Archive for the ‘Native Plants and Flowers’ Category

1 May

“Eh Mon, What Are Those Pretty Flowers?”

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Botany, Crops, Eco-Friendly Products, Food, Gardening, Native Plants and Flowers, Wildflowers and Plants. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

The ubiquitous dandelion - blessing or curse?

The ubiquitous dandelion – blessing or curse?

A couple of years ago, some Jamaicans were visiting a friend in Illinois. It was the month of May and as they traveled down a country road, one of the Caribbean guests spotted the endless masses of yellow dandelions (taraxacum officinale) and asked, “Eh Mon, what are those pretty flowers?” My friend, who grew up in the Midwest could hardly believe his ears. Pretty flowers? To avid gardeners “pretty” has nothing to do with it. They are simply a curse.

Whether or not they are in fact a curse is a matter of perspective. To the pilgrims, who brought them with them to the New World, they were a help in attracting pollinators to their orchards and gardens. That’s right, dandelions are not native to North America. As is the case with numerous botanical species, they were imported from elsewhere. But in addition to attracting pollinators, dandelions serve a number of other functions.

According to an article posted by the University of Maryland Medical Center, dandelion leaves act as a diuretic, increasing the amount of urine the body produces. The leaves are used to stimulate the appetite and help digestion. Dandelion flower has antioxidant properties. Dandelion may also help improve the immune system.

North American Indians understood this and boiled dandelion in water and took it to treat kidney disease, swelling, skin problems, heartburn, and upset stomach. In traditional Chinese medicine, dandelion has been used to treat stomach problems, appendicitis, and breast problems, such as inflammation or lack of milk flow. In Europe, it was used in remedies for fever, boils, eye problems, diabetes, and diarrhea.

Herbalists use dandelion root to detoxify the liver and gallbladder, and dandelion leaves to support kidney function. Dandelion is a rich source of vitamins A, B complex, C, and D, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, and zinc. Dandelion leaves are used to add flavor to salads, sandwiches, and teas. The roots are used in some coffee substitutes, and the flowers are used to make wines.

Jeremiah 33:6
Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.

Should you decide to head outside and harvest some dandelions, let me make one precaution – don’t harvest dandelions from an area that has been sprayed with herbicides. Look for the ones growing in an open meadow. They’ll be strong and healthy, measuring as tall as 12 inches in some cases.

So if that doesn’t change your perspective, take it from the herbicide companies – dandelions may just be one of the most beautiful flowers in the whole world.

 

 

25 Apr

Virginia Spring Beauty – Prolific and Edible

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Botany, Food, Native Plants and Flowers, Wildflowers and Plants. Tagged: , , .

The hardy and yet tasty spring beauty.

The hardy and yet tasty spring beauty.

I’m still getting out for my lunch hour walks and finding new spring wildflowers popping up everyday. The trout lilies that were in abundance just a few days ago are no more and the red trilliums still need a few more days before they will bloom. But today the virginia spring beauties (Claytonia virginica), one of the most common native perennials in eastern North America, are out in full force. They should be. After all they are one of the most prolific spring wildflowers in Indiana.

Spring beauties are small low-growing wildflowers that are found in a star-like cluster of five white to light pink flowers. Closer examination of the petals will reveal an array of fine pink stripes and a pleasant floral fragrance. The dark green, grass-like leaves are both narrow and linear, and are usually found in pairs.

Foliage continues to grow after bloom and may eventually reach close to a foot tall before the leaves disappear in late spring as the plants go into dormancy. 

One reason for why the spring beauty is so common is its ability to survive in areas that have suffered land degradation such as livestock grazing and partial tree removal. Many other native woodland wildflowers don’t fare as well under these conditions. The spring beauty however, can thrive in yards with just a few trees present and be quite prolific. When spring beauties and other wildflowers are absent from woodlands, this is a sure sign of severe degradation from plows or bulldozers in the past.

Beautiful and Tasty?

