Our Woodland Edge Kit is curated to do well in an area that backs up to a woodland. This kit includes a beautiful woodsy spring ephemeral: Wild Geranium (Cranesbill) along with early bloomers Columbine, Wood Poppy and Woodland Phlox, for early, spring blossoms. We included 3 each of low-growing Woodland Phlox and Wood Poppy (3 each) for a nice spread at the front of the garden bed. Alumroot and Woodland Sunflower will add height, color and pollinator interest in mid to late summer through Sept. You'll see a lot of attractive and interesting foliage and seed pods to admire in this garden as it grows through the seasons!
Design and Planting Tips:
- Prepare your garden site (follow the link for details as well as information about plant spacing)
- A location with full to partial shade with moist soil conditions is ideal for this grouping
- Group plants of the same species together
- Consider the height of each plant. Position taller plants at the back and shorter plants at the front
- 1 sq foot per plant
Kit Contents:
7 varieties, including a shade tolerant Milkweed for Monarchs. There are 2 or 3 plants of each, as specified (16 total plants), all listed below with details. An image of each plant can be found to the left, pictured in the order listed:
Approximate Garden Size: 16 sq ft; 4'L x 4'w or 2.5'w x 6'L
2 - Alumroot
2 - Columbine
2 - Poke Milkweed
2 - Wild Geranium
3 - Wood Poppy
3 - Woodland Phlox
2 - Woodland Sunflower
Alumroot (Heuchera americana)
Native Perennial
Sun Exposure: Part Sun to Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry - moist
Height: 18"
Bloom Time: June - August
Bloom Description: Tiny, red, green, purple, brown, cup-shaped
Leaf and Bloom: Deep green leaves, shades of purple, red, and yellow in fall
Resistant To: Drought
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Native Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial, Shade
Soil Moisture: Medium, Medium-Dry, Dry
Height: 2 ft
Bloom Time: April through June
Bloom Color: Red
Attracts: Butterflies, bees, hummingbirds
Pollinator Benefit: Larval Host for Columbine Duskywing Butterfly
Poke Milkweed, (Asclepius exaltata)
Native Perennial
Supports Monarch Butterflies!
Sun Exposure: Sun, Part Shade--great at a woodland edge!
Soil Moisture: moderate moisture and rich organic content
Height: 2-6'
Bloom Time: June-August
Bloom Color: White, Pink, Green
Resistance: Deer
Attracts: Butterflies, bees, hummingbirds
Pollinator Benefit: Larval Host for Monarch; excellent nectar source for other Butterflies and Bees; Xerces Society identifies as Special Value to Native Bees, Bumble Bees, and Honey Bees
Wild Geranium, aka Cranesbill (Geranium maculatum)
Sun Exposure: Part Shade to Shade
Soil Moisture: Medium, moist
Height: 2'
Bloom Time: April to June
Bloom Color: White, Pink, Purple
Attracts: Birds, native bees
Pollinator benefits: Xerces Society rating: Special Value for Bumble Bees; Special Value to Native Bees (Recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees.)
Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata)
Native Perennial
Sun Exposure - Shade, Partial Shade
Soil Moisture - Medium-Wet, Medium, Medium-Dry
Height – 12 inch
Bloom Time - April-June
Bloom Color – Blue, purple, lavender
Tolerance: Deer are uninterested and Drought
Attracts: Flowers attract butterflies, including swallowtails, gray hairstreaks, and western pygmy blues.
Pollinator Benefit: good spring nectar source
Wood Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)
Native Perennial
Sun Exposure: Part Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture: Medium to Wet
Height: Up to 20"
Bloom Time: April-June
Bloom Color: Yellow, orange
Pollinator Benefit: Nectar and pollen
Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus)
Sun Exposure: Part-Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture: Medium to Dry
Soil Type: well drained sandy soil
Height: up to 5'
Bloom Time: July-Sept
Bloom Color: Yellow
Tolerance: Deer, Drought
Attracts: Birds, Butterflies
Pollinator Benefit: Good source of pollen and nectar through late summer, early fall; Xerces Society identifies as Special Value to Native Bees and Bumble Bees