Wildflower Wednesday: Joe Pye Weed

Posted on August 27, 2014 by missinghenrymitchell

My garden doesn’t have many fall native wildflowers (yet). One I do like very much, though, is hollow Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium fistulosum).

Native to eastern North America, Eutrochium fistulosum forms a massive clump, growing 5-8 feet tall and 4 feet wide in the moist soils it likes. Mine is a bit on the drier side, and so grows correspondingly shorter, topping out at around 6 feet high and 3 feet wide. During rainy spells in summer, I can practically watch it grow.

Butterflies and bees love the flowers, which are rich in nectar.

My plant suffered a setback from last year’s weather, I think; it’s half the size it was last year. Or perhaps it’s time to dig and divide. I’m keen to keep it going because it attracts so much wildlife. And the seed heads look beautiful all winter, especially under ice.

Ice on Joe Pye weed, Eutrochium purpureum

Ice on Joe Pye weed, Eutrochium fistulosum

Season: midsummer through fall; winter interest
Height: 5-8 ft.
Flower Color: Rosy purple.
Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 4-8
Foliage: Lime green, lightly serrated. Red stems.
Flower: Loose, rosy purple inflorescences.

Site: Prefers moist sites but will cope with average to dry soils.

Propagation: Division spring or fall.

Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist and well-drained to wet.
Origin: Eastern North America
Life Cycle: Perennial

Wildflower Wednesday is a celebration of wildflowers from all over the world. It’s hosted by Gail and Clay and Limestone on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Wildflower Wednesday: Echinacea purpurea

Posted on June 25, 2014 by missinghenrymitchell

My seed-sown Echinacea purpurea just began to flower this week.

I don’t have many of these plants yet. I had perhaps five or six seedlings survive my first winter sowing adventure, and last year (their first year) they slept, of course. This year they are beginning to creep. I have sturdy individual plants that haven’t yet grown into substantial clumps. I look forward to next year, when I hope to have an attractive if small sweep of them brightening up the blue slope near the road.

Wildflower Wednesday is hosted by Gail at Clay and Limestone on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Know thine enemy: Common weeds to know

Posted on April 3, 2014 by missinghenrymitchell

Here’s a terrific chart of common weeds, by the Missouri Botanical Garden. Get to know the weeds that make their homes in your garden. The more you know about them, including their life cycles and reproductive habits, the more weapons you have with which to thwart them.

spotted spurge, photo courtesy wikipedia

Spotted spurge, Euphorbia maculata

Hairy bittercress, Cardamine hirsuta

Three-seeded mercury, Acalypha virginica

hairy bittercress cardamine hirsuta weed seedling

Hairy bittercress taking over a neglected patch in my garden.

And please, avoid using chemical weed controls. They can be toxic to pollinators, including bees and butterflies, and can persist in the soil for very long periods of time. Mulch and other methods of weed control are more sustainable, and healthier for you, your family, your pets, and the environment over the long term.

Unidentified sleeping object

Posted on March 25, 2014 by missinghenrymitchell

There is some kind of cocoon hanging from one of my blueberry bushes.

It is perhaps as long as my thumb, and a little larger in size than a chicken egg. I have no idea what’s inside. If you have any thoughts, please share them. I’ll be watching and waiting to see what emerges.

An important top ten list for the year, part 2: Important herbaceous host plants for butterflies, moths, and birds.

Posted on January 23, 2014 by missinghenrymitchell

Yesterday I wrote about the top genera (all of which happen to be woody) that are important for hosting Lepidoptera species (butterflies and moths). I was astonished to see that Quercus (oaks) are critical hosts for 532 total species of Lepidoptera, 518 of which are natives.

I’m feeling pretty chuffed: My half-acre suburban lot contains 26 oaks, one hickory, and three blueberries, all of which make the top ten. But not everything in the landscape is a woody plant (though sometimes around here it feels like it). What herbaceous genera are important hosts?

Top 10 Herbaceous Genera for Supporting Lepidoptera Species:

Trifolium (clover): 122 total Lepidoptera species
Zea (corn, maize): 120 species.
Solidago (goldenrod): 115
Aster (asters): 109
Taraxacum (dandelion): 87
Fragaria (strawberry): 81
Helianthus (sunflower): 75
Medicago (alfalfa): 69
Brassica (broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, etc.): 68
Phaseolus (beans): 66

Aster laevis ‘Bluebird’

Interestingly, of those 10 best herbaceous genera, 4 (Zea, Taraxacum, Medicago, and Brassica) are alien to the US.

Clover and alfalfa are common cover crops. The Zea, Fragaria, Brassicas, and Phaseolus genera are very common agricultural crops for home gardeners, and Taraxacum is growing in popularity as an agricultural crop, albeit in very niche markets.

The next 10 ranked herbaceous genera also include lots of food crops grown by home gardeners:

Plantago (plantain): 66 species
Solanum (tomatoes, eggplants/aubergines, peppers): 61
Nicotiana (tobacco): 60
Gossypium (cotton): 59
Cotton (Gossypium)
Polygonum (knotweed): 58
Rumex (dock, sorrel): 54
Lactuca (lettuce): 51
Ambrosia (ragweed): 48
Beta (beets/beetroot): 44
Chenopodium (lambsquarters): 42

All this points to the importance of using organic methods in the garden. But moreover, we need to be mindful that the foods that sustain humans are also critical support for insect and bird species we not only enjoy, but also rely upon: They pollinate our crops, and they keep other, more problematic insect species under control. And since some species of the important host plants are classified as invasive (including certain Acers, Ambrosias, Brassicas, Plantagos, Polygonums, and Solanums), it’s important to pay attention to the scientific name of what you’re planting.

This year I’m going to embrace my role as part of the ecological circle by planting an extra row or two of these crops to let the caterpillars and butterflies enjoy. I will keep a row for the hungry near my own food crops and protect those with floating row covers; I’ll plant the others in a sunny spot away from my food crops. I hope you’ll consider doing the same.