Sumac

 

This is the plant that my dad called Shoe Make. You can see how a person unschooled in plant names might make this mistake, and it was a name widely known in Chambers County where I grew up. By any name Sumac has brilliant fall color and screams to be noticed on the roadsides and places where it gets ample sun. Sumac blooms in early summer with a big blousey inflorescence. Not only are the fall leaves beautiful, but in the case of Staghorn Sumac, the berries are also a knockout.They are a dark red and speak of the heat of the summer sun. They are said to make a great lemonade-like drink high in vitamin C, but I have never been brave enough to try it. Birds love the berries, and I am sure that is how this interloper came to my garden. I frequently pick the seed heads and hang them in bushes where I can see the birds eat them.
I recommend planting this on the edge of your yard or in some other place where you are not planning to grow anything else any time. While it is beautiful in most seasons, this is not a character for flower beds. I did not notice this plant till this year and you can see the size it got to. It has sent out suckers in the bed and even into the surropunding grass. I left it so I could enjoy it's fall color, but it will be gone (hopefully) by spring. I suspect I may be fighting it for several years to come. You know how these plants are always in groupings along the road? Well, there is a reason for that. It naturally forms clumps.
One note of caution. Not all members of this genus are friendly. If you see a Sumac with grey berries, keep your distance. It is Poison Sumac and will cause a rash on many people.

Joe Pye Weed

 

This is another great fall bloomer, Eupatorium purpurem ( maybe should call it mauveii? as that is the color, not purple!!!) The ones along the roadside have about finished their bloom, but mine is still beautiful. The ones along the road are very tall, like 6-10 feet, but mine usually gets to be about 3 feet tall. I originally got mine as seed from the American Horticultural Society seed exchange and although I have lost the list, I expect from it's shorter statue that is a dwarf hybrid. Where they grow naturally, it is typically wet for a good portion of the year and although they grow well in drier areas, they do appreciate a lot of moisture. It is a great attractor of butterflies, and a carefree plant if there ever was one. Mine has increased a little throuhgh the years but not much.
On the other hand, in the background you see some foliage of a sumac which volunteered there and I made the mistake of leaving to see if it would bloom. It has been there 2 years and is about 6 feet tall. It is spreading by underground runners even beyond the flower bed. Although I admire it as a plant I see along the road, I would like to be able to grow something else besides sumac and so I will be getting rid of it soon. If possible.