What’s in bloom in Forsyth County? 

N.C. Cooperative Extension mantains two public gardens in Forsyth County with the assistance of Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers:

• Forsyth County Demonstration Garden, located at the Forsyth County Agriculture Building, 1450 Fairchild Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27105
• Arboretum and Gardens at Tanglewood Park, 4200 Manor House Circle, Clemmons, NC 27012

These gardens are open year-round for visitors.

If you want to learn more about one of the plants you see here, check out the NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox at plants.ces.ncsu.edu.

Week of June 1, 2023

Our gardens are growing quickly with the warming weather! The gardens are full of annual and perennial flowers, with active pollinators visiting the blooms.

If you are looking for basic gardening information, visit our Gardening in the Piedmont website for recordings of past webinars and other great garden resources!

Thanks to Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Desirae Balsamo for help compiling this week’s photos and plant information.

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) is a perennial that blooms in a variety of colors. The plant attracts pollinators and also works well for cut or dried flower arrangements. This plant can be grown from seed or divided and shared with your gardening friends.

Common yarrow is now blooming at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park and at the Demonstration Garden.

Common yarrow is now blooming at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park and at the Demonstration Garden.

Common yarrow is now blooming at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park and at the Demonstration Garden.

Nigella damascena, or love-in-a-mist, is a cool-season annual flower. The unusual flowers and seed pods are often used in flower arrangement. This plant is easy to grow from seed planted in the fall or winter, and will self-seed in the garden if allowed.

Nigella is now blooming at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park

Nigella is now blooming at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a native flower to the central and eastern United States and grows up to three feet tall. It can tolerate a wide range of soil types and is deer, salt and even humidity resistant. It readily reseeds itself in a garden and is easy to propagate.

Purple coneflower is now blooming at the Demonstration Garden and at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a native perennial that serves as a nectar source and host plant for the Monarch butterfly. It can survive in dry soils though it prefers moist, well-drained types. It can readily be found in prairies, roadsides and fields. This species is more well-behaved in a small garden than common milkweed.

Butterfly milkweed is now blooming at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park and at the Demonstration Garden.

Asclepias syriaca, or common milkweed, is famous for being a host plant for Monarch butterflies. Common milkweed can be more aggressive than other milkweeds in the home garden; be aware if you plant common milkweed that it is likely to spread within your garden and you will actively need to keep it in check if you do not want it to dominate. This plant grows several feet tall and has interesting flowers that will be followed by seed pods full of wind-dispersed seeds.

Common milkweed is now blooming at the Demonstration Garden.

Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove beardtongue) is native to the NC mountain area and is very attractive to pollinators. It prefers well-drained and moist to dry soils and full sun to light shade conditions. The ‘Huskers red’ cultivar is known for its maroon-red leaves and stems.

Beardtongue is now blooming at the Demonstration Garden and at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park.

Beardtongue is now blooming at the Demonstration Garden and at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park.

Look closely at the flowers of Scabiosa atropurpurea and you will see where it gets the common name of pincushion flower. This perennial adds color to the garden and can be used as a cut flower. It grows best in full sun and does not thrive in zones warmer than zone 7.

Pincushion flower is now blooming at the Demonstration Garden.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) is perennial native to North Carolina and the Eastern United States. It has daisy-like flowers that mature in early summer and can reach up to three feet tall by fall. It thrives in all soils except soggy ones and is drought tolerant once established. This plant is just beginning to bloom and will continue flowering through much of the summer.

Black-eyed Susan is blooming now at the Demonstration Garden and the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park.

Ruckbeckia is now blooming at the Arboretum and Demonstration Garden.

Evening Primrose or Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa) is a perennial flower native to all parts of North Carolina. It prefers sun but will tolerate some shade and needs fertile, well drained soil. It spreads easily without being aggressive. Before and after flowering, this plant can serve as a groundcover in the garden and will grow well in a rain garden.

Sundrops are now blooming at the Demonstration Garden and at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park.

Sundrops are now blooming at the Demonstration Garden and at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park.

Sundrops are now blooming at the Demonstration Garden and at the Arboretum at Tanglewood Park.

For more photos:

Click here for the folder of archived “what’s in bloom” photos.