ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 15, 1996 TAG: 9604160012
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ADRIAN HIGGINS SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST
Thomas Jefferson gave much to the garden at Monticello. Around the time of his birthday - 253 years ago this month - the garden gave something back.
As though to observe his birthday, the native American woodland plant named twinleaf would emerge and flower, its delicate white blossoms borne singly on upright stems.
The plant was named in honor of the third president. When Jefferson was secretary of state, noted Philadelphia botanist Benjamin Smith Barton gave the plant its Latin name: Jeffersonia binata (now Jeffersonia diphylla). Native to the woodlands of the Eastern United States, the plant was grown by Jefferson from at least 1807 on. In recent years, it has been replanted at Monticello.
It grows to 12 inches, with the distinctive leaves (they look like green butterflies) becoming larger after the flowers have faded. Twinleaf shares at least two traits with the Virginia bluebell: It looks best in large clumps beneath shade trees and it dies back naturally in high summer. Once established, it self-seeds and develops large clumps.
Twinleaf is much harder to find, however. Slow to mature from seeds, it is not widely available. One of the few sources of the plant is at Monticello, where it is carried in the garden shop. Flowering-sized plants sell for $9, said Peggy Newcomb, director of the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants. ``It's not a huge flower, but it's different. It's a sweet little thing,'' she said.
LENGTH: Short : 35 linesby CNB