A common roadside "weed"Queen Anne's lace, Daucus carota is also called wild carrot because this is the European plant that cultivated carrots were developed from. It was brought to North America with the colonists as a medicinal plant and is now naturalized throughout the continent. See Queen Anne's Lace, Daucus carota at Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension
Sweete April showers, Forgotten month past,
Doo spring Maie flowers. Doe now at the last.
In Cambridge shire forward to Lincolne shire way,
the champion maketh his fallow in May.
Then thinking so dooing one tillage woorth twaine,
by forcing of weede, by that meanes to refraine.
"In the wild, every square inch of soil is covered with a mosaic of interlocking plants, but in our gardens, we arrange...
"In the wild, every square inch of soil is covered with a mosaic of interlocking plants, but in our gardens, we arrange plants as individual objects in a sea of mulch. We place them in solitary confinement."
Instead we should look at our native plants as "social creatures. Our garden plants evolved as members of diverse social networks."
Take Butterflyweed, for example. Its flowers are the same height of the grasses it grows amongst. "Its narrow leaves hug its stems to efficiently emerge through a crowded mix. It has a taproot that drills through the fibrous roots of grasses. Everything about that plant is a reaction to its social network."
Put on your gardening gloves, dig into the soil, and become a steward of the land by growing native Indiana plants!
Our state has a rich natural history, so restoring your yard into a haven for native plants is a fantastic way to honor that history while creating a better habitat for the future. The biodiversity of native plants will attract many of your favorite pollinators, enrich your yard, and revitalize Indiana native wildlife.
#OnThisDay in 1739, William Bartram was born in Philadelphia. The younger Bartram was a botanist, explorer, and ornithologist.
Pictured here is an excerpt from Bartram’s Pharmacoepia, his notebook of pharmaceutical recipes to treat various ailments. View more of his recipes here: William Bartram Pharmacoepia.
On August 30, 1865, botanist Charles Deam was born in Wells County. He had his first brush with the curative powers of plants early in his life when he survived typhoid fever after drinking an old pioneer remedy made of boiled milk and an herb called Old-Field Balsam.
Deam eventually became Indiana's first state botanist and author of several books about flora and fauna, like Shrubs of Indiana (1924) and Flora of Indiana (1940). [ See Shrubs of Indiana (1924) by Charles C. Deam December, 1924 at Indiana University Digital Library on Archive.org and Flora of Indiana below. ]
On page 9 under INTRODUCTION The first flora of Indiana was a "Catalogue of the phaenogamous and vascular cryptogamous plants of Indiana" by the Editors of the Botanical Gazette and Prof. Charles R. Barnes, published in 1881. To this was added a supplement in April, 1882. These listed 1,194 species native to the state and 140 species that had been introduced. [ That publication is shown below. ]
Stanley Coulter in 1897 compiled a list of Indiana plants by families (Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 1897: 158-165. 1898). This list contains 124 families, 534 genera, and 1,369 species, an increase of only 35 species. The names of the species are not given and the totals include both native and introduced species.
The second flora was "A Catalogue of the flowering plants, ferns, and fern allies indigenous to Indiana" by Stanley Coulter, published in 1900. He lists 1,765 species but this number includes both native and introduced species and some erroneous reports. I have studied this catalogue and as I interpret the species, the list should read 1,400 native species, 177 established exotics, 34 not yet established, and 154 species to be excluded for various reasons. It should be borne in mind that when this catalogue was published the author was not able to verify reports as critically as has been done in the present flora. At that time reports by recognized botanists were accepted. It must be remembered that our early botanists did not have access to large herbaria and had few books or perhaps only one book to guide them in naming plants.
Since the publication of these floras much work has been done in the state by various botanists. Among the principal collectors the following persons may be mentioned: Edna Banta, A. R. Bechtel, Chas. M. Ek, Ray C. Friesner, Ralph M. Kriebel, Marcus Lyon, Jr., Scott McCoy, Madge McKee, J. A. Nieuwland, J. E. Potzger, Paul Weatherwax, Winona Welch, and T. G. Yuncker.