According to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, spring beauties are not only beautiful spring ephemerals, but a tasty spud-like vegetable. The tubers, or the fleshy underground stem or root that provides nutrition to the plant, are a half inch to two inches in diameter, and are often compared to radishes or small potatoes. They taste, however, much sweeter than the average spud – more like a chestnut than potato – and are rich in nutrients including potassium, calcium and vitamins A and C.

Spring beauty tubers are best harvested when the flower is in full bloom. Though you may be tempted to grab a few bunches on your next hike, wildflowers should be left in the wild to be enjoyed by all. Instead plant this wonderful native and edible plant in your own backyard. As a native perennial, spring beauties are quite easy to grow and maintain. Whether baked, roasted or eaten raw, spring beauties are a yummy and unique snack that looks just as good in your garden as they do on your plate.

Job 37:6-7 He says to the snow “Fall on the earth,” and to the rain shower, “Be a mighty downpour.” So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor.

Sources: Nature Conservancy, Guide to Indiana Wildflowers

22 Apr

Celebrating Contendedness

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Native Plants and Flowers, Religion, Spirituality in Nature, Wildflowers and Plants.

Trout Lily on the campus of Huntington University

Trout Lily on the campus of Huntington University

I’ve been challenged recently to think more about what it means to be content in reference to my possessions, circumstances and future. The nudge has come in part from the example of one of my daughters who has been working to instill this virtue in her life and that of my grandchildren. Contentedness – not a highly valued concept in a success-driven, power hungry, materialistic society.

So today as I got out for a walk over lunch (something I’ve recently been working harder to do more religiously) I came across a patch of trout lilies on the campus of Huntington University located right next door to my office.

In addition to being one of my favorite native wildflowers, trout lily (erythronium americanum), is said to derive its name from the speckled leaves, similar in appearance to the speckled skin of a trout. It generally grows in groups of dozens to hundreds of plants and as is the case with dutchman’s breeches, is an ephemeral wildflower that appears for just a short time and then is gone again for an entire calendar year.

It was while viewing this tiny lily that the words of Jesus came to mind, “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Luke 12:27

How often I miss out on the richness of life that is on display wherever I look. Here on the forest floor, lies a simple lily that rivals the splendor of King Solomon’s royal vestments in all their magnificence. It did nothing to gain it’s beauty other than grow where it was planted and become what it was intended to be. Nothing more, nothing less.

I suppose it’s no coincidence that on Earth Day 2013, I would be reminded again of just how truly rich I am if I just stop for a moment and look around. It’s time to stop toiling for what I don’t have, or wish I was, or believe I deserve, and simply accept what has already been provided.

If God can provide such marvelous clothing for a tiny flower on the forest floor that is here today and gone tomorrow, how much more will he care for me.

20 Apr

Early Wildflowers

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Botany, Gardening, Native Plants and Flowers, Wildflowers and Plants. Tagged: , , , , .

Dutchman's Breeches at Fox Island Park - Fort Wayne

Dutchman’s Breeches at Fox Island Park – Fort Wayne

It seems the wildflowers are running just a little behind this year. Perhaps it’s my impatience, or perhaps it’s been the cold weather, overcast days and only recent arrival of that “magic potion” – rain.

Whatever the reason for the seeming delay, it was great to see from Dutchman’s Breeches out at Fox Island Park in Fort Wayne this afternoon.

Dutchman’s Breeches (dicentra cucullaria) is an herbaceous perennial of the Fumariaceae family. This species has many common names depending on which part of the country you come from. One of its common names, Little Blue Staggers, is derived from its ability to induce drunken staggering if cattle graze on it, due to narcotic and toxic substances in the poppy-related genus. Bleeding heart is another common name.

