Tradescantia, aka Spiderwort
A tip of my trowel to Carol Hyde at the Port Royal Farmer’s Market for suggesting this topic.The first underused plant is one she sold me and it has become one of new favorite plants in my garden as well as the community Butterfly Garden that I maintain. That new favorite plant is Rue or Ruta graviolens. It seems that Rue is a plant that has a unique history. It has been used as a culinary plant as well as a traditional medicinal herb. Although I have never nibbled any, it is supposed to have a strong bitter taste. Despite this, I found that this spring the Swallowtail caterpillars loved it. They were all over my plant with the result that I have many swallowtail butterflies in my garden. In some cultures, Rue is associated with warding off evil. It can also be a symbol of regret, as in to “rue” doing something.
In appearance, Rue is a perennial herb with blueish green feathery foliage. Mine starting blooming in the early spring with tiny yellow flowers in clusters. Since it is native to the Mediterranean area, it does not seem to require a good deal of irrigation. And best of all for us- it is deer resistant.
Another underused and deer–resistant plant is Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium).Despite the rather scary name, this plant is native to our region as well as much of midwest andeastern North America. It is all the rage in Europe and yet rarely seen here. It has spiky yucca like leaves and the flowers are round white balls on the top of a long strong stem. No drooping for this plant. There was a misconception on the part of early pioneers that Native Americans used this plant as an antidote for rattlesnake bite, hence the common name. The flowers last for a very long time and dry nicely on the stalk for fall and winter interest. I had to order my plants online, but they do spread on their own so one purchase will ultimately provide many plants.
I have always liked one of the oldest known perennials, Tradescantia or spiderwort. This unassuming little plant was named after the Tradescants, a father and son both called John. The Tradescants were plant hunters, botanists, and royal gardeners in 17th century England and John Tradescant the Younger collected this plant in Virginia and introduced it to Europe. It is native to North America and has the most vivid small blue flowers. I have grown it in Massachusetts, Ohio, and South Carolina and it flourishes in the dry shade, the most difficult of growing conditions. With our heat, I did not think that it would thrive here, but it seems happy enough. I have also seen it growing profusely in the Garden Museum gardens in Lambeth, London.Ironically, the Garden Museum is in an old Church and the Tradescants are buried in the churchyard along with Captain William Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty fame. It is well worth a visit if you are in London and are interested in the history of gardening. The setting along the Thames is spectacular and of course, there is a pub on a boat anchored nearby.
My last underused plant is an annual herb – Thai basil. It will not winter over, but it will give you so much in its growing season that you must forgive its brief life. Readily available at big box stores and garden centers, this herb grows quickly to a large nearly shrub–like plant. It has purple edged dark green leaves and, best of all, is covered by purple clover like flowers. The bees absolutely adore the blossoms and I can hear them buzzing even before I see the plant in my jungle of a garden. Thai basil is used in Asian cooking, but I grow it strictly for the pollinators. It can be easily propagated by taking cuttings and putting them in water. In a matter of days, the cuttings root and you will have new plants. You can also keep it alive in the winter by taking cuttings and putting new plants on a sunny windowsill.
These four plants are musts in any garden. You may have to search a bit to find a few of them, but it is well worth it.
