Lead Plant
July 21st, 2008
Lead Plant at Bluff Spring Fen.
I was out at Bluff Spring Fen (here’s a photoset on Flickr) a week or so ago, just as the lead plant (Amorpha canescens) was winding down. It’s really an extraordinary and beautiful plant, even when it’s not blooming. I have no idea why it’s not used more often in landscaping. It’s one of the most beautiful plants of the Illinois prairie.
One of my complaints about the library when it was designed was how they described their landscaping as prairie style. In reality, their plants come from everywhere but the Illinois prairie, with perhaps one or two exceptions. The building was also described as prairie style, but we won’t get into that…
Designing landscapes with native plants is one of the best ways to maintain a sense of place. Things like petunias and geraniums can be seen anywhere in the world and don’t serve to differentiate one place from another. Using native plants, on the other hand, clearly identifies a city and places it somewhere on a map. I hope the City of Elgin will give a preference to native plants, and I hope local gardeners do the same…
What an interesting plant. I haven’t been out to the Fen since last fall and I keep meaning to find time to go. I’ll bet midsummer is the prettiest time. I had never seen a lead plant before, but from you picture, it is indeed an interesting and beautiful plant. I’m wondering if maybe it isn’t used in landscaping because it’s invasive? Now I’ll have to investigate that. Using native plants in landscaping not only makes for a beautiful garden but for a more hearty garden, able to withstand drought.
Posted July 27th, 2008 at 9:31 pmOh yeah, the best time to hit the fen is when the lead plant is blooming. It’s also really nice at about the same time that the blue flag is blooming.
I don’t think lead plant is invasive. It would be unusual for one of our native plants to be invasive. That’s one reason natural areas require a special effort to maintain. The foreign plants are very invasive and will almost always outcompete native plants.
Posted July 29th, 2008 at 3:57 am