This native wildflower is common throughout the eastern United States though rarer in the Pacific Northwest. The western populations of Dicentra cucullaria appear to have been separated from the eastern ones for at least one thousand years according to the Flora of North America. According the the US Forest Service, the western plants are somewhat coarser in appearance but generally indistinguishable from their eastern counterparts. In Idaho, the species often grows along stream corridors in gravely banks well above the waterline. It is also occurs in Washington and Oregon.

Dutchman’s Breeches blooms in the early spring from March to April. Flowers are white to pink and resemble a pair of pantaloons hanging upside down (whence the common name).

As is true with many wildflower, the flowers wilt almost immediately upon picking so they should not be collected in the wild. The one or more finely compound leaves make the plant appear fern-like. This perennial species has rice-like seed bulbs and is an attractive addition to any garden in moist shady areas.

What is perhaps most amazing about native wildflowers is rather short period of time during which which they flower and are pollinated. Biologist would call them “ephemerals”, which simply means to last a short time. Some wildflowers have just three days to attract pollinators before their flower falls and they shrink back into waiting for another 362 days.

So before the trees leaf out and shade the forest floor for the rest of the season, be watching for these patient wildflowers. Though their moment in the sun is but a few days, they shine nonetheless and bring hope to all those who have endured yet another winter.

4 Oct

Ancient Flowers on only two Spanish Cliffs, that use Ants to Survive

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Botany, Climate Change, Ecology, Education, Environmentalism, Native Plants and Flowers, Wildflowers and Plants. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Borderea chouardii – one of the world’s rarest plants

Although I generally focus attention on the Midwest of the United States, the following story caught my attention when it was referred to me. I lived in Spain for some time in the 1990s and visited the Pyrenees on a number of occasions. Here’s a article from a biologist, Maria Garcia, that has seemingly spent a lot of time observing the fascinating adaptations of a flower found on just two cliffs.

Here is what was written about her by Discovery magazine: 

This story begins with a cliff-hanger. On the Spanish side of the Pyrenees mountains, around 850 metres above sea level, two adjacent cliff faces hold the entire population of Borderea chouardii – one of the world’s rarest plants. It’s a small herb that grows into crevices in the rock. Its leaves are heart-shaped and its flowers green and unassuming. There are around 10,000 individuals here, all growing on a square kilometre of vertical rock.

Now, Maria Garcia form the Spanish National Research Council has discovered the plant’s survival strategy, which involves three different species of ants. Through these multiple partnerships, B.chouardiiquite literally clings to existence.

The plant is a relict, an ancient hanger-on from a time just after the death of the dinosaurs, when the Pyrenees enjoyed a tropical climate. It was discovered in 1952, and Garcia started studying it in 1993 by request of the Regional Government of Aragon, which is responsible for its management. Since then, she has regularly returned to the site by herself, and monitored all the accessible plants. “It’s not easy fieldwork, I can tell you, but exciting and fun,” she says.
Borderea plants are either male or female and not both. They need some way of carrying pollen from male flowers to females. They live high in the mountains, so wind seems like an obvious candidate. But when Garcia placed several sticky microscope slides next to a male flower, none of them picked up any pollen at all. So, not wind.

What about insects? Between 2008 and 2009, Garcia spent 76 hours just watching B.chouardii to see which insects visited its flowers. The majority were ants: Lasius grandis and Lasius cinereus in particular. That seems to fit, for B.chouardii has many of the traits you’d expect of an ant-pollinated flower. Low-growing, nectar-filled flowers that can be reached by a non-flying insect? Check. Small flowers that aren’t attractive to bigger insects? Check

The ants are rare visitors but effective pollinators. Across 17 years of observations, Garcia has found that around 83 percent of the female flowers eventually bear fruit. But the plant then has another problem: How does it disperse its small, yellow seeds? It can sow itself: Borderea grows away from light, and some of the fruits end up headfirst in new crevices. Two-thirds of the seedlings germinate in this way. The two ants that pollinate B.chouardii might also contribute, since the plant has been found growing from their nests.

But the main seed disperser is another species of ant entirely – Pheidole pallidula. Garcia demonstrated this by setting up seed “cafes” – plastic seed-filled vials that were glued to the cliff. Only P.pallidula visited the vials, and dragged the seeds off to nearby crevices. It prefers the seeds of B.chouardii to those of related species, and it eats two thirds of the seeds it collects. The rest are left to germinate.

Garcia’s careful observations suggest that Borderea takes part in a “double mutualism” – partnering up with some ants to both pollinate its flowers and another to disperse its seeds. It’s a risky strategy. Even though three species of ants are involved, Garcia says that the plant is “putting all its stakes on just one kind of mutualist.” If ants disappear, perhaps if the surrounding cliff-sides become unsuitable for them, then B.chouardii would go extinct. “It is difficult to imagine other animals playing the ants’ role,” says Garcia.

But Borderea has another trick to mitigate its risk of extinction: an extraordinary lifespan of up to 300 years! In 17 years of monitoring, Garcia and other scientists have only counted 139 seedlings – just 8 per year. This is a plant that lives life in the slow lane. Its population is small and grows at an infinitesimal rate, but it’s in no rush.

The cliffs it hangs from are inaccessible to grazing animals, sheltered from the excesses of the elements, and constant in their climate.  Few new individuals are born each year, but few survivors die. Several were lost to public works before Garcia came on the scene, but she soon set up a management plan that prevented further losses. One of her colleagues has also started a programme to grow them in 2 new sites. Will she succeed? We cannot say. This story ends with a cliff-hanger.

Reference: Garcia, Espadaler & Olesen. 2012. Extreme Reproduction and Survival of a True Cliffhanger: The Endangered Plant Borderea chouardii (Dioscoreaceae). PLOS ONEhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0044657

12 Sep

Secret Place

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Canoeing, Native Plants and Flowers, Religion, Spirituality in Nature, Trees, Wetlands, Wildlife.

The whisper of the breeze runs softly through the densely leaved alders as great egrets unfold their snowy wings and slowly rise into the sky. Blue gill and sunfish dart among their aquatic forest in the crystal clear waters as flycatchers swoop from limbs above to capture their prey. This is the secret place, the one seldom seen except by those willing to take the time, willing to ply the paddle and silence the noise of their outboards. Outside this forgotten Eden, life rushes by at fiber-optic speeds, but here creation has a pace all its own.

A great blue heron captures an unwitting leopard frog as it stabs its beak into the shallow water. A northern water snake slides its way through the duck weed leaving a clear trail, evidence of where it came from and indication of where it might be going. Tamaracks, swamp white oak and silver maple line the shores as the carcasses of their ancestors lie strewn about.

Stumps stand as tombstones among these once majestic warriors that now lie fallen and rotting. Victorious over them painted and green turtles warm themselves in the glare of the summer sun and quietly slip into the relative safety of the cool waters below as I approach. My canoe slides over pickerel weed and lily pads plunge below the water and make a popping sound as my paddle pulls them under despite their resistance. Sounds of nature, sounds of peace. Here in this secret place.

While life hurries by and no one seems to care, this tiny speck biosphere carries on from day to day. Whether dropping seed for the next generation or simply dying that new life might abound, the simple patterns of each moment and season pass without the need or notice of but a few. But to those who quiet their heart just moment and listen for the voice in the silence, God speaks in a whisper on the wings of the wind, from this secret place.

18 Jul

A Bad Year for Trees in Indiana

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Botany, Education, Forestry Conservation, Gardening, Native Plants and Flowers, Reforestration, Spirituality in Nature, Trees. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

It all began when March seemed more like July with temperatures in the mid-eighties. Then came the seasonally appropriate cold nights with killer frosts. The frost took out all the apple blossoms on my Cortland and MacIntosh trees. So no fruit this year. Maybe next year. The frost also wiped out nearly all the tender leaves that had appeared earlier than expected on the Bloodgood Japanese Maple in my front yard. Now I know they are not native to Zone 5/6 and it’s my own fault, but no amount of covering the tree was enough to protect it. Now it just looks sick with some poor excuse for leaves in the midst of this summer’s drought.

