Great Natives of Midwestern Ecotype
August 2009 Edition
Great Natives Of Mid-western Ecotype
V o l u m e 1 1 , Is s u e 1 A u g u s t 4 , 2 00 9
GNOME N EWS THE BIG PICTURE:
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Emerald Ash Borer hits New York Plant Profile
2
Native on the Net
2
Best Books
2
Organization Spotlight
3
Native News
3
Planting with a Purpose
3
Big City Support
4
Invasives!
5
Fantastic Fauna
5
Focus on the Future
6
Did you know... •
•
TNT contaminates hundreds of US sites from military firing ranges to old production dumps to waterways? The higher the demand or requests for natives in retail outlets, the more likely they are to stock them? Ask for natives!
The United States Department of Agriculture announced on June 18th that the emerald ash borer is now confirmed in New York state. This alien threat was first reported in 2002. It has since destroyed (conservatively) over 70 million ash trees in 13 Midwestern states, Pennsylvania, and Ottawa and Ontario in Canada. It is the larva that does the killing by girdling the trees under the bark. The trees die within 1 to 3 years after girdling. On June 14, John Vandenberg, a Cornell adjunct professor in entomology, and Michael Griggs, both entomologists at the USDA-ARS in Ithaca, were driving to Michigan on Route 17 to study the beetle when they stopped to examine some damaged trees along the road. Upon sighting the beetles, which appear to have been in the area for a few years, they contacted Richard Hoebeke, senior extension associate in entomology at Cornell.
Hoebeke collected specimens and overnight mailed them to the USDA-ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory in Washington, D.C., which then officially identified the emerald ash borer. State and federal agencies now will begin helicopter surveillance of the area and investigate strategies for controlling the invasive pest.
The threat to New York state is large– as in other states finding the beetle. New York has some 900 million ash trees, representing about 7 percent of all trees in the state, and all are at risk should this invasive, exotic pest become established. When Hoebeke was asked about the potential establishment of insects he responded “There’s not a whole lot we’ll be able to do about it.”
GNOME’S MISSION Great Natives Of Mid-western Ecotype (GNOME) is an organization focused on the preservation and expansion of native floral and faunal species. The mission is to provide a netbased forum where mem-
bers can share their passion, plans, ideas, and questions with other people having a common interest.
1. Join our facebook group at
You can participate in many different ways.
3. Visit or link to the website 4. Pass on the newsletter.
http://www.facebook.com/ group.php? gid=45643568296
2.
Submit articles, pictures, stories, or plans for publication.
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Dalea purpurea– Purple Prairie Clover This month’s Name That Native selection received only 60% of the votes. Given that all of the other choices were also in the clover family, I can see where people might find it difficult to identify. It was the Dalea purpurea– Purple Prairie Clover. (See cover this month)
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” ~George Santayana
The original distribution of this plant was pretty much between the two North American mountain ranges with just a few exceptions. This plant has an erect habit. Multiple stems emerge from the base and are stiff. On older plants, a more bushy effect is created by tillering at the base.
Purple Prairie Clover is a high interest plant both in and out of bloom.
NATIVE
ON THE
It is usually from 1-3 feet tall. Leaves are pinnate and usually have between 3 to 7 long and straight dark green leaflets. It blooms purple and blooming starts nearest the ground and
To go along with the Planting With A Purpose section, I decided to include this great site about rain gardens.
This month’s featured site is :
As the site name suggests, the focus of the site is the use of native plants in a rain garden situation. One thing that I really find helpful about the site is that it takes you from a
Native Rain Garden
Faunal associations are many with this plant from the bean family. These include long-tongued bees, shorttongued bees, honey bees, bumble bees, metallic bees, wasps, flies, small butterflies, skippers, beetles, and plant bugs. It is also a high protein plant for mammalian herbivores and often heavily browsed where found. I believe that this plant is underutilized in home landscapes. Its foliage is ornamental, it is non-invasive, and has a bloom time of over a month.
NET
Sometimes wading through sites looking for good resources on native plants is just too time consuming. This section should help!
http://www.native-raingarden.com/
moves up in a wreath around the blossoming head.
beginner's level of knowledge and just keeps expanding. The menu on the left of every page makes it easy to navigate. The types of plants are listed there and are then broken down by region. It is easy to find great plants to add to your garden. Check out the Garden Tips too!