Improved highways and the automobile have greatly facilitated collecting. I have been collecting for 40 years. Since 1914 I have used an automobile, traveled over 125,000 miles, and collected in each of the 1,016 townships in Indiana. My accession numbers are now over 59,000. [ With publication in 1940, this implies his transportation 1900-1914 was something else? Horse and buggy, wagon, horseback? ]
The plan of this flora is to include all the species native to Indiana, although a few are now known only from herbarium specimens, and introduced plants that are known to be established. Introduced plants that have been reported as escapes without data concerning their establishment are carried in an excluded list with all the data which I can assemble. If one of the excluded species is later found to be established, the data here recorded may be of service. In the excluded list are included also species that are no longer regarded as segregates, species which have been erroneously reported for the state, and those which do not have sufficient data to warrant their inclusion.
Flora of Indiana by Charles C. Deam described on Amazon.com as Published in 1940, with reprintings in 1970 and 1984, the Flora has served as the standard by which other state floras must be compared. Now over 60 years old, it has clearly withstood the test of time, and continues to be a primary source of information for any serious student of field botany.
Charlie Deam wrote several books about the trees and plants originally found in Indiana at the time of the arrival of European settlers and also talks about living in early Indiana. His biography Plain Ol' Charlie Deam: Pioneer Hoosier Botanist on page 2 describes his parents arrival in 1837 by wagon from Montgomery County, Ohio into the Wabash Valley of Indiana describing their early life as pioneers in 19th century Indiana. The Book Description on Purdue University Press states: Although a self-taught botanist, Charlie Deam (1865-1953) once served as state forester for Indiana and is revered as a pioneer in the field of botany. He traveled more than 100,000 miles throughout the state in his lifetime collecting 73,000 plant specimens. His four volumes about the flora, grasses, shrubs, and trees of Indiana resulted, among other things, in three honorary degrees. Deam's herbarium and 3,000-volume botanical library are now housed at Indiana University. See his books available on Internet Archive.
Lindenwood Nature Preserve, 600 Lindenwood Avenue, is on the west side of Lindenwood Cemetery just across the road. It is a 110-acre wooded park featuring four hiking trails of varying lengths (one is wheelchair and stroller accessible) and a pond that allows visitors to see what the cemetery grounds and a lot of Allen County looked like when the cemetery opened in 1859.
Today is a beautiful day to come out and see some spring wildflowers at Lindenwood Nature Preserve. Lots of our wildlife are enjoying the pleasant temperatures as well!
Today is a beautiful day to come out and see some spring wildflowers at Lindenwood Nature Preserve. Lots of our wildlife are enjoying the pleasant temperatures as well!
We have all seen those clumps of daffodils that are seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Well maybe it is "nowhere"...
We have all seen those clumps of daffodils that are seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
Well maybe it is "nowhere" now, but that wasn't always the case.
This is an interesting short article on how the particular cultivar of daffodil can provide historical information on when it may have been planted and by whom.
'Blooms and Borders: How Daffodils Reveal Historic Buildings Foundations' via Southern Rambles, an outreach initiative of the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP) at Middle Tennessee State University.
A key paragraph from the article referring to the Southeast is:
According to the American Daffodil Society, there are now more than 40 species of daffodils and more than 20,000 registered cultivars. N. pseudonarcissus and N. incomparabilis are two of the popular cultivars planted in the Southeast (see William C. Welch, Heirloom Gardening in the South : Yesterday’s Plants for Today’s Gardens, 2011, pp. 352-4). Because there is a register of cultivars, we can narrow down the time frame of a building’s construction through the presence of daffodils. Daffodils can also mark the presence of graves when the tombstones have fallen and the slow accumulation of dirt covers them as the decade pass.
