March 2023 Pollinator News

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Harbinger of Spring

Looking for those first indicators in nature that say, "winter is easing off and spring can't be far away" is a perennial pursuit of mine that gets my heart racing and puts a bounce in my step. It comes in the form of pussy willow buds swelling, the cascade of maple tree bud scales dropping to the ground and the first call of chorus frogs from a wet wood.

The aptly named ‘Harbinger of Spring’, Erigenia bulbosa is one of the very earliest wildflowers to bloom. The photo above was taken in Mid-March 2023. It is so precocious that it blooms even before its leaves appear. Easily overlooked, the white flowers are set off by dark red anthers which give it the nick name ‘pepper and salt’.  The diminutive 2 – 3-inch-tall flower stalks appear in high quality bottomland forests and flood plains sometimes during those odd warm moments in mid-winter. It is a member of the carrot family whose genus ‘Erigenia’ is Greek for “early born” and specific epithet ‘bulbosa’ describes the bulbous root that some claim to be edible. These diminutive plants are extremely sensitive to disturbance and will not return where bulbs have been harvested. In many locations these plants are protected or otherwise considered rare or endangered.

Harbinger of Spring is a true spring ephemeral. After its early start, it produces seed in April. By mid-spring no trace of flower or foliage can be found. It takes advantage of the early weeks before the tree canopy above leafs out and direct sun reaches the forest floor. This short period solar radiation stimulates other early wildflower like spring beauty, Claytonia virginica, and cut-leaved toothwort, Cardamine concatenata, which are frequently found in association.

According to Illinois Wildflowers, “The flowers attract primarily small to medium-size bees and miscellaneous flies. Bee visitors include Little Carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), Mason bees (Osmia spp.), Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), and Halictid bees (Lasioglossum spp., Halictus spp., etc.). Fly visitors include Calliphorid flies, Anthomyiid flies, Frit flies (Chloropidae), Lance flies (Lonchaeidae), and flower flies (Syrphidae). These insects seek primarily nectar from the flowers.”

This catalog of insects associated with this very early bloomer testifies to the diversity of early emerging insects in midwestern deciduous forests. For many of these solitary bees, no other food source exists. Without floral diversity, there cannot be faunal diversity. Some pollinators live for just a few weeks and forage on a narrow pallet of wildflowers. When planning your own pollinator garden, try to include flowers that bloom early and others that keep flower resources available throughout the growing season.

A garden without blooms is an empty dinner table.

Seed Bombs

Have you ever walked past a vacant lot, neglected, weedy and unused? Maybe you thought it could have a songbird come visit or attract some butterflies if only there were suitable flowers. Do you wish it could be more? Seed bomb it!

Have you noticed a wayside roadside that only gets mowed once a year at best? Have you longed for a natural looking and vibrant wildlife community with native bees and birds? Do you think that some native wildflowers would improve your outlook and support our threatened bee populations? Seed bomb it!

Do you have your own patch of ground that is too rugged for flowers or vegetables? Do you lack experience or gardening skill? Do wish you could just wave a magic wand and have a flower garden appear? Seed bomb it!

When a well-made seed bomb is tossed into a suitable location it will be the genesis of native plant habitat, establish native wildflowers tough enough to make it on their own and compete with  any number of  less desirable and volunteer plants. A successful seed bomb has the three critical ingredients for success; suitable native wildflower seeds, rich potting soil or compost, and clay that holds it all together.

Native wildflowers are tough rascals that are supremely adapted to the place and climate. Given half a chance they will sprout, grow, and become established without nurturing. Once started, they do not need or want fertilizer, weeding or watering. They’ve got it! Once they get going, bees, butterflies and birds will find them. They will provide food, shelter, and places for wildlife to raise their young.

Start with a golf ball sized piece of clay, red clay, air dry clay or some clay sub-soil you may have on hand. Flatten with your thumb into a small bowl. Add your native wildflower seeds. Top it off with a spoonful of potting soil and knead it together.  Roll it up like a meatball and set it aside to dry for about a week.

Are you looking for a simple gift that will help your friends and loved ones establish a native wildflower garden? Wrap the seed ball in a small swatch of cotton or burlap fabric, tied with twine. Would you like a conversation starter to share your experience with native wildflowers. Do you want your neighborhood to become a pollinator pathway? Seed bomb it!

