What’s In Bloom?

9, Sep, 2010 Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy

Shenendoah Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenendoah’)

Being Native to the Eastern and Central United States as well as a good portion of Mexico and Canada, Switchgrass is a versatile clump-forming grass which can tolerate a wide variety of soil types and conditions so long as it is planted in a sunny spot. The variety ‘Shenendoah’ is found in the Wharf District Parks, and though it does not get as tall as some other varieties (4’ instead of 6-8’), the intense red fall color more than makes up for it.

Panicum virgatum 'Shenendoah'

Rozanne Geranium (Geranium ‘Rozanne’)

Standing at about a foot and a half covered in blueish-purple flowers, Rozanne Geranium is hardly a new addition to the color of Greenway, as it has been flowering since late spring and is expected to continue until the first frost starts to loom. The almost audaciously long flowering cycle results in many gardeners referring to this cultivar as one of the most exceptional geraniums.

Though in some areas the hot temperatures and sunny conditions have caused the plant to burn out a bit, it is still quite ornamental in cooler areas of the Fort Point Channel and Dewey Square Parks.

Geranium Rozanne

Creeping Liriope (Liriope spicata)

Though it is often called Lily Turf, Creeping Liriope is neither a lily nor a type of turf grass. It is however a groundcover which produces pale purple or white flowers in the summer, giving way to a bluish-black fruit later in the fall. Creeping Liriope can be seen in Chinatown Park planted alongside and under the shade of the Nude-sheathed Bamboo (Phyllostachys nuda).

Liriope spicata

Also in Bloom:

  • North End Parks: Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), Robust Grape-leaf Anemone (Anemone tomentosa ‘Robustissima’)
  • Wharf District Parks: Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), Heavy Metal Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’), Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis).
  • Urban Arboretum: Pink Velour, Red Rocket, and Burgundy Cotton Crapemyrtles (Lagerstroemia indica ‘Whit III’, ‘Whit IV’, and Whit ‘VI’), Zuni Crepemyrtlye (Lagerstroemia ‘Zuni)
  • Fort Point Channel Parks: Neon Showy Stonecrop (Hylotelephium spectabile ‘Neon’), Tri-color Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii ‘Tri-color’), Whirlwind Anemone (Anemone ‘Whirlwind’)
  • Dewey Square Park: Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), Variegated Pineapple Mint (Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’), Peppermint (Mentha x piperitia)
  • Chinatown Park: Adagio Chinese Silvergrass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’)