The Dirt

A Blog of the Acadiana Native Plant Project

Native plant of the month: American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana - October 2021

Feb 71 min read

Native plant of the month: American Beautyberry, Callicarpa americana - October 2021

American beauty berry is a deciduous shrub naturally occurring in the understory of upland and coastal woodlands. The arching branches...

Native plant of the month: Switch grass, Panicum virgatum - September 2021

Alyssa Carrier

Feb 71 min read

Native plant of the month: Switch grass, Panicum virgatum - September 2021

The Acadian French name for this perennial grass is Caniche or paille jaune. This attractive plant grows 3-5 feet tall and prefers moist...

Native plant of the month: Quercus pagoda (Cherrybark oak)

Kelly Guilbeau

Apr 24, 20231 min read

Native plant of the month: Quercus pagoda (Cherrybark oak)

from September 2022 newsletter Cherrybark oak is a relatively fast growing, long-lived large deciduous tree with attractive dark bark...

Linda Barber Auld

Apr 15, 20232 min read

Asclepias viridis, green milkweed

Throughout the years, Asclepias viridis or green milkweed has acquired several common names such as spider milkweed, American silkweed,...

ANPP Volunteers

Apr 15, 20231 min read

Spring Ephemerals

Spring is here and flowers are popping up everywhere, in this case, flowers that no one planted, they just appear every spring and go...

Plant of the Month: Carpinus caroliniana, Ironwood

ANPP Volunteers

Feb 16, 20231 min read

Plant of the Month: Carpinus caroliniana, Ironwood

The weather is still cool and we have another month to plant trees so this month, Carpinus caroliniana, also known as ironwood or...

Phyllis Griffard

Dec 30, 20222 min read

Our 2023 Plant of the Year: Mamou

One of our New Year's Resolutions is to raise the profile of some of our most beloved native plants by featuring them in our outreach and...

Native plant of the month: Asclepias species

ANPP Volunteers

Dec 27, 20221 min read

Native plant of the month: Asclepias species

Native milkweed species in the genus Asclepias are herbaceous perennials found in many different habitats in Louisiana. Most have milky...

Native plant of the month: Baptisia alba (white false indigo)

Dona Weifenbach

Dec 27, 20221 min read

Native plant of the month: Baptisia alba (white false indigo)

Baptisia alba is a showy white flowered legume growing 2-4 ft. tall by 2 ft wide. It is a mound-shaped bushy perennial with smooth leaves...

Native plant of the month: Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum)

Dona Weifenbach

Dec 27, 20221 min read

Native plant of the month: Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum)

This month I decided to take my mind off prairie plants by looking up to the trees and experiencing the onset of fall color in Louisiana....

Native plant of the month: Sassafras albidum (Sassafras)

Dona Weifenbach

Dec 27, 20221 min read

Native plant of the month: Sassafras albidum (Sassafras)

Gumbo weather makes us think of file’. Sassafras is a small to medium sized deciduous tree or shrub with horizontal branching in tiers....

Dona Weifenbach

Nov 4, 20221 min read

Native Plant of the Month: Quercus pagoda (Cherrybark oak)

Cherrybark oak is a relatively fast growing, long-lived large deciduous tree with attractive dark bark broken into shallow longitudinal...

Native plant of the month: Helianthus angustifolius (swamp sunflower)

Dona Weifenbach

Oct 20, 20221 min read

Native plant of the month: Helianthus angustifolius (swamp sunflower)

Yellow is the color of October in my prairie. It seems like every plant with a yellow fower is flowering now: the goldenrods and many...

Native Plant of the Month: Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii Turk's cap - September 2022

Heather Brown

Sep 1, 20222 min read

Native Plant of the Month: Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii Turk's cap - September 2022

By: Dona Weifenbach Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii (Turk's cap) It has been a long, hot, dry summer. Each morning, when I look...

Native Plant of the Month: Erythrina herbacea (Mamou)

Heather Brown

Aug 1, 20222 min read

Native Plant of the Month: Erythrina herbacea (Mamou)

By: Dona Weifenbach Mamou (Erythrina herbacea) displays its showy blooms. Mamou or coral bean is a perennial shrub growing 5-8' high...

Native plant of the month: Baptisia alba (White False Indigo) - July 2022

Heather Brown

Jul 1, 20221 min read

Native plant of the month: Baptisia alba (White False Indigo) - July 2022

By: Donna Weifenbach Baptisia alba (White False Indigo) Baptisia alba is a showy white-flowered legume growing 2-4 ft. tall by 2 ft wide....

Native plant of the month: Spigelia marilandica Indian pink

Heather Brown

May 1, 20221 min read

Native plant of the month: Spigelia marilandica Indian pink

By: Phyllis Giffard Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica) Indian pink or Pink root is a clump forming herbaceous perennial with deep green...

Native plants of the month: Louisiana Irises

Heather Brown

Apr 1, 20222 min read

Native plants of the month: Louisiana Irises

By: Phyllis Giffard Louisiana Irises This is the time of year that our Louisiana irises shine. While we are not the only state with...

Heather Brown

Mar 1, 20222 min read

Native plant of the month: Asclepias species

By: Phyllis Giffard Common Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata Native milkweed species in the genus Asclepias are herbaceous perennials found...

Native plant of the month: Red Mulberry: Morus rubra

Heather Brown

Feb 1, 20221 min read

Native plant of the month: Red Mulberry: Morus rubra

By: Phyllis Giffard Red Mulberry, Morus rubra Red Mulberry is a deciduous medium sized tree from 30-50 feet tall. It has a broad, rounded...

The Dirt

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