Restoring The Landscape With Native Plants

Native Plant of the Week: Great St. John's Wort ~ Hypericum ascyron

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Great St. John's Wort ~ Hypericum ascyron (pyramidatum)

Great St. John's Wort is the showiest Hypericum species in the midwest. The large bright yellow, 5 parted flowers are over 2" in width.

A native of partly shaded, moist sites in woodlands, woodland edges as well as along riparian areas.

The single flowers open in early July above the tall branched stems. Great St. John's Wort forms a nice large cluster, reaching heights of 3 to 5 feet and 2 to 3 feet in width, taking a form more like a shrub than a herbaceous perennial.

The flowers last into August and are a favorite of bumble bees, syrphid flies and smaller native bees. They love to bury themselves in the many stamens.

The central ovary is quite dominant in the center of the flower and as the petals fall it is equally showy as it dries, browns and matures. The seed capsule gets quite hard and inside are 5 chambers containing many small seeds.

The seeds are easy to collect, and can be collected as late as early November. I break open the capsules and bang the seeds out into a white container. This makes it easier to see and sort the seed.

The leaves are large, oppositely arranged and clasp to the leaf stem. Their size and form are a nice balance with the size and arrangement of the flowers.

Great St. John's Wort is native to northeastern North America. See map below for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Propagating Remnant Populations of Rattlesnake Master

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:49:00 +0000

by Jim Nelson
Could a poet be enraptured with a wild flower called Rattlesnake Master?

Could a story teller be interested in the “rescue” of these novel shaped remnants from era of expansive Minnesota prairies?

This plant’s name sounds more like a rock band. Eryngium yuccifolium is a long lived, low maintenance native perennial that seems to do well on a wide range of wet or dry soils. This plant is prized for its striking shape that adds texture to plantings. Larger plants can be a unique focal point in your garden. The plant is a host for some butterflies such as the Swallow tail.

Native Rattlesnake Master are best known for the yucca-like basal leaves that are bluish green and can be up to 3 feet long and 1/12 inches wide. The leaves are thick and parallel veined and have soft prickles spaced far apart along the edges. The leaf bases clasp the single, erect stem.

Flower heads are at the tip of the stem. Each of nearly spherical whitish flower head is from 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter and is made up of many small flowers. Whitish bracts stick out sharply from the flowers, which gives the flower head a rough, prickly feel and appearance. The heads have a honey-like odor and are in bloom primarily in July and August.

This plant was plentiful in the historic prairie of Minnesota. Interestingly the most northern natural occurrence was nearby our family farm in Dakota County. This population was noted in the 1994 County Biological Survey. The survey documented this small population (about 50 mature plants) scattered on three private properties but were imperiled by agriculture activities and invasive plants.

A few years ago we engaged the nearby owners, mapped the locations of plants and with permission gathered seeds. Preparing and propagating the seeds was quite simple. Separate the seeds from chaff with small screens, place them in damp sand in the refrigerator for about 30-60 days. In the spring plant them in shallow seed trays. Water sparingly but continuously. By late summer they were ready to be transplanted. We had a very high success rate. Like many native plants, you don’t have tall strong specimens until the second and third years.

We gathered, propagated and planted for couple of years and distributed them widely on our 28 acre planting to insure their survival. Later we supplied local native plant nursery (Kinnikinnic Natives) our seeds and were content for them to raise “our plants”. This freed us from the nursery tasks and allowed us to spend more time planting and pursuing other imperiled plant species.

This “species of special concern” has now has a broader and more secure presence in our area than it did 30 years ago. There are more than 300 plants on our restored prairie remnant. Newly propagated plants have also been return to neighboring properties and a goodly number have been sold by the plant nursery.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Many vital conservation activities can be performed by amateurs on private lands with only a modest amount of training. The key ingredients are curiosity, willingness to be proactive and collaborate and always a bit of patience.

Rattlesnake Master is an interesting plant that suffers with a poor name that suggests a mythic antidote for a rattlesnake bite. We should give it more fitting name that celebrates its striking shape in our grassland heritage, e.g. prairie pride.

Native Plant of the Week: Cucumber Vine ~ Echinocystis lobata

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:36:00 +0000

Cucumber Vine (Balsam Apple) ~ Echinocystis lobata

The dried vines of Cucumber Vine are still evident this time of year as they hang from tree limbs and cover shrubs and grasses.

This common, annual native vine is found most often along riparian areas or wetlands preferring moist, rich soils.

The white, six parted flowers emerge in mid July in clusters (racemes) along the vine. Most of the flowers are male, just a few female flowers are interspersed.

Cucumber Vine grows a significant amount for an annual vine, reaching heights of 30 feet or more. It often climbs horizontally along low lying wetland shrubs, grasses and sedges.

It will also climb vertically up trees clasping branches with its many tendrils.

The leaves on Cucumber Vine are very attractive, large and sharply lobed into a palm-like shape.

In early September the bladder-like seed pod develops, clothed with many sharp spines. Inside are 4, black shiny seeds. The pod turns a light brown as it dries, and eventually dried enough for the seeds to rattle around inside.

Seeds are available at some native plant nurseries if you have a good place to train this vine. It can be extremely showy when in flower, and equally attractive afterwards covered in seed pods. A full sun, moist location is ideal.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Cucumber Vine is native to central North America, see map for range.

Dear Lawn, I'm Breaking Up With You

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000

For Valentine's Day, I'm celebrating Less Lawn and the upcoming release of Beautiful No-Mow Yards: 50 Amazing Lawn Alternatives by local Minnesota author, Evelyn Hadden.

This book will inspire you to break up (literally) with your lawn and find more loving, peaceful, no-mow landscapes that reflect natural landscapes.

Many of the 50 landscapes featured in Evelyn's book are of Minnesota gardens - many of which are comprised of mostly or all native plants.

Q & A With Author Evelyn Hadden

Where and how does one begin converting their lawn in their yard to no-mow alternatives?