Daffodils are not native plants and rarely produce seed on their own. Daffodil pollen is too heavy to be windblown, and there isn’t nectar to attract pollinating insects. Copied from Do Daffodils Spread? Brent & Becky's Admin March 27, 2019 on The Bulb Blog. So when they are found growing in undeveloped or formerly occupied overgrown places the presence of daffodils most likely indicates previous human activity.
After the establishment of the Virginia Company in 1606 and the settlement of Jamestown colony in 1609, daffodil bulbs were transported by sailing ships from Britain to America, often by women colonists who brought them along as a reminder of home. The bulbs adapted readily to the climate and conditions of the Virginia Tidewater region, and particularly the area known as the Middle Peninsula, which includes Gloucester and Mathews counties. I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils
—William Wadsworth, published 1807
Caption of a historic marker in Gloucester, Virginia on Main Street: In his famous poem Wordsworth could have been referring to Gloucester and Mathews Counties, Virginia, where by the 1800's naturalized and planted daffodils bloomed Copied from Daffodils Arrived Here With the Colonists Marker
in abundance each Spring. Copied from Daffodils Arrived Here With the Colonists
History of the Daffodil in Gloucester County on The Historical Marker Datatbase HMdb.org
36-page Fort Wayne Plant List with photos and information by the City of Fort Wayne. Native plant species are recommended over exotic foreign species because they are well adapted to local climate conditions. This will result in less replacement and maintenance, while supporting the local ecology.
The Weed Program was developed to protect the public safety, health and welfare and enhance the environment of the City of Fort Wayne by eliminating tall grass, high weeds and other noxious vegetation (including poison ivy). Per the City's Ordinance (Chapter 100: Nuisances), a violation exists when the grass exceeds nine (9) inches or there is other poisonous vegetation on the property. [ CHAPTER 100: NUISANCES at American Legal Publishing ]
Neighborhood Code Compliance's Weed Program is both proactive and reactive in its enforcement. Complaints come through the 311 Call Center, and the Weed Inspectors are responsible for canvasing their specific territory. Once a yard is deemed to be in violation, a placard is placed in the yard, and a letter to abate is sent to the owner of record. Property owners then have five (5) days to correct the violation. If grass, weeds, or noxious vegetation are not removed within that timeframe, the City's mowing contractors will cut the lawn and/or remove the noxious vegetation, and subsequently, the owner will be charged for the cost of the mowing which will include an administrative fee. If the mowing invoice is not paid within 30 days, a lien will be placed on the property.
We often see social media posts about using a homemade vinegar and salt mixture rather than using commercial herbicides. One problem is they are not reliably tested for what effects they have on other life forms. Here is one post about unexpected results - a dead frog! When it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
With warmer temperatures spreading across the country and the ubiquitous appearance of references to using "high test"...
With warmer temperatures spreading across the country and the ubiquitous appearance of references to using "high test" vinegar for weed control, we repost this article from the Garden Professors blog. We as Extension Master Gardeners may only recommend research-based remedies. We may not promote home remedies. Here is the story of a household chemical mix used as herbicide gone awry. Sunday Bloody Sunday [ Vinegar: A Garden Miracle! it's not.]
via STH of The Garden Professors blog
ADDENDUM: Extension Master Gardener does not promote the use of any particular product. We are in the business of educating and sharing research-based horticultural information. We recognize that some may hold different opinions about horticultural practices. That being said, we remain committed to ensuring that people have access to research-based horticultural information. With that access, home gardeners are better able to decipher product labels and make decisions that work best for them.
Have you ever heard the popping sound when walking near a patch of Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis) during the fall time? If so, you were witnessing the ballichorous dispersal of the Wild Petunia's seed. Ballichory, or ballistic, dispersal of the plant's seeds is when the seeds are actively or passively catapulted away from the plant.
Several colorful flowering plants that grow tall enough to hide outhouses have been called outhouse flowers. They allowed users to ask where those particular flowers were located rather than ask to use the outhouse.
Alcea rosea, outhouse hollyhocks were tall enough to hide outhouses, and also as a signal to guests to discretely ask where were the hollyhock were located to use the outhouse. Some seed companies sell them as Outhouse Hollyhocks.
