Common Milkweed: insulating and edible The common milkweed, (Asclepias syriaca), is one of the best-known wild plants in North America. Children love to play with the downy fluff in autumn, and during World War II schoolchildren collected milkweed floss to fill life preservers for the armed forces. It’s used today to stuff jackets, comforters, and […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (July 2009)"
Silphiums are classic prairie plants, once blossoming across almost two-thirds of the American continent. Robust and showy, the different species of silphium can be best distinguished by their leaves. Continue reading "Beyond the Bird Feeder: Silphiums"
Adding insult to injury “The native American beauties that turned rural roads into blazes of color in the days when America was naturally beautiful!” Wouldn’t you know that people – even this nursery – often call this invasive plant a “native”? As galling as it may be, it’s understandable. All our lives, we’ve seen this […] Continue reading "The Daylilly (Hemerocallis sp.)"
The times of our lives Honeybees and wild pollinators too, no longer have the same number or variety of flowers available to them because we humans have tried to “neaten” our environments. We have, for example, planted huge expanses of crops without weedy, flower-filled borders or fencerows. We maintain large green lawns free of any […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (May 2009)"
The serviceberry (Amelanchiergenus) is a favorite of both native landscapers and bird lovers. It’s a four-season winner with a froth of delicate white blossoms in early spring, luscious blueberries by June, apricot to reddish bronze fall color, and silver-gray bark for winter interest. Continue reading "Beyond the Bird Feeder: Serviceberry"
“I know that Dame’s rocket is technically an invasive exotic, but I love this plant. Despite being labeled an exotic, they have also long been a staple of American gardens – an heirloom species from the nineteenth century. So, while not native, they’re traditional.” – Found on an Internet gardening site. This comment illustrates a […] Continue reading "Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis Matronalis)"
Discovered in 1996 by Sara F. Wright, which she named after the Glomales order of fungi, Glomalin is causing a complete reexamination of what makes up soil organic matter. It is increasingly being included in studies of carbon storage and soil quality. Continue reading "A Mystery Explored: Glomales"
Natural landscaping advocates rejoice when they see homeowners reducing the size of their lawns. This isn’t always good news, though. Back in my conventional landscaping days, I got rid of lawn in places where turf grass didn’t grow well. And what did I plant instead? Groundcovers – the kinds readily available at garden centers and […] Continue reading "Covering The Ground With Invasives"
Getting to know about mycorrhizae is one of the most important things that a native plant person can accomplish. It is almost entirely because of this relationship that our native plants don’t need to be artificially fertilized or watered after they are established. Continue reading "A Mystery Explored: Mycorrhizae and Plants"
Nature Lovers Livid Over Missing Words Robert Bateman, Canadian environmental artist, naturalist, lecturer, and self-admitted old-fogey is reported to be horrified. David Suzuki, zoologist and Canadian environmental activist says he is mystified. Both are responding to revelations of an editorial decision on the part of the Oxford University Press. The Oxford Junior Dictionary, intended for […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (Jan 2009)"