Photo Credit Evelyn J. Hadden

I suggest starting in places where you only go to mow, converting lawn that you don't use into a more rewarding (or just less demanding) landscape. Here are a couple of examples.

SLOPE GARDENS: Mowing steep slopes can be unwieldy or even dangerous, and turfgrass doesn't stop runoff. Instead, plant perennials that grow taller and physically intercept runoff, slowing it down so more of it will soak into your property instead of pooling on the path below or running into the storm drains.

Making a path along the base of your Slope Garden offers a great view of the plants without stooping. It's a nice way to showcase smaller gems and nodding flowers where they can be more easily appreciated.

Photo Credit Evelyn J. Hadden

TREE ISLANDS: Most trees don't like to grow in lawn (and lawns don't much like growing under trees). If you have a tree in the middle of your lawn, make an island around it and plant ground-layer plants that naturally grow under trees.

Let fallen leaves accumulate in the island bed; they do the jobs of both mulch and fertilizer! They protect the tree's root zone from drying out, erosion, and compaction, and they will decompose into food for the tree.

Design away work and waste by adding island beds so that you can rake leaves off the lawn directly into those beds. No more bagging and hauling away your leaves, then buying and hauling in fertilizer and/or mulch.

What are some of the ways you can engage neighbors once you've started reducing your lawn?

Photo Credit Evelyn J. Hadden

Make sure the neighbors see you enjoying your garden. Why not invite them over to enjoy it with you? Give them a tour and tell them how it's changed your life for the better.

Toss some specifics into your conversation. Did you know that hospital patients heal faster when they have a view of a garden? Employees are more productive too. Plants filter pollutants out of the air and enrich it with oxygen, making it healthier for us to breathe. You can also talk about the money you saved: well-adapted plants will lower your water bills, and smart tree placement can cut heating and cooling costs.

Of course, showing is even better than telling. If your garden produces food, herbs, or cut flowers, share some. If your garden produces extra plants, offer those.

Do you see signs that this is becoming a trend?

Photo Credit Evelyn J. Hadden

When I started writing about less lawn over a decade ago, it was much more "on the fringe," but it is clearly moving into the mainstream. I think several trends are fueling this change. Recent droughts and water shortages keep reminding us that our drinking water supply is limited. Economic uncertainty leads us to seek less costly, more self-sustaining landscapes (which perfect turf is not).

Concerns about the quality and reliability of our food supply have prompted many of us to try growing some of our own food. And our lives are busier than ever, leaving us with less time to spend maintaining lawns we don't use.

This post is one of a group of Valentine's Day Tributes to Lawn Alternatives by different garden writers. Visit them all:

"A Love Letter to Wildlife" - Carole Sevilla Brown: Ecosystem Gardening
"Lawn Anti-Valentine" - Susan Harris: GardenRant
"Dear Lawn, I'm Breaking Up With You" - Heather Holm: Restoring the Landscape with Native Plants
"Book Review: Beautiful No-Mow Yards" - Susan Morrison: Blue Planet Garden Blog
"Just Say NO: 5 Ways to Break Up With Your Lawn" - Debbie Roberts: A Garden of Possibilities
"Landscapes That Love Us Back" - Evelyn Hadden: Lawn Reform Coalition
"Love Letters to Lawns" (coming Thursday) - Saxon Holt: Gardening Gone Wild
"Feature: Beautiful No-Mow Yards" - Timber Press Talks

Native Plant of the Week: Mayapple ~ Podophyllum peltatum

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:06:00 +0000

Mayapple ~ Podophyllum peltatum

It won't be long before the coiled up leaves of Mayapple start emerging through the soil. A wonderful spring emergence, Mayapples are often found in large clusters in woodlands.

As the two oppositely arranged leaves unfurl, they open up into an umbrella like form creating a shaded spot for the flower underneath to emerge.

The shoots appear as early as the beginning of April in Minnesota. This photo was taken at Nerstrand State Park after a fall understory burn.

The two leaves are large, 6-8" across and lobed. They are thick and almost tacky to the touch.

You have to look hard for the flower as it opens beneath the cover of the leaves above at the junction where the two leaves join.

A 1-2" wide white flower opens in May, with 6 or more petals. It hangs downwards from the junction. The resulting fruit 'apple', is an enlarged yellow pod (berry) with many seeds.

The flower is reportedly quite fragrant, I have not tried to smell them myself. The whole plant is poisonous.

Mayapples like mesic woodlands in part to shade. They're a great plant to have come up around early flowering ephemerals such as Hepatica or False Rue Anemone. They do spread by rhizomes and will form a loose cluster.

They are native to eastern North America. See map below for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Creation of a Prairie Pond

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:22:00 +0000

Another great pond project - thank you to Jim for sharing his process and story.

Why Create a Prairie Pond
by Jim Nelson

We created a pond to enhance plant and animal diversity on our prairie. There is a 28 acre restored grassland and prairie remnant on the Nelson Family Farm in central Dakota County, MN. This land had been part of the historic prairie in Minnesota and tiny prairie remnants can be found in this otherwise intensive agricultural area.

The creation of a prairie pond was the keystone of our multi-year prairie restoration. The pond connects restored areas with the historic prairie remnants. The pond allowed us to increase diversity by introducing plants that favored wet or moist conditions- a complement to the upland, dry landscape. The water would become a "wildlife magnet" that increased the interest in visiting this landscape for both creatures and people.

Studying Wetlands and Ponds

The old carpenter adage is "measure twice and cut once". We put a lot of effort in to planning the pond: what, where, and how. We made informal notes and stuffed them in a portfolio that included research of nearby wetlands, other reconstructed ponds, input from neighbors, conservation literature, notes on materials and advice from native plant nurseries.

Participation in the Wild Ones and Prairie Enthusiasts groups fostered informal learning from many knowledgeable persons. Since a number of ponds that we reviewed had problems with leaking liners, we decided to not have an artificial liner. A unique feature of this plan was to line the pond with a combination of local clay and self-sealing bentonite clay. Bentonite is a natural clay that has the remarkable property to greatly expand and fill voids when in contact with water.

