Helianthus divaricatus in bloom

Helianthus divaricatus, known in English as "woodland sunflower" and in French as hélianthe à feuilles étalées, is a perennial native to eastern North America. I love the contrast between the clear yellow flowers and the dark green foliage.

My son photographed these plants at High Park.

What's blooming in High Park, late September

Sunday was a perfect day for planting with the High Park Volunteer Stewardship Programme. Summer is coming to an end, but there are many plants still in bloom. The asters are the current stars; I was especially impressed with the white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides, aster ericoïde), which has gorgeous plumes densely packed with small white flowers. So-called sky blue aster (Symphyotrichum oolentiangense, aster azuré) creates clouds of soft pale lavender, while New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, aster de Nouvelle-Angleterre) has big bright purple flowers. There are still some goldenrods (Solidago spp., verges d'or) and woodland sunflowers (Helianthus divaricatus, hélianthe à feuilles étalées), complementing the mauve asters with their bright yellow blooms. I also saw Campanula rotundifolia (harebells, campanule à feuilles rondes) in bloom for the first time in real life!

We planted seedlings of native plants at a new site (the former Sculpture Garden), including

• Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem, barbon de Gérard)
• Apocynum androsaemifolium (spreading dogbane, apocyn à feuilles d'androsème)
• Asclepias tuberosa (butterflyweed, asclépiade tubéreuse)
• Campanula rotundifolia (harebell, campanule à feuilles rondes)
• Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot, monarde fistuleuse)
• Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem, schizachyrium à balais)
• Solidago juncea (early goldenrod, verge d'or jonciforme)
• Symphyotrichum ericoides (white heath aster, aster ericoïde)
• Symphyotrichum oolentangiense (sky blue aster, aster azuré)

and others that I don't remember. (My son said they look like they're just weeds, but next year I'm sure they'll be lovely.) Nearby, another patch of ground was covered with heavy black plastic to kill the weeds through solarization. We'll be planting there next year.

Celosia argentea var. plumosa

Celosia argentea, known in English as "plumed cockscomb", "feathered cockscomb", "silver cockscomb", or by the genus name, and in French as célosie crête de coq, is an annual native to the tropics, perhaps Africa or India. The leaves and flowers are grown as a food crop in Africa. The flowers of the plumosa group are reminiscent of those of amaranth, and in fact celosia is a member of the Amaranthaceae.

I've never grown celosia myself, but I have a sentimental attachment to the cristata types, because they remind me of my first husband. (Geoffrey liked them because the flowers look like brains). I thought this combination of red celosia with deliciously fragrant deep purple Heliotropium arborscens (heliotrope, héliotrope), which I photographed at the main entrance of High Park opposite High Park subway station, was really striking.

Which natives are easy to grow from seed?

Although I really botched this last season's attempt to grow native plants from seed, I'm not giving up. I was pleased to see that William Cullina's Growing and propagating wildflowers of the United States and Canada (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000) lists which genera are easy to grow from seed. Here's a summary of the genera relevant to Toronto gardeners:

