Perennial Blog

Published November 18, 2017 on www.czechgardener.com
javascript:;

Hallo Northwest and Hoosier gardeners and native plants lover,

time to write some little post! I can’t say that the annual INPAWS (Indiana Native Plants and Wildflower Society) caused it. It just re-opened my eyes. I visited annual conference 3 years ago and then this autumn again. Both were excellent – complete in it’s possible wide range from applied science (phenology, Dr. Stanley Temple), philosophical background (Douglas Ladd), wild nature conservancy and protection, practical experiences (Cheryl Coon) up to landscaping with natives (David Gorden) or funny educational quiz (Mike Homoya). All of that with great people around.

Perfect organization, as always / Dr. Stanley Temple - phenology talk

Still the best for me was contribution of Douglas Ladd – where the human society goes, how we impact our surroundings and nature….rather scary, but true. Humans are generally destructive animals….

Aldo Leopold, wise man

We have to consume less meat to stay sustainable…

Development taking more and more land. Do we need this?

Rain garden increases biodiversity  /  Good example on modern garden design using native wildflowers

Another great thing was seed swap! I took some seeds from our yard (Rudbeckia fulgida, Lobelia siphilitica, Oeothera biennis), that was kind of all I could get in bigger amounts. This allowed to go to the seed swap in the first round and change seeds. I was stunned, of course I wanted seeds of all the offered wild plants! I had to think about the seeds for the whole time and I visited the seed swap room three times! Wow, what a beautiful collection I brought home, now I just can’ t wait to sow the seeds, but I’ll have to wait till early spring time for I´the most of them (Baptisia sp. and other will be sown earlier).

I’m not sure, but I think it was botanist Dawn Slack and her talk and then discussion with her, …that brought me back to focus of the native plants. And the whirl of thoughts and acts just started. I didn’t realize how many invasive plants are here in Indiana, of course brought mostly for ornamental purposes from Asia or Europe. I went that far, that before any potential buy of a new plant, I googled if it is not invasive. Great website for this is : https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/index.html

For invasives in Indiana google or go to : http://www.in.gov/dnr/naturepreserve/6346.htm

Generally the invasives are not-native, fertile plants producing big amount of seeds, spreading with rhizomes (or both ways), hardy enough for the climatic zones and also with some advantages to the natives (longer vegetative season, incomparable competition, etc.). Doesn’t this remind of European settlement meeting the Native Americans (and the consequences coming from that) ?….

Fire management, fire was forming North American ecosystems for 15000 years (prairies and some woodlands too)

Still these websites are not for laymen and the truth is how can someone (who is not really into plants) recognize, avoid and then to remove or not plant them? Non-stopping education of the public and youth seems to be the way – at least for the main and most invasive species. Plus non-stopping reduction and removing the invasives from natural areas and also changing the laws for the nurseries and plant growers. Still too many invasive plants are commonly offered in every nursery or garden centers. Changing the laws is slow process, but in this cases it can possibly show the dark side of the capitalism – the profit is more important then the common well being for the whole society. Maybe it doesn’t look like a big trouble, but anything that leads to reducing the abundance of life is wrong way, with difficult or no way back. And for not naturalists, here is economic explanation – the costs of fighting against invasive plants are high (5,7 millions of dollars in 2012 and raising every year, nationally about 15 billions or more). These data are used from this INPAWS material (btw great booklet for the main invasive species) : https://www.nature.org/cs/groups/webcontent/@web/@indiana/documents/document/prd_256311.pdf

We have troubles with invasive plants back in the Czech republic too, but those don’t seem to be that aggressive there, but there are some exceptions too. North American species like Solidago canadensis – Canadian goldenrod easily drowns large areas with fertile soil, or Robinia pseudoaccacia – Black locust creates small woodland areas with no under shrubs and herbaceous plants…..Btw some Aster species are becoming invasive there too, but these more infiltrate the ecosystems without creating mono cultures.

I’ve just started to explore flora of Indiana (mostly herbaceous flora), so I didn’t realize that some plants in the wild are not native, because they are so common here…and people know them, they can name them, but they don’ t realize they’re invasive. This can be changed quite easily by telling them and persuade them to get rid of them or not plant them. But personally I see the biggest problem with invasive species availability on the market – while lots of people work hard on removing those plants, the others buy them and plant them in their yards. That includes the landscapers who design and plant invasives in the public and private places. This is enchanted circle. On the other hand native plants in the nurseries are usually marked “native”, so we can really choose (even the offer could be bigger).

I’m actually not strict with using not native ornamental plants, if the plants doesn’t spread and has no potency to become invasive, why not to use it (of course the closer to the countryside planting, we have to prefer natives only). The trouble may come with global climate changes and climate oscillations that may allow not invasive introduced plants to become invasive too. A bit scary imagination, but we have to be ready for this too – if the plant is invasive in southern areas, it may go northern. Despite of all of that, North American flora is very rich, so really staying with our choices with state native plants or even North American natives is the right way (be careful – some North American natives can become invasive in some states too).

One of many "must have books" Planting in a post-wild world by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West

Funny thing is (the same for the Czech republic) that some native plants that are worth using in our yards and public spaces, but they are kinda unknown, because they are rare in the wild due to agricultural exploitation of our countryside.

Well, so far due to all the thinking about invasive plants (that scared me enough), I already did some positive changes in our 2 acres yard, even it was hurting some – I removed Common privet (Ligustrum vulgare) – even shrubs are very desirable, because we don’ t have many of shrubs. I dug out two clumps of Chinese grass (Miscanthus sinensis), burned the seed heads and composted the rest of the plants. Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), Clematis ternifolia, more Miscanthus sinensis plants, several clumps of Iris pseudacorus have to go….Some mimosa trees (Albizia julibrissin) will stay, but there won’t be any more supported or planted.

Good thing was, that I’ve ordered some plants online from Santa Rosa Nursery, because they were on the the autumn sale, including several varieties of Chinese grass (it was before I realized they’re so dangerous here), but I managed to change the order on my request right before shipping! I explained that they’re invasive here and they promptly replaced them with native Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) in varieties. That made me happy. It’s really us – we really have to tell the growers – don’t grow these, because they’re invasive here, better grow these similar looking and safe native species! And I’m sure, they’ll understand and they start offering more and more natives.

Also we already planted some native shrubs already – Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), native Viburnum, Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Serviceberries (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’), Oak leaved hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), etc. but also some introduced but not invasive shrubs…I’m still fighting with myself with the introduced plants, but my preferences will go native (including their cultural varieties). I also changed my plans a bit for planting the lavander hill (the missing gaps will be planted with natives), actually I’ve already started with Helenium, Agastache, Penstemon, Chelone, Asters, Schizachyrium. But I’ll need shorter and dry loving plants now, so have to go more to botanical species.