Develop a Plan

A summary of current conditions (elevation and drainage pathways)
A set of restoration general goals: a shallow pond with no liner that would be attractive to songbirds, amphibians and small mammals.
A schematic with dimensions for contracting (a gentle sloping basin with a 35’x45’ floor)
A list of material including: preferred forbs, grasses and sedges

Location

We chose a location with hydric soils, and watershed that exceeded 5x the size of the pond. The location was near the lowest elevation that logically drained the upland and that seasonally had damp or saturated soil. We tried to take in to account the needs of specific wildlife for habitat and also natural sight lines for people to view the "water hole" activity.

Vegetation

The plant communities were to follow the gradient of the slope. We chose plants primarily on their moisture requirements. Plants tolerating dry well drained soil were planted at the on the top of the slope and plants needing moist or wet conditions at the bottom of the slope.

All areas were open and had day long access to the sun. We needed a grassland and forb buffer to prevent sediment from entering the pond and to provide nesting habitat for upland animals. Existing vegetation (brome grass and noxious weeds) was removed by combination of non-specific (Glyphosate) herbicide and smothering with tarps.

Excavation and Sealing

The contractor to dig the pond was recommended by the County Soil and Water Conservation District. (Based upon drainage experience) The timing was mid-July when the ground was relatively dry and firm. The perimeter of the pond was outlined with lath stakes and the experienced contractor made successive passes to excavate, while gently banking the sides. After the basin was formed 2 truckloads of clay were delivered (from a local Aggregate supplier) and spread with a skid loader. The final dressing was a commercial bentonite clay (Supplier CETCO, product name: Volclay ).

Products are shipped with a Material Data Safety Sheet that specified proper handling. The clay was purchased through an industrial supply house. The clay is granular in form and shipped in 40lb bags. The bentonite was spread, raked to level and then rototilled in by myself to create the clay barrier. The leveling of the basin floor was confirmed by filling with water. At the time of excavation, we agreed on the route of equipment to minimize damage to adjacent planting and a plan to loosen soil compacted by equipment.

Planting

Monkey Plant ~ Mimulus ringens

My plant list was well researched and the installation was planned over several seasons. It was based upon observations of nearby wetlands and recommendations of commercial native plant nurseries. The immediate priority was to stabilize bare soil on the rim and the banks surrounding the basin to prevent erosion.

I used plugs around the rim of primarily Little Bluestem (Andropogon scoparius ) and Blue Joint Grass (Calamagrostis canadensis) on the upper part of the slopes. We randomly planted Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana) one side of the pond and Monkey Plant (Mimulus ringens) on the other side.

On year one, we chose plants that had were reliably successful and easily identifiable during hand weeding. We used an auger attachment (trade name: Garden Gopher) on a drill motor to place planting holes. We strategically placed some silt barriers where we suspected problems with sediment erosion. The six acre hillside around the slope was planted with a Truax seed drill using short/medium grass native seed mix with some forbs, primarily legumes. The mixture included some oat seed to rapidly grow and hold the soil while the slower establishing native seedlings became established.

Replanting, Maintenance and Monitoring
Due to many family obligations and other priorities, planting of over 2500 plugs was spread over three years. Weeding, editing out unwanted species, and experimenting with new species were part of every growing season. The priorities the second year were to plant near or in the water, hand weed and begin more systematically to monitor wildlife visits.

The lower slopes of the pond were planted primarily with easily established sedges: bottlebrush sedge (Carex cornosa ) fox sedge (Carex vulpinoidea) and lake sedge (Carex lacustris ). After a couple years of building out a solid infrastructure of vegetation, we were free to add a large variety of plants, grasses, sedges and rushes. There are now over 30 different species. A prescribed burn was completed after year 3 as final cleansing of weeds and dead plant litter.

Summary

The pond project was an exciting multi-year effort to enhance the attractiveness of our prairie by adding water for wildlife. Planning was huge part of the project. We paid close attention to the site layout. We scouted wetlands in our neighborhood. We benefited by getting advice, materials and services from local native plant nurseries. We were able to obtain a small grant (Environmental Quality Improvement Program) through the County Soil and Water Conservation District.

The SWCD would not share cost of excavation but shared cost of the seed, plants and the prescribed burn. Although, the excavation and lining took a single day, refining our project has continued over several years. Once established we continued to add diversity with systematic although very informal experiments to add breadth and biologic richness.

Native Plant of the Week: Marsh Marigold ~ Caltha palustris

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:29:00 +0000

Marsh Marigold ~ Caltha palustris

The bright yellow flowers of Marsh Marigold light up the roadside ditches and wetland edges in early spring. This common wetland marginal perennial native is a welcoming sight after a long winter.

The low mounding habit makes this native a good candidate for the home landscape - if you have a seasonally (spring) wet area in your yard in part to full sun and rich soils. It's also a highly recommended plant for use in raingardens.

Marsh Marigold leaves are heart-shaped, glossy and basal. They set off the long stalked flowers nicely.

Flowers are 5-9 parted with thick sepals and are very showy 1 - 1.5" wide. Blooming starts anywhere from early April through May in Minnesota.

Seeds form near the end of May into June and are uniquely attractive. The star-like cluster of carpels mature and open along the upper edge to release the seed.

"The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract flies and bees primarily. This includes Bombylius major (Giant Bee Fly), Syrphid flies, Halictid bees, honey bees, and others."(Illinois Wildflowers)

Marsh Marigold is primarily native to northeastern North America. See map below for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Red-Headed Woodpecker ~ Melanerpes erythrocephalus

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:27:00 +0000

Red-Headed Woodpecker ~ Melanerpes erythrocephalus

We were thrilled to have an adult Red-Headed Woodpecker visit our yard in mid-May of 2010. If you've ever seen one of these woodpeckers, they have eye catching tri-colored plumage of red, white and black. It's the only woodpecker in North America to have a solid red head (when mature).