BEST BOOKS– A NATURAL HISTORY
OF THE
CHICAGO REGION
A Natural History of the Chicago Region by Joel Greenberg is as informative as it is extensive. This book covers everything dealing with floral and faunal interactions from 1673 and the first Europeans to modern times. One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book is, that while it deals with the area around Chicago, it tells a story that has played out across the
continent as settlers moved west. Examples of polluted rivers, deforestation, prairie vs. forest battles, and actions of those courageous people to renew the health of ecosystems abound. While having a historical focus, it also conveys the meaning of past events in our everyday lives.
Another appealing aspect of the book comprehensive writing done by Greenberg. He researched nearly 500 sources while writing the book. He doesn’t rely on generalized sweeping issues to make points.
This book gives a great picture of America from presettlement to modern times. An extensive historical portrait of complex interactions.
G N O M E N ew s
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O RG A N I Z AT I O N S P O T L I G H T : WILDLIFE GARDENERS Wildlife Gardeners promotes environmentally sound practices to preserve biodiversity. We do so by encouraging discussions of the preservation, restoration and establishment of native flora and fauna AND sustainable gardening practices. The Best science will prevail. We are an environmental tutelage and advocacy organization dedicated to fostering a love of ecosystems and education in the areas of environmental science and natural history. Mission statement taken from
www.wildlifegardeners.org
While browsing for other organizations that promote native flora and fauna, I came across this one. While not an organization in the same way as more traditional ones, this online forum-based site is a great place to get and exchange knowledge about the native plants and animals around you.
North American Wildlife Gardening
This site has several ways to participate. You can read featured articles for information. You can search threads to find out more about specific things you are looking for by keyword, or you can post (if you are a member) and add information to
existing comments and questions. Membership is as easy as filling out an online form. It is free for all to join.
NATIVE NEWS:
“MIRACLE” ORCHID FOUND IN MISSOURI Native plant enthusiasts from the Missouri Native Plant Society gathered is southeastern Missouri to visit sites with rare and unusual plants in April. A highlight of the day was a patch of Isotria verticillata– commonly known as large whorled pagonia. In full bloom, this imperiled orchid was a rare treat for those on the trip.
PLANTING
While waiting his turn to get some pictures of Isotria verticillata, Justin Thomas turned his eye to surrounding plants. He noticed a small wildflower on a hummock nearby and snapped a few photos of it. Shortly after, the field trip ended and he went home. Near midnight when taking a closer look at his daily pictures, Thomas was surprised to find that
WITH A
the small wildflower he had seen on the hummock was not a common coralroot or cranefly orchid, but a Southern twayblade orchid (Listera australis)- a species never documented in Missouri before. The group was astonished that it was not trampled. Over 30 accomplished botanists had missed the plant Thomas found.
PURPOSE:
IDENTIFYING RAIN GARDEN PLACEMENT With summer heat, identifying where to place a rain garden just got easier. While the best time to plant a rain garden is not in the summer, drier and hotter weather can give a nice outline for future plans. Rain from your house roof will typically flow down your lawn at designated areas where eave spouts end.
By taking a closer look at your lawn in these spots, you can easily see just where the water already makes conditions more favorable for a possible rain garden. Using that as a starting point, you can begin to make plans. Even though the grass is greener and taller in these areas, it might not make the ideal garden shape. You can however find a good starting point
with this method. Mark the area with something more permanent like stone, a hose, or paint so that it can be identified later.
Look for the green to aid you in identifying potential sites.
“It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark” ~Howard Ruff
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BIG CITIES FOCUS ON NATIVES A N D T H E I N VA S I V E T H R E A T There have been several articles related to the native nursery market reported in GNOME News over the past nine months. Education, public demand, environmental awareness, and damage of invasive plants have all been mentioned as factors that affect the number of native plants available to the average consumer.
“I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow.” ~David Hobson
Chicago isn’t the only big city shouting about native plants from the roof tops. Recently, New York City unveiled the city’s largest “green” roof on the United States Postal Service (USPS) Morgan mail sorting facility. At nearly 2.5 acres, the goal of this roof is to reduce surface pollution runoff and cut energy costs.