Genus	Species native to Toronto
Agastache	Agastache foeniculum (anise hyssop, anis hysope) Agastache nepetoides (yellow giant hyssop, faux-népéta)
Ageratina	Ageratina altissima (white snakeroot, eupatoire rugueuse)1
Antennaria	Antennaria howellii (Howell's pussytoes, immortelle)* Antennaria neglecta (field pussytoes, antennaire négligée)* Antennaria parlinii (Parlin's pussytoes, antennaire de Parlin)
Asclepias	Asclepias exaltata (poke milkweed, asclépiade très grande) Asclepias hirtella (tall green milkweed, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun français)* Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed, asclépiade incarnate) Asclepias purpurascens (purple milkweed, asclépiade pourpre) Asclepias quadrifolia (four-leaf milkweed, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun français)* Asclepias sullivantii (Sullivant's milkweed, asclépiade de Sullivant)* Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed, asclépiade commune) Asclepias tuberosa (butterflyweed, asclépiade tubéreuse) Asclepias variegata (white milkweed, asclépiade blanche) Asclepias verticillata (whorled milkweed, asclépiade verticillée) Asclepias viridiflora (green milkweed, asclépiade à fleurs vertes)*
Baptisia	Baptisia tinctoria (yellow wild indigo, indigo sauvage)
Campanula	Campanula aparinoides (bedstraw bellflower, campanule faux-gaillet)* Campanula rotundifolia (harebell, campanule à feuilles rondes)
Chamerion	Chamerion angustifolium (fireweed, épilobe)2
Chelone	Chelone glabra (white turtlehead, galane glabre)
Conoclinium	Conoclinium coelistinum (mist flower, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun français)3
Coreopsis	Coreopsis lanceolata (lanceleaf coreopsis, coreopsis à feuilles lancéolées) Coreopsis tinctoria (calliopsis, coréopsis des teinturiers)* Coreopsis tripteris (tall coreopsis, coréopsis trifoliolé)
Dalea	Dalea purpurea (prairie clover, petalostemon pourpre)
Echinacea	Echinacea pallida (pale purple coneflower, échinacée pâle)*
Eupatoriadelphus	Eupatoriadelphus maculatus (spotted Joe Pye weed, eupatoire maculée)4
Eupatorium	Eupatorium altissimum (tall boneset, eupatoire élevée)* Eupatorium perfoliatum (common boneset, eupatoire perfoliée) Eupatorium purpureum (sweet Joe Pye weed, eupatoire pourpre)*
Geranium	Geranium bicknellii (Bicknell's cranesbill, géranium de Bicknell)* Geranium carolinianum (Carolina geranium, géranium de Caroline)* Geranium maculatum (wild geranium, géranium maculé) Geranium robertianum (herb Robert, géranium de Robert)*
Geum	Geum aleppicum (yellow avens, benoîte d'Alep)* Geum canadense (white avens, benoîte du Canada)* Geum lacinatum (rough avens, benoîte laciniée)* Geum macrophyllum (large-leaf avens, benoîte à grandes feuilles)* Geum rivale (water avens, benoîte des ruisseaux) Geum triflorum (prairie smoke, benoîte à trois fleurs) Geum vernum (spring avens, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun français)* Geum virginianum (pale avens, benoîte de Virginie)*
Gillenia	Gillenia trifoliata (Bowman's root, gillenia à trois feuilles)5
Helianthus	Helianthus decapetalus (thin-leaf sunflower, hélianthe à dix rayons)* Helianthus divaricatus (woodland sunflower, hélianthe à feuilles étalées) Helianthus maximilliani (Maximillian sunflower, hélianthe de Maximilien) Helianthus nuttallii (Nuttall's sunflower, hélianthe de Nuttall)* Helianthus pauciflorus (stiff sunflower, hélianthe raide)* Helianthus strumosus (pale-leaf wood sunflower, hélianthe scrofuleux)* Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke, topinambour)
Heuchera	Heuchera americana (American alumroot, heuchère d'Amérique)
Hibiscus	Hibiscus laevis (halberd-leaf rose mallow, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun français) Hibiscus moscheutos (swamp rose mallow, ketmie des marais)
Hydrophyllum	Hydrophyllum appendiculatum (appendaged waterleaf, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun français)* Hydrophyllum canadense (broad-leaf waterleaf, hydrophylle du Canada) Hydrophyllum virginianum (Virginia waterleaf, hydrophylle de Virginie)
Liatris	Liatris aspera (rough blazing-star, liatride rugueuse) Liatris cylindracea (Ontario blazing-star, liatris cylindrique)*
Lobelia	Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower, lobélie cardinale) Lobelia dortmanna (water lobelia, lobélie de Dortmann)* Lobelia inflata (Indian tobacco, lobélie gonflée)* Lobelia kalmii (brook lobelia, lobélie de Kalm)* Lobelia siphilitica (great blue lobelia, lobélie syphilitique)
Lupinus	Lupinus perennis (wild lupine, lupin sauvage) Lupinus polyphyllus (big-leaf lupine, lupin polyphylle)
Mimulus	Mimulus alatus (sharp-winged monkey-flower, mimule ailé)* Mimulus glabratus (round-leaf monkey-flower, mimule glabre)* Mimulus moschatus (muskflower, mimule musqué)* Mimulus ringens (square-stemmed monkey-flower, mimule à fleurs entrouvertes)
Monarda	Monarda didyma (beebalm, monarde écarlate) Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot, monarde fistuleuse) Monarda media (purple bergamot, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun français)* Monarda punctata (spotted beebalm, monarde ponctuée)
Oenothera	Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose, onagre bisannuelle)* Oenothera clelandii (Cleland's evening primrose, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun français)* Oenothera fruticosa (sundrops, onagre frutescente) Oenothera nutans (nodding evening primrose, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun en français)* Oenothera oakesiana (Oakes' evening primrose, onagre d'Oakes)* Oenothera parviflora (small-flowered evening primrose, onagre parviflore)* Oenothera perennis (little evening primrose, onagre vivace)* Oenothera pilosella (meadow evening primrose, onagre piloselle)* Oenothera villosa (hairy evening primrose, onagre velue)*
Penstemon	Penstemon digitalis (foxglove beardtongue, penstémon digitale) Penstemon grandiflorus (large-flowered beardtongue, penstémon à grandes fleurs) Penstemon hirsutus (hairy beardtongue, penstémon hirsute)
