Ask the Gardener: Wildflowers, cicadas, tree identifications and more

Gardening editor Doug Oster gets asked a lot of questions. A lot. And he doesn’t mind offering gardening advice. But rather than just limiting those answers to the person who asked, we thought it might be a good idea to share that wealth of knowledge with everybody.

There are three ways to send in your questions:

Email askdoug@535mediallc.com
Submit your question on our “Your Garden” section of our site
Send us a message on Facebook.

(The questions may be lightly edited for grammar/clarity/etc.)

wildflowers

Question 1: Wildflowers

Heidi: Any idea what the name of the pink, purple and white wildflowers that are populating the roadways and meadows right now? Invasive or not, I prefer for it to stay.

Doug: That‘s Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis). Even though these wildflowers are beautiful, it’s considered an invasive species. (And there’s no getting rid of it!)

Dame’s Rocket is a biennial, meaning it blooms in the second year. But it self-sows freely. If allowed to drop seed, you’ll soon enjoy a continuous yearly bloom, as with a perennial plant. The leaves and seeds of Dame’s Rocket are edible, used for medicinal purposes, and purported to be endowed with aphrodisiac properties.

cicadas

Question 2: Cicadas

Patty: Should I be worried about any of my trees or other plants with the cicadas coming?

Doug: There’s nothing to worry about. Sometimes young trees can be adversely affected by the females, but there’s nothing you can really do and the trees will bounce back.

Question 3: Tree identification

Jo Ann: I was wondering what kind of trees these were. I took this picture recently at Ohiopyle.

Doug: The one on the left is a tulip tree. It’s easy to grow, big and beautiful. Beside the flowers, they also have nice fall color.

The one on the right is super fragrant and looks like locust. A lot of people don’t like locust trees as they are weedy and send up shoots everywhere, but I love them. I had one growing in my driveway when I was growing up, and we’d sit under it this time of the year enjoying the fragrance.

Question 4: Privacy fence

Ron: A neighbor pulled his high bushes, so we need a privacy fence. I’m retired guy so I can’t afford large trees. I was thinking about 3-foot
emerald green arborvitae. Is that OK? Also, to help with the needed height, what do you think about planting them in a timber frame planter box filled with topsoil, about 30 inches wide and 2 feet high? Would that be harmful to the roots in the winter?

Doug: The only concern with the emerald green arborvitae is the deer. If you have deer pressure, you might want something else. The plants would be happier planted right in the ground, but that box could work.