Ribbon Cutting on Saturday for Our Wildflower Meadow

Berkshire Botanical Garden will hold a ribbon cutting on Saturday, Aug. 12, at 2:30 p.m., for our Wildflower Meadow — an ecologically and aesthetically complex and diverse showpiece and destination. The project has been in the making dating back to 2019, when BBG acquired 2.5 acres adjacent to the northwest portion of the Garden. The seeding of native-dominated plant species was done in the fall of 2021.

Saturday's ribbon-cutting will include a tour led by BBG's Director of Horticulture Eric Ruquist.

The property has been roped off and closed to the public allowing the native plants to take root. The property includes an open meadow, a ridge and a wetland plateau. BBG has just carved in walking paths and public access.

The fear had been that invasive weeds would get a running start on the meadow this spring and early summer, potentially smothering out the stated goal. But the planting has been a success. Seeded species observed include: Agastache foeniculum (anise hyssop), Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine), Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed), Aster laevis (smooth aster), Carex sp (sedge species), Castilleja coccinea (Scarlet Paintbrush), Chamaecrista fasciculata (partridge pea), Cirsium discolor (pasture thistle), Coreopsis lanceolata (tickseed), Elymus sp. (wild rye sp.), Gnaphalium obtusifolium (sweet everlasting), Monarda punctata (horsemint), Parthenium integrifolium (wild quinine), Penstemon digitalis (white beardtongue), Penstemon hirsutus (hairy beardtongue), Rudbeckia hirta (black eyed Susan), Solidago juncea (early goldenrod), and Zizia aurea (golden Alexander), among others.