I knew my plants were genotypic natives because I got them from the Long Island Native Plant Initiative (LINPI). If you get plants labeled native from some big box stores you don’t really know if they are “true” natives, or maybe even more troubling, what they may have been previously “doused with.” But it would be a really sad day if we couldn’t trust LINPI for natives. They’re a pretty serious, high integrity group. I trust that that their seedlings are what they say they are. I gave Mindy LINPI-approved Geranium maculatum plants and, in return, I got from Quality Parks, Hibiscus moscheutos, the stunning Swamp Rose Mallow.
I gave Mindy LINPI-approved Geranium maculatum plants and, in return, I got from Quality Parks, Hibiscus moscheutos, the stunning Swamp Rose Mallow.
The plants love the wetlands, so I planted a row of thirteen of Mindy’s plants near the water’s edge. They are thriving. I keep the seed pods and stalks intact so that insects can overwinter in and near them. They make for amazing sculptures all winter long.
And then, there are the deer. Yes, they, too, enjoy the Hibiscus moscheutos. But I have a couple of plants that I guess they don’t notice. I am hoping they don’t notice them again this year.