Native Cultivars Garden at Broadmoor

The New England landscape, including Broadmoor, features many plants that have been here for thousands of years. Known as native plants, these species of flora look as though they belong—and they do. Along with their beauty, native plants offer benefits such as food and shelter for animals, soil and water conservation, and hardiness in weather extremes.

Broadmoor's Clive W. & Mona M. Lacy Native Cultivars Garden was established to demonstrate how a carefully chosen selection of nursery cultivated native plants ("nativars") can provide a beautiful, environmentally biodiverse garden. Once established with good soil and proper watering, these plants can thrive without the need for chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Their strong root systems will hold water and help prevent soil erosion.

Ecologically-Friendly Choices

Making a change toward a native plant-based garden doesn't have to be a major project—it can be a series of small steps anyone can take to improve the health of our home landscapes and our local environment. Here are just a few:

• If you use a lawn service, consider asking about environmentally-safe fertilizer and organic pest control alternatives.
• Consider replacing a small part of your lawn with native ground covers, which will minimize water use and annual maintenance.
• Add a few native grasses and/or native fruit-bearing shrubs to a corner of your yard.

For even more ideas, take a look at Mass Audubon's guide about how to plant a pollinator garden.

Additional Information

A collection of books about native plants is available for loan at the front desk of the Nature Center. The Native Plant Trust is an excellent source of comprehensive information about native plants of the Northeast. If you're looking to buy native plants, the Native Plant Trust sell plants that are grown from responsibly-sourced native seeds. You can also ask your local garden center if they carry any native plants. For assistance with native plants in landscaping, you can search for professionals near you through the Ecological Landscaping Association.

Species Planted in the Garden

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The following perennial ferns, flowers, trees, and shrubs are currently planted in the Native Cultivars Garden at Broadmoor:

Ferns & Flowers

Aster divaricatus (white wood aster)
Aquilegia canadensis (columbine) 
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (bearberry) 
Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern) 
Boltonia asteroides (boltonia aster) 
Eupatorium (joe pye weed 'Gateway') 
Gillenia trifoliata (bowman's root)
Phlox stolonifera ('Blue Ridge') 
Polygonatum commutatum (Solomon's seal) 
Rudbeckia fulgida (black-eyed susan)
Thalictrum rochebrunianum (meadow rue) 
Tiarella cordifolia (foam-flower) (oakleaf)

Grasses 

Deschampsia cespitosa (tufted hairgrass) 
Schizachryrium scoparium (bluestem grass 'The Blues')

Trees & Shrubs 

Amelanchier laevis (serviceberry) 
Clethra alnifolia (summersweet, sweet pepperbush) 
Cornus sericea (red osier dogwood) 
Fothergilla gardenia (witch alder) 
Hamamelis virginianum (witch hazel 'Arnold's Promise') 
Hypericum calycinum (St Johnswort) 
Ilex glabra (inkberry 'Shamrock') 
Ilex verticillata (winterberry) 
Leucothoe fontanesiana (dog hobble) 
Vaccinium corymbosum (blueberry) 
Viburnum trilobum (American cranberry)

Garden design and installation by Alison Campbell Design and Hortus Landscapes.