Native Plants for Disturbed Sandy New England Roadsides? - Page 2 - Wildlife Gardeners

Stoloniferous · 04-26-2009, 08:57 AM

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

Gloria, at a glance I can see some non-natives in your list, I'm afraid.

Please continue to toss around ideas. I'll be back. . .

swamp thing · 04-26-2009, 12:07 PM

I know you were asking about flowers and not shrubs, but you can't have a thread called, "Native Plants for Disturbed New England Roadsides" without mentioning Sweetfern, Comptonia peregrina. Not a true fern but a woody shrub in the family Myricaceae. Wonderful fragrance, looks like an evergreen but it's deciduous. But who would notice under all the snow? Tough as nails, it loves salted sandy roadsides.

Comptonia peregrina

Gloria · 04-27-2009, 10:18 AM

Stoloniferous, that second posting has a copy and paste from the link of salt tolerant plants. I thought you might want to look at the options and pick the relevant natives out. I did not take the time to edit them out myself. Sorry about that.

Stoloniferous · 04-27-2009, 10:49 AM

Thanks Gloria, no problem!

Oooh, S.T., I've been looking for an excuse to grow sweet fern!

Thanks!

Fireflies · 05-18-2009, 03:03 PM

Stoloniferous, you can try the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower site (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin) and search by state to come up with recommended native plants for gardens. I found this invaluable (I live in Maine).

The first thing that popped into my mind was lupines (native lupines in New England have been nearly wiped out by outcrossing with garden hybrids). They like dry, sandy soil, but I don't know if they are salt tolerant.

Butterflyweed (asclepias tuberosa) also likes dry soils, but I have so far planted four or five in my space and have two survivors -- they're difficult to transplant, so you might try purchasing seed and winter-sowing direct to soil.

You might look around for lists of "seaside" plants too -- tolerance of salt spray from the ocean would be a good indicator.

Equilibrium · 05-18-2009, 11:15 PM

Looking for seaside plants is a good suggestion.

05-18-2009, 11:15 PM	#16
Equilibrium Official Plant Nerd Join Date: Dec 2008	Looking for seaside plants is a good suggestion. __________________ "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

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04-26-2009, 08:57 AM	#11
Stoloniferous Too Wild To Garden Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Franklin, Massachusetts, United States	Thanks for the ideas everyone! Gloria, at a glance I can see some non-natives in your list, I'm afraid. Please continue to toss around ideas. I'll be back. . .

04-26-2009, 12:07 PM	#12
swamp thing Slapping, Swearing, Itching, Scratching Mosquito Bait Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: pennsylvania,usa	I know you were asking about flowers and not shrubs, but you can't have a thread called, "Native Plants for Disturbed New England Roadsides" without mentioning Sweetfern, Comptonia peregrina. Not a true fern but a woody shrub in the family Myricaceae. Wonderful fragrance, looks like an evergreen but it's deciduous. But who would notice under all the snow? Tough as nails, it loves salted sandy roadsides. Comptonia peregrina

04-27-2009, 10:18 AM	#13
Gloria A Bee's Best Friend Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chicago Illinois USA	Stoloniferous, that second posting has a copy and paste from the link of salt tolerant plants. I thought you might want to look at the options and pick the relevant natives out. I did not take the time to edit them out myself. Sorry about that.

04-27-2009, 10:49 AM	#14
Stoloniferous Too Wild To Garden Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Franklin, Massachusetts, United States	Thanks Gloria, no problem! Oooh, S.T., I've been looking for an excuse to grow sweet fern! Thanks!

05-18-2009, 03:03 PM	#15
Fireflies Carbon Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Portland, Maine	Stoloniferous, you can try the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower site (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin) and search by state to come up with recommended native plants for gardens. I found this invaluable (I live in Maine). The first thing that popped into my mind was lupines (native lupines in New England have been nearly wiped out by outcrossing with garden hybrids). They like dry, sandy soil, but I don't know if they are salt tolerant. Butterflyweed (asclepias tuberosa) also likes dry soils, but I have so far planted four or five in my space and have two survivors -- they're difficult to transplant, so you might try purchasing seed and winter-sowing direct to soil. You might look around for lists of "seaside" plants too -- tolerance of salt spray from the ocean would be a good indicator.