Latin for Gardeners September 2026

Latin for Gardeners
September’s Native Maryland Plant

Vernonia noveboracensis (L.) Michx.
(ver-NOH-nee-ah no-vee-bor-ah-SEN-sis)

Common Name: New York Ironweed

New York Ironweed is one of the flowers of the fall that seriously packs a punch, both visually and ecologically. Each flower’s tight bundle of florets stand out for both their number and vibrancy, making it easy to notice the plant from a distance. The height of the plant also makes it hard to ignore and why it’s often used as a backyard border plant or in a wildflower garden. In fact, its height can discourage some people from planting it, but the robust and iron-like stems do a remarkable job of keeping the plant upright, and along with the rust color of its spent flowers are what give it its common name, New York Ironweed; the plant was originally thought to have been collected in New York.

Ecologically, the plant provides nectar and pollen at a crucial time and can attract bees, butterflies, moths and even hummingbirds. Notably, the plant is host to a pollen specialist bee, the denticulate longhorn bee (Melissodes denticulatus) and various moths, including the Ironweed Borer moth. After blooming the seedheads are food for songbirds.

Vernonia noveboracensis is in the Asteraceae family, and like Conoclinium coelestinum (last month’s plant), it lacks petal-like rays but makes up for it with its numerous tubular disk florets that are squeezed into each flower head (capitulum). The bracts or phyllaries that surround each flower head have a unique woven pattern and are helpful in accurately identifying the plant.

In the language of flowers, Vernonia noveboracensis, represents the ability to stand firm, resist hardship, and thrive in difficult conditions. On this 25th anniversary of 9/11 I find it a fitting plant to remind us of that day and to pay tribute to the lost lives and bravery shown.

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013
Watershed Steward Class 7/Anne Arundel Tree Trooper
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)
alison@lifewithnativeplants.org

Latin for Gardeners August 2026

Latin for Gardeners
August’s Native Maryland Plant

Conoclinium coelestinum (L.) DC.
(koh-no-KLY-nee-um koh-el-ES-tee-num)

Common Name: Mistflower, Wild Ageratum

Mistflower’s cool blueish lavender flowers are a welcome sight in late summer and into fall. This upright, branched perennial wildflower is a vigorous plant that does well in many conditions. I’ve seen it thriving in shade and sun, even in the challenging heat and humidity of July and August.

The leaves of Conoclinium coelestinum have a conspicuous network of veins, like those of some mints, but this plant is in the family Asteraceae. Its composite flowerhead is composed of many tiny, tube-shaped flowers, called florets. These tightly packed florets can number up to 50 per flowerhead and are where reproduction occurs. After blooming, the florets become wind-borne achenes, dispersing the plant across the landscape. C. coelestinum also spreads vegetatively by rhizomes when conditions are favorable. These two methods of spreading allow the plant to quickly colonize and can give it a reputation as an “aggressive” plant.

The importance of having late-blooming native plants in a landscape is that they are crucial to the survival of many pollinators, especially butterflies. During this time Monarchs stop by gardens looking for plants to fuel their flight to southern regions, mainly Mexico, where they’ll overwinter. Without the availability of nectar their ability to complete the journey is at risk. Planting mistflower guarantees an abundance of nectar, at just the right time, for these butterflies. Mistflower is a beautiful plant to look at in a garden but the true beauty of this native plant, like many others, is in its ability to support life.

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013
Watershed Steward Class 7/Anne Arundel Tree Trooper
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)
alison@lifewithnativeplants.org

Latin for Gardeners July 2026: Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus

Latin for Gardeners
July’s Native Maryland Plant

Opuntia cespitosa Raf.
(op-UN-tee-a sess-pih-TOH-sah)
Common Name: Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus

Opuntia cespitosa is a unique plant in Maryland and one you may want to consider planting – if you have the right conditions. Eastern prickly pear cactus is not a pear at all, rather it’s the only native Maryland plant in the cactus family: Cactaceae. O. cespitosa are known for their ability to live in very dry environments – they have many interesting adaptations that help them conserve water and survive in hot, harsh, thin soil conditions. First, they’re succulent plants. What appear as fleshy leaves are flattened, water-storing and water-repellent stems called cladodes; these waxy, green pads not only prevent water from evaporating, but they also perform photosynthesis – Opuntia cespitosa have no leaves. Second, they have spines. These spines help them conserve water by shading the plant and reducing dehydrating air flow – they have the added function of helping defend against animals who may want to get a drink by consuming a water-filled pad. Interestingly, these cacti are only able to survive Maryland’s winters because their cells produce a natural antifreeze chemical. Their waxy pads shrivel up in winter, pushing the water they’ve stored into the soil, preventing the frozen cells from bursting.