Phlox	Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox, phlox divariqué) Phlox pilosa (downy phlox, phlox nain) Phlox subulata (moss phlox, phlox mousse)
Physostegia	Physostegia virginiana (obedient plant, physostégie de Virginie)
Potentilla	Potentilla arguta (tall cinquefoil, potentille âcre)* Potentilla canadensis (dwarf cinquefoil, potentille du Canada)* Potentilla norvegica (rough cinquefoil, potentille de Norvège)* Potentilla paradoxa (bushy cinquefoil, potentille paradoxale)* Potentilla rivalis (brook cinquefoil, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun en français)* Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil, potentille simple)*
Pycnanthemum	Pycnanthemum incanum (hoary mountain-mint, pycnanthème gris) Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (slender mountain-mint, pycnanthème à feuilles étroites) Pycnanthemum virginianum (Virginia mountain-mint, pycnanthème de Virginie)*
Ratibida	Ratibida columnifera (upright prairie coneflower, chapeau mexicain)
Rudbeckia	Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan, rudbeckie dress&eaucte;e) Rudbeckia lacinata (green-headed coneflower, rudbeckie laciniée)
Scutellaria	Scutellaria galericulata (marsh skullcap, scutellaire à casque)* Scutellaria lateriflora (mad-dog skullcap, scutellaire latériflore) Scutellaria nervosa (veined skullcap, scutellaire)* Scutellaria parvula (smaller skullcap, scutellaire minime)*
Sibbaldiopsis	Sibbaldiopsis tridentata (three-toothed cinquefoil, potentille tridentée)6
Silene	Silene antirrhina (sleepy catchfly, silène muflier)* Silene virginica (fire pink, silène de Virginie)
Sisyrinchium	Sisyrinchium albidum (white blue-eyed grass, bermudienne blanche)* Sisyrinchium angustifolium (narrow-leaf blue-eyed grass, bermudienne à feuilles étroites) Sisyrinchium montanum (strict blue-eyed grass, bermudienne montagnarde)*
Solidago	Solidago arguta (sharp-leaf goldenrod, verge d'or à fines dentelures)* Solidago bicolor (silverrod, verge d'or bicolore) Solidago caesia (blue-stem goldenrod, verge d'or bleuâtre) Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod, verge d'or du Canada)* Solidago flexicaulis (zigzag goldenrod, verge d'or à tige zigzaguante) Solidago gigantica (giant goldenrod, verge d'or géante)* Solidago hispida (hairy goldenrod, verge d'or hispide)* Solidago juncea (early goldenrod, verge d'or jonciforme)* Solidago macrophylla (large-leaf goldenrod, verge d'or à grandes feuilles)* Solidago nemoralis (grey goldenrod, verge d'or des bois) Solidago patula (rough-leaf goldenrod, verge d'or étalée)* Solidago puberela (downy goldenrod, verge d'or pubérulente)* Solidago rugosa (rough-stem goldenrod, verge d'or rugueuse) Solidago sempervirens (seaside goldenrod, verge d'or toujours verte) Solidago simplex (Mt. Albert goldenrod, verge d'or simple)* Solidago speciosa (showy goldenrod, verge d'or splendide) Solidago squarrosa (stout goldenrod, verge d'or squarreuse)* Solidago uliginosa (bog goldenrod, verge d'or des marais)* Solidago ulmifolia (elm-leaf goldenrod, verge d'or à feuilles d'orme)*
Stylophorum	Stylophorum diphyllum (wood poppy, célandine)
Thalictrum	Thalictrum dioicum (early meadowrue, pigamon dioïque) Thalictrum pubescens (king of the meadow, pigamon pubescent) Thalictrum revolutum (waxy meadowrue, pigamon à feuilles révolutées)* Thalictrum thalictroides (rue anemone, isopyre faux pigamon)* Thalictrum venulosum (veiny meadowrue, pigamon veiné)
Tiarella	Tiarella cordifolia (foamflower, tiarelle cordifoliée)
Tradescantia	Tradescantia ohiensis (Ohio spiderwort, tradescantia de l'Ohio)*
Verbena	Verbena bracteata (big-bract verbena, verveine prostrée)* Verbena × deamii (Deam's verbena, verveine de Deam)* Verbena × engelmannii (Engelmann's verbena, verveine d'Engelmann)* Verbena hastata (blue vervain, verveine hastée) Verbena × perriana (vervain, verveine)* Verbena simplex (narrow-leaf vervain, verveine simple)* Verbena stricta (hoary vervain, verveine veloutée) Verbena urticifolia (white vervain, verveine à feuilles d'ortie)*
Vernonia	Vernonia gigantea (giant ironweed, vernonie géante)*
Veronicastrum	Veronicastrum virginicum (Culver's root, veronicastre de Virginie)
Viola	Viola adunca (hooked-spur violet, violette à éperon crochu) Viola affinis (pale early violet, violette affine)* Viola bicolor (field pansy, pensée des champs)* Viola blanda (sweet white violet, violette agréable)* Viola × brauniae (Braun's violet, violette)* Viola canadensis (Canada violet, violette du Canada) Viola cucullata (marsh blue violet, violette cucullée)* Viola labradorica (alpine violet, violette du Labrador) Viola lanceolata (lance-leaf violet, violette lancéolée)* Viola macloskeyi (small white violet, violette pâle)* Viola × malteana (violet, violette de Malte)* Viola nephrophylla (northern bog violet, violette néphrophylle)* Viola novae-angliae (New England blue violet, violette de la Nouvelle-Angleterre)* Viola × palmata (palmate-leaf violet, violette palmée)* Viola palustris (alpine marsh violet, violette des marais)* Viola pedata (bird's-foot violet, violette pédalée) Viola pedatifida (prairie violet, violette pédalée)* Viola populifolia (Peck's violet, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun français)* Viola × porteriana (Stone's violet, violette de Porter)* Viola pubescens (downy yellow violet, violette pubescente) Viola renifolia (kidney-leaf violet, violette réniforme)* Viola rostrata (long-spurred violet, violette rostrée)* Viola rotundifolia (round-leaf yellow violet, violette à feuilles rondes)* Viola sagittata (arrow-leaf violet, violette sagittée)* Viola selkirkii (great-spurred violet, violette de Selkirk)* Viola septentrionalis (northern blue violet, violette septentrionale)* Viola sororia (wooly blue violet, violette parente) Viola striata (pale violet, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun français) Viola sublanceolata (lanceleaf violet, violette sublanceolée)* Viola triloba (cleft violet, je ne peux pas trouver le nom commun en français)*
Zizia	Zizia aptera (heart-leaf Alexanders, zizia des marais) Zizia aurea (golden Alexanders, zizia doré)

