Sunday we visited the North Carolina Botanical Garden (NCBG) to check one of my favorite plantings, a wildflower display of Packera aurea (Golden Ragwort) and Phlox divaricata (Eastern Blue Phlox).

Their flower show is just getting underway.

Both Packera aurea (Golden Ragwort) and Phlox divaricata (Eastern Blue Phlox) are eastern North American natives that look lovely blooming together.

 

The Botanical Garden has many other flowers blooming now also, including Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells), native to eastern North America. Here are several Virginia bluebells tucked in among the phlox and golden ragwort.

Polemonium reptans (Spreading Jacob’s Ladder) is native to eastern United States. I have not been able to establish these in my garden despite three attempts, but plan to try again.

In the woodland gardens I was delighted to find this Hepatica acutiloba (Sharp-lobe Liverleaf). A member of the Buttercup family – ranunculaceae – it is native to eastern North America.

We saw quite a lot of trillium of various kinds. I did not see a sign identifying the yellow one.

Great White Trillium is native to eastern North America.

Trillium cuneatum (Little Sweet Betsy) is native to southeastern United States.

There are two more natives that caught my eye Sunday. The first one, Aesculus pavia (Red Buckeye), is an attention grabber at this time of year with its long panicles of coral-red-orange tubular flowers. We saw quite a few of these, growing as shrubs and as trees. They are native to the southern and eastern parts of the United States.

Trillium stamineum (Twisted Trillium) is native to three U.S. states: Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi.

Native to southeastern United States is this Fothergilla major (Witch-hazel family – Hamamelidaceae). I like its white and yellowish-green coloration, a fresh spring-like combination.  It seems to be doing a happy dance.

There were many native ferns emerging and a beautiful but camera shy Halesia carolina (Carolina Silverbell). Mayapples are just beginning to bloom another visitor told us, but we did not see them. We saw many Mayapples though and will have to return to this garden soon.