Opuntia cespitosa spines may discourage herbivores, but the bright yellow flowers are very inviting and have their own fascinating adaptation: “thigmotactic (1)” stamen. The flower is composed of seven sepals, seven or more petals and a single pistil, but it’s the many stamens, the male part of the flower, that can surprise you – if you watch closely when a pollinator visits. The stamen sense the movement of a visiting bee, they curl their anthers to embrace the pollinator, depositing pollen on the bee as well as the pistil, guaranteeing pollination. See below.

NOTE: In 2017, Eastern prickly pear was separated into 2 different species(2): Opuntia cespitosa and Opuntia humifusa. Opuntia cespitosa can be distinguished from Opuntia humifusa by the former having a red center at the base of the flower.  Both plants are found in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Eastern Prickly Pear cacti may be able to survive high temperatures and severe drought, but our local wildlife cannot. As we’ve seen and heard over the last few weeks, heat can be a killer - of people, plants and animals. Take care – hydrate yourself, water your vulnerable plants (in the morning is best), and set out water for the animals – they really need our help. Love of country means caring for our land and protecting animals that are part of our heritage. They may even reward you with their own version of “Three cheers for the Red, White and Blue!”

1) The consistent unidirectional movement of stamens, independent of the area stimulated, indicates a thigmonastic response.

2) https://namethatplant.net/PDFs/TaxonomicRevisionOf_Opuntia_humifusa_complex.pdf

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013
Watershed Steward Class 7/Anne Arundel Tree Trooper
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)
alison@lifewithnativeplants.org

Latin for Gardeners June 2026: Fringed Wild Petunia

Latin for Gardeners
June’s Native Maryland Plant

Ruellia humilis Nutt.
(roo-EL-ee-uh HEW-mil-is)
Common Name: Fringed Wild Petunia

June is pollinator month, a time to celebrate and acknowledge bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, and all other creatures that pollinate many of our food crops, help sustain flowering plants and are fundamental contributors to the food web. It’s also a fine time to plant native plants to help support these essential creatures.

One plant that helps pollinators during summer and through early fall is Ruellia humilis, an herbaceous perennial that grows best in sunny, dry to average areas in a garden. The trumpet-shaped flowers have five rounded flared lobes that resemble petunias, hence the common name. The flowers are open for just a day, but the plant will bloom all summer and once established, it is tolerant of heat, humidity, and drought. This plant has simple, opposite leaves that grow in pairs on its highly pubescent square stems.

A notable feature of this plant is the visual pattern on its petals that directs pollinators to the center of its bloom, like a bullseye. Known as ‘nectar guides’, these markings help insects land efficiently, quickly reach the pollen and ensure the plant gets pollinated. In some plants nectar guides are invisible to humans but remain visible to insects because they reflect ultraviolet (UV) light. Bees see colors on shorter wavelengths than humans, they see combinations of green, blue and ultraviolet light, whereas humans see variations of red, blue, and green.

This plant provides both nectar and pollen and is a host plant for the Common Buckeye butterfly. Common visitors are sweat bees that seek out the pollen, and long-tongue bees that can reach the nectar deep within the flower’s tube. Some bees will perform ‘nectar robbing,’ by circumventing the tube opening and avoiding any contact with the pollen. They create a slit in the tube, allowing them to access the nectar without pollinating the plant.

Speaking of Buckeye and Bullseye reminds me that it is tick season. I hope you all take precautions and always check for ticks after walking in the woods or tall grass. If you find a ‘bullseye’ on your body, it’s likely the result of a tick bite and a hallmark sign of early Lyme disease. In my experience, prompt treatment with antibiotics proves very effective in treating this bacterial infection.

NOTE: Ruellia humilis is rare in Maryland. A more common Maryland native petunia is Ruellia caroliniensis. R. caroliniensis is often found in woodlands, preferring partial to full shade and moist to average, well-draining soils.

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013
Watershed Steward Class 7/Anne Arundel Tree Trooper
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)
alison@lifewithnativeplants.org