To: Bluedot Living
From: Polly Hill Arboretum
Subject: MV Wildtype: Native Pollinators Grown from Local Island Seeds
MV Wildtype is a branding mechanism that denotes plants from Island genotypes — only local genetics are used. Polly Hill Arboretum is the only resource for these plants. This is a guarantee that the species is what it says on the label, and that they come from seeds collected from wild, native plants.
Here are some you could plant in your Island yard. And here’s info on PHA’s plant sale, along with a guide for local plant selection.
Common Name: Stiff Aster
Ionactis linariifolia
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Island native; native to the Vineyard sandplain
Zone: 4 to 9
Height: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Spread: 0.50 to 1.00 feet
Bloom Time: July
Bloom Description: Blue-violet to purple with yellow centers
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy, good cut
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerates: Drought; dry soil; shallow, rocky soil
Common Name: Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Apocynaceae
Island Native
Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Spread: 0.75 to 1.00 feet
Bloom Time: June to August
Bloom Description: Pink, mauve
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize
Flower: Showy, Fragrant
Attracts: Butterflies
Fruit: Showy
Tolerates: Deer; drought; erosion; dry soil; shallow, rocky soil
Common Name: Cardinal Flower
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Campanulaceae
Native Range: Americas
Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 2.00 to 4.00 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: July to September
Bloom Description: Scarlet red, white or rose
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Naturalize, rain garden
Flower: Showy
Attracts: Hummingbirds, butterflies
Tolerate: Wet soils to moderately moist — good for rain gardens