Bomb Responsibly

Originally, seed bombing was known as Guerilla Gardening and was akin to civil disobedience. Enthusiasts would identify fenced off vacant lots or neglected private property. To avoid the risk of trespassing, they would slyly chuck a few seed bombs and wait. Rain, time, and patience would produce little pockets with brilliant flowers. Flowers, then, butterflies, bees and birds, were welcome additions to urban brownfields that had lapsed into neglected eyesoars.

Choose a location that would welcome the additional plants. Get to know the place, how it has been used or its future plans. Find the owner or manager and explain what you hope to do. You may be granted access to the property and be given a better chance of success.  

Seed Selection

You can buy seed mixed from a specialty grower like OPN https://www.opnseed.com/.  This is a quick and easy way to find just what you want for specific growing conditions. Alternatively, you can collect your own seed from your own garden or create a custom blend. You should use native species that would normally grow in your area and those that may be tolerant of a variety of growing conditions. It is recommended that a general purpose mix of seeds include bloom times across the growing season and/or those that may have a long bloom period. You may want to include some species that are likely to bloom in the first growing season. Many perennials won’t flower until the second or third year.

Here is a sample of a species mix that would work well.

• Partridge Pea, Chamaecrista fasciculata

• Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta

• Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca

• Obedient Plant, Physostegia virginiana

• Horsemint, Monarda punctata

• Purple Prairie Clover, Dalea purpurea

• Common Sunflower, Helianthus anuus

   

Wildlife and wind are typically responsible for spreading seeds. Where that method is missing, a little help from informed humans can help. The seed bomb bundles suitable plant species in a portable package that is partially protected from birds that may forage on the seeds. When sufficient rain arrives to dissolve the bomb, seeds will be stimulated to sprout. Where roots can reach into the soil, the cycle of life can flourish. Native plants are fine tuned to the whims of weather and should persist without further intervention.

While seed bombing can be a brief, private, anonymous act it has the potential of being a community activity as well. From collecting seeds covering them in mud, creating and distributing native plant seed can bring people together. Producing seed bombs can be a group effort for young and old alike. The educational potential is unlimited and a lighthearted way to engage others to address serious environmental concerns. Create plenty of extras for gifts and conversation pieces. Use seed bombs to engage and educate as you spread the word about pollinator health and build a more robust ecology in your own neighborhood and beyond.

Seed & Social Part II

With our overlapping missions, Wild Ones of Greater Cleveland is a natural partner. For the second time this winter we invited volunteers to help package native wildflower seeds. These packages will be distributed free at public events. We are using them to encourage others to grow natives. Look for future announcements and look for us during outreach events. Find us on Earth Day April 22, 2023 at Party for the Planet at the Akron Zoo.

A sampling from this list will be available.

2022 Seed Inventory

• American Senna Senna hebecarpa

• Ashy Sunflower Helianthus mollis

• Blazing Star Liatris sp

• Blue Flag Iris Iris versicolor

• Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica

• Blue Wild Indigo Baptisia australis

• Brown-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta

• Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa

• Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis

• Common Milkweed  Asclepias syriaca

• Culver’s Root Veronicastrum virginicum

• False Sunflower Heliopsis helianthoides

• Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis

• Hop Sedge Carex lupulina

• Ironweed Vernonia fasciculata

• Joe Pye Eutrochium maculatum

• Marsh Mallow Hibiscus moscheuto

• Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana

• Prairie Milkweed Asclepias sullivantii

• Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpurea

• Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccifolium

• Royal Catchfly Silene regia

• Stiff Goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum

• Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata

• White Wild Indigo Baptisia alba

• Wild Bergomot Monarda fistulosa

• Wingstem Verbesina alternifolia

• Yellow Cone Flower Ratibida pinnata

• Zig Zag Goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis

Common Milkweed,
Asclepias syriaca

 An entry level native plant that most people will recognize, Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, is heralded for its support of the well-known Monarch Butterfly. Milkweeds are the only plants that Monarchs will lay eggs on and the only one that the caterpillars will feed on. A shortage of milkweeds is credited for the decline of Monarch populations in recent decades. Experts estimate that at least a billion new Milkweed plants are needed across North America to stop the decline in Monarch populations. This is an achievable goal if we provide the seed and plants to anyone with a small patch of ground to plant them in.

