Today marks the return of Botany’s native woody tree and shrub presale, this time featuring selections that shine in the autumn season. It’s worth noting that just because autumn is a highlight for these selections, there’s something to discover and enjoy in every season, from winter bark and branch structure to spring blooms and summer fruits. As usual, we’ve curated a list of some of our favorite selections, including some new (for us) offerings that we’ve not offered before.
The fall presale kicks off today and continues through Monday, September 30, and we’ll be highlighting different plants in each issue of our e-newsletter and on social media throughout the month.
A few important reminders before we get back to the plants.
All orders should be picked up at the South Bend Wild Ones fall plant sale, happening this year on Saturday, October 5 at Pinhook Park between 9a-3p.
Any order not picked up on October 5 will incur a $10/day holding fee, payable upon pickup at The Botany Shop during our regular business hours (Wed-Sat, 10a-5p, and Sunday noon-4).
Any order not picked up by Saturday, October 12 is subject to cancellation without refund.
If you see something you like on the list, we highly recommend placing an order sooner than later, because we’ve quite literally maxed out the trailer in terms of how much we’re able to bring in for this sale, so there won’t be any restocks.
Anything not sold in presale will be available for purchase on October 5 at Pinhook Park on a first come, first serve basis.
Alright, let’s get back to the plants!
If you’re not sure what to choose for your landscape, we know it can be a daunting task, especially if it’s a plant you’re not familiar with. Our advice is simple: choose the right plant for the right place. What does this look like in practice?
Consider the mature size of the plant, and remember that plants don’t stop growing once they’re “mature,” they just slow down a bit. It’s probably not a great idea to plant a giant oak tree two feet away from your foundation.
Consider the native environment of each plant and don’t purchase something just because it has a nice photo. Some plants, like Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) and Paw Paw (Asimina triloba) need consistent moisture to thrive. We’ve organized the available plants into categories on our website to help you find the best plants for your conditions.
WEEK 1
CELEBRATING NEW ARRIVALS
I often like to say that asking any plant lover to choose their favorite plant(s) is like asking a parent to choose which of their 300 children they love the most. It’s a nearly impossible task, because every plant on our list has value, appeal, and ecological benefit in its own right. That said, we’ve done the hard work to narrow it down and we’ll bring you a few of our favorites each week through September. To start us off, we’re celebrating new arrivals - things we’ve never offered before!
Also known as Horse Chestnut, this is the state tree of Ohio, boasting big, beautiful palmate leaves and huge, gorgeous creamy white flowers in spring. Trees produce large, copious amount of nuts in late summer/early fall, a favorite of squirrels and other critters, however they’re not fit for human consumption. Fall color is a beautiful, pungent burgundy-red.
American Hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana
Do you even lift, bro? This “athletic” tree is a stunning choice for winter interest, and is also known as Ironwood or Musclewood thanks to its rippling, smooth, attractive gray bark. A fabulous choice for a small backyard, they’re widely adaptable as both an understory tree in a shady spot and a specimen in full sun. Beautiful, textured leaves turn a bright golden yellow-orange in fall. Carpinus can be a stunning specimen plant, and one we wish were grown in more gardens. Give it a try!
American Basswood, Tilia americana
This stately, beautiful shade tree needs space to spread out and do its thing: plan for 60-80’ tall at maturity. The flowers are demure and delicate in late spring, with gorgeous, glossy green leaves throughout the summer. Autumn is a statement season for Basswood, when it lights up with golden-yellow color, almost like it’s glowing from within. If you have a large yard and are looking for a new statement shade tree, this one’s for you.
WEEK 2
LATE SEASON PERRENIALS
Botany’s native tree and shrub presale continues, and… SURPRISE! We just added two new plants! (These are not restocks: these plants weren’t on the list before now.) Both are herbaceous perennials, and we decided to add them because they’re some of our absolute favorite plants, especially when it comes to the late summer/early fall native pollinator garden. It’s high-time we look beyond the chrysanthemums and domed asters dotting the entrances to big box stores this time of year, and instead, reach for one of these unsung-heroes.
A word to the wise: this is an ambitious plant that spreads quickly (and often unpredictably) from underground roots, often spreading up to 18" in one season. This plant is best added to an established native plant garden with ample and established plantings for added competition, which will help to keep the Artemisia in check. Roots are relatively shallow, so can also keep it contained with deep bed edging or sidewalks. Artemisia has beautiful silver leaves, which are not only attractive to us gardeners, they're also vital for solitary bees searching for nesting material. As each new leaf unfurls, you'll know bees are at work when you begin to see dark green streaks down each leaf, indicating a bee has removed some of the fine, silver "fuzz" to create a cozy home somewhere nearby.
If you enjoy plants that mingle and weave and create surprising moments of joy with unexpected plant combinations that change from year to year (while also supporting cute little bees that just wanna get cozy), this one is for you.
This herbaceous perennial is durable and (in our view) essential for a late-summer/autumn pollinator garden. It's long-blooming and drought tolerant once established, and each year produces an abundance of bright, clean, azure-blue flowers from late August through autumn. A favorite of bumblebees!
To increase the number of blooms and keep the plant more compact, remove the tip of each main growing stem in early June to encourage side-shoot branching. If you prefer a more wild, rambling aesthetic, don't prune in June, and it will grow and weave through surrounding plants with grace and elegance. Plant in drifts of 3 or more for added effect. Mingles beautifully with late-season grasses, goldenrod, and asters.
Good drainage is a must. This is a great native substitute akin to Russian Sage, another durable garden perennial for dry, lean soils.
With its durable stem, Ironweed has a strong, upright structure in the garden. The intense purple blooms offer show-stopping color in the late summer garden and attract a plethora of pollinators, including several species of butterflies. While this plant is associated with wetter sites and brief flooding, it can handle average garden soil. A great addition to tall borders, rain gardens and wildflower meadows.