Recommended Sources for Native Plants

2009 Wildflower of the Year

Piedmont Barbara's-buttons,
Marshallia obovata var. obovata

Most plant enthusiasts are familiar with the experience of "botanizing" out the car window at 50 mph. Last spring, stretches of small white flower heads caught our eyes often enough that we had to stop and investigate. The charming companions of our commutes and botanical forays turned out to be Piedmont Barbara's-buttons. Somehow, this plant is simultaneously sturdy and delicate, cheerful and elegant, petite and eye-catching.

In "The Natural Gardens of North Carolina," B.W. Wells described Barbara's-buttons as a good choice "for the sunny rock garden." This sun-loving, drought-tolerant perennial is both lovely and tough but its short stature and fine details make it more suitable for a setting where it won't be overwhelmed by taller plants and where its lacy flowers can be admired up close. Fire-pink, Silene virginica, and lobed tickseed, Coreopsis auriculata, are great perennials of similar height and with similar cultural requirements. All three thrive in sun and well-drained soils. All three also share the trait of holding much of their foliage close to the ground, which makes them intolerant of competition for sun with taller or denser plants.

Piedmont Barbara's-buttons blooms from late April to May. This composite is made up of all disc flowers (there are no "rays"). Their tiny white petals give each button-shaped flower head its lacy appearance. Each flower head is approximately 1 inch across. Plants generally produce a single inflorescence atop an upright stem. This stem bears few leaves and can reach 2 feet tall but is more often shorter. Most of the glossy green leaves are arranged in a basal rosette.

The natural habitat of piedmont Barbara's-buttons is dry open woodlands and sunny edges, such as powerline right-of-ways, primarily in the Piedmont of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia.

A color illustration of Piedmont Barbara's-buttons, painted by Dot Wilbur-Brooks, has been printed on T-shirts and is available for purchase in our Gift and Book Shop at the Totten Center.

Benefits of Membership

When you become a member of the Botanical Garden, you'll receive:

• The bimonthly North Carolina Botanical Garden Newsletter
• One free designated plant, available for pick-up after April 1
• Eight free packets of native plant seeds each spring
• 10% discount on classes, gifts and books, and plant sales
• Invitations to special Garden-sponsored events
• The satisfaction of supporting a garden committed to conservation