Common Milkweed is a medium tall plant (3-5 ft.) with large oval leaves and spherical inflorescences about the size of tennis balls. The pink to lavender flowers bloom for several weeks in high summer. It is known for its sticky white sap (milk) that is toxic to most animals except the Monarch. The seed pod is a tapered follicle about 3-4 inches long that matures in early fall. When mature it splits open to expel a hundred or more disc-like seeds that ride the air waves on fuzzy white threads. The scientific name, Asclepias, comes from the Greek God of medicine who is often seen holding the caduceus, a serpent entwined staff still used today as a symbol for physicians. However, medicinal uses for members of this genus are suspect. The species name, syriaca, was likely a misunderstanding of its origin. The plant is from North America, not the middle east.

It grows easily in full sun and in all but the wettest of soils. It is fond of disturbed sites like railroad embankments, old fields, and abandoned properties. It tends to establish colonies by root sprouts and may be aggressive in gardens where it can fill in every available niche when unattended. Milkweed gained notoriety during the second world war when its floss (the fuzzy white threads) was harvested for use in life preservers. It is still used as filler in pillows and comforters.

Plants can be propagated by division in early spring or by seed. Sowing directly is the most strait forward method starting plants from seed. Scatter seeds on the soil about a half inch apart and cover lightly with a quarter inch of soil. Water frequently and be patient as germination may take several weeks. For spring sowing, it is best when seeds are cold stratified. This can be done by keeping seeds in a refrigerator or un-heated garage over the winter.

Starting seeds indoors is preferred by many since it avoids hazards such as weather extremes and pests. Plants should grow for up to two months or when they reach 5-6 inches height. Transplant out 6-24 inches apart.

Is your garden in part sun or part shade?

This is a trick question since a garden that is in the sun part of the time and in the shade part of the time could be described either way, right? And, if your plants prefer full sun, will they fail if there is a little shade during the earliest hour of the day? Most writers use these conventions to explain the plant preferences and tolerances for sunlignt.

Full Sun = 6+ hrs. of direct sunlight

Partial Sun = 4 – 6 hrs. of direct sunlight

Partial Shade = less than 4 hrs. of direct sunlight

A major distinction here is that Partial Shade emphasizes ‘shade’ and that too much sun would be harmful.

Full shade = little direct sun to no direct sunlight. Strong indirect light to full canopy cover is preferred.

Many plants have a wide range of light tolerance, though. A designation of full to part sun may be used where the plant will do fine under quite different light conditions but may grow shorter or bloom less under the shady end of the light spectrum. Still other broad descriptions like full to partial shade may see problems on the sunnier end of the spectrum or vary with other conditions. Hot afternoon sun may be unwelcome even if it is less than 4 hrs. Or that much sun may be fine if the soil is uniformly moist. Nursery plant tags are not able to include all the nuance that every plant and every growing location may need.

In Ohio, sun exposure changes with the seasons. The short days and long shadows of winter are not a good indicator of summer growing conditions. Winter shade from a neighboring house can yield to full sun by May. The dappled partial shade of deciduous trees can transition to full shade during the same time. Careful observation of light conditions throughout the year will inform your gardening decisions. If you don’t have the luxury of time, at least be aware of the cardinal points how sun and shade are likely to morph throughout the day and as the seasons change.

There is no substitute for reading the nursery tag that comes with a plant or learning some background on your native plant choices. Knowing where a plant would normally be growing will help you choose the best place for it. Prairie plants, like Purple Coneflower, normally grow in treeless habitats crowded in with other plants. Spring ephemerals, on the other hand, are understory plants of deciduous forests. They are early performers in mostly shaded settings.

Light is just one of the growing conditions to consider. Soil type (sand, silt, clay) pH (acid or alkaline), drainage and moisture are also factors that will determine how well your plants will perform. Some plants are very particular while others are broadly tolerant. Getting to know your native plants’ personalities is part of the joy of gardening. It is best if you are open to exploration and keen to discover how your plants respond to the decisions you make for them.