Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Wednesday - July 16, 2014
From: Moseley, VA
Region: Southeast
Topic: Plant Lists, Herbs/Forbs
Title: Cutting Garden Plants for TN
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
I would like to know what would be in a year round cutting garden in Nashville, TN for a novel I am writing.ANSWER:
The first place to go to find a list of potential perennial native plants for a cutting garden for your TN-based novel is our Native Plant Database. Use the Combination Search feature instead of Recommended Species. This will provide a bigger selection with much more choice to narrow down. The volunteers and staff at the Wildflower Center who maintain the database have put together an extensive database of plants and their characteristics for you to review.
Under Combination Search, select the following categories: TN, Habit – herb (for herbaceous), Duration – Perennial, Light Requirement – Sun.
This search criteria will give you many native perennial plants to consider for a cutting garden.
An alternate way to get a pool of plants to consider is to visit the recommended special collection of native plants for Tennessee. Then select herb and full sun.
Of these plants, the following have good potential for use in a cutting garden in full sun.
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)
Asclepias tuberosa (butterflyweed)
Baptisia australis (blue wild indigo)
Conoclinium coelestinum (blue mistflower)
Coreopsis lanceolata, Coreopsis tinctoria, or Coreopsis verticillata
Echinacea purpurea (eastern purple coneflower)
Gaillardia pulchella (firewheel)
Liatris punctata (dotted blazing star) or Liatris spicata (dense blazing star)
Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower)
Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine)
Monarda didyma (scarlet beebalm)
From the Image Gallery
More Herbs/Forbs Questions
Removal of invasive roots of Turks Cap in College Station TX
April 29, 2014 - I know people have asked you questions about propagating Turk's Cap, but my question is a little different. I have this plant growing in several locations, because I have a large garden with lots...
view the full question and answer
Source for air plant from Warwick RI
April 23, 2012 - Would you know of any store in Rhode Island that would sell the air plant (tillandsia plant)? I've been searching around and no luck! I would appreciate the help!!
Thank you and take care
view the full question and answer
Houston plants adaptable to Birmingham, AL
June 14, 2007 - I have recently moved from Houston to Birmingham Al. I had a wildflower garden in my back yard. Would the same flowers work here as well? I would love to have the same beautiful colors here.
view the full question and answer
Eliminating ragweed in Sacramento CA
May 16, 2012 - Rag weed. How to be rid of it! My wife and lots of others that live in this part of Sacramento suffer greatly.
view the full question and answer
Soil for native Chilopsis linearis and Salvia greggii
February 08, 2010 - I want to plant a desert willow and a salvia greggii in my small lot. The developer used sandy loam to fill in the small garden in the front. I am 73 and a bit impaired. Do I really need to remove ...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |