Ron Wilson Plant of the Week
This weeks pick definitely puts on a tremendous show late in the season, is truly a pollinator magnet, and gets blamed for any sneezing done this time of the year. Our plant this week is Solindago ‘Solar Cascade’, or commonly known as Goldenrod. Yep, Goldenrod, the perennial that gets blamed every year for our allergies (hayfever), when in fact it’s not the Goldenrod at all…it’s the ragweed growing next to it in a natural setting! Goldenrod’s pollen is heavy pollen and very attracting to all those pollinators out there, but doesn’t fly in the wind! It’s the ragweed that flies around and makes your sneeze and snuffle. So, back to ‘Solar Cascade’…this perennial was developed at the Cincinnati Botanical Garden and Zoo! Reliable deep green foliage in the summer topped off with golden-yellow flowers in late summer and fall (arching branches reaching 24-30” tall), this sun lover (drought tolerant) is clump forming (not aggressive), looks great in massed plantings, and is home to most all pollinators. A wonderful show with very little maintenance. It’s a keeper…but what would you expect coming from the Cincinnati Botanical Garden and Zoo? And yes, should be readily available (along with other selections of goldenrods) at your local garden stores.
Pretty and Pink
Perfect pinks bring a calming and nurturing effect to your garden
Flowering Crabapple
Munchkin Hydrangea
Pink Cupcake Oso Easy Rose
Marley's Pink Japanese Snowbell
Sonic Bloom Weigela