Leslie Edwards has created a native plant habitat that supports many birds and insects. In the front yard you will find Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), Hercules club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis), fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus), and native spring ephemerals. The view from the back patio is where you will see the showy flowers of cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), smoothleaf coneflower (Echinacea laevigata), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida), and scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma). Looking further into the back yard, you will notice the under-appreciated vines and ground covers of Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia), elephant’s foot (Elephantopus), Carolina petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis) and lyre-leaf sage (Salvia lyrata). These plants are not as showy but just as significant in the ecological landscape. Thanks, Leslie, for achieving the Gold Level of Native Plant Habitat Certification for your yard and for your ongoing role in educating people about native plants beyond your neighborhood.
