Saturday, April 21, 2012

Polygala paucifolia, winged gayfeather.....isn't that just the pettiest little thing you've ever seen?

I had weekend watering this week and with it the opportunity, responsibility really, to scrutinize all the plants in the growing facilities at the USNA. I spotted this among the Fern Valley plants (that would be about 5 feet away from the Asian Collection plants?); I don't know how I missed it. I hope Joan can grow it outside. I think of it as a plant of northern woodlands. I just googled it and it is supposed to occur in the mountains as far south as Georgia but it's hard to picture. Possibly there are southern populations that take heat better than the species. Possibly this is a plant from such a population. I know I have seen populations, even drifts, of it but not south of western Pennsylvania. It is surely a beautiful plant.

No comments: