Category: Cape May

Barbara’s Favorite Flowers: Yucca

Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, (asparagus). Yucca, of the agave family, native to the warmer regions of America, has pointed, usually rigid, sword-shaped leaves and clusters of white, waxy flowers. It is also the state flower of New Mexico. They are native to the hot and dry (arid) parts of North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

A cool fact is that Yucca is known in the United States as “ghosts in the graveyard,” as it is commonly found growing in rural graveyards and when in bloom in the twilight or dark, the flowers appear as a glowing apparition floating.

Yuccas have a very specialized, mutualistic pollination system. They are pollinated by yucca moths (family Prodoxidae); the insect purposefully transfers the pollen from the stamens of one plant to the stigma of another, and at the same time lays an egg in the flower; the moth larva then feeds on some of the developing seeds, always leaving enough seed to perpetuate the species.

Medicinally, Yucca is used for osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, inflammation of the intestine (colitis), high cholesterol, stomach disorders, diabetes, poor circulation, and liver and gallbladder disorders.

This Yucca gets included in the list of “Barbara’s Favorite Flowers” because I like the exotic tropical edge and geometric height it gives to a garden. It’s pretty maintenance free, though I like to remove the lower dead fronds, giving it more of a palm tree shape. My mother always despised the flowers as she does Hosta flowers. She viewed them as secondary to the leaves. I personally love the huge charge of bellflowers you get two to three times a year when not much else is blooming, and the height is great too.

Barbara’s Favorite Flowers: Aster

This is fall blooming Aster, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, (Aster novae anglias). It’s name comes from the greek meaning “star”, which of course the flower shape is reminiscent of. The Aster is yet another easy peasy perennial that grows wild all along my woodland, and wetland borders. As its name implies, the fall Aster blooms in fall providing a colorful and bright lavender display when other flowering plants have run out of steam. They say it needs well-drained soil, but from my personal experience it’s not picky at all, and grows just about anywhere. You can use this in a formal border or a wild garden. It’s a real bonus when there is not much flowering in the garden! So plant and enjoy it!

Barbara’s Favorite Flowers: Saffron Crocus

These are Barbara’s favorite fall flowers, and flowers for her kitchen! The Saffron Crocus (C. sativus), blooms in the fall garden, when there is very little other blooms so differentiating itself from the spring blooming non-culinary common crocus.

Here is what Barbara has to say about her favorite fall flower:

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Crocus is a genus in the family Iridacae. Each saffron crocus grows to 20–30 cm (8–12 in) and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpal. The dried stigmas and styles must be hand picked and are known as the “most expensive spice in the world.” Saffron gives the exquisite and unique flavoring and color to delicious Mediterranean, Arabic, and North African dishes.

The Saffron Crocus, unknown in the wild, (it was hand-bred to be a diploid and therefore sterile), most likely descends from Crocus cartwrightianthus which originated in Crete or Central Asia. Saffron’s unique taste and fresh cut sweet grass-like fragrance results from the chemicals picrocrocin and safranal. It also contains a carotenoid dye, crocin, which imparts a rich golden-yellow hue to dishes and textiles. Used as a spice, dye, and fragrance since 7^th century Assyria, I think the idea of harvesting ones own personal saffron is incredibly cool (albeit a tad labor intensive)! Time to cook some fabulous Paella and Tagine.

Barbara’s Favorite Flowers: Black Cotton Plant

Here’s what Barbara has to say about the Black Cotton Plant, Gossypium herbaceum, ‘Nigra’!

This ornamental cotton is in the hibiscus family, but has eye-catching deep black/purple maple shaped leaves, stems, and at 24-30’’ tall adds unusual and unforgettable color, height and interest to the garden.

She starts with Hibiscus like deep hot pink/burgundy flowers, followed by walnut size seedpods. Then wow! They split open exposing white fluffy balls of cotton contrasting against the darkest of leaves and stems. STUNNING!!!

The G. herbaceum cotton species is also called Levant cotton and is native to the semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa and Arabia, where it still grows in the wild as a perennial shrub. 

Cotton wants a warm soil to germinate and grow, and make sure not to over water after plants have germinated. Grow in full sun and in a rich soil. It will grow in most soils as long as they are well drained. 

I plan to plant the black-leafed cotton as a specimen plant in containers, beds and borders. Maybe I will contrast it with silver lams ear, dusty miller plants, silver artichokes, purple fountain grass, yellow lantana or Cleome. In the fall, the cotton bolls can be picked off the plants and arranged into wreaths, or the plants sans foliage used as display. I feel confident that many of my gardening aficionado friends will be hot to trot for these seeds!