Exochorda racemosa

Pearlbush (Exochorda racemosa), at Purdue Horticulture Gardens.  You can find this bush near the southeast corner of the Horticulture building.  Exochorda is blanketed with white flowers in the spring, reminds me of the look of Vanhoutte Spirea, another spring flowering shrub that's more commonly planted around here.

Picture taken Sept. 22, 2012.

Link to Exochorda racemosa:

Link to Exochorda racemosa:

Link to Exochorda racemosa:

Link to previous post on Vanhoutte Spirea:

Henry's Lily

Henry's Lily, or Lilium henryi, at Purdue Horticulture Gardens.  Picture taken July 6, 2012.

Link to Lilium henryi:

Link to Lilium henryi:

Hybrid Flowering Tobacco

Another drought tolerant plant, this is Nicotiana x sanderae 'Crimson Bedder'.  It's a hybrid of Nicotiana alata and Nicotiana forgetiana.  Picture taken July 2, 2012.

Link to Nicotiana x sanderae:

Link to Nicotiana:

Globe amaranth

Globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa 'Qis Purple').  Globe amaranth is drought tolerant and it's growing well here this unusually dry summer.  Picture taken July 2, 2012.


Link to previous post on globe amaranth:

Purple Stem Joe-pye Weed

 This Purple Stem Joe-pye Weed is just beginning to flower.  A native Indiana plant. 

Once having the botanical name Eupatorium fistulosum, the most current name is Eutrochium fistulosum.

Pictures taken July 4, 2012

Link to Eutrochium fistulosum:

Link to Eutrochium fistulosum:

Eryngium

Eryngium planum ‘Blue Glitter’.  The common name is Flat Sea Holly.

Link to Eryngium planum:

A closer look at the Eryngium planum, attracting a few soldier beetles.  I noticed a few postings around the internet suggesting that this plant stinks like cat poop.   So I went back to this plant to check it out.  Yes, it really does smell like cat poop up close.  That is probably what makes it attractive to insects.

Link to previous post on soldier beetles:

Another species of Eryngium in the gardens, planted fairly close to the first one, this is Eryngium zabelii ‘Big Blue’.  The common name for Eryngium zabelii is also Sea Holly.   One might think Eryngium is some kind of a thistle but they are not related to thistle at all.   Rather surprisingly they are part of the Apiaceae, the carrot family.

Link to Eryngium:

Also in these gardens you can find our native Eryngium, this is Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium).  Eryngium yuccifolium is a distinctive plant of prairie habitats.

Link to previous post on Rattlesnake Master:

All pictures were taken June 7, 2012 at Purdue Horticulture Gardens.

Chameleon Plant

Chameleon Plant (Houttuynia cordata) at Purdue Horticulture Gardens.  This plant has the potential to become invasive.  Picture taken May 28, 2012.
 
Link to Houttuynia cordata:

Link to Houttuynia cordata:

Link to invasive potential of Houttuynia cordata:

Houttuynia cordata is native to Asia.  It's in the Saururaceae, which is a small plant family which also includes our native Lizard's Tail (Saururus cernuus)

Link to Saururaceae:

Link to Houttuynia cordata in Flora of China:

Link to edible Houttuynia cordata:

Acanthus spinosus

Acanthus spinosus, also known as Spiny Bear's Breeches.  Pictures taken May 28, 2012.

Link to Acanthus spinosus:

Link to Acanthus spinosus:

Double Fernleaf Peony

Double Fernleaf Peony (Paeonia tenuifolia 'Rubra Plena').  At Purdue Horticulture Gardens, April 5, 2012.

Link to Paeonia tenuifolia:

Link to Paeonia tenuifolia 'Rubra Plena':

Link to Paeonia tenuifolia in its native habitat:

Link to Paeonia tenuifolia:

Pigsqueak is flowering

Pigsqueak (Bergenia crassifolia) is flowering. Bergenia is in the Saxifrage family.  Pictures taken March 30, 2012.
 
Link to previous post on pigsqueak:

Link to another post on pigsqueak:

Armenian grape hyacinth

Armenian grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum).  Picture taken March 24, 2012.

Link to previous post on Muscari armeniacum:

Daylily emerging out of the ground

Another sign of spring, daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) emerging out of the ground.  Often daylilies escape from cultivation and become established along roadsides and unattended areas.  Once they get started they will persist for many years.  If you see these distinctive sprouts in the landscape this time of year the daylily flowers will be there in summer.  Picture taken March 14, 2012.

Link to previous post on daylilies in spring:

Link to another post on daylilies:

Link to yet another post on daylilies:

Snowdrops and Winter Aconite

The snowdrops (Galanthus sp.) and winter aconite (Eranthis sp.) are blooming nicely already at Purdue Horticulture Gardens.  Picture taken February 17, 2012.

Link to previous post on winter aconite:

Link to previous post on snowdrops: