Silver and Gold Chrysanthemum

By Kathy Jentz

Silver and Gold Chrysanthemum (Ajania pacifica, previously known as Chrysanthemum pacificum and Dendranthema pacificum) is a perennial plant with silvery edges to its leaves and clusters of yellow-gold flowers. It blooms in late fall, when most other plants are going dormant.

It is native to the island of Honshu, Japan, as well as to central and eastern Asia. In its native habitat, it grows along coastlines. It is salt-tolerant and hardy to USDA Zone 5 to 9.

Silver and Gold Chrysanthemum grows best in full sun and a spot with great drainage. It will rot if planted in soggy soils. It is a good container plant and also ideal for rock gardens. It can spread by rhizomes to form a 2- to 3-foot wide mat and act as a groundcover.

To propagate it, dig and divide it in the spring or take stem cuttings. Bees and butterflies visit the long-lasting flowers. It is deer-resistant. o Kathy Jentz is the editor of Washington Gardener

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November 22, 2024, through January 5, 2025

(Closed November 25-28, December 24-25, January 1)

Brookside Gardens transforms into a magical winter wonderland for the annual Garden of Lights display.

Stroll through the one-half mile, outdoor, walk through exhibit and enjoy the twinkling lights and glimmering one-of-a-kind displays adorning the flowerbeds and grounds throughout the 50 acre horticultural gem in Wheaton.

Shop for unique seasonal items at the Gift Shop

Hot chocolate and light snacks available for purchase

Tickets: Timed-entry tickets available at GardenofLights.org

$10 per person, ages 5 and older

Visitors must arrive within their half-hour time slot

Advance sale tickets only.

BROOKSIDE GARDENS 1500 and 1800 Glenallan Avenue | Wheaton, Maryland 20902 301-962-1400 | BrooksideGardens.org

Researchers Track Flight Journey of Destructive Red-headed Flea Beetle

With a bright-red head and a shiny black body, the red-headed flea beetle hops from plant to plant like a jumping bean and looks surprisingly adorable. Despite their charisma, these little pests—smaller than a grain of rice—can cause nursery growers millions of dollars’ worth of damage by chewing holes in leaves, skeletonizing foliage, and stunting plant growth.

Researchers at Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center, a Virginia Tech program, are collaborating with affected growers in the area to better understand the dispersion of this emerging nursery and ornamental pest.

“We work with growers across the United States with a focus on the Commonwealth of Virginia, where we serve them directly,” said principal investigator and entomologist Alejandro Del-Pozo. “When we visit nurseries, one of their biggest challenges is managing the red-headed flea beetle.”

The initial focus of the study is to examine the inherent flight capability of the red-headed flea beetle by collecting data in a controlled laboratory setting, free from environmental influences or interference.

Much like runners use a treadmill to monitor their performance, researchers use an apparatus known as a flightmill to measure the speed, distance, and duration of the red-headed flea beetle’s flight patterns.

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The second part of the study investigates how field conditions affect the movement of the red-headed flea beetle within the landscape.

Using the mark-and-recapture method, researchers apply a colored powder to the beetles that can only be seen using a UV light and a microscope. After releasing them back into the nurseries, the team returns 24 hours later to sample the area for recaptured redheaded flea beetles. “In the laboratory, we’re studying their potential, but in the field, various host plants might restrain or influence where the red-headed flea beetle will go,” said Del-Pozo. “We complement those two approaches to understand how far they can fly between crops.”

From this data, researchers can determine not only how far the beetles are dispersing, but also how environmental factors, such as wind or preferred plant species, affect the population’s movement.

Modifying plant layouts and creating separation between crop zones could help limit the beetles’ spread, particularly from older crops to newly planted crops.

Ultimately, results from this study will support enhanced integrated pest management strategies, potentially reducing the need for chemical treatments.

“Our goal is to find science-based solutions that actually make an impact,” said Del-Pozo. “Virginia Tech is committed to serve the growers. We hope the next time we visit, they say, ‘Alejandro, I’m spraying less and seeing less damage.’”

See more about the red-headed flea beetle in the May 2024 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine. o

Enjoy Your Own Tulip Garden Next Spring

Late fall/early winter is the perfect time to start preparing for a colorful spring. And what could be better than enjoying your very own gorgeous tulip garden? Tulip bulbs are the perfect start to transform your outdoor space into a true flower paradise in the spring.

As fall enters the stage and the leaves start to fall, it is time to start thinking about the coming spring. Spring may still seem a long way off, but planting bulbs in fall ensures colorful blooms in spring. The tulip assortment offers a wide range of colors and varieties, so you can create your own unique flower show. Choose tulips in the same color and vary with their shape for a peaceful ton-sur-ton look. Or perhaps you prefer lots of different colors in your garden? Anything is possible with tulips!

Planting flower bulbs is an easy and fun activity that is suitable for young and old. With a little care, the bulbs will develop into beautiful tulips that will brighten up your garden. The fun starts with selecting your favorite tulips. Planting bulbs is simple: dig a hole two to three times deeper than the height of the bulb and place the bulb in it with the growing tip facing up. Cover them with soil and water them. That’s all there is to it!

Watching your garden awaken in spring and admiring the flowers in your own tulip garden is such a treat. Whether you want to plant a colorful sea of flowers in your front garden, a charming tulip border in your backyard or window boxes on your balcony, the wide range of tulips offers countless possibilities to transform your outdoor space into a floral paradise.

You can find more inspiration and information about flower bulbs at www. flowerbulbs.com. o

New Plant Spotlight

New Poinsettia Varieties

Dümmen Orange participated in numerous industry poinsettia trials in North America over the past few weeks. Trial locations included Sawaya Gardens, N.G. Heimos Greenhouses and Millstadt Young Plants, Vaandrager Nurseries, Lucas Greenhouses, and Plantpeddler.

New varieties introduced by Dümmen Orange included its Freya Series, Noblesse, Rapid Red, and Red Ribbons. Additional highlights at the trials included Candy Cane, FabYULEous, Ferrara, Flurry, Frozen, and Red Soul. Red Ribbons (pictured above) are a true poinsettia innovation with uniquely shaped bracts and leaves. This new variety is easy to grow with low to medium vigor. Its free-branching variety provides a florist-type quality. With its uniquely shaped oak leaf bracts, bold red color, and abundant cyathia, it is perfect to use with foliage combinations or as a standalone novelty.

For more information about Dümmen Orange, visit na.dummenorange.com. o

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts

• Garden Trends for 2025

• Broccoli Harvest

• Holiday Gifts for Gardeners

• Garlic Planting

See more Washington Gardener blog posts at WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com o

December–January Garden To-Do List

• Keep watering your poinsettias and give them plenty of light. Ensure they are away from drafts and that pots drain freely.

• Last chance to plant bulbs or, if you have waited until the ground is frozen, pot them up for forcing indoors.

• Gather holiday greens. Some, like holly and boxwood, respond to being pruned by growing thicker.

• Feed birds and provide them with a fresh-water source.

• Check houseplants, and any plants you brought indoors for the winter, for insects.

• Provide some special protection to tender or early-flowering plants like Camellias.

• Stake newly planted large trees or shrubs to protect them from winter winds.

• Check any tropical or summer-blooming bulbs, corms, tubers, and bare root plants in storage for rot or desiccation.

• Apply scale and dormant oil treatment to evergreens.

• Spread ashes from wood fires on your vegetable beds.

• Keep succulents and cacti on the dry side.

• Water fresh-cut Christmas trees daily.

• Gently remove layers of snow from outdoor evergreens with a broom.

• Start organizing your pile of incoming garden catalogs.

• Keep an eye out for damage to tree bark from rabbits and deer.

• Spray broadleaf evergreens with anti-desiccant to prevent dehydration.

• Use the branches from your Christmas tree as bedding mulch or a windbreak.

• Keep watering newly planted trees and shrubs as needed.

• Cover strawberry beds with straw or pine needles.

• Prune stone fruit trees such as cherries, plums, and peaches.

• Clean, sharpen, and store your garden tools.

• Reduce fertilizing of indoor plants (except Cyclamen).

• Set up a humidifier for indoor plants, or at least place them in pebble trays.

• Continue to rotate houseplants to promote even growth.

• Attend a local garden club meeting.

• Start new indoor plants from cuttings—try an easy one, such as violets.

• Check the plants under tall evergreens and under the eaves of the house to see that they have sufficient moisture.

• Weed. Weed. Weed.

• Pick a budding gardener to give some inspirational garden books and magazines, then watch the new gardener blossom.

• Store your fertilizer and seeds in rodent-proof containers.

• Do any filling and grading needed around your yard. The soil will settle during the winter months.

• Vent cold frames on sunny days.

• Avoid walking in frozen planting beds.

• Remove and destroy gypsy moth egg masses.

• Clean your gutters.

• Prune maples, dogwoods, birches, elms, and walnuts—if needed.

• Consider using alternatives to de-icing salts, such as sand, beet juice sugars, light gravel (grit), or non-clumping kitty litter. De-icing salts around driveways and sidewalks can harm your garden plants and turf. o