Bill's favorite Native Plants: October

Allen, Sterling & Lothrop's nursery manager Bill Kennie has been working with the Falmouth Open Space committee to help eradicate invasive plants from the Maine landscape. Bill believes that it is very important to include native species in ornamental landscape gardens. Indeed, the more native plants a garden has the better--native plants are typically low maintenance, they provide food and shelter for wildlife and are visually in keeping with our native "wild" landscape.

 

Aronia Melanocarpa                                                        

Black Chokeberry

Height: 4’-5’       Spread: 4’-5’

This one has interest all season long.  Lovely spring time white and pink flowers are followed by clusters of large edible black fruit (to be enjoyed by you and/or the birds!) in the summer.  The fall foliage is stunning with shades of purple, orange and yellow. 

It is very tolerant of most soil types and if left alone will sucker freely.  It looks nice in both wild and “finished” gardens.

Black Chokeberry is also beneficial for the bees!