February 2023 Pollinator News

Are Plants Confused?

Native plants have evolved through many times when weather was not ‘normal’. Even through ice ages over hundreds of thousands of years. Insects as well have endured, even thrived during periods of time that would have erased human civilization.  Insects and flowers have co-evolved for 100 million years. Global "Wierding" at the current scale, just a few warm days in the heart of winter, should not be a concern.

Some individuals within a population react more quickly to the signs of seasonal change. Some respond more slowly, with the majority falling in between. Among migratory birds, salamander runs and insect emergence, some will be earlier and some later than the horde. These fringe behaviors may be the seed of future generations, if successful, in times of climate change. If unsuccessful, they and their genetic propensities will be pruned from the population. Such is the process of Natural Selection.

Our concerns should be with the causes of climate change and the suite of human created assaults on the environment that we have a chance to influence. Plant native, eliminate the use of pesticides, restore habitat. Premature emergence of plants or insects should not be a concern in itself, nor is it something we can realistically respond to.

Shown below are non-native (but well adapted) Snow Drops (left) and Species Crocus (right) in full flower this month. Both have slowly spread over the years, much to the delight of my family and neighbors.

The human experience is quite different, though. Unseasonable swings in temperature, humidity and other weather factors can seriously affect those especially who are not as resilient. Age and illness can make rapid swings in weather unsettling and harmful. Blood pressure, allergies, clots, strokes and heart attacks may all be exacerbated by extreme and sudden changes in the weather. Our bodies work hard to maintain an internal equilibrium. While we adapt to seasonal changes that come on incrementally, a change in 40 degrees from one day to the next can be a shock. We need to be more prepared and look out for each other record setting weather comes our way. I have much more confidence in our wildlife to weather the extremes than the human elderly and infirm.

Native Plant Corridors

We are witnessing a mass extinction event where insect populations are in rapid decline, many already lost, and songbird populations half of what they were a century ago. When you look at vast agricultural landscapes and urban or suburban development, there is a stark and sterile sweep of space that is of little use to pollinators. In recent decades, farms have adapted to larger equipment, often removing hedgerows and woodlots that once benefited wildlife. Coupled with broadly effective herbicides, few weeds can grow that might provide a fleeting resource for bees and butterflies. Urban, commercial, and industrial centers appear as exclusive hard surfaces, with rooftops, parking lots and roadways.  Residential areas have fewer trees than ever before and the ground layer is mostly turfgrass which, except for a few vagrant weeds has zero ecological function.

Even when you imagine the extensive park land at the national and local levels, the lower 48 states retain only about 5% of their natural areas. What we think of as green space in residential areas is mostly lawn, which, cumulatively is an area the size of Texas and gets mowed each week.

For these reasons and more, we are building a native plant movement to support pollinators, butterflies and beneficial insects that provide the food that birds require. These changes can enrich the biodiversity of the landscape, support the natural services our ecosystems provide, and reinforce the resilience of nature that sustains us.

A popular concept within this movement is Native Plant Corridors (NPC). Corridors are linear slices of habitat that stretch across otherwise uneventful regions that no longer support pollinators. Farmland lacks opportunities for pollinators that typically forage only a short distance from a home base. Flying a mile across a corn field without a way-station for water, pollen or nectar may be out of the question. Yet, large parts of the country present such barriers.

Where there are tree-lined streams or un-mowed roadways, pollinators have opportunities to seek out resources. More is needed. Cropland that needs pollinators is more productive where rich pollinator habitat exists. The native bees in these habitats can be more effective pollinators than honey bees. To assure that native bees are available for this essential farm work, several farmland management practices are recommended. This includes mowing practices that retain pollinator habitat during critical life stages and establishing woody and herbaceous strips that increase the diversity of resources.

Mowing is the easiest practices to modify in favor of insects and wildlife. Road crews and farm managers often cut back wayside patches in mid-summer, perhaps because time allows or because it looks untidy. Many pollinators depend on the taller vegetation at this time as forage and as a resource for the next generation. While we mostly think of the flowers as the key resource, leaves are food for caterpillars and many species lay eggs in plant stems. Removing this essential habitat mid-season severely limits the supply of six legged farm workers the following growing season. The bug-friendly practice limits mowing it to the end of the growing season. Better still, mow only one quarter of the wayside area in any year, leaving a reservoir of offspring for the following season. This limited mowing will be sufficient to keep woody growth from dominating and restricting the use of a mower.

Hedgerows used to be more common, partly because boundary lines and fences were often left to their own resources, growing into shrubby, tree lined stretches. Larger, consolidated farms and modern techniques have seen their decline. Hedgerows have many benefits. They serve as wind breaks which protect crops, livestock, and soil. They produce flowering plants that support pollinators. They harbor many insects, the vast majority of which are harmless and many that are decidedly beneficial. Wasps and other insects are predators of many pest species. Where biodiversity is the rule, plagues of pests are less likely to dominate. Biodiversity is a free service that provides checks and balance.

