This is the second post in a series, with the first one detailing my visit to the Monarch Butterfly sanctuaries found here.
While my main goal in Mexico was to see butterflies, I never pass up a chance to botanize! There were some spectacular flowers in the understory of the Oyamel fir forest, most of which were completely new to me. Thanks to my knowledge of plant families I was able to at least make a close guess on site, and then research them deeper once I was back within wi-fi range. These are the flowers that fuel the first leg of the monarch’s journey north in spring. At the end of the post I’ll include some great analogs for our area to provide that much needed nectar once the butterflies reach us!
Clinopodium macrostemum
The orange, tubular flowers of C. macrostemum. The common name, “poleo” and “yerba de borracho”, is also used for another plant in the mint family, especially in the south part of the country. Photo by our tour guide, Ivan, of A Closer Look Tours.
We were just past 11,000 feet high at El Rosario Butterfly Reserve and I was feeling…bad. The steep incline and lack of air was getting to me. Our guide spotted me leaning on a tree, probably looking a little limp and pathetic. He tore a few leaves from a nearby plant and shoved them under my nose — whoa! What a pick me up! The minty, citrusy, peppery scent opened my nostrils and sharpened my air-starved mind. My Spanish is barely passable, enough to say thank you and ask what it was. His English was not much better, but we made it work: he told me that the plant with the orange flowers helps with altitude. They are also known as “Yerba de Borracho”, herb of the drunk man. Good for a hangover! He winked. I laughed it off at first, then decided I should keep some in my pocket. If I survive the trip back down, I planned to sample regional mezcal at lunch, and may need it!
Dear reader: I did, indeed, need it.
Geranium potentillifolium
G. potentillifolium (I think***) at Sierra Chincua Butterfly Reserve.
Small and unassuming, these purple flowers were growing in the shade of larger shrubs and brush. Their delicate blooms reach up above the lobed, serrated foliage to be seen, and – their ultimate goal – to be pollinated. I saw this one and recognized it immediately as a geranium species, but it took a lot of digging to find out which one! There is scant information on some of these remote, high elevation species of Mexico. I am not 100% sure on this ID, but iNaturalist shows a lot of sightings right in the same area so I am going with it.
When trying to find records of this plant online, I came up empty. There seems to be very little information about it available outside of iNaturalist sightings. It was growing in sunny patches of open forest, with broad leaves and about 3 to 4 feet high. This plant is a member of the crownbeard flower family, all of which are white or yellow in color and in the subtribe Helianthieae.
From Mexico to My Yard
While these understory flowers of the central Sierra Madres wouldn’t survive in my garden back home, there are lots of great native and/or locally adaptable non-native options with a similar look that are better suited to the Great Plains climate. Instead of C. macrostemum, I could opt for a Penstemon pinifolius or Agastache ‘Firebird’. Both of these have orangey-red tube shaped flowers but can handle our hot, dry landscape.
Geranium maculatum is a native KS shade plant with an almost identical flower to the Geranium species found in Mexico. Verbesina has such a unique flower form, but the height and color can be recreated with ox-eye sunflower, Heliopsis helianthoides or even a black-eyed susan species like Rudbeckia lacinata.
All of these plants are low maintenance and great for adding pollinator habitat to the garden. These, and many more, will be available at FloraKansas THIS WEEKEND!
This February I had an opportunity to visit the monarch butterfly overwintering grounds in the Sierra Madres mountains of Mexico. It was AMAZING! Yes, really, it was all-caps level cool. The trip was an absolute dream that I will surely be retelling for years to come. Starting now! Read on for info on the monarchs, their incredible migration, and my experience visiting their wintering grounds.