For references for which plants are native to Toronto, see my native plant list. (Here I'll insert my usual caveat that I'm not an expert, the native plant list is still under development, etc. Corrections are always welcome.)

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*: although Cullina says plants in this genus are easy to grow, he does not discuss this particular species.

1. Listed in Cullina as Eupatorium rugosum.
2. Listed in Cullina as Epilobium angustifolium.
3. Listed in Cullina as Eupatorium coelestinum.
4. A synonym for Eupatorium maculatum. This species is not listed in Cullina, but he does say the eupatoriums are easy in general.
5. Listed in Cullina as Porteranthus trifoliatus.
6. Listed in Cullina as Potentilla tridentata.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, September 2009

Here's what's blooming in our garden today:

Natives

• Amaranthus tuberculatus (rough-fruit amaranth, amarante tuberculée)
• Conyza canadensis (horseweed, vergerette du Canada)
• Oxalis stricta (wood sorrel, oxalide)
• Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan, rudbeckie dressée)
• Solidago canadensis (goldenrod, verge d'or)

Others

• Callibrachoa
• Campanula rapunculoides (creepy bellflower, campanule fausse raiponce)
• Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower, echinacée pourpre)
• Helianthus annuus (sunflower, tournesol)
• Heliotropium arborescens 'Fragrant Delight' (heliotrope, héliotrope)
• Impatiens walleriana 'Accent Lavender Blue' (impatiens, impatience)
• Ipomoea tricolor 'Heavenly Blue'
• Lobularia maritima (alyssum, alysson)
• Mentha sp. (mint, menthe)
• Petunia 'Sanguna Lavender Vein' (shown) and others
• Sutera cordata (bacopa, sutera cordée)
• Tagetes tenuifolia 'Lulu' (signet marigold, tagète tachée) (shown in photo above with black-eyed Susan)
• Tropeolum majus (nasturtium capucine)
• Verbena
• Viola × wittrockiana 'Delta Pure Rose' (pansy, pensée)
• Zinnia elegans 'Polar Bear'

