Native Plants of New England Trivia Quiz

Answer: New England Aster

The New England Aster (also known as the Michaelmas Daisy) is found throughout North America except for extreme northern and southern sections. It was stopped by the Rocky Mountains but has been successfully transplanted there as well as Europe and many other areas. There are several cultivars, from the homely wild one shown in the picture to some that look like they were developed by professional horticulturists (and probably were); they bloom from late summer through autumn.

Answer: Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Sometimes known as the Indian turnip or wild turnip, the Jack-in-the-Pulpit is, in theory, edible but it takes careful preparation to eat it as a root vegetable because it contains oxalic acid. It is native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Florida and west to Minnesota.

Answer: daylily

Daylilies are part of the genus Hemerocallis. Thanks to hybridization they now number thousands of registered cultivars. Their name indicates that blooms of the original species typically last one day. Besides North America, the genus is native to Eurasia and has been transplanted worldwide.

Answer: Northern Bayberry

There are almost 50 species of bayberry. This one, the northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) was used by native Americans as an insect repellant by crushing and wearing the leaves or placing them around the openings to their dwellings. The berries are very important to birds that stay the winter in northern climates.

The wax on the surface of the berries is used to make candles. There are species of bayberries native to every continent except Australia and Antarctica.

Answer: Purple Coneflower

Related to the daisy family, the Purple Coneflower gets its name from its color and shape. On rare occasions some white flowers will appear. There are several species so it is possible to have blooms all summer long.

Answer: Yarrow

Yarrow has long been used in herbal medicines, particularly as a coagulant to stop the flow of blood from wounds. It has also been used as a diaphoretic and in the Middle Ages was used to flavor beer before the use of hops. It is native to the temperate regions of North America, Europe and Asia.

Answer: Catmint

Catmint (some species are known as catnip) creates a euphoria in house cats. It's the nepetalactone given off by the plant that does it. Most species are perennials. They can be used in companion planting with vegetables; they are said to repel aphids and squash bugs. A few species are used in herbal medicine because of their mild sedative effect on humans.

Answer: Black Eyed Susan

The Black Eyed Susan has several alternative names: Brown Eyed Susan, Ox-eye Daisy and Golden Jerusalem, just to name a few. Its growth is widespread across North America. It is the state flower of Maryland and its roots have been used by American Indians as a medicine, primarily an astringent.

Answer: White (Paper) Birch

The White, or Paper, Birch is a cold-loving tree that extends from Canada through Massachusetts but not Connecticut or Rhode Island. There are some groves in the central U.S. but they are considered endangered because of the weather. The bark really can be used to make birch bark canoes but just peeling off the outermost layer isn't enough, it must be cut at a deeper layer and can then be sewn to other pieces to make containers, including canoes.

Answer: Ragweed

Ragweed is of the Ambrosia genus but allergy sufferers would argue that it is anything but food of the gods. The pollen from its blossoms is what causes the allergic reaction. It was strictly a North American plant when the Pilgrims arrived so they were unprepared for what was awaiting them.

At the beginning of the 20th century it was not uncommon for people to take summer-long vacations. Many Jews from the New York City area took trains to Bethlehem, New Hampshire and many of them suffered from ragweed allergies. They decided to uproot the ragweed to make their stay in the town more pleasant. Over the course of a few decades they had removed all of it from Bethlehem and were starting to widen the area of destruction. Then World War II came along and most people stopped taking long vacations. After the war, with the advent of better roads, people traveled more by car and stopped using Bethlehem as a vacation destination. Go there now and you'll find that ragweed has resumed its role as a noxious weed...er...hardy plant.