DC Native Flowers

Even if you're not a gardener, a Brooklander has to plant something.  One of the amazing things about our community is the gardens.  A yard that might be an "average" plain lawn in another hood can get you some dirty looks from your neighbor in these parts.  For those of us without a green thumb (or without significant time to invest in landscaping), there is hope.  Some great advice I received a few years ago:

• Plant perennials - If you don't enjoy revamping your flowerbeds every spring, simply choose plants that will come back, year after year, on their own.
• Plant native - Adding plants that naturally grow in our region has benefits for you and the environment.  For you, there is a natural guarantee that this plant can withstand DC summers and our occasional deep freeze.  For the environment, the plant fits in as a natural part of our ecosystem, so you don't need to pour chemicals on it to keep it alive, nor do you need to constantly trim it back to keep it from taking over your yard.

I've found three plants that are easy additions to most yards, are native to the capitol region, re-bloom each year, and are available at most nurseries - and usually even Home Depot.  Here are my picks:

First up: Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis).  This guy can climb up to 6 feet and offers brilliant red flowers on 8-inch spikes.  It prefers wet soil and is great for attracting hummingbirds.

Second: Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).  This is the same plant used to make the popular herbal tea, and a common landscape flower.  A purple flower tops 2.5-foot stems on this easy-to-grow favorite.

And third: Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica).  These guys take a little bit of watering, but are worth it.  Arching branches bend under the weight of clusters of lavender flowers. 

Have a better pick?  Leave a comments and let me know - thanks!