Not bloooms, but still nice

• Taxus sp. (yew, if)
• Vitis sp. (grape, raisin)

Visit May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming elsewhere for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

Dahlia 'Pooh'

The Dahlias are a genus of perennials native to Mexico, central America, and Colombia. Unfortunately they are not hardy here in Toronto, which is why I haven't tried growing them (I avoid plants that require coddling). But this beauty, 'Pooh', is sorely tempting me.

Photographed at Toronto Botanical Garden.

Veronica longifolia 'Eveline' : a lush carpet of purple spires

Veronica longifolia (speedwell, véronique à longues feuilles) is a Eurasian perennial bearing spikes of small purple (or blue, or white) flowers.

There are a few veronicas which are native to Ontario. They are not as flamboyant as the Eurasian veronicas sold to gardeners, but I think Veronica americana (American brooklime or American speedwell, véronique d'Amérique) and Veronica anagallis-aquatica (water speedwell, water pimpernel, mouron aquatique) have potential as water garden plants. Both have dainty blue flowers which some find reminiscent of forget-me-nots. In our garden, I'm encouraging the native volunteer Veronica serpyllifolia (thyme-leaf speedwell, véronique à feuilles de serpolet) as a groundcover.

There are also some unrelated natives with spires of purple flowers. I like Verbena stricta (hoary vervain, verveine veloutée), and Agastache foeniculum (lavender hyssop, hysope anisée), a mint-relative with a strong licorice scent.

Lobelia erinus [Laguna Sky Blue] 'Loboudtis': a bit of heaven on earth

Lobelia erinus (aka "edging lobelia", "garden lobelia", or "trailing lobelia", in French lobélie érine) is a tender perennial from southern Africa grown as an annual here in Toronto.

Lobelia is available in different shades of blue, purple, white, or pink; this gorgeous sky blue cultivar caught my eye at Toronto Botanical Garden.

Lobelia siphilitica: glorious azure spires

After admiring photos of great blue lobelia (lobélie syphilitique), and botching my attempt to grow it from seed, I was excited to find it at the Toronto Botanical Garden. Even at the end of the season and a bit past its prime, it's gorgeous! Definitely worth further attempts to grow it in our own garden.

Planning ahead for spring...

It's still summery these days, but it's also time to order bulbs to bloom next spring! Since last year I really wanted more early blooms, I've ordered

• Galanthus nivalis (snow drops, perce neige)
• Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl' (snow crocus, crocus de printemps):
• Crocus crysanthus 'Romance'
• Chionodoxa forbesii (glory of the snow, gloire des neiges)
• Tulipa tarda (species tulip, tulipe botanique)

I've also ordered

• Phlox paniculata 'Katherine' because I've really been taken with all the phlox I've seen in others' gardens.
• Iris x hollandica 'Blue Pearl', because I have a sentimental attachment to irises. My parents had a massive collection of bearded irises when I was growing up, and I was originally planning to order 'Victoria Falls' which is described as "cobalt blue". Luckily before I ordered it I checked the photos of 'Victoria Falls' at Dave's Garden, and found out that while it is pretty, it certainly is nowhere near the deep blue shown in the catalogue! So I went with the less nostalgia-inducing but much cheaper and bluer Dutch irises.¹
• Cyclamen hederifolium (hardy cyclamen, cyclamen à feuille de lierre) because I really wish I had some new flowers to look forward to in the fall, instead of just watching everything slowly go dormant or die.

What are you planning for spring?

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1. The worst example of a plant being radically different than the sellers' photos that I know of is the 'Replete' daffodil which is advertised as "rosy pink", with matching photo (presumably photoshopped) when it is actually peach (click the link to see a comparison of the catalogue photo with the actual flower). The moral of the story is if a plant is advertised as having a very unusual colour, be sure to check out photos taken by ordinary gardeners who are not trying to sell you something. I don't know why people lie about what colours plants are; all it will do is alienate their customers when they inevitably discover the truth. 'Replete' is a very pretty peach daffodil; why not advertise it honestly as such?