Kentucky Native Plant Evaluation

Kentucky Native Plant Evaluation

Winston Dunwell, Department of Horticulture

Introduction

Plants native to Kentucky are already well-known in the nursery landscape industry. Dogwoods, oaks, maples, ashes, and rhododendrons are a few of the woody plants; purple coneflowers, trilliums, phlox, lilies and black-eyed Susan are a few of the many Kentucky perennial native plants used in landscapes. Kentucky native plants have characteristics that add to the aesthetics, and to the biodiversity, of residential, industrial, institutional and recreational landscapes. Government agencies and academics alike have called for increased use of “regionally native” plants. A Kentucky native plant evaluation has been established at the UK Nursery Crops Development Center at Princeton, Ky.

Results and Discussion

Native plants are sought out and found in the wild in Kentucky, seed are collected, plants are produced from the seed and those plants are placed into the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center Botanic Garden and/or the UK Nursery Crops Development Center research nursery for evaluation of their potential as landscape plants. Desirable characteristics include: long bloom period, good clean (disease and insect damage-free) foliage, environmental tolerance, and a commercially acceptable means of propagation.

Significance to Industry

Indian Pink, Spigelia marilandica, has the greatest potential for development as a mass produced landscape plant because of its long bloom period and ease of propagation. The development of a source of Quercus phellos, willow oak, of a Kentucky provenance with tolerances of Midwestern environmental conditions will be advantageous to Kentucky nurseries over currently available seed from provenances of the deep South. Cunila origanoides, dittany, shows potential as a landscape plant.

Table 1 contains individual plant evaluation information. The bolded scientific names indicate native plants that show significant promise as landscape plants.

Literature Cited

1. Fulcher, A. F., Winston C. Dunwell, and Dwight Wolfe. 2003. Rudbeckia Taxa Evaluation. SNA Res. Conf. Proc. 48:In press

2. Haragan, Patricia Dalton. 1991. Weeds of Kentucky and Adjacent States: A Field Guide. The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.

Additional References (and Resources)

Armitage, Allan M. 1997. Herbaceous Perennial Plants: Second Edition. Stipes Publishing, Champaign, IL.

Cullina, William. 2000. Growing and Propagating Wildflowers. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, New York.

Chester, Edward W. and William H. Ellis. 2000. Wildflowers of the Land Between the Lakes Region, Kentucky and Tennessee, Second Edition. Miscellaneous Publication Number 15, The Center For Field Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN.

Dirr, Michael. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Stipes Publishing, Champaign, IL.

Duncan, Wilbur H. and Marion B. Duncan. 1999. Wildflowers of the Eastern United States. University of Georgia Press, Athens and London.

Seymour, Randy. 1997. Wildflowers of Mammoth Cave National Park. The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.

Schopmeyer, C. S. 1974. Agriculture Handbook 450: Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

Wharton, Mary E. and Roger W. Barbour. 1974. Trees and Shrubs of Kentucky. The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.

Wharton, Mary E. and Roger W. Barbour. 1971. A Guide to the Wildflowers and Ferns of Kentucky. The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.

Online Resources

Invasive Weeds of Kentucky and Adjacent States, KY. http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/invasive_one.cgi?pub=KY

InvasiveSpecies.gov What's in My Neighborhood: Kentucky. http://invasivespecies.gov/geog/state/ky.shtml