Short Flight for Me, Long Flight for Them
I flew into Mexico City in late February, which is the perfect time of year to visit the monarchs. DFT to MEX is a quick three hour flight. But as I was floating up above the clouds, cozy in my seat with a beverage and a snack, I thought of how much tougher the monarchs have it! Starting in the northern US and Canada, they depart in late summer and fly for 4-8 weeks to reach Mexico by late October. Seemingly so fragile, with tiny bodies and impossibly thin wings, yet they endure so much – rain, wind, hailstorms, heatwaves, miles and miles of monocrop agriculture without a nectar plant in sight to fill their bellies! It seems like slim odds that any survive the trip, but somehow they do.
Most monarchs only live for a month or so, and it takes 4-5 generations to make it from Mexico to Canada. But the “super generation” born in mid to late summer has a 9x longer lifespan! They make the entire flight south, overwinter in the forests, and begin the first leg of the northward journey as well, laying eggs on milkweed in northern Mexico and Texas so the next generation can continue on. This graphic was provided with permission by MonarchWatch.org
High Altitude Hike
Once in Mexico, they gather in a particular part of the Sierra Madres mountain range. In total, their overwintering area covered 7.24 acres this winter, which is a 64% increase over last winter. This is great news! Their favorite spots are located within the state of Mexico and the state of Michoacán, in high mountain elevations between 9,000 and 11,000 feet. They are choosy creatures, preferring to gather on in areas with Oyamel fir trees (Abies religiosa). For the visitor, this means traveling a few hours from Mexico city by car, then an hour on horseback up the mountain, then another 45 minutes to an hour on foot to reach their roosts. Local guides and sanctuary employees keep tabs on the butterflies’ location, and change the footpaths as needed, so the hike may be longer or shorter depending on where they are at when you visit.
My horse for the day, Misterio, carried me most of the way to the monarchs, but we dismounted at the start of the trees seen here, and went on foot the rest of the way up.
Wonderland
The travel time and hike, no matter how long, is worth it. As you get closer, you might see a single monarch flitting across your path, and then another, and another. Suddenly, you’re in a cloud of them! My visit day was warm and sunny, so the monarchs were very active. They flew overhead in every direction, bordering on a swarm. I hardly knew where I was walking, as I was looking up instead of down. The narrow dirt paths are roped in these areas, probably to keep us from falling to our deaths from not watching where we step. But also to keep visitors from getting too close to the roosts, where thousands (maybe millions?) of butterflies hang off the tree branches in fluttering clusters.
Sanctuary guides and locals may journey up the mountain with visitor groups simply to enforce the cardinal rule: Shhhh! Remaining quiet, so as not to disturb or startle the butterflies, is important. And it also enhances the sensory experience — the quiet of the forest is punctuated by bird call, rustling leaves, and wind through pines. And the most magical of all sounds? Butterfly wings! Thousands of them together beating the air makes a faint sound like moving water.
Unfortunately, the sound does not capture well on my simple iphone video capture, so you will just have to plan a trip yourself to hear it!
Needless to say, I was transfixed. I could have stayed there for hours, watching them fly and feed and mate and fight. Insects are more complex than we give them credit for, and this awe-inspiring phenomenon is a reminder of that. All insects, from charismatic butterflies to the humble cricket, are fascinating and essential parts of our ecosystem. Stay tuned for a follow up of this blog, detailing the flowers of the Oyamel understory (the blooms these monarchs feed on in spring, their final meal before heading north again!) and tips for some native Kansas analogs you can plant for them to sip on once they reach us here.
It is hard to find things that will bloom in November. Usually the only things still blooming are asters and witchhazel bushes, but last year the scarlet globe mallow surprised me! The following photos are from November 14th, well into the cool season. It was still going strong and even attracting pollinators. This plant was a new addition to my home garden this spring and it did not disappoint. Read on to learn more about this western Kansas native and how to use it in the landscape.
