Gold and yellow hues are the undeniable colors of autumn. In this episode of The Garden Thyme Podcast, we discuss one of our favorite yellow-blooming perennial plants – goldenrod. With its pretty yellow flowers, long blooming seasons, and high wildlife value, what is not to love about these fantastic native plants? Mikaela also counts down her top pick of goldenrods for different gardens (~17:10). Her goldenrod bloom chart can be found here.
We also have our:
- Native Plant of the Month – Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) (~22:45)
- Bug of the Month – Goldenrod Bunch Gall Midge (~33:35)
- Garden Tips of the Month (~39:15)
If you have any garden-related questions, please email us at UMEGardenPodcast@gmail.com or look us up on Facebook.
For more information about the University of Maryland Extension (UME) and these topics, please check out the UME Home and Garden Information Center.
The Garden Thyme Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Hosts are Mikaela Boley- Senior Agent Associate (Talbot County) for Horticulture, Rachel Rhodes- Agent Associate for Horticulture (Queen Anne’s County), and Emily Zobel-Senior Agent Associate for Agriculture (Dorchester County).
Theme Song: By Jason Inc
Thank you and I really appreciate that goldenrod bloom chart, very helpful!
I think you were a little too pessimistic about planting pawpaws in home gardens or starting the trees from seed. It’s always worth a try! Here in suburbia, I have two pawpaws (different varieties) that I bought about eight years ago in 1 gallon pots that are growing happily in the shade of a maple tree. They’ve been fruiting for three years now. A neighbor is successfully developing his own small grove in a right-of-way in the sun.
Last year I saved my pawpaw seeds in damp potting soil in a bag in the fridge. This spring I sowed a handful in a 2 gallon pot and now have three saplings. There would have been more but squirrels dug out some of the seeds to eat them. Next year I’ll protect the pots better. A master gardener friend got about twenty seeds to germinate in one pot, and passed them on to me to pot up and give away.
I’ve been told that there are growers using cuttings from selections of stock that perform better than others that should be considered over a seed lottery.
The named variety pawpaws tend to be larger with fewer seeds, and of course are selected for taste too. Definitely better for orchards planted with the intent to sell. But I’m more interested in maintaining genetic diversity, and zebra swallowtail habitat, by growing and sharing the results of the “seed lottery” you reference. In my yard I have both named varieties and mature suckers from unnamed root stock, and despite differences in size, all produce equally delicious fruit.