But we all know that, right or wrong, big names endorsing something often USPS said the green can create results that the roof will help the average citizen cannot agency meet its goal to attain. Examples of this reduce energy use by from the celebrity world 30 percent by 2015 are many. Take Paul and expects to reduce David Hewson, aka Bono, polluted runoff by as from the band U2. From much as 75 percent in AIDS in Africa to the many the summer, and up to other humanitarian efforts 35 percent during the USPS Morgan facility’s “green” roof in New York he supports, he has influwinter months. uses natives meet environmental goals. enced politicians and public alike. He has even Another stated benefit of the roof is that it more been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. than doubles the lifetime of the roof that it replaced. It is estimated to last for 50 years and is So I consider it no little thing when “big” names planted with native plants and trees. throw their support to the native cause. I’m not talking about celebrities in this case, but major US In yet another major US city– Los Angeles– the cities and the impact could be huge. Department of Water and Power (DWP) reported that June water usage demand in 2009 was at a Chicago recently implemented an updated ban, 32 year low. While several factors such as lower adding 14 plants to the already 26 plants and average monthly temperatures and higher restricanimals on the list from a 2007 Invasive Species tions played an important factor in the lower deordinance. Some of the new ones on this list are mand, Jim McDaniel, the senior assistant general chocolate vine (Akebia quinata), wild chervil manager of DWP's water system, said that the use (Anthriscus sylvestris), Oriental bittersweet of native California plants instead of water(Celastrus orbiculatas) and privet (Ligustrum spp). hogging lawns was also important. The ban makes it illegal to sell or possess plants on this list. The city created an extensive panel of professionals to create the list. It was not simply a public relations lip service project. The city chose plants that have not already taken over and/or are not a major threat, with the goal of circumventing future problems. Even though there are other invasives that pose problems, the goal here is prevention. In addition to the banned plants, the city also created a “discouraged” plant list of 43 plants not yet banned, but that could pose a problem. The city features these lists on the city website as well as offering a list of alternative plants to use. cityofchicago.org/invasivespecies
While the benefits of using native plants and controlling invasive ones has been steadily growing since the 1970s, the fact that big cities are directing resources to this cause is reason for celebration. Education of the public remains a powerful and essential element of increasing awareness of native plant use. Since large cities have an educational “machine” to increase public knowledge of this issue, it is logical that the effects of this campaign will create many positive results. Media coverage will also allow the message to reach a greater audience than small groups or individuals can contact. Maybe going native will be the next big trend! Let’s hope so!
G N O M E N ew s
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I N VA S I V E S PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE Lythrum salicaria is commonly known as purple loosestrife. This aquatic invader is currently found in almost every state, though the map below shows it missing in a few. Introduced to the Americas from Europe in the 1800s as an ornamental, it has escaped into the wild to wreak havoc on native systems.
ments, it blooms from June to September. It can spread both vegetatively through roots or by seed. It is estimated that a single mature plant with about 30 flowering stems may produce between 2 -3 million viable seeds. Control options for this plant include hand pulling young plants, and treating older plants with Rodeo in wetlands or Round-up in upland areas.
This plant is still being sold in the US as an ornamental except in states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois where sale is prohibited. Purple loosestrife is typically between 4 and 10 feet tall. Found in many wetland environ-
Purple Loosestrife Distribution
Biological controls are also being researched. USDA has released a root mining insect and two leaf-eating insects experimentally in 16 different northern states.
F A N TA S T I C F A U N A : T H E E A S T E R N C I C A D A K I L L E R Ah– the sounds of summer. Crickets creak, Nighthawks peent, and cicadas buzz. While these sounds may be hard to miss, there is an animal working behind the scenes that I find truly fantastic– the Easter cicada killer wasp (Sphecius speciosus). There are four kinds of cicada killer found in the US. The Eastern cicada killer is the most widespread, ranging from the western states like Wyoming and Montana to the Atlantic coast and from Canada to Central America. These large wasps emerge from their burrows in July and August, timed usually a couple of weeks after annual cicadas emerge.