Red-Headed Woodpecker range includes Montana east to New York, south to Texas and Florida (see map at bottom).

We excitedly told friends about our sighting, most thought we were talking about the more common Red-Bellied Woodpecker which have red on their heads. They are named for the red patch on their lower front.
(Left Photo: Female Red-Bellied Woodpecker)

Red-Headed Woodpecker populations are on a serious decline. "[P]opulations have declined 89% since 1967. The bird has experienced an average decline of 4.6% per year since 1980 due to loss of habitat and other factors." (Red-Headed Woodpecker Recovery Website)

Red-Headed Woodpeckers like open woodland habitats with mature live trees (primarily nut producing trees) and plenty of snags (dead standing trees) for cavity nesting. They also prefer an open understory. Locally, our oak woodland-brushland and oak savannas are ideal habitats except there is usually not enough snags available for nesting cavities.

"Red-heads are primary cavity excavators. They create tree holes for nesting, food storage and roosting. Once abandoned, these cavities become sites for secondary cavity nesters, birds that will not create their own holes but depend on holes left by others. These species include bluebirds, swallows, wrens, flycatchers, kestrels, screech-owls as well as others." (Red-Headed Woodpecker Recovery Website)

"They [b]egin nest-building as early as February and egg-laying as early as mid-April. An average of 4-7 eggs are laid in the cavity and incubated by both parents for 12-14 days. May have two broods per season and will lay a second clutch if first fails. A pair may use the same cavity for several years in a row." (Audubon Website)

Juvenile Red-Headed Woodpeckers have brown heads and black stripes in their white wing patch.

Red-Headed Woodpeckers "consume seeds, nuts, sap, corn, fruit, insects, bird eggs, nestlings, adult birds, and mice. Eats mostly insects and plant material in summer and mostly nuts (acorns and beechnuts) in winter. Will forage on ground, capture insects in flight, glean food from vegetation, or chisel trees for wood-boring insects and sap. Most adapted of all the woodpeckers for flycatching. Will store food for winter (grasshoppers, nuts, corn, and fruit) in natural crevices of trees and posts, in tree cavities, under bark, and under railroad ties and shingles. Only known woodpecker to cover stored food with bark or wood." (Audubon Website)

Image Source:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Municipalities and private landowners who live in the Red-Headed Woodpecker range can make a difference by leaving dead trees standing, maintaining a lower density or more open spacing of trees, keeping an open understory, and a good number of nut producing mast trees. (Red-Headed Woodpecker Recovery Website)

An sightings can be reported at the Red-Headed Recovery website.

More Information
Red-Headed Woodpecker Recovery
Audubon
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Native Plant of the Week: Michigan Lily ~ Lilium michiganense

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:14:00 +0000

Michigan Lily ~ Lilium michiganense

If you want a show stopping native alternative to asiatic lilies, then check out the beautiful Michigan Lily.

The bright orange flowers are speckled with brown spots. Over 3 inches wide, the large buds and flowers hang downwards from a long stem.

Flowers open in early July, as the six tepals unfurl they curve backwards upon themselves.

Michigan Lilies are found in moist locations, along riparian areas and wetland edges. Be sure to plant your bulbs/plants in a mesic to moist location in part or full sun.

The leaves are equally interesting, arranged in whorls on the stem, then becoming alternate at the top near the flowers. We have Michigan Lilies planted just inside our gate and they grow well above our picket fence.

Michigan Lilies are native to northeastern North America. See map below for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Design and Construction of a Thriving Pond Habitat

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:38:00 +0000

One of my blog followers, Mark Funk emailed me in December. In our email conversation I learned about his amazing pond design and construction and wanted to share his project with you.

Here's Mark's story in his own words:

As a university student who had become obsessed with native plants, I was thrilled to hear my parents say that they would like to put a native pond garden in our front yard last year. I had been entertaining the idea of a career in natural landscaping, so our yard became the perfect stage for me to practise and hone my skills. Being my first real venture into natural landscaping, the pond was an experiment and a learning experience.

My parents’ home sits on a vineyard in the Niagara Region in southern Ontario’s Carolinian Zone – known for its natural, but imperiled, diversity. Our goal was to create a beautiful pond that we could enjoy along with others, while contributing to the ecological communities of southern Ontario. I decided that the best way to do this was to mimic the patterns and associations that can be observed in nature.

A landscape architect friend of mine, Mattson Meere, designed the pond shape for us, as well as the surrounding garden shape, complete with armour stone retaining wall and berms. The pond is an irregular shape, somewhat triangular, and approximately 10 metres (33 feet) at the widest point and 12 metres (39 feet) at the longest. It is about 1.5 metres (five feet) deep in the middle with a 70-centimetre (28-inch) deep shelf that runs around the perimeter.

Illustration by Mark Funk

After having the pond excavated in spring of 2010, we installed a liner to ensure that the pond would have adequate water levels year-round. Then we added soil on top of the shelf for planting aquatic species. We left the bottom section of the pond without soil to prevent vegetation from growing there. This will help to maintain an area of open water in the centre of the pond where the vegetation won’t encroach.

Once the pond was excavated, liner installed, and soil added, it was time to do the planting. My family and I planted over 500 plugs and pots over two hot July days, which tested our dedication, but ultimately proved very rewarding. Despite the fact that we completed the planting just before a two-week hot spell with no rain, most of the plants flourished with only a few good waterings. Of course, the plants that were planted into the water or moist soil around the pond were not as susceptible to drought, but the upland plants around the perimeter didn’t seem to be bothered much either!

The plants that did the worst were the shade-loving species that I shouldn’t have planted into full sun conditions in the first place, such as wild ginger (Asarum canadensis), Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) and bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). Some of these species wilted and appeared to have died within a week of planting, but to my surprise, sprouted again this spring. Adding a heavy layer of ‘forest mulch’ (a combination of shredded wood and bark chips) to the garden helped to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.

