What an enchanting little plant this is, the native yellow Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)! My friend Jill gave it to me, saying it would bloom in the shade. And she was right. In its third year, it has tripled in size, going from one blossom the first season to 8 this spring and counting.

The contrast of the intense yellow flower petals against the grayed, fuzzy green foliage gives it a luminous quality. And it stands defiantly in a challenging, partly shaded dry spot among rocks. A member of the Papaver family, the Celandine poppy makes a charming, easy and less common addition to the woodland garden.

The plant is known for self-seeding and becoming “weedy.”  But don’t confuse it with the very similar but invasive weed, Chelidonium majus, also known as Greater Celandine.  The weed's flowers are smaller, and it is easy to identify by breaking a stem to reveal its bright orange sap.

S

 

Stylophorum diphyllum is supposed to bloom in late spring, continuing sporadically through the summer. Mine began flowering in early April—of course, this is no year by which to judge. It looks fresh and pretty among blue Forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica), but would also be lovely with Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) and Creeping phlox (Phlox divaricata).

Tags: orange sap, Chelidonium majus, Greater Celandine, weeds, gardening in the Northeast, gardening in zone 6, Gardening in New England, CT gardening, easy care perennials, perennials, shade gardening, dry shade garden, Phlox divaricata, Creeping phlox, Tiarella cordifolia, Foamflower, Aquilegia canadensis, Columbine, Mertensia virginica, Virginia bluebells, Myosotis sylvatica, Forget-Me-Not, Celandine poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum Read More

Of course one of the first things to sprout in springtime is the weeds. And I know from experience that these are best tackled as soon as they come up. So this month I have been experimenting with horticultural vinegar. This is much more acidic that culinary vinegars—20% as opposed to 7%. I ordered it from A.M. Leonard (www.gardenersedge.com) for $28.99 a gallon!

I filled a household sprayer bottle with the vinegar and toured the yard spritzing the young weeds at the edge of the driveway and in planting beds. I made sure the foliage was wet. By the next day I could see that these weeds had turned tan and dry. The vinegar works!

Spraying weeds meant I didn’t have to get down on my knees and get my hands dirty, but it is necessary to do some bending to aim the spray. And while the small, young weeds died, larger specimens were not thoroughly destroyed. Thicker, fleshier stalks and plants larger than about 3 inches in diameter were not wiped out completely. A second round or a heavier dose of spraying would probably do them in.

Considering the cost of the vinegar, I would say this is a good item to have on hand to quickly dispatch the occasional weed as it pops up. It is ideal for those interlopers that show up in pavement cracks or between stones. But I would not depend on it for large weeds or weed populations. (I was disappointed to see that even modest samples of the invasive Garlic Mustard, about 3 inches high, did not succumb to the vinegar.) Besides, I actually find getting down on the ground to pull weeds is a peaceful, relaxing activity. And mulching can prevent most large concentrations of unwanted vegetation.

Tags: gardenersedge.com, AM Leonard, Garlic Mustard, Horticultural Vinegar, weeding, weeds Read More