Plants of the Week – March 12

Prunus x incam ‘Okame’ is in full bloom and looking spectacular! Rosy-pink blooms cover the deciduous tree that characteristically reaches 15-30’ in height. P. x incam ‘Okame’ is a hybrid of the Formosan and Fuji cherries and is one of the first of the species to kick off the flowering season in the Cherry Border. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Native corkwood, Leitneria floridana, forms a suckering clump at the end of the Biostream near the Ben West House. The wood is light and buoyant and was used by fisherman for fishing net floats. The Missouri Botanical Garden states that L. floridana is “botanically interesting, but not particularly ornamental.”  Catkins appear in March on the dioecious shrub before leaves emerge. Photo credit: J. Coceano

When one thinks of pollinators, ants don’t typically come to mind. By flowering at ground level, hardy gingers, including Asarum splendens, have evolved to allow ants to aid in pollination. A. splendens bears glossy mottled leaves that are semi-evergreen and deer-resistant. The rhizomatous species happily spreads in a woodland garden. Photo credit: J. Coceano