The pond is bordered by a variety of plants from a number of native plant communities. I selected an array of wetland plants for the moist areas, and then a mix of prairie, meadow and forest plants for the surrounding garden, which includes a full spectrum of sun conditions. In total, over 55 species of plants native to southern Ontario were planted.

Cardinal Flower

Wetland plants incorporated include great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), fringed sedge (Carex crinita), sweet flag (Acorus americanus), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), fox sedge (Carex vulpinoidea), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), soft rush (Juncus effesus), ironweed (Vernonia missurica), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) and arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia).

White Snakeroot

On the upland soils we planted big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis), white snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum), sky blue aster (Aster oolentangiensis), wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), woodland sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus), New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus), wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), wild geranium (Geranium maculatum), green-headed coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) and many others.

Swamp Milkweed

One of my goals for the project was to make the pond garden a landscape feature that could interact with, and improve, the integrity of local plant communities. For this reason, I planted many of the species that can be found growing in the small fragment of forest and swamp across the road from our house. After we planted the pond, I found it rewarding to discover local populations of the species I had planted, such as blue vervain (Verbena hastata), blue flag iris (Iris versicolor), swamp milkweed and alternate-leaved dogwood (Cornus alternifolia), all within a couple of kilometres of our pond!

Although the project’s total cost was about $5,000 (CDN), the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) funded $1,500 through their Water Quality/Habitat Improvement Project, covering 75% of the plant material costs. The NPCA provides grant assistance for a variety of rural and urban stewardship activities taken on by landowners. We could have cut costs by not using a rubber liner, which cost $1,500, and by reducing the amount of mulch we applied. We’re happy with the design and materials we used, but there is no reason a native plant garden cannot be created for far cheaper. Had we used traditional pond landscaping methods, such as exotic plants typical of the horticultural industry or an ornamental fountain, there’s no doubt in my mind the price tag on the project would have been significantly higher.

The wildlife that has already appeared in our ecologically isolated yard is incredible! American toads, green frogs and leopard frogs all arrived within a month of the pond’s installation, and in significant numbers too! Along with the frogs and toads came boatmen, water-striders, dragonflies, butterflies, increased bird activity and a great blue heron sighting at the pond’s edge.

In Year Two we welcomed the addition of a painted turtle, which had wandered onto our yard, and two largemouth bass, which I brought in from a friend’s nearby pond. In addition to the new fauna on our property, species of flora that were not planted by us have found their way into our mini-ecosystem, such as nodding bur marigold (Bidens cernua) and cattails (Typha sp.). This tells me that our yard is already interacting with the local environment as seed dispersal and exchange occurs.

High nutrient levels in the topsoil we added into the pond during construction resulted in an algal bloom at the end of the pond’s first summer. Manual removal of the algae with a pool skimmer seemed the best way to control it. I’ve been told that a pond often needs two to three years for its water chemistry to balance. Shading from aquatic plants can also help control algae by lowering the water temperature. The algae have not been an issue so far in the second year.

The plants are flourishing, filling bare ground as individuals grow bigger and seeds spread. We’ve added logs to the woodland section of the garden by salvaging pieces of fallen trees nearby and we continue to record wildlife species that come to visit.

In addition to the aesthetic and ecological value we derive from the pond, we have also used it for swimming in the summer (despite having a backyard pool) and ice hockey in the winter, making it a multi-season recreational opportunity.

By putting it in the front yard we are voluntarily enduring the scrutiny of every passer-by. It’s rare that we see a car drive by without the driver doing a double take! I enjoy the social and environmental statement the pond makes. It says that we are willing to step outside of societal norms to improve habitat and biodiversity on our property. Many people have taken notice of that, and we have received lots of positive feedback and interest. But ultimately, the reward is seeing the beauty and functionality of the pond as its plants put on their stunning displays and the fauna begin to return to our yard.

Mark Funk recently completed an environmental studies degree at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario and is currently studying landscape design in order to pursue his ecological restoration interests.

Native Plant of the Week: Hoary Puccoon ~ Lithospermum canescens

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:26:00 +0000

Hoary Puccoon ~ Lithospermum canescens

The bright orange flowers of Hoary Puccoon are a treat to see in full bloom in May. A tough native perennial of mesic to dry sites, it is most commonly found in full sun in dry prairies or woodland edges.

It is notoriously very difficult to grow from seed, if at all. Lithospermum is Greek for lithos (stone) and sperma (seed), for its extremely hard seed coat. Transplant success is also low due to its tap root.

Blooming in early to mid May, the five parted tubular flowers are arranged in cymes that curve over as they open.

The leaves are arranged alternately and are covered in fine white hairs giving it a hoary or gray appearance. Hoary Puccoon grows between 4" and 15" in height, depending upon soil moisture.

"Hoary Puccoon is very similar to Carolina Puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense). Carolina Puccoon has 1-inch flowers, the bracts are much longer, and the stem hairs are shorter, more sparse, and more bristly." (Minnesota Wildflowers)

Hoary Puccoon is native to the midwest and eastern North America. See map below for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

High Bush Cranberry Viburnums - Native or Not?

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:21:00 +0000

My post today at Native Plant Wildlife Gardens is about European vs American High Bush Cranberry Viburnum.

Native Plant of the Week: Pale Corydalis ~ Corydalis sempervirens

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:08:00 +0000

Pale Corydalis (Rock Harlequin) ~ Corydalis sempervirens

Pale Corydalis is a very attractive biennial native. I saw a large cluster of these growing this spring in late May in central Ontario. Growing in shallow soils on top of the Canadian shield granite bedrock, most plants reached heights close to 3 feet tall.

Pale Corydalis is in the Fumitory family (Fumariaceae) along with other great natives - Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) and a beautiful biennial vine Climbing Fumitory, (Adlumia fungosa). Fumitory plants have interesting four parted flowers, often fused into a tube or spurred.

The flowers of Pale Corydalis have one spurred petal, and are bright pink with yellow tips. They are arranged in showy clusters above the light blue-green foliage.