Speaking of drought, my Eastern White Pine is about “cooked”. White Pines were once native to Indiana but with climate change, we have now been designated as Zone 6 instead of 5. White Pines just really can’t handle Arizona temperatures. So first it was hit with weevils which became evident when the new growth at the top of the tree simply browned-out and dropped. I pruned carefully and destroyed the branches, but despite my best efforts the tree is slowly turning a rust color and I’m afraid is on it’s way out. Eastern White Pines are pretty particular about the amount of water they get. They don’t like too much or too little. So ten years of growth and about 40 feet of lovely whispering melodies on the wind are about to come to an end.

Oh, then there are the Red Maples. I planted them about ten years ago as well and they had been doing fine until the unusually warm springs led to a surge of xylem up the trunks in early spring that literally burst the trees open. Although I did everything I could to seal the wounds to keep the ants out, the “skeleton” of the trees had been compromised and the 90 per hour winds a few weeks ago snapped two of them off near the ground even though they were ten and four inches in diameter.

The damage around town was quite extensive and revealed an awful lot about the health of some trees that appeared strong and healthy, that is until the winds came through. I’ve been amazed to see some massive oaks and maples downed by the storm, but the truth can often be quickly seen as the hollowed out cores of these massive hulks is made plain to passers by. Although they appeared to be symbols of strength and permanence, inwardly the heartwood of these iconic trees had been deteriorating over the years.

As you can tell, I’m pretty “bummed” about my trees. Trees are some of my best friends and they have a lot to teach us about life, growth and integrity.

For most of my life, the truth of who I am and what I’ve built around myself can be seen only at a surface level. At times a few brown leaves may appear or some signs of stress. But the core of who and what I am remains undetected to the human eye.

Psalm 51:6 puts it this way:

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

I guess I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what’s happening below the surface, the stuff that when the heat is on, or when the pressures of life come, will show to me and others, just who I really am.

;

;

;

5 Jul

Fearless Fourth Fireworks

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Native Plants and Flowers, Wildflowers and Plants. Tagged: , .

This marvelous display of July 4th color and majesty is from KeaNeato!’s post. It may be a day late on my blog, but beautiful just the same.

Fearless Fourth Fireworks – KeaPOD(s) 38.

8 Jun

Lake and River Water Quality: Shoreline Plantings (Part 2)

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Botany, Creation Care, Ecology, Environmentalism, Gardening, Native Plants and Flowers, Water Conservation, Wetlands, Wildflowers and Plants. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Natural shoreline in Michigan

Lake and river shorelines covered with a rich layer of native vegetation provide a multitude of benefits for the lake. Deep-rooted native woody plants and grasses hold soil in place to prevent shoreline erosion. Kentucky bluegrass and other turf grasses have shallow roots that do not help stabilize shoreline soils. Furthermore, shoreline edge plants intercept runoff from lakefront properties that could contain nutrients and chemicals that would otherwise flow into the lake. Un-mowed native grasses and herbaceous plants along the shoreline discourage Canada geese from moving onto lakefront properties – and we all know what a mess they can make! One other thing many do not realize is that natural shorelines absorb wave action, hence reducing the “choppy” conditions experienced on many small lakes.

Some of the most common reasons folks give for not maintaining a natural, sustainable shoreline are:

1. They like the neat, clean appearance.
2. They see shoreline erosion problems and conclude that only a bulkhead seawall can correct it.
3. They want to match what their neighbor has.
4. They are afraid of snakes in a natural shoreline.

First of all, the neat, clean appearance requires some thought. After all, what first attracted you to owning a lake or riverfront property? Was it the fact that you would have a concrete wall lining your property? A house on a cul-du-sac with a curbed street would have been more than sufficient. What attracted you was probably finding a place with natural beauty – something unlike the suburbs.