Wildflowers of Western Kentucky. http://knps.org/Wildflowers/flora.htm

Table 1. Kentucky Native Plants in Evaluation at the UKREC, Princeton, KY
Scientific name	Common name	Notable ornamental characteristic	Evaluation results	Current status	Future evaluation and research efforts
Ascelpias tuberosa	Butterfly Weed	Bright orange bloom, attracts butterflies	Native equal to cultivars	Off-station¹ landscapes and butterfly garden	maintain in landscape for public viewing
Amsonia tabernaemontana	Blue-star, Amsonia, Blue Dogbane	Pale blue spring flowers	Easily propagated from seed or by division	UKRECBG²	Cutting propagation and distribution
Anemonella thalictroides	Rue Anemone	Fine-textured plant, dainty flower	Spring bloomer	UKRECBG	Further evaluation in a better drained site
Arisaema atrorubens	Jack in the Pulpit, Indian Turnip	Unique flower and fruit	None to date	Seed source located	Propagate and evaluate as landscape plant
Arisaema dracontium	Green Dragon	Unusual leaf and flower	None to date	Seed source located	Propagate and evaluate as landscape plant
Cephalanthus occidentalis	Buttonbush	Summer flowering woody shrub; very tolerant of wet feet	Attractive glossy foliage, uniquely round flower	In landscape and nursery	Evaluate invasiveness
Cimicifuga racemosa	Black Snakeroot, Black Cohosh	Striking tall white spike flowers in fall	Prone to scorch/dieback in nursery and landscape environment	In two landscape sites and research nursery	Determine best landscape environment; collect seed from plants in other sites
Cunila origanoides	Dittany	Rounded small plant of 18 inches; small purple flowers in late summer-fall	Attractive; divides easily.	In research nursery	Continue landscape evaluation; develop protocol for container production
Erythronium americanum	Yellow Trout-Lily	Aesthetic foliage and flower	Very short bloom and foliage show	Unable to grow bulb in container	Protocol to store and plant bulbs to landscape
Euphorbia corollata	Flowering Spurge	Attractive small white bracts	Not complete	In containers	Evaluate for landscape use and invasiveness
Hydrangea arborescens	Wild Hydrangea, Smooth Hydrangea	Corymbs with few showy sterile flowers	Fairly long bloom period, flushes new growth in July, leaf spot	In nursery and landscape	The parent species of ‘Annabelle’ is worth continued seedling evaluation
Hymenocallis occidentalis	Spider-Lily	Stunning white bloom in late July-early August	Seems tolerant of landscape environment	UKRECBG landscape	Expand evaluation from current shaded site
Hypericum spathulatum	Shrubby St. John’s-Wort	Yellow spring bloom and good foliage	Vigorous, requires pruning	UKRECBG	Stop evaluation; maintain in UKRECBG for public viewing
Kalmia latifolia	Mountain Laurel	Magnificent Spring bloom	Native stands seem susceptible to leaf spot; tolerant of Western Kentucky environs	Not in evaluation	Collect seed, grow a collection of plants, evaluate for flower color and leaf spot susceptibility
Lillium superbum	Turk’s-Cap Lily	Late summer red-orange bloom of great aesthetic value	Difficult to establish	Not established	Further evaluation and production protocol study warranted
*Lonicera sempervirens*	Trumpet Honeysuckle	Full-season red trumpet-shaped bloom	Excellent bloom, foliage, and habit	UKREC Vine Collection	Propagate for distribution and continued evaluation
Monarda fistulosa	Monarda or Bergamot	Pale blue spring flowers	Susceptible to powdery mildew	UKRECBG	Maintain in native plants garden
Nyssa Sylvatica	Blackgum	Glossy foliage; red-orange fall foliage	Great variation in seedlings	UKRECBG	Develop and protect name of a selected clone with weeping habit
Passiflora incarnata	Passion Flower	Unique purple-white flower on perennial vine but considered a weed (2)	Attractive flower; re-seeds	UKREC Vine collection	Potential as pot plant
Polygonum biflorum	Solomon’s Seal	Attractive habit and spring bloom	Species not as vigorous as cultivars; produces fruit	UKRECBG	Continue evaluation in new site
Pycnanthenum incanum	Hoary Mountain-Mint	White leaves subtend a small bloom	Grows well in landscape, spreading	UKRECBG	Continue evaluation
Quercus phellos	Willow Oak	Tolerant of soil environments; small leaves	Easy to grow from seed; seeds not consistently produced	Seedlings in evaluation for selection of superior plant(s)	Continue seed collection from Kentucky provenances
Rudbeckia species	Black-Eyed Susan	Attractive, well-known summer flower	Tolerant of dry environs; variation in flower color and size	Discontinue cultivar evaluation (1)	Continue development with seedlings from natives
Silene virginica	Fire Pink	Bright red spring flower	“Fleeting” in garden.	Dropped from evaluation	n/a
Sabatia angularis,	Rose Gentian, Rose Pink	Late summer pink flowering plant of uniform habit	Difficult to maintain in landscape	Continue to seek seed sources	Reestablish in research nursery; protocol for use as an annual
Sanguinaria canadensis	Bloodroot	White spring flowering	Bloom period short, foliage attractive	Maintain in evaluation	Examine container production potential
Spigelia marilandica	Indian Pink	Bright red flower with yellow throat.	Long bloom period, full-season foliage	Continue in UKRECBG establish stock plant bed	Greatest potential as an underutilized Kentucky native
Vernonia gigantea	Tall Ironweed

Current research •Nursery Crops

Amsonia tabernaemontana

Cunila origanoides

Hymenocallis occidentalis

Lillium superbum

Nyssa Sylvatica

Pycnanthenum incanum

Quercus phellos

Spigelia marilandica

Vernonia gigantea