If you were looking for something positive regarding our cold spring, the slow start means the bright, hopeful spring green foliage lingers. Some trees haven’t leafed out, apparently having trouble deciding, leaving more light for the plants in bloom. Also, it seems like the early bloomers are lasting longer in this refrigerator-like climate. Here’s another installment of flower ID, helping you get to know the flowers growing around Wallingford. I hope you enjoy it!
The electric blue of Ceanothus (California lilac) is arresting. There are lots of species and many cultivars available, most growing into huge woody shrubs (don’t be fooled by their cute appearance at the nursery). C. gloriosus ‘Pt Reyes’ is a lovely (tallish) groundcover though. California has the corner on the blue ones; in Oregon and Washington most native species are white or light lavender blue.
This is a nice perennial grouping with vibrant colors that warm you up just looking at them. Clockwise from the top are Spurge (Euphorbia), Spiraea japonica (probably ‘Gold Flame’) and Helianthemum ‘Henfield Brilliant’. To see closeups click on the thumbnails below.
Plants with animal names:
Dogwoods (Cornus sp.) are popular in Northwest gardens. Here’s a pink one (C. florida):
I am partial to our native dogwood, C. nuttallii. There is hardly anything as beautiful in the spring as this tall tree in the forest understory with its white blossoms floating before a backdrop of dark conifers. Sadly, they tend to get fungus infections in city landscapes.
This chorus of Leopard’s bane (Doronicum orientale) got my attention; it’s practically dancing onto the sidewalk.
And who could miss the flower clusters on the horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum)? The wikipedia entry for this plant is fascinating
Thank you so much for providing these photos and accompanying information about the flora. I intensely enjoy walking around Wallingford because of the great gardening skill and imagination of this neighborhood’s residents.
Ditto – we spent some time this weekend walking around, and your photo-essay identified 2 flowering trees I was wondering about.
I am so glad the information was helpful! It’s very gratifying to provide something interesting. Feel free to send photos or inquiries for the column to [email protected].
Hi, Jeanie. I have a question, tho it’s probably about an early spring flower rather than late spring. Are you familiar with those plants that have a little string of pink hearts? I love those! Any idea what they are? Thanks!
Hi Chris, I think you’re talking about a Bleeding Heart. I had one at my old house and they are beautiful although they can get a bit unruly.
I love this post. We did the Wallingford Garden Tour a few years back when trying to figure out how to relandscape our backyard. Wallingford has an amazing array of plantlife as these photos show.
Thanks for posting.
Yes, that sounds like bleeding heart.
There is a showy ornamental species – which I have always known as Dicentra spectabilis (the species name means ‘showy’, or big). I just discovered the genus has been changed to the very non-euphonious Lamprocapnos which sort of sounds like a sea creature. Anyway, our native one (Dicentra formosa) is much less showy, but still beautiful – which is what the species name means! – and functional in the landscape for native fauna.
The ornamental ones come in white and bicolors, with green or golden leaves – very nice this time of year, but it’s helpful to have another plant growing with them that can cover the foliage after bloom time.
Wallingford is rich in horticultural wonders! Thanks for the appreciations. Keep the questions coming!
What a lovely post! I love Wallingford’s flowers in the springtime, and it’s nice to know what I’m looking at! 🙂
Lovely photos. A joyful post. thanks so much !!
Thanks so much for the informative article. The very first photo was of a bush that I’ve been admiring. I now know the name. I look forward to more of these great articles!