Dufief Drive and Rte 28
This spring, the Dufief Green Team has been hard at work installing pollinator gardens on either side of Dufief Drive at the route 28 entrance. Two 50 ft beds, alongside the low stone walls, are now a showcase for plants native to Maryland. A listing is below.
9 volunteers planted 26 shrubs and over 400 perennials that will attract birds and pollinating insects, and provide an array of color in spring, summer and fall. These plants will not only provide nectar, pollen and seeds for wildlife, they are also host plants for many moths and butterflies, providing food for their larvae.
Plant ID markers have been placed in the beds, and descriptive signs are planned to describe the ecological benefits of Dufief’s new pollinator gardens.
Deer netting has been installed to protect the plants until they are established, probably until next spring. The plants were carefully chosen as those less popular with deer, but of course we all know that deer will eat anything when hungry.
We hope that you will visit these beds often and get inspired to use some of the native plants that you see in these beds in your own yards. The Green Team would be happy to advise on native plant nurseries in the area. Our contact information is DufiefGreenTeam@gmail.com.
Listing of Plants
Shrubs
| Common Name | Botanical Name |
|---|---|
| Inkberry ‘Shamrock | Ilex glabra |
| Virginia Sweetspire | Itea virginica |
Perennials
| Common Name | Botanical Name |
|---|---|
| Fox sedge | Carex vulpinoidea |
| Great Blue Lobelia | Lobelia siphilitica |
| Golden Ragwort | Packera aurea |
| Black Eyed Susan | Rudbeckia hirta |
| Wreath Goldenrod | Solidago caesia |
| Blue Wood Aster | Symphyotrichum cordifolium |
| Aromatic Aster | Symphyotrichum oblongifolium |
| Golden Alexanders | Zizia aura |
| Purple-headed Sneezeweed | Helenium flexuosum |
Green Team volunteers for this project:
Carolyn Carlson
Moira Davenport
Vin Kortraiah
Sana Kumar
Fred Mingo
Ryan Nutter
Roger Rasnake
Mariel Solomon
Stephen Walter