native plant

IU has almost 13,000 trees on campus, including 40 to 50 invasive bradford pears. This is the second year of a three-year plan to remove them. Up to 20 bradford trees need to be cut down by next year.

The marigold flower is used abundantly today in Mexico to celebrate the Day of the Dead, when both fresh and dried flowers adorn cemeteries and graves. The flower heads are also used to make a tea to drink.

No one has been able to discover the identity of the Susan who gave her name to this easily grown garden perennial.

The Latin name “Physostegia” refers to the calyx, which covers their seed pods. “Physa” means bladder and “stege” means a covering.

When goldenrods are in bloom, it indicates that fall is in the air...and they do NOT cause hay fever (That is ragweed!), as the pollen of goldenrod is too heavy to be dispersed by the wind.

The lobelia family is extremely diverse but there are two American natives that are hardy perennials: Lobelia cardinalis and Lobelia siphilitica.