The leaves are pinnately divided with smooth edges. Since this is a biennial, first year plants are basal rosettes, and in the second year the plant flowers.

You will find this native in partial and full sun locations, most often in shallow, dry soils. It is native to northeastern North America. See map below for range.

Image Source: USDA Plants Database

Native Plant of the Week: Blue Cohosh ~ Caulophyllum thalictroides

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Blue Cohosh ~ Caulophyllum thalictroides

Blue Cohosh is a wonderful, delicate, spring flowering woodland native perennial. It is somewhat under appreciated because the flowers aren't particularly showy. It does have other note worthy attributes that make it an excellent addition to any shady, mesic site.

Blue Cohosh usually occurs in small groupings in the shade of deciduous trees on upland sites. The small terminal clusters of 6 parted, yellow-green flowers emerge in mid May and arise above the blue green foliage. The flower and leaf stalks have a light blue to purple coloration which is quite unique.

The leaves are large and three parted, which are again divided into 3 lobes. As the species name suggests (thalictroides), the foliage is similar in appearance to Meadow Rue (Thalictrum).

Blue Cohosh is quite tall for early flowering ephemerals, reaching heights of 3 feet in moister sites. It stands upright and remains sturdy throughout the summer months. For this reason, it works well massed in a woodland garden and the texture of the foliage contrasts nicely with ferns and later flowering woodland species.

The stalked blueberry like fruit develop by late August and mature from a light green to dark blue purple. They look like a fleshy berry but in fact its a hard seed coat covered by a blue skin.

I have had some success propagating Blue Cohosh, the hard seed coat definitely needs to be scarified before planting. Young seedlings take a while to establish.

Blue Cohosh is native to eastern North America, see map below for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Anise Scented Hyssop ~ Agastache foeniculum

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:31:00 +0000

Guest post by Michael Lynch

Anise Scented Hyssop, Purple Giant Hyssop  ~ Agastache foeniculum

Anise Hyssop is one of the few beautiful native wildflowers that we in the frozen north can call our own. It is native from essentially the Twin Cities, North and west through North Dakota and Montana with only a few scattered areas elsewhere. From what I hear, it grows successfully much further south.

In the garden, Hyssop has a lot going for it. It has attractive blue flowers that are a magnet for bees and butterflies. It's flower heads retain purplish color even after they are done blooming, and it reblooms throughout the summer starting in June.

Anise Hyssop is quite easy to grow sometimes it becomes a little too easy. It prefers full sun however still looks quite attractive under part shade. It is a perennial plant, but it can usually bloom it's first year from seed. It has been known to be weedy in the garden and I dead head mine so that it won't reseed too heavily.

A notable characteristic of this species is its scent. If you brush your hand over a flower head you will notice a distinct scent of anise. If you like anise, you can use it to make teas or drinks. If you love anise you will plant it near a side walk so you can pick a leaf and taste it. If you really love anise, you can plant Hyssop in your herb and vegetable garden for browsing purposes. 

I keep a few plants in my vegetable garden so that whenever I go out, I can pick the tenderest young leaves from the tips and eat them while I tend the garden. When the leaves are mature, the flavor is too strong and rather bitter.

Native Plant of the Week: Wafer Ash ~ Ptelea trifoliata

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:50:00 +0000

Wafer Ash (Hop Tree) ~ Ptelea trifoliata

Wafer Ash is a great native woody species that can be utilized as a large shrub or small tree specimen in the home landscape. Most often multi-stemmed, it can reach heights of around 20 feet in northern landscapes.

The flowers are tiny, light yellow to green in color and have either 4 or 5 petals. They are arranged in clusters that are about 2 inches wide.

Wafer Ash is relatively slow growing, especially in drier locations. Its native habitat includes thinner, dry soils on rock, or upland sites near riparian areas. It is tolerant of moist locations too so is a very adaptable native shrub to use in the home landscape.

In Minnesota, flowers emerge in early June. The interesting flat seed pods (samaras) develop and hang downwards in the clusters. They turn from light green to brown as they mature.

Wafer Ashes have 'leaves of three'. Young seedlings are often mistaken for poison ivy. The leaves are glossy and light green in color and very attractive.

Wafer Ash is native to southern and eastern North America. See map below for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Native Plant of the Week: Buttonbush ~ Cephalanthus occidentalis

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:54:00 +0000

Buttonbush ~ Cephalanthus occidentalis

Buttonbush is a beautiful native shrub of wetland and riparian edges, and other low lying moist locations. It is named for the 1'' wide, spherical shaped white flowers that emerge in late June to early July.

Buttonbush has dark green glossy leaves that are oppositely arranged. It prefers partial to full sun locations in medium to moist soils rich in humus in the home landscape.

It can reach heights of 12 feet, but is more commonly found around 6-8 feet. The flowers are fragrant and are sought out by many types of native bees.

The fruit is a spherical nutlet, which turns from green to rusty brown in color as it dries and matures.

Buttonbush is native to eastern North America as well as California and Arizona in the west. See map below for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Is That Species Native?

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:22:00 +0000

Guest Post by Michael Lynch
The question of whether something is native or not comes up a lot. Leave aside the question of how do you know what a given plant is, how do you decide if it grew here before European intervention. Often the label will say "Native" somewhere, but native to where. if a given species is native to North America, does that make it native to Minnesota?  I will use a few examples to illustrate the confusion. 

I will be using a set of maps aquired from the Biota of North America program. For more information on these maps and how to interperate them you can see my prior post here. 

Bee Balm
There is obvious confusion with this plant with it's numerous hybrids and cultivars. Two species are important in horticuluture. Monarda didyma and Monarda fistulosa.  Monarda didyma is a tall plant with bright red flowers and it grows well in shade and rapidly spreads to fill an area. It is promoted as a native and is very attractive to pollinators. What's more, it is easy to grow here. The question is, is it native to Minnesota? Not really.
 

M. didyma is native to the eastern US and the Appalachian Mountains. The closest its native range comes to Minnesota is Ohio or eastern Tennessee.  Look at the other species of Bee Balm.  