Rudbeckia laciniata hortensia a tall native plant with bright yellow flowers is sometimes known as the outhouse flower, shithouse daisy, goldendrop, goldenglow, cutleaf coneflower (or just cutleaf), green-headed coneflower, tall coneflower, sochan and thimbleweed, is in the aster family, asteraceae.
Since it’s an unofficial lilac day, here’s our story on early America’s use of the plant…and why you see them near old farmhouses.
"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" is a long-form poem by Walt Whitman, written as a response to the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Considered one of the greatest American poems, it explores themes of grief, loss, and the ongoing cycle of life and death.
Butterfly garden at Geist Christian Church, 12756 Promise Road, Fishers, Indiana.
The tall "sunflower" in the back is cup-plant (Silphium perfoliatum). The milkweed is swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). Lilac flowers are "beebalm" Monarda didyma. Pink flowers are Phlox paniculata aka garden phlox.
Many Americans fear that unruly yards bring in pests and lower home values. An unruly yard is also seen as lazy...
Many Americans fear that unruly yards bring in pests and lower home values. An unruly yard is also seen as lazy homeownership and as disrespect to those who invest time and money to be good citizens. If you can show that you too, care about your neighborhood, but do so in a different way, you can have a more respectful conversation. Mitigate the unruliness of your natural landscape by demonstrating it is intentional; Create clean lines and paths to show you do your 'maintenance'; Use signage and talk about your intentions. All around the country home owners associations and municipalities are adjusting their rules. Not because they are attacked for their conventional practices, but because most people do love birds and butterflies. www.healthyyards.org
Native plants and early Indiana botanical explorations posted March 22, 2014 on Archives of Hoosier History Live podcast on Saturdays, noon to 1 p.m. ET on WICR 88.7 FM. With, at long last, the arrival of spring - at least in terms of the calendar, if not the current weather - Hoosier History Live! will focus on our state's botanical heritage. And a special co-host will guide us during our look at native plants and early botanical explorations. ... So Jo Ellen [Meyers Sharp] and Michael [Homoya] will be ideal for this show, during which we will dig deep into botanical explorations across Indiana. The first known one occurred in 1795 by French explorer Andre Michaux. Some of Michaux's collections from the Indiana wilderness still exist in the national herbarium in Paris, according to Michael, who has personally seen them. Our first state forester, Charlie Deam (1865-1953), grew up on a family farm in Wells County and went on to chronicle native plants across the state, including specific locations in counties and townships. Known as the "father of Indiana botany," he collected more than 73,000 plant specimens from across Indiana, according to Michael Homoya. (His collection is now housed at the herbarium at Indiana University.)
Milksickness was a deadly illiness for early pioneers taking the life of Nancy Hanks Lincoln October 5, 1818 in Spencer County, Indiana, mother of future President Abraham Lincoln. See our 1818 Timeline.
The Naturalist's Library by Jardine, William, Sir, 1800-1874 40 volumes at the University of California Libraries, also on Archive.org shows lots of early wildlife in the 19th century, such as our common ruby-throated hummingbird, the Ruby-crested Hummingbird on page 147 in the The Naturalist's Library Ornithology Humming Birds, Part I, Vol. VI. printed in London, probably in the 1860s. Unfortunately the first 25 pages are missing.
The plant world is bursting with variations in color and form underpinned by genetic diversity. Our world would not be...
The plant world is bursting with variations in color and form underpinned by genetic diversity. Our world would not be as rich and inspiring if each organism was exactly like others of its kind. Growing plants from seed embraces the fact that there will be variation and difference in what emerges. These Canada lilies (Lilium canadense) are an excellent example of variation in flower color, in the degree and abundance of spots found on the petals. This is why Native Plant Trust strives to grow and offer for sale native plants grown from seeds that were sourced locally, an approach that welcomes plants that do not all look the same and embraces the inherent genetic diversity found within those seeds. When that genetic potential is expressed by the plants themselves, the results are simply marvelous. —Director of Horticulture Uli Lorimer
Native Plant of the Week: Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
Every garden should have false blue indigo (Baptisia australis), but lucky you if you find them in the wild in Indiana. They are extremely rare in Indiana, primarily along the Ohio River. (See map.)
