deep green foliage. Wintergreen is a member of the Ericaceous family It prefers poor, acidic soils and the company of hardwood trees. The white or pale pink blooms are shaped like upright cups. Flowers are mildly fragrant, but one almost needs to be on hands and knees to catch the scent.

Partridgeberry is commonly called Twinflower because its blooms are held in pairs. Partridgeberry has two distinctly different types of blooms. One has a long pistil and four short stamens. The other is exactly the opposite: one short pistil and four long stamens. A very close look (think magnifying glass or at least a good pair of reading glasses) at the Partridgeberry bloom reveals its fuzzy appearance. It produces a beautiful red berry similar to Wintergreen. When squeezed, the Partridgeberry fruit will separate into two parts; the Winterberry remains solid.

Both Wintergreen and Partridgeberry are found across most of the eastern United States. They thrive in shady woodlands. The easiest way to distinguish the two is to crush a leaf or sample taste a berry. Wintergreen has the distinctive scent and taste of, well, wintergreen. Partridgeberry leaves have no scent and the fruit is tasteless. Another distinguishing characteristic is that the Partridgeberry leaf has a lighter vein running the from stem to tip. Wintergreen does not have this noticeable feature.

Both these plants grow only a few inches tall, but spread indefinitely to form a  gorgeous carpet for the forest floor. They are frequently found growing shoulder to shoulder in zones 3 through 7. Partridgeberry tolerates more heat; its growth area extends to zone 8. Birds and other wildlife eat the berries.

Red berries rest atop the dark green leaves of Mitchella repans like Nature’s Christmas ornaments

The twosome flowers of Mitchella repans illustrates one of its common names, Twinflower. A persistent berry from last year is visible in the 12 o’clock position.

Indian Pink, Beautiful Native

Indian Pink, also known as Pinkroot, is a native perennial wildflower. Its tubular flowers light up shady areas and attract hummingbirds. The Latin name, Spigelia marilandica (pronounced spy-GEEL-ee-ah mar-i-LAND-ih-kah) rolls off the tongue easily, with a musical quality that is absent in the common name. Spigelia is considered a threatened species in several states. I treasure my stand, and guard its good health. Plants are not widely found in nurseries. Mine came from a Native Plant Society sale.

Spigelia grows in light shade and prefers damp soil. It will survive periods of drought once established and will not tolerate a boggy area.  Keep the lime away from this one; it prefers an acidic-to-neutral home. Woodland soil high in organic content is ideal. Plants bloom in the Mary Snoddy garden in late-May to June, with flowers occurring at the top tips of the stems. The flowering period lasts several weeks. Plants reach heights up to three feet, in zones 5a through 9b. Flowers are red on the outside and yellow on the inside. The petal tips flare so that both colors are visible - gorgeous!

It takes several years for a newly planted Spigelia to reach its potential. Established clumps can be divided for propagation, but plants will reseed themselves if left alone. Flowers are followed by seed capsules that explode when ripe and spread their seeds around. It may take a year or two for those self-sown babies to bloom. Plants can also be propagated by cuttings taken in May, before flowering begins.

Appreciate Spigelia for its beauty but don’t be tempted to nibble. All parts are toxic, containing a form of strychnine poison.

Joe Pye and his Weed

American folklore tells us that a Native American Indian medicine man from Massachusetts named Joe Pye created an herbal treatment for typhoid fever using the leaves of a native plant. Today we know the plant as “Joe Pye Weed.” I don’t know if this is truth or legend, but Joe Pye Weed is a great fall flower.

Once classified as Eupatorium, these herbaceous perennials were renamed into the Eutrochium genus in the year 2000. There are five different species within the genus, but I hereby give you permission to refer to them all as Joe Pye Weeds.

These North American natives are tough. Their preferred growing site is in full sun with damp soil. They thrive in roadside ditches, especially along our southeastern mountain roads.  Under less favorable conditions, the plant height is reduced. This can be a good thing, since they can grow to 8 feet or more in a perfect cultural situation. There are also some dwarf cultivars (‘Gateway,’ ‘Baby Joe’ and ‘Little Joe’) that are easier to include in home plant designs than their taller cousins.

The dusty rose-pink flowers are a favorite of butterflies and bees. They are cold-hardy in zones 4 to 8. Plants can be cut back by half in late May to produce a shorter, bushier plant with more blooms. In winter, cut them off at ground level after the top growth is freeze-killed. You can encourage spread by cutting the dead flowers off and scattering the seeds. You can also divide in fall, but the coarse fibrous root balls take a sharp blade and some energy to separate. Replant divisions immediately, water and mulch.

Joe Pyes are a bit exuberant for tight formal beds, but look fabulous when planted with other fall-flowering plants like goldenrods, asters, some iron weeds, Mexican salvia, and tall sedums. Deer have not browsed those in the Mary Snoddy garden – yet.

Butterflies flock to the blooms of Joe Pye Weed

These Joe Pyes were planted the year before, in wet soil and full sun.