Monarda fistulosa is a medium height plant with pale pink flowers that grows in full sun and does not spread by runners. It is also called native and is also very attractive to wildlife and pollinators. Is it native? 

From this map Monarda fistulosa is widespread in most of the state of Minnesota.  

What about a more suprising group of plants that the purist in me did not expect.  

Coneflowers 

There are three major species of Echinaceas in the US. E. angustifola, E. pallida and E. purpurea. I believed that at least one of them was native to where I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When you look at the map, you realize that's not true.

E. angustifolia is native to Minnesota, but it doesn't extend to the eastern two thirds of the state. It is a true Great Plains species and doesn't grow in our oak savannas or tall grass prairies.

E. pallida is not native to Minnesota at all, but it comes very close. It is native to the tall grass prairies just south of Minnesota.

E. purpurea is the most common species used in horticulture and herbally. However, it is not native to Minnesota either. It grows in the tall grass prairies to the south of us, and is scattered in areas east of the Mississippi river. 

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with growing a plant even if it is not historically native to your area. Many insects still visit the flowers and birds will happily eat their seeds. But if you are a native plant purist seeking a representation of what your landscape would have looked like before the native plants were extripated, it is important to realize where those plants actually grew and more carefully select the plants you choose to grow in your garden or yard.

Native Plant of the Week: Northern Maidenhair Fern ~ Adiantum pedatum

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:55:00 +0000

Northern Maidenhair Fern ~ Adiantum pedatum

Northern Maidenhair Fern is one of the most delicate native woodland ferns. In Minnesota it often found growing on shady, cool, north or east facing slopes.

The stems develop a curve, sometimes almost a complete circle as the pinnae grow.

Another great feature of this fern is its dark brown to black stems. It makes a wonderful contrast to the softly textured pinnule.

Rusty red fiddleheads emerge in early to mid May. Ferns are great to layer in the native woodland garden with early flowering spring ephemerals such as Bloodroot or Hepatica.

Maidenhair fern spreads by rhizomes forming nice clusters. In the home landscape it needs a cool, shady location in compost rich medium soils. The fronds remains green late into the fall season.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Northern Maidenhair Fern is native to eastern North America. See map below for range.

BONAP: Biota of North America Plant Atlas

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Another guest post by Michael Lynch

I'd like to introduce more people to the Biota of North America Program.  
Biota of North America - North American Plant Atlas 
www.bonap.org

The Biota of North America Program is an online database of maps of most of the native and naturalized species of plants growing in North America. It is a work in progress, and a valuable tool for learning about wild plants and their native range across the continent.  

I would like to go over their maps and give people an idea of how to use them. The maps look like this.

They focus mainly on the United states, (hopefully they will eventually expand to Canada since we live so close.) Use herbarium records to collect their data, meaning that these are official records of plants growing in the wild, not in a garden, or escaped from human cultivation. These give good ideas of where a plant normally grows.  

The list by genus is rather daunting, so you will probably want to have a plant in mind before browsing their long list of genera. They also use latin names only and they often have the most up-to-date latin names, so if you are looking for asters, you have to look under Symphotrychium.   

I like to look at their maps to see what kind of habitat a plant likes. For example Mexican Hat. I am at the eastern edge of Mexican Hat's range in Minnesota. It is more common in the great plains and short grass prairie. In Minnesota, that means it likes it dry and sunny.

Large Flowered Trillium grows in climax forests. I am on the south west edge of it's range, meaning I should expect it to do well in a moist rich woodland.  

You can also see particular types of habitats across the country by looking at the range maps of species that have very specific habitat requirements. 

Purple Pitcher plants grow in sphagnum peat bogs. By looking at the map, you get a pretty good idea of where in the country sphagnum bogs are located.  

For a plant geek like me, I have found these maps quite useful, and a rather fun waste of time browsing maps of everything I kind of recognize. They are also useful tool for a regular gardner who wants to know where their favorite wild flower grows.

Native Plant of the Week: Autumn Coralroot ~ Corallorhiza odontorhiza

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:57:00 +0000

Autumn (Fall) Coralroot ~ Corallorhiza odontorhiza

Fall Coralroot is a tiny native woodland orchid. I have only seen it twice in my area and recently discovered the second location at a local park.

Flowering in late summer (August - September) the burgundy-brown color blends in perfectly with the woodland leaf litter making this orchid especially hard to spot.

The flowers rarely open on this orchid, they are tiny and white with small spots. To see a photo of the flower and a summary of other Coralroot, check out this post at the Get Your Botany On blog.

I have found Fall Coralroot growing locally in medium to dry, mature, maple-basswood and oak woodlands in part to full shade. Both locations were on slopes. It can grow to around 12 inches in height, but the clusters I've seen are much shorter.

Here's a recent photo of Fall Coralroot. It's much easier to spot with a little snow on the ground.

Fall Coralroot is native to eastern North America. See map below for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Fragile (Brittle) Prickly Pear ~ Opuntia fragilis

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:32:00 +0000

This is a guest post by Michael Lynch - thank you Michael for your contribution!

 When Heather asked me if I would be interested in writing for her blog, I couldn't think of anything sufficiently interesting. Fortunately I discovered my topic the next day I went hiking in Louisville Swamp Wildlife Refuge just southwest of Shakopee, MN.   

Fragile Prickly Pear/ Brittle Prickly Pear  ~ Opuntia fragilis

This is where the prickly pears grow.
The bedrock comes right to the surface and
the edges of the rock where the soil is too
thin for anything but mosses and lichen to
grow is where prickly pears do best.

Meet one of Minnesotas 3 native cactus species. (That's right, Minnesota has three kinds of cactus) . It is a small and rather dainty cactus, but don't let that fool you, it is as tough as those spines hurt.  It is one of the most cold hardy of the cactus species growing all the way into northern Minnesota.  

