THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 10, 2023 Page 15 Saugus Gardens in the Winter Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener T he icy temperatures of last Friday and Saturday convinced many people to forgo their walks and snuggle indoors. Temperatures have rebounded though, and green points of bulbs are pointing up through the soil, buds are slowly but surely swelling and some birds seem to be on their northward journey. Even in our cold climate, the trees are starting to show indications of spring. Many birds like the downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) have been here all winter, and some robins (Turdus migratorius) now stay year-round, but there do seem to be more flocks of robins in the neighborhood now. Valentine’s Day will be Tuesday. Bright red hearts on doorways bring a bit of warmth to our surroundings. Maureen Lucey’s Valentine spirit doesn’t stop at the door – on each side of her front steps the potted dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca conica) are decked out in shiny red ornaments and heartshaped toppers. Even with the cold weather, there are a few flowers in bloom outdoors, including the bright pink heath (Erica carnea) in the front garden of Greg Dineen on Summer Street. The heath has been in bloom for a few weeks already and is likely to continue until weather is much warmer. Closely related to heather (Calluna spp.), heaths (Erica spp.) are low growing plants with tiny bell-shaped flowers and almost needle-like evergreen foliage. The easiest way to tell them apart is by when they bloom, since heathers bloom in May and June while heaths bloom in cold temperatures, usually between January and April around here. Both heath and heather are grown as garden plants in the United States. Depending on winter temperatures in any given year, I have seen heath begin blooming anywhere from December to April, and the flowers may not fade until temperatures become reliably warm. Heathers were at one time considered in the same genus, but their leaves are smaller, and they now are classified in a different genus. Nevertheless, heaths are sometimes known as winter heathers. Many of the 800 or species in the genus are native to South Africa, which has similar heathland habitats known there as fynbos. Most of those grown in gardens here Maureen Lucey has given her dwarf spruce trees on Summer Street a Valentine’s touch. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) are northern European natives. The mysterious and romantic heathlands of Great Britain are characterized chiefly by extensive growths of heath and heather. Other low shrubby plants like gorse (Ulex spp.) and a European blueberry relative (Vaccinium myrtillus) – sometimes known as bilberry, blaeberry or whortleberry – also grow there. These plants are likely to conjure up visions of the Yorkshire moors from Emily Bronte’s 1847 novel “Wuthering Heights.” The setting of this Gothic novel, long considered a classic of English literature, has its mood created by the setting of spooky heathlands known as moors. They are tolerant of infertile, shallow soils and grow on rocky locations that contribute to acidity in the soil. Heaths have given their name to the heath family (Ericaceae), which includes rhododendrons, azaleas, mountain laurel, blueberries and cranberries as well as many others. Valentine’s Day is a great exHeath blooming at the home of Greg Dineen on Summer Street was undeterred by the cold. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) Does this male downy woodpecker wear his heart on the nape of his neck? Males and females are quite similar but only males have this patch of red feathers. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) The heart-shaped anthurium spathe changes from greenish to burgundy to red or pink as it matures, making it perfect for Valentine’s Day! (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) cuse to indulge in some colorful flowers indoors to make up for sparsity in most gardens outdoors. Roses, tulips and mixed bouquets tend to lead the list of popular Valentine’s Day arrangements, but there are other winter bloomers which can also be popular houseplants at this season. An intriguing houseplant that is especially appropriate because of its heart-shaped pink bract is often simply called anthurium. The flower consists of a colorful bract or modified leaf called a spathe (the heart-shaped, often red part of this species) and a spike-like, protruding spadix containing small perfect flowers with four tiny petals each. The spathe may be red, pink, white or purplish yellow and greenish. Members of the Arum family (Araceae) are known as aroids, and this large group includes the familiar Jack in the Pulpit The anthurium spathe is heart-shaped, while its spadix, which holds the actual small flowers, is a greenish to white upright spike form. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) (Arisaema spp.), corpse flower or Titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum), calla lily (Zantedeschia aetheopica), elephant ear or angel wing (Caladium spp.) and the ubiquitous houseplant philodendron (Philodendron spp.). Anthuriums are popular as cut flowers and houseplants, but like most aroids, all parts are toxic to mammals, The species with the reddest spathe (Anthurium andreanum) is the most popular of nearly 1000 species of Anthurium. Also known as flamingo flower, flamingo lily, tailflower and painter’s palette, it is originally from the tropical rainforests of Ecuador and Columbia. It is evergreen in tropical areas, and the shiny, waxy spathe remains colorful and attractive for many weeks. Editor’s Note: Laura Eisener is a landscape design consultant who helps homeowners with landscape design, plant selection and placement of trees and shrubs, as well as perennials. She is a member of the Saugus Garden Club and offered to write a series of articles about “what’s blooming in town” shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was inspired after seeing so many people taking up walking.
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