Although spring's cherry blossoms may be gone, summer ushers in other plant delights at Memorial Arboretum.
One summer surprise, Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum), blankets a hillside in the cemetery’s western Millennium section. This deer-tolerant native plant, which can grow to four or five feet tall, is covered with tiny, white flowers at the end of tall, lanky spikes. Chickadees and sparrows enjoy the flower stalks for surveying the area and searching for insects. Culver’s root also supports native bees and the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Its best flowering occurs in full and partial sun and lasts for up to six weeks.
To see this beautiful plant, walk up the steps past Columbarium Court 11, located in Section 79. Click here for a map.