In the wild, they grow in thin soils on bedrock, or in very sandy prairies where other vegetation can't shade them out. They are called “fragile” because the slightest touch will break off the pads of this cactus and they will either stick to clothing, or the fur of bison and will hitch hike to a new spot to get established. Because they are so good at cloning themselves, they don't always flower like most other perennials.  

 This is a patch of prickly pear cacti growing
on the mossy edge of the bedrock. The
background you can see the prairie, and in
the foreground you can see the edge of
the bedrock. There is only about an inch of moss
and lichen to support the cacti.  Note the prickly
pears are reddish and shriveled for winter. 

In the garden they like dry sandy soils and places where they don't have to compete with other tall plants. In their natural habitat that is provided by extremely thin soils on the edge of a rock. In the garden that means maybe the edge of a retaining wall (preferably where you don't need to weed). A warning about the spines.

This is what Brittle prickly pear looks like in
June before it blooms. The pads are about 1-2
inches long and ¾ to an inch wide.

If you are unfamiliar with prickly pears. The spines are extremely thin, sharp and barbed. They have a habit of breaking off in your skin so you can't see them or pull them out, but make themselves known. (Ouch!)

Native Plant of the Week: Virgin's Bower ~ Clematis virginiana

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:27:00 +0000

Virgin's Bower ~ Clematis virginiana
Other Common Name: Devil's Darning Needle

Virgin's Bower is a beautiful native vine that can be utilized in the landscape to climb on many types of structures. In our yard, we have two 20' tall trellises on our garage that this vine climbs upon as well as a picket fence that I weave the vine through.

It is a fast growing woody vine, in moist years growing over 20 feet in length. For this reason, I cut my vines back to about 4 feet in height each spring.

I leave the tangled stems on the trellis for the winter as several types of birds (Northern Cardinals and sparrow species) like to roost there.

The tiny half inch wide white flowers emerge in late July to early August. Although each individual flower is small, they are arranged in branched clusters giving it an airy appearance. The 3 leaflets are attractive with coarsely serrated edges.

Fluffy seedheads develop in late September to early October, a nice late season feature of this vine.

Virgin's Bower prefers partially shaded locations with medium moisture. It will brown out and grow little in hot, exposed locations. The vine on the east facing side of our garage performs the best.

It is common locally, growing in lower lying areas in woodlands and edges. It will scramble over lower lying shrubs and weave its way through the understory. Like all vines in the human landscape, it will need something to climb upon.

This August, I spotted for the first time two Clematis Clearwing Borer Moths (Alcathoe caudata) in the yard. The larvae of these moths bore into the roots of Clematis to overwinter there.

Virgin's Bower is native to eastern North America. See map below for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Native Perennials for Dry Shade

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:30:00 +0000

If you have dry, well drained soils and shade in your landscape, it's often difficult to find the right plants that will work in these conditions.

For my own landscape I investigated similar conditions at local parks to see what is growing. The following three perennials are very dependable and will perform well in these conditions.

In my area, Zig Zag Goldenrod ~ Solidago flexicaulis is quite common growing in dry soils in upland, shady sites. I have included it in my own landscape in both part and full shade. Its bright yellow flowers open in early fall.

The sharply serrated leaves are attractive when this plant is not in flower. Zig Zag Goldenrod spreads by rhizomes, forming a nice cluster. It can be utilized in a woodland border or naturalized in an informal planting style in an understory.
Read more about Zig Zag Goldenrod here.

Virginia Waterleaf ~ Hydrophyllum virginianum
Virginia Waterleaf is a tough woodland native perennial. It can withstand quite a bit of disturbance and is often a remnant in a landscape that has been taken over by invasive plants.

The leaves are patterned with silver spots, this patterning often fades after flowering. An early spring bloomer, the light purple flowers open in mid May.

The flowers are pollinated by many types of native bees. Virginia Waterleaf propagates easily by seed, new seedlings will emerge around the parent plant. I think it is very attractive massed in the landscape and is underutilized in dry sites perhaps because it's so common.

Early Meadow Rue ~ Thalictrum dioicum is the third in this list I would recommend for dry shade. Another early flowering native, opening in mid May. The male flowers have long dangling stamens that hand downwards are tremble in the wind.

The softly lobed 3 parted foliage is very attractive - silmilar to Columbine (Aquilegia) foliage. The flower stalks can grow to around 2.5 feet tall with the foliage remaining shorter. The foliage also stays attractive throughout the summer months and contrasts nicely with other forms and textures.

Native Plant of the Week: Prickly Ash ~ Zanthoxylum americanum

noreply@blogger.com (Heather@RestoringTheLandscape.com) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:31:00 +0000

Prickly Ash ~ Zanthoxylum americanum

The Prickly Ash fruit is all but gone this time of year, but in early July as the red capsules are forming, you can smell the orange/citrus odor coming from the berries as you walk by. Crush a capsule between your fingers to get a sense of how strong orange aroma is.

The red stalked capsules will turn dark red to brown as they mature and are sought out by many types of wildlife including "bobwhite quails, vireos, pheasants, cottontails, and eastern chipmunks. Bees are attracted to the flowers. Giant swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs on the plants leaves." (USDA Plant Guide)

Prickly Ash is considered a large shrub or small tree. It can reach heights of 25 feet, more commonly a large specimen in our area is 12-15 feet. It has a suckering habit, often colonizing an area after a disturbance as well as in drier, poorer soils. The yellow-green flowers open along the stems in early May, before the leaves emerge.

Prickly Ash has triangular shaped thorns that occur along the stem. This along with the suckering habit often deters people from planting it in their landscape. But if you have poor soils and a large area that would make a good bird thicket, it is a good candidate for that. The tender new shoots are browsed by rabbits so it's recommended that you protect young plants during the winter months.

The leaves are compound with 5 - 11 leaflets. In late September to early October Prickly Ash turns a beautiful bright orange.

Tolerant of part shade to full sun, you will find Prickly Ash growing in open dry sites, along woodland edges as well as in disturbed sites.

Prickly Ash in native to eastern North America. See map below for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.