Brome Hummock Sedge

Second, the low-cost and most effective solution to shoreline erosion is not a seawall. However, planting the right species is very important. As mentioned, regular turf grasses do little more than attract geese, and their roots do not go deep enough to add stability to your shoreline. However, sedges have roots that penetrate several feet into the soil and yet are neat and clean. Remember sedges are like grass, but have edges and consist of single blades. Grass has blades that stem out at various points along the stalk.

I’ll admit that matching what the neighbor has can be a concern. However, once some begin the lose the walls and barriers, buck the trend and restore beautiful shoreline plantings in front of their properties, the neighbors may just want to follow your lead.

And as far as snake are concerned, the only Midwest snakes you might find at the shoreline are far more afraid of you than you are of them. Northern water snakes, the most common water snake in Indiana, is not venomous and quite reluctant to spend any time around humans.

Jeff Schloss of the University of New Hampshire identifies ten design principles to protect and improve shoreland property. Consider
these principles as you make plans to create an ecologically sustainable shoreline zone at your waterfront property.

1. Protect and improve soil quality
2. Include as many vegetative layers as possible
3. Select the right plant for the right place for the right reason
4. Use plants to reduce the force and slow the flow of water
5. Maximize the amount of vegetative buffers
6. Minimize areas of impermeable surface (eg. cement, stone, wood)
7. Rethink the size (and location) of your lawn
8. Design for low input (eg. fertilizers, herbicides, etc)
9. Design a low-maintenance landscape (remember, you came here to relax)
10. Remember your actions on land directly affect the water body

There are a number of great native species depending on conditions and placements, but here are a few ideas:

Blue Flag Iris

Waters Edge:

Marsh Marigold, Bottlebrush Sedge, Common Arrowhead, Brome Hummock Sedge, Seedbox (yellow flower).

Above the Shoreline:

Black-eyed Susan, Foxglove, Spiderwort, Prairie Dropseed, Bergamot, Swamp Milkweed (habitat for Monarch Butterflies), Blue Flag Iris

Taller Species:

Dark Green Rush (3-5′), Great Bulrush (4-8′)

Some might suggest cattails, but unless you have a lot of muskrats to keep them under control (muskrats feed extensively on cattail), I would not advise planting it as it can become somewhat invasive. And remember, keep it native. They’ll not only perform well, but they will actually be beneficial to the environment by providing habitat and food for local animal species.

 

 

 

21 Mar

Some of My Favorite Spring Wildflowers – Part 3

Posted by midwestnaturalist in Native Plants and Flowers, Spirituality in Nature, Wildflowers and Plants. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

The Provincial Flower of Ontario

Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, I suppose I have to pick the White Trillium – trillium rhomboideum grandiflorum - as my final favorite native spring wildflower. When I was growing up in the Niagara Falls area, the hardwood forests would be blanketed with white and red trilliums each March and April. Ontario chose the trillium as its provincial flower in 1937. My cub scout uniform even bore a patch with the idyllic three-petaled blossom on its right-side. Its name is somewhat self-descriptive. “Tri” meaning three-petaled, and “lium” referring to its being part of the lily family.

Threatened in many parts of the Midwest, they do not transplant well or tolerate being picked. This work is left to ants that collect trillium seeds to eat their elaisomes (fleshy structures that are attached to the seeds of many plant species) and distribute the seeds to new locations. Vespid wasps do this this by entering the berries and carrying off the seeds. Deer also eat the flowers and foliage, passing the seeds through their digestive tracts and helping distribute the seeds across long distances. However, increasing deer populations can ultimately destroy trillium populations.

In Matthew 6:28 Jesus asked, “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin.” The passage invites us to ponder how much God cares for the lowly flowers of the field. Without any effort on our part, they reappear each year in all their glory. If He takes care of them, we can certainly trust that He’ll care even more for us.

So what are some of your favorite spring wildflowers?

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