NPG May 5, 2018

NPG of NYBG  May 5, 2018  Cinco de Mayo    nativeplantmarcia.blogspot.com

This is Marcia writing first as not-necessarily-native FERN marcia.  The Fern Society which has been meeting for 42 years had its last meeting today.  The incredible amount of knowledge in the heads of John Mickel and Robbin Moran never ceases to amaze me, and to find these world experts such lovely human beings has been a wonderful experience. Not to say I could say the names of any of the fern Latin names they reel off.  Most don't have common names like Christmas Fern, Ostrich Fern, Cinnamon Fern, Interrupted Fern, ones you know that are in the Native Plant Garden. We were offered free various ferns for home planting, generic name with a D, yes, Dryopteris, but I didn't write down the species name, but hope they grow in my otherwise native plant garden. Michael Penziner charges me to try to find a way to keep the group going even if John and Robbin cannot take responsibility in the future. I think that if you could scratch the surface of any of the many members of the Fern Society you would find a very knowledgeable and accomplished person in a variety of fields.

Unnamed Lady, Carol and John Mickel

Marcia selfie with John Mickel

Native Plant Garden
When any visitors have asked me when is the best time to come to the Native Plant Garden, though I love so many of the seasonal changes, I do say "probably May."  The NYBG is sooo beautiful today that I couldn't resist taking many photos of Redbuds (Judastree, older but foreign name in accordance with the belief that it was the wood on which Judas Iscariot hanged himself. In the myth, flowers formerly white, turned red either with shame or blood), Cherry Trees, various scenes in addition to NPG. If you look at only last week's list of NPG blooming plants, some special ones like Bloodroot and Globeflower are already gone today.

Blooming today are Wild Bleeding Heart Dicentra eximia,

Wild Bleeding Heart Dicentra eximia

Columbine Aquilegia canadensis, Sedum on the rock by the Education Building,Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica, Jacob's Ladder Polemonium van-bruntiae Celandine Poppy Stylophorum dyphyllum, Shooting Star Primula meadia;

Shooting Star Primula meadia (Mayapple leaves on left)

Bellwort/Merrybells Uvularia,

Bellwort Uvularia

Alabama Croton

the Alabama Crotons,














Trillium: Yellow, Grandiflora, Erectum;

Trillium: grandiflora & Stinking Benjamin erectum 

Larkspur Delphinium

Larkspur Delphinium tricorne;
Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum; Foamflower Tiarella cordifolia; WILD GINGER Asarum canadense but in the photo, obvious, is POISON IVY which is not good because if you are like me you will want to part the Ginger leaves to see the incredible flowers;

Wild Ginger & 3-leaved poison ivy

Solomon Seal Polygonatum; Yellow Violet; Rue Anemone; fern fiddleheads (which was the topic at the Fern Society today); Golden Alexanders Zizia aurea;






Bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana;

Bluestar

Dogwood Kornus; BlueberryVaccinium;  Azalea;

Golden Club Orontium

Golden Club Orontium aquaticum (used my own NYBG Native Plant Garden book to get this name of another favorite of mine)
















Chokeberry Aronia melancarpa;

Black Chokeberry  Aronia melancarp

Wild Indigo Baptisia; Blue Violet Viola walteri; 
Silverbell Halesia tetrapteraI;

Silverbell Halesia tetrapteral

and yes, what I didn't know last week, Lady's Tobacco;

Lady's Tobacco


Grave's Plum (pulled out of my memory remembering where it is). 

One that Michael Hagen had to help me with:


Prunus pumila var. depressa – Sand Cherry

Not only is it newly in NPG, but you know my prejudice on not true natives in the NPG.  Yes, it is pretty.

As always, comments, criticisms welcome.