Bit Rusty

This is my Seaside Goldenrod, Solidago sempervirens, plucked four years ago from the asphalt in Red Hook. At this time every year it more or less succumbs to a bright orange rust or fungus.

The rust makes for an unhealthy looking plant, but it always goes on to flower and returns the next year. The rust shows up in late August/early September, not always to such severity, and often when it is quite dry as it has been of late. Rusts may infect a single species, which explains why it never spreads to nearby asters.

On another note from the same score, my honeysuckle is sputtering along. I do not remember the name of this one, probably because I never talk about it -because it never does well. I bought it from the BBG plant sale when I first planted my front yard and think its a N.A. native. Beautiful flowers and attractive blue-green leaves, but the plant seems to dislike full sun against a wall. It suffers from mildew every year, drops leaves and sporadically develops flowers like those above. Despite this, it sends out new shoots every year, and doesn't succumb to frost until quite late. If it weren't entangled with my New Dawn rose and a clematis, I'd dig it out and find a better home for it.