A Western Beauty
Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) is native to a huge swath of the western United States, from Kansas to Utah and from New Mexico to Montana. Its range also extends north into Canada and south into the deserts of Mexico. It is in the Malvaceae family, which is why its bloom bears a resemblance to distant cousins like hollyhock, hibiscus, and purple poppy mallow. S. coccinea can withstand extremes of hot and cold temperatures and thrive in thin, rocky soils. Attractive to pollinators, grazed by deer and pronghorn, and visited by birds for its seeds, it is likely a welcome site to many animals living in inhospitable environments.
While I am not looking to attract any pronghorn to my urban landscape, I was happy to see bees buzzing around it even late into the season. Despite its rugged preferences, it fits in well in the average home garden. But only if you have the right setting: rocks, hot south exposure, full sun, good drainage. The raised bed off our sunroom gets blistering sun all afternoon in summer. The eaves overhang here and block most of the rain from falling on this bed, so it relies on my less-than-reliable hand watering. Nevertheless this plant got absolutely HUGE this year, much larger than expected. The abundant rains this year did hit the very edge of the bed and must have supercharged its growth, as it quickly started spilling out of the raised stone bed and onto the walkway.
Garden Tips for Globemallow
Scarlet Globemallow should be used as a ground cover and filler plant. It has beautiful quarter-size blooms and stays relatively short, less than 16″ tall. This plant seems to become more upright and less leafy with drought stress and hotter temps, though mine stayed very lush and trailing all summer. It would look fantastic paired with drought-loving grass (like blue grama), a spring bloomer (like Missouri evening Primrose) and a taller show stopper (like Solidago rigida). This simple combination would give your garden multi-season interest with very low water needs and plenty of flower for pollinators to visit. I planted mine alongside Fendler’s aster and non-native Saponaria ocymoides. While I like them all individually, the habits were all too similar for my taste. I may swap out a few plants this spring to make room for grasses or something with a more vertical habit.
All these plants mentioned and more will be available at our spring FloraKansas fundraiser event! Its a great chance to get your hands on hard-to-find native and adaptable plants for our region, and chat with experts who can answer your garden questions. We’d love to see you there, and to see more Scarlett Globe Mallow making its way into the home gardens of our members and friends.
A ragged-looking leaf on our precious garden plants sets off alarm bells for most people. But why? I think this instict arises from the agrarian roots of human civilization. A threat to our plants, at one time, was a threat to our very survival. If an insect ate our crops, our town or village might not survive the winter! That was a major concern at certain points in human history, and remains so for farmers making their living from crops. But for our ornamental garden plants this is not the case. In urban landscapes of trees, shrubs and flower gardens, insects on plants should be viewed as agood thing and not a threat. Read on to learn about some common culprits of ornamental plant damage, and why they are more friend than foe.
Leaf-Cutter Bees
A leaf-cutter bee hard at work making discs of plant material for her nest. Photo by Line Sabroe from Denmark, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
There are over 200 species of leaf cutters bees in North America. These native solitary bees make neat, circular cuts from leaves to use as nest material for their eggs. And while it makes your plants looks like swiss cheese, the damage is only cosmetic. A healthy, well-established plant will have no trouble regrowing new foliage. Leaf-cutter bees carry pollen on their bellies, and perform vital pollination services to crops and wildflowers alike. If you see neatly cut holes in your plants, keep your eyes peeled for friendly leaf cutter bee nearby! They create a tube-like cavity for a nest, so they may be hiding in rotted wood or plant stems. So don’t burn that brush pile just yet, and consider leaving your garden standing all winter long to provide lots of safe nesting sites.
Tent Caterpillars, Web Worms and Other Gregarious Feeders
Datana intergerrima on the trunk of a walnut treeMembers of the Datana genus are known for this curved defensive posture.The caterpillars are harmless, though their hairs can irritate human skin.
Have you ever seen a tree with a mass of webs on its branches? You’ve got tent caterpillars! There are several types of web-producing caterpillars in Kansas that consume a variety of tree species. These types of caterpillars are known as gregarious feeders. They can form a wrigglng mass and eat voraciously, defoliate a significant portion of the tree in just a few days. As you might suspect, homeowners are quick to panic. But a tree is a huge organism, with ample energy storage below ground. A healthy tree regrows leaves in a matter of weeks with no ill effects. Unless you are trying to harvest a fruit or nut crop from your trees, the caterpillars are no problem at all.
