Posts by Mark Murphy (VNPS Communications)
Requested Recipe: Sugared Cranberries
At our November 11, 2015 Chapter Meeting Betty Truax served Sugared Cranberries and several people asked how to make them. They are easy to make! Put them in a jar with a pretty ribbon and bring as an unusual and tasty hostess gift. — Enjoy! 2 1/2 cups sugar plus extra to coat them with later 1 1/2…
Read MoreViola pedata (Birdfoot Violet)
Viola pedata is commonly called Birdfoot violet because the daintily divided leaves are deeply cleft into three to five parts that resemble a bird’s foot. Standing from 3-6 inches tall, this violet has few if any pubescence (hairs). Viola pedata blooms from mid to late spring as well as occasionally in the fall. There are two color…
Read MoreWhat We Saw on the VMI Bluffs Field Trip (04/19/14)
On April 19, 2014 Jefferson Chapter had a wonderful trip to the VMI bluff and Maury River floodplain. Ruth Douglas led 18 of us to see the many unusual plants there. The area has a wonderful combination of limestone soil; a cool and moist north facing slope, too steep for deer or logging; and…
Read MorePlants being offered at our 2014 Plant Sale
Jefferson Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society’s ANNUAL NATIVE PLANT SALE NATIVE PLANT SELECTION (Partial Listing) April 27 (Sun.), 2014, 1:00 – 3:00 PM IvyCreek Natural Area, Barn 1780 Earlysville Rd., Charlottesville Plants listed have been potted by the Jefferson Chapter members from propagated plants (not collected from wild areas). Many additional species beyond those listed…
Read MorePlant Sale Profile: Aquilegia Canadensis
Native throughout the piedmont and most counties in Virginia, Aquilegia Canadensis (Wild Columbine, Eastern Red Columbine) can be found in dry forests, woodlands, barrens, and rock outcrops; shell-marl slopes, bluffs, and shell middens in the Coastal Plain. Although most numerous on subcalcareous, calcareous, and mafic substrates, in the higher mountains it is more tolerant of…
Read MorePlant Sale Profile: Trillium grandiflorum
Native to Greene and Nelson, Trillium grandiflorum known as Large-Flowered Trillium or Great White Trillium, is one of the showiest trilliums in Virginia. It grows in cove forests, mesic to dry-mesic slope forests, northern hardwood forests, Northern Red Oak forests, and seepage swamp hummocks; most characteristic of and numerous in (but not restricted to) soils…
Read MorePlant Sale Profile: Chrysogonum virginianum
Another plant being offered at our native plant sale this spring is Chrysogonum virginianum. Common names for this plant are Goldenstar, Green and Gold, and Golden Knees. Chrysogonum virginianum is a nice groundcover that actually will tolerate some light foot traffic. With golden yellow blooms (1- 1.25 in wide) from Mar – Jun this plant…
Read MorePlant Sale Profile: Lobelia cardinalis
Lobelia cardinalis, commonly called Cardinal Flower was the Virginia Native Plant Society’s Wildflower of the Year in 1991. This is one of the showiest of the red blooming native plants in Virginia, blooming from July to October. It is found throughout the state, including the entire piedmont. Lobelia cardinalis is found in floodplain forests, alluvial…
Read MorePlant Sale Profile: Claytonia virginica
Claytonia virginica is a member of the family Montiaceae (formally Portulacaceae – in case you’re looking for information regarding this plant in an older reference). The genus is named for John Clayton, 1694-1773, who was a Colonial plant collector and tobacco farmer in Virginia. Common names are Spring Beauty, Virginia Spring Beauty, Eastern Spring Beauty.…
Read MorePlant Sale Profile: Mertensia virginica
Mertensia virginica is a member of the Borage (Boraginaceae) family. Commonly called Virginia Bluebells, its also known as Virginia Cowslip, Roanoke-bells, Eastern Bluebells and Lungwort Oysterleaf. When the leaves emerge they are a lovely shade of purple, quickly turning a medium green as they increase in size. Although the flowers are usually light blue, persistently…
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