When I started gardening on two acres of hawthorn savannah, I was oblivious to the diversity of plant species around me. I had grown up in a much lusher habitat on rich lake-bottom soil. My new home stood on a glacial rock bar. The soil was stony, dry and infertile.
But fortunately I had developed an appreciation for native plants. Before long, I realized the savannah landscape had a wealth of its own. I discovered many fascinating plants, from gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis) to the hawthorns (Crataegus spp.) with their surprisingly fragrant blossoms. My respect began to grow for the existing dry habitat, and I began looking for ways to incorporate some of the plants in an aesthetic landscape design around the house.
This was not my first excursion into growing native plants. But I began to discover how their form and beauty were matched by special adaptation to local environmental conditions. As long as they don't have to compete with more aggressive species, indigenous plants are the ones most likely to succeed on a given site. But most of our land has been disturbed for so long that native forbs have been eliminated or become invisible to our untrained eyes. One or two summers passed before I even noticed some of the more unusual wildflowers growing on my own property. But they are beautiful and suited to the cultivated garden.
Here are six North American wildflowers I have grown, all adapted to well-drained soils. I'll start with the most familiar ones.
Native black-eyed susan: Rudbeckia hirta
These are native to the western prairies and are considered invaders in the east. Slightly smaller than the closely related imported species, they are still a brilliant addition to meadow gardens. They grew wild in the savannah around my house, and large swaths of them line the road to my cottage further north.
This is the only biennial in my list; the rest are perennials. But the black-eyed susan will self-sow itself and provide late summer colour year after year. It can be transplanted but not divided.
I don't grow it in my new garden, which is too small for Rudbeckia size and coarseness, and the butter-gold petals and purplish brown centre don't fit my cool colour scheme. But few wildflowers can add as much cheer to a more informal meadow garden.
Blue flax: Linum perenne
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