What’s in Bloom

As the mercury drops the Greenway continues to bloom. Bundle up and take a stroll to check out these fall flowers.

Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’)

Our native Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ are flowering explosively throughout the Fort Point Channel and Wharf District Parks. This cultivar of Goldenrod has draping plumes of dense, tiny yellow flowers, and grows more compactly than the straight species. Solidago rugosaare easily grown in full sun and moist, well-drained soil, and ‘Fireworks’ can tolerate moister soils than the other Goldenrods. These fall-flowering perennials are very attractive to pollinators looking to build up their winter stores or fuel up for their migration to warmer climates.

Goldenrod

Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata)

The Japanese Yew is a very popular evergreen that can grow as a spreading multi-stemmed shrub and is typically found in New England gardens as a hedge. If a yew grows as a single-trunked tree, it can reach up to 40 feet in height with beautifully scaled reddish-brown bark. The Greenway is home to three different varieties of Taxus cuspidata, all of which are currently bearing subtle but attractive fleshy red fruit. Taxus cuspidata‘Emerald Spreader’ can be seen in the North End. This variety of Japanese yew only grows to three feet in height, but has spreading growth habits (as its name suggests) to ten feet in width.

Japanese Yew

Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis ternifolia)

The Sweet Autumn Clematis continues to bloom on the North End pergolas. This vine becomes filled with fragrant white flowers in the early fall, each with four petal-like sepals. If grown without the structural support of a post of some sort, Sweet Autumn Clematis will grow along the ground as vigorous ground-cover. Clematis ternifolia can be grown in well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade, but unlike other Clematis it will bloom well in shady conditions.

Sweet Autumn Clematis