This young walnut tree lost over half its leaf matter in a matter of a few days. But this photo was taken in 2023, and two years later that tree is still going strong, healthy as ever.
The best course of action is to simply sit back and watch. Birds will swoop in and have their fill of the juicy caterpillars (espeically if you gently open the webs with a stick so they can get access!). Parasitic wasps will come buzzing around, seeking out these caterpillars as a host for their larvae. And in no time at all the hungry hoard will either have been eaten up or have moved on to transform into a moth, which feed more birds, bats, and other wildlife.
Milkweed is famous for being the host plant of monarch butterflies, but many other speices like to nibble this plant too! Milkweed is essential to the life cycle of several species of caterpillars and many other true bugs and beetles. In late summer and fall you may find black and red bugs crowded together on developing seed pods. These are milkweed bugs, Oncopeltus fasciatus, and they use they feed on seeds. They are a native insect, co-evolved with the milkweed and posing no threat to its health or longevity. While they may decrease the viable seed count, milkweeds are usually quite prolific seed producers, making more than enough seed per year to keep populations high where conditions are right. The best course of action is to let the bugs feast! They are fun to watch, and there are usually several generations all feeding together, making it easy to see the different growth stages and transfromations they undergo as they grow and molt.
Buggy Blues
I get many calls and emails from concerned folks wondering what is eating their plant and how to stop it. While I am happy to help identify a mystery bug, I am less eager to advise control methods. Mostly these are native insects fufilling their ecological role and not threatening the health of the plant. If the plant in question is not directly feeding humans (say, a tomato plant or a fruit tree or a field crop) then why should we intervene?
While we may not like the look of a plant being nibbled on, that superficial feeling is temproary. Plants recover quickly, and a momentary gap in our viewing pleasure is a matter of life and death for insects who desperately need the nutrition to survive, reproduce, or migrate. Insect populations are crashing, and reframing our relationship to them and apprecaition for their role in nature is the first step in slowing down their decline.
Plants have evolved for millions of years to easily survive a bit of munching by bugs. In fact, they are the base layer of the food chain, the channel through which all energy enters the system to begin with: they turn sunlight into physical matter, and that energy is funneled up through every creature that takes a bite of the leaf. If we thwart that natural system with overzealous control and ubiquitous use of pesticides, we can expect to see the collapse of the ecosystem, and human survival with it! So, instead of “let them eat cake!” I say, “let them eat leaves!”
The asters have been blooming prolifically this fall, probably due to the mild weather and frequent rains we have had. While we have many species of asters on our grounds, the newest additions are a hybrid type called ‘Thunderdome’, introduced in 2023 by Intrinsic Perennials. Read on to learn about this new aster, its origin story and the potential uses in the garden.
North East Meets Midwest
New England aster, as seen in the range maps below, is prevalent throughout its namesake region and upper midwest. Aromatic aster is much more common in the Great Plains. This regional difference shows up in their growing preferences, which is an important factor in determining which species is best in different garden situations. New England aster thrives in slightly wetter, richer soils and aromatic aster can handle the drier soil and hotter temps. ‘Thunderdome’ combines the compact habit and drought tolerance of A.oblongifolius but the deeper purple color of A. novae angliae.
I am often a skeptic of some of the newly introduced hybrid native plants. Too often they are short-lived, overhyped, and rarely deliver on their promises. And researchers are still unsure about whether hybrids and cultivars of natives offer the same ecological services as their parent plants. But I am happy to report that this aster has preformed better than expected in our gardens. Planted just last fall, they matured quickly and bloomed their first year. Not as tall and gangly as New England aster, I am very much appreciating the improved habit. The bloom period has been quite long, and the flowers continue to hold their color.
