Naturally Natives Opposites Attract Photos and text by Scott Woodbury
I
can’t think of two more different shrubs than leadplant (Amorpha canescens) and Indigo bush (Amorpha fruticosa), yet they are practically siblings. Like my 6-foot, 6-inch-tall brother and me, we appear to be cut from different cloth, yet we are related.
in full sun, it can tolerate partial shade. It has the ability to grow in acidic soils (pH 4-6), as well as neutral soils (pH 6-8).
If you have acidic soil, you may also have success with goat’s rue (Tephrosia virginiana), Sampson’s snakeroot (Orbexilum pedunculatum), and fire pink (Silene virginica). My favorite companion plant for In Missouri, leadplant grows in dry or rocky soils, often leadplant is prairie groundsel associated with dry prairies, (Packera plattensis), a lowopen woodlands, and rocky growing evergreen groundcover (5-7 inches), that fills in around glades. It is a 3-foot tall, finicky the stems of this tiny, openslow-poke. It may take five growing shrub. When the years for it to grow two to three Leadplant and milkweed make complementary partners in this groundsel is fully mature, it feet. Though it performs best garden. makes the perfect green (living) mulch. But be sure to not smother it in winter with fallen tree leaves. Yes, I like keeping fallen tree leaves in the garden where they lie, but here is the exception to the rule. Like all groundsels, Missouri Wildflowers this evergreen will thin out or disappear if covered with leaves in Nursery the winter. Remember, it’s an evergreen plant. 9814 Pleasant Hill Rd Jefferson City MO 65109 www.mowildflowers.net mowldflrs@socket.net 573-496-3492
Meet us at one of these locations in St. Louis. Give us your order by Tuesday before a sale, and we will bring it to the location. Kirkwood Farmer’s Market, 150 East Argonne Dr. Kirkwood MO63122. Give us your order by Tuesday before a sale, or pick from the selection at the market. April 29, and May 20 & 27; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On the other hand, indigo bush grows in wetlands and along creeks and rivers. It is an 8-foot (tall and wide) carefree rocket ship, traveling at the speed of sound. When it sees leadplant in the garden, it says “See you later, alligator”! In Missouri gardens, indigo bush matures quickly in any soil type, even clay. It prefers full sun, but will grow in partial shade. It is more upright and leggy in shady places (allowing other plants to grow beneath it), and fuller and broader in full sun (shading out most other plants). In the Pacific Northwest, it has become
Shaw Nature Reserve, 307 Pineton Loop, Gray Summit MO 63039. Event: “Shaw Nature Reserve Spring Wildflower Market,” May 6, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Member’s only sale Friday, May 5, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. www.shawnature.org. Shopping at our Brazito (Jefferson City) location: Our retail store is open for you to make selections. You can also place an order and pick it up at the nursery. Hours: Weekdays: Year - Round: 9 AM - 5 PM Weekends: March 18 - July 2 & August 26 - October 15 Saturdays: 9 AM - 5 PM, Sundays: Noon - 5 PM We can ship your order! We ship plants on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays all year. UPS usually delivers the next day to Missouri and the surrounding states. Shipping charges apply.
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Indigo bush blooming at Shaw Nature Reserve. The Gateway Gardener™ MAY 2023