Many native plant species thrive in some of the most challenging situations. Whether dry, wet, shady or otherwise minimally productive there are native plants that will abound, even on scarred and eroded land. Native seed growers can tailor a blend to the specific conditions of any site and turn it into a pollinator resource. Marginal sites can blossom with resources that help connect with other pollinator habitat and build a network of sites that exchange insect populations and support migration. The vast majority of land in the Eastern United States is privately owned. Individual landowners and land managers have the power to make the changes that are needed to stop the decline of biodiversity, the rebound of natural ecology will help to assure that our most precious resource, the productive land we depend on, will remain resilient and continue to sustain us.

Seed, Service and Celebration
Part II

Our first special seed packaging event was very energetic and productive. Join us for a repeat performance in Berea, Ohio on March 12. Registration opening soon.
All participants will be invited to take home samples of our work to plant in your own garden.

Wingstem, Verbesina alternifolia

Wingstem, Verbesina alternifolia, sometimes called Yellow Ironweed, is a tall ( 6-8 ft.) yellow flowering composite with the easily identified characteristic of long papery ridges along the stem, the ‘wings’. The long elliptical leaves are somewhat rough on the upper surface. The flowers are clustered at the top displaying several 1-2 inch wide pincushion individuals. They bloom for six weeks or more in late summer into fall. Plants spread by rhizomes and seed, excellent for naturalizing but may not be suitable for small, formal plantings. Verbesina is a name derived from the unrelated plant ‘Verbena’ that has similar foliage. The species name ‘alternifolia’ references the alternating leaf arrangement.

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Wingstem is a moisture-loving plant, naturally occurring in flood plains and the edges of water bodies. It is well adapted to a variety of settings, sun to mostly shade, medium to wet and poor to rich soils.  It is native to most of eastern North America.

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Bumble bees are especially fond of wingstem, as are many other bees, butterflies, skippers, and the occasional assortment of flies and wasps. It is also host plant to many butterfly caterpillars including the Silvery Checkerspot, Summer Azure butterfly, and Gold Moth. It is mostly avoided by browsing animals and a last resort for deer. Seeds are easily collected in the fall when they are tan and dry.

In My Personal Library

 
Re: Native Plants, Pollinators and Design

Adelman, Charlotte, and Bernard L. Schwartz. The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants : An Illustrated Guide. Ohio University Press, 2011.

Bissell, James K., et al. Goldenrods of Northeast Ohio: A Field Guide to Identification and Natural History. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 2017.

Branhagen, Alan. Native Plants of the Midwest: A Comprehensive Guide to the Best 500 Species for the Garden. Timber Press, 2016.

Braun, E. Lucy. The Woody Plants of Ohio: Trees, Shrubs and Woody Climbers, Native, Naturalized, and Escaped. Ohio State University Press, 1989.

Brown, Lauren. Weeds in Winter. Norton, 1986.

Burrell, C. Colston, et al. Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 2007.

Capon, Brian. Botany for Gardeners: An Introduction and Guide. Timber Press, 1990.

Chalker-Scott, Linda. How Plants Work: The Science behind the Amazing Things Plants Do. Timber Press, 2015.

Cobb, Boughton, et al. A Field Guide to Ferns and Their Related Families: Northeastern and Central North America. 2nd ed, Houghton Mifflin Co, 2005.

Diblik, Roy. The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden. Timber Press, 2014.

DiSabato-Aust, Tracy. The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: The Essential Guide to Planting and Pruning Techniques. Completely revised and Expanded, [Third edition], Timber Press, 2017.

Eade, Kenneth. Bless the Bees: The Pending Extinction of Our Pollinators and What You Can Do to Stop It.

Eierman, Kim. Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening: How to Attract and Support Bees, Beetles, Butterflies, Bats, and Other Pollinators. Quarry Books, 2020.

Embry, Paige. Our Native Bees: America’s Endangered Pollinators and the Fight to Save Them. Timber Press, 2018.

Gough, Robert E., and Cheryl Moore-Gough. The Complete Guide to Saving Seeds: 322 Vegetables, Herbs, Flowers, Fruits, Trees, and Shrubs. Storey Pub, 2011.

Goulson, Dave. The Garden Jungle; or Gardening to Save the Planet. Vintage, 2020.

Henn, Robert L. Wildflowers of Ohio. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1998.

Holm, Heather. Pollinators of Native Plants: Attract, Observe and Identify Pollinators and Beneficial Insects with Native Plants. Pollination Press LLC, 2014.

Kaufman, Kenn. Butterflies of North America. Houghton Mifflin Co.

---. Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. Haughton Mifflin Co.

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Little, Brown and Co.

Penick, Pam. Lawn Gone!: Low-Maintenance, Sustainable, Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard. Unabridged, Ten Speed Press, 2013.

Rainer, Thomas, and Claudia West. Planting in a Post-Wild World.

Reichard, Sarah H. The Conscientious Gardener: Cultivating a Garden Ethic. University of California Press, 2011.

Tallamy, Douglas W. Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants. Updated and Expanded pbk. ed, Timber Press, 2009.

---. Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard. Timber Press, 2020.

Vogt, Benjamin. Prairie up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design. 3 Fields Books, an imprint of the University of Illinois Press, 2023.

Williams, Paul, et al. Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide. Princeton University Press, 2014.

Wilson, Joseph S., and Olivia Messinger Carril. The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America’s Bees. Princeton University Press, 2016.

Xerces Society. 100 Plants to Feed the Monarch.