It has also been attracting lots of attention from insects, and below are just a few of the recent visitors to this particular aster:
Aster ‘Thunderdome’ will continue to be evaluated in our gardens for its ornamental and ecological merits. You can find it blooming now on the west side of the HUB, just north of the greenhouse. I have high hopes for this lovely plant, and hope to see more of it used as we continue to learn about its ornamental potential. It is available for purchase at our biannual FloraKansas events, along with both parent plants and many other native and adaptable aster species from our region.
When Ron and Kathy Smith moved to Newton from California, they had a bit of garden trouble. “If I just looked at stuff wrong, it died,” said Ron of his first attempts at landscaping. The growing conditions were totally different than what they were accustomed to. The Kansas climate was much more extreme, and the plants they where previously familiar with were not hardy here. Eventually they decided to work with Dyck Arboretum staff to create a landscape plan with native perennials from our area. Ron thought that if they used plants that were already found here naturally, “then maybe I won’t kill it!”.
Designing and Prep
Ron drew up a sketch of his ideas for the garden and shared this with Scott during the design process.
The project began in 2019. Ron and Kathy had a sketch of their idea: large curving beds around the front and side yard, with stone lined paths through the gardens. The couple communicated their goals and vision for the space, and Scott Vogt drew a design for the front yard and foundation plantings. He helped the couple with plant selection, number of plants and proper spacing, and timing the bloom for all year interest. The beds include favorites like Penstemon, Echinacea, and ornamental native grasses, as well as some unique showstoppers like Rudbeckia maxima. When it’s in bloom, “people stop and ask about it,” said Ron of the tall statement plant. He remarked how often he sees birds perching on it. He has been known to give out the seed heads of this plant, and many others, to passersby who are interested in trying them in their own garden.
Installation and Maintenance
Garden hoses can be helpful tools when deciding on where to put curves and borders.The first beds installed were those around the front porch and sidewalk.The entire lawn was killed off and replanted after the landscaping was finished.
When they first planted the garden, they used drip irrigation, though they haven’t used it much once the garden matured. They used landscape fabric as a weed barrier on the initial install, though their experience with it has been mixed. “We didn’t know what we didn’t know,” says Ron. Weeds still come up through it, and the fabric can make them difficult to pull. It also slows or stops the natural spread of the plants which is part of the beauty of a prairie garden. Ron mentioned that he has cut out quite a bit of fabric to allow the plants room to spread. Here at the arboretum we don’t use fabric in our beds because it can be such a hassle, and instead we opt for temporary and biodegradable solutions like cardboard with mulch over the top.
Change as Part of the Process
Some plants did well right away, and others had to be replaced or shifted to find the right fit. Even with the fabric in place, some perennials have seeded in, moved around, and or cropped up in different places than expected. Ron’s philosophy? “Don’t be too stuck on the design”. Plants move and change, and every year the garden will be a bit different. This is part of the beauty and interest, and something he looks forward to. “I have no problem letting the plants have their own ways.”
Despite a few hiccups, the garden has thrived. It attracts birds, butterflies, insects of all kinds, along with the occasional raccoon and armadillo! It is a season long treat for anyone who walks or drives by, and a great example of how converting a bit of lawn to garden can create beauty and habitat in our neighborhoods.
We love to help people dream up beautiful and ecologically friendly landscapes. If you are interested in a landscape consultation from one of our staff members, please fill out this form. Note that best planting times are April and September, and proper site prep can take many months, so be sure to plan ahead!
*All photos for this blog were taken by Ron Smith.
Spring and summer rains bring lots of green growth, lots of blooms, and lots of snakes! (Yes, this post is about snakes. But if I had put that in the title, would you have clicked on it?) Colubridae is the taxonomic name for the largest snake family, with approximately 2000 species and counting. Luckily, here at the Arboretum we don’t have all 2,000 to contend with — there are really only four or five common snake species you are likely to see on your walk here, and none are venomous.