Females will dig burrows up to three feet long and two feet below the surface of the ground. These serve as nest sites for future young. Females will locate a cicada (not by sound as previously thought), paralyze it with a sting, and then begin the arduous task of flying it back to the burrow. A cicada might weigh fully twice as much as a wasp. Once at the burrow, it will enter and lay a single egg on the cicada. The young will hatch and consume the cicada. It will then weave a cocoon and overwinter in the ground. For more info, visit this GREAT site on these animals-http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/ cicadakillerhome.html
Males, whose adult lifespan is typically about 2 weeks, set up territories and wait for unmated females to exit the burrows in their territory. Males unable to set up territories form “satellite” territories in hope of getting in on some mating action. Females emerge, are mated, and then proceed with digging burrows, hunting cicadas, and laying eggs throughout their month long adult lifespan.
Female cicada killer wasp with prey.
“To the dull mind nature is leaden. To the illumined mind the whole world burns and sparkles with light.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Great Natives of Mid-western Ecotype (GNOME) is an organization focused on the preservation and expansion of native floral and faunal species. The mission is to provide a netbased forum where members can share their passion, plans, ideas, and questions with other people having a common interest in native species.
Great Natives Of Mid-western Ecotype Primary Business Address 1753 Wick Way Montgomery, IL 60538
Check out our site!!!
E-mail: GNOME.Native@gmail.com
We’re on the Web! http://gnomenative.webs.com/ There’s no place like GNOME!
Big Cities p.6- http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-water-rate282009jul28,0,346117.story
Fantastic Fauna p. 7http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/cicadakillerhome.html Fantastic Fauna p.7- http://www.citydata.com/forum/attachments/charlotte/23828d1216590556-gianthornet-wasp-cicada-killer.jpg
Invasives p.7- http://www.denniskalma.com/purloostf3.jpg
Big Cities p.6http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/advice/chi-0719garden-invasivejul19,0,887851.story
Big Cities p.6- http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/07/27/uspsunveils-nycs-biggest-green-roof/
Invasives p.7http://www.fcwp.org/DesignatedNoxiousWeeds/images/PurpleLoosestrif e%20Details.jpg
Coverhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618175333.htm Native News p.5http://freshare.net/article/native_plant_enthusiasts_discover_miracle_or chid/ Big Cities p.6- http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/07/27/uspsunveils-nycs-biggest-green-roof/
Invasive Map p.7http://www.threatsummary.forestthreats.org/images/maps/Purple_Loose strife_Map_170.png
Articles
Big Picture Photo- http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2009/06/090618175333.htm
References Pictures
GNOME
Join our facebook group! (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45643568296)
This is our primary forum location. The newsletter as well as open discussions are there and also other links to people and groups that focus on natives.
Got an article? Now accepting member submitted news and photos! Once you have something to share, send it to the email listed at left. Monthly news articles will, of course, give credit to the contributor. Everyone welcome!
FOCUS
ON THE
FUTURE
I was in my backyard, minding my own business. I was– I really was. However when you live in a new development and on a particularly small lot within that development, privacy is one of those things that you can’t always count on. A neighbor a couple of lots west of me was having a conversation on the “RUN! Get inside or the mosquitoes phone with an adult and will get you!” in the house with his two year old son . I was not Man outside after getting off the trying to eavesdrop, but their back phone an opening the screenpatio door was open and the voices were loud and they carried “Isn’t it nice out here?” to me. “What’s that?!” The conversation went something “Oh my God! It’s a mosquito!” like this. “RUN! Get inside or the mosquiMan on the phone: toes will get you!” “Yup– he wants to go out to play.” “I know, but I have to make supper The end of conversation as the and would rather he is in here boy runs into the house with where I can watch him.” father behind shutting screen “Well, I’ll catch you later– bye.” and inside door.
Now– there are a few things about this that I find particularly amusing. In the first place, the man in the story has a fenced yard. I know that doesn’t ensure safety of young children, but it sure helps. Secondly, the village in which we live actively sprays for mosquitoes as needed in the summer time. The spray truck had just come by the night before. Third– the family just spent a bunch of money on landscaping their backyard where the child wished to play. Lastly, this family is almost never outside. That being said, as a parent I can understand the father’s predicament– especially when considering a two year old. My question for you (and for myself to a degree) is this: How do we balance our family lives, obligations to our children, and obligations to the world as a whole? I think this story illustrates how this can sometimes be difficult. Think about it.