PA Plantings

On Vancouver Island we visited our good friend Rex Murfitt and saw his garden and alpine houses. The porophyllum (Kabschia and Engleria) saxifrages in both the garden and the alpine houses were at their peak. While the encrusted sax species has the most wonderful leaf forms, arrangements and white lime encrustations. More pictures are here . Above: Saxifraga burseriana Below: Saxifraga belunensis Irmsch

A very cute little native goldenrod is found along the lower Susquehanna river growing in crevices in the schist bedrock. It is now called Solidago simplex ssp. randii v. racemosa ( USDA Plants Link ). The name is almost longer than these plants are tall. I would expect that would be bigger when not growing in a tiny crack in a rock but I do want to try growing it in a trough or rock garden. This species is on the PA endangered species list as this is the only place it is found. It is on the list under the name: Solidago spathulata DC. var. racemosa (Greene) Gleason Sticky Goldenrod status: Endangered Variety racemosa grows from Tennessee to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and it is considered threatened or endangered in many states. Other varieties of Solidago simplex ssp. randii grow as far west as Lake superior. Sticky Goldenrod grows on the flood scoured bedrock where competition is reduced along with many relict prairie species like Big-blue-stem, little blue-stem, Indian gra...