They bloom best and do not need staked if planted in full sun, although they will tolerate some shade. In May and June, the 10- 12” flower stalks shoot up and are covered with blue pea-like flowers. The blooms are primarily pollinated by bumblebees seeking nectar.
It grows 3 to 4 feet tall with similar spread, resembling a small shrub. The foliage is an attractive blue-green all summer and is a host plant for several moths, skippers and butterflies.
Mid-summer, the seed pods start to form and create natural rattles that charm children and add a distinctive look to fall bouquets. Then is the time to harvest the seeds. The foliage looks good all summer even though seeds are formed.
Blue false indigo is slow to mature, at least to our eyes. The first few years, all its work is being done underground as it sends down a deep taproot (seven feet or more). This taproot will break up compacted soil, so it is a good plant to remediate your soil after construction. When you plant the seedling, be sure it's where you want to leave it as it is hard to transplant with the tap root.
There is a dwarf false blue indigo, Baptisia australis minor or sometimes Baptisia minor, but it does not occur in Indiana. Its native home is to the west of us.
Carnivorous Plants
They are still found in what little habitat remains in Allen County. A work in progress page with more information will appear eventually.
As we continue celebrating Ohio Native Plant Month, we turn to one of the most fascinating plants found in Ohio—the...
As we continue celebrating Ohio Native Plant Month, we turn to one of the most fascinating plants found in Ohio—the carnivorous northern pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea). This highly evolved plant has found a unique way to thrive in bogs, which can be tough habitats (think low nutrients) for some species. More on that later.
The northern pitcher plant has pitcher-like modified leaves which can range in color from green to red with some lovely color and pattern variations. Its flowers appear in late spring or early summer with scarlet red petals and an umbrella-structure made of the sepals. Native pitcher plants may be found growing in the small number of specialized bogs and peatlands remaining in northeastern Ohio. Unfortunately, poaching and habitat loss has led to the decline of these distinctive plants; the northern pitcher plant is listed as threatened in Ohio.
Back to the pitcher plant’s carnivorous nature. Once the pitcher-like leaves collect with rainwater, insets unwittingly fall in and drown, creating a kind of “bug soup.” The hood of the pitcher has stiff downward pointing hairs preventing any trapped insects from climbing out.
Younger pitcher plants are known to produce some digestive enzymes to breakdown the insects, but in actuality, most of the work is done by larvae from mosquitoes and other insects living in the water-filled pitchers. Their waste settles to the bottom of the pitchers and the plant absorbs the remaining nutrients. It’s always fun to look inside the pitchers to see what’s on the menu for their next meals.
Check back tomorrow for another wildflower species profile. Throughout April, we will be introducing you to many of our favorite spring, summer, and even fall wildflowers as we continue our celebration of Ohio’s Native Plant Month!
Witch Hazel
Popular folk remedy witch hazel is an effective and natural alternative to conventional antibiotics and spells trouble for harmful microbes. Learn more https://go.usa.gov/xuydF
Popular folk remedy witch hazel is an effective and natural alternative to conventional antibiotics and spells trouble for harmful microbes. Learn more Witch Hazel Spells Trouble for Harmful Microbes
Did your grandma swear by witch hazel for skin issues? Turns out, it's not just a folk remedy! A recent study reveals...
Did your grandma swear by witch hazel for skin issues? Turns out, it's not just a folk remedy! A recent study reveals its real benefits for acne and inflammation. Discover more about this natural gem! Witch Hazel, Not Just for Grandma Anymore!
Maintenance
It's mowing season! Every year INDOT crews mow hundreds of miles of land. That's a big task! INDOT utilizes a remote controlled mower in order to improve spot mowing and make harder to reach areas safer for our crews.