As much as they may give you the heebie-jeebies, snakes are an essential part of the ecosystem and a fascinating aspect of Arboretum wildlife. Let’s dive in a little deeper and get to know these harmless friends.
Common Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis
A small garter snake, barely thicker than a pencil, wrapped around some pincushion flowers here at the Arboretum. Photo by Scott Vogt
Garter snakes, often misnamed as “garden snakes”, are indeed found all over our gardens and grounds. They hunt and shelter in leaf litter and shaded, moist areas. These snakes love to eat frogs, but will also eat slugs and snails, a mouse or another small snake if the opportunity presents itself. You may find them forming gregarious “mating balls” in spring, wherein groups of males all try to mate with a single female. Harmless and charismatic, these snakes are a welcome sight in the garden.
Eastern Racer, Coluber constrictor
This thin, beautiful snake lives up to its name — it is fast! When disturbed Eastern racers bolt to the nearest rock or shrub to take cover. Gorgeous greenish-grey scales give way to a pale underbelly and blue tones where the two colors meet. It maybe be confused with a coachwhip snake, though the latter are often longer and more brownish in color. As with all the snakes on this post, they are non-venomous and harmless to humans, but they are feisty and will bite if harassed.
Reaching lengths of five feet or more, rat snakes are conspicuous and much maligned. Harmless to humans, their large size causes undue panic. Unless you are a bird with a nest, you have nothing to fear! When caught trying to steal eggs, rat snakes will be flogged and pestered by robins and jays until they either succeed or surrender and retreat. As the name suggests, they prefer to eat rats, mice, gophers, and any other rodent they can find. This makes them a great friend living around your garden. If you find one stuck in an egress window, as often happens with this species, place a long branch or some other climbable object down there so they can escape on their own and continue their good work keeping the rodent populations low.
DeKay’s Brown Snake
One of our student employees safely handles this DeKay’s brown snake found in the rocks along our Horticulture and Utility Building near the greenhouse. Photo by Katie Schmidt
These cute little guys rarely grow more than a foot long and camouflage themselves so well with the soil and mulch in our gardens that you hardly see them. DeKay’s are secretive and shy, and only as big around as your finger or so. Unlike most snakes that lay eggs, DeKay’s give live birth. The tiny babies are only as big as an earthworm and are usually spotted around our area in late summer. DeKays snakes like to eat slugs and snails, and even have specialized lower jaws that allow them to remove snails from their shell. One order of escargot, s’il vous plait!
There is something about a water snake that really gets people worked up. By far these are the snakes that get the most attention, swimming happily accorss the pond and making a surprisingly large S-shaped wake. Every summer these water snakes grow to great lengths in our pond, getting fat on tadpoles and small fish. They often coil up on floating mats of leaves and twigs to snooze by the pond banks. They also like to bask on the sidewalks near the creek, so watch where you are walking. Non-venomous, but very active, these snakes are likely to open their mouth, hiss, and let you know when you are too close! These snakes are often misreported as venomous cottonmouths, but those are only verifiably found in the farthest southeast corner of the Kansas.
Snakes may not be most people’s favorite form of wildlife found at the Arboretum, but knowing more about them can help alleviate undue nervousness, helping us all to appreciate their beauty and function in the ecosystem. Want to become a whiz at snake identification? Check out this Snakes of Kansas guide published by the Great Plains Nature Center, or take a picture (from a safe distance!) and use an app like Seek. The Facebook page for Kansas Herpetological Society is a great resource for learning about local reptiles as well, with many experts chiming in daily on public posts.
Stuck inside during the cold days of January and February, I spent some time working on the 2025 Native Plant Guide. It takes many hours to revise the list every year – double check the native ranges, add new species and take off those that are no longer available, and constantly correct my sloppy spelling! I noticed that this year we will have a huge variety of Eupatorium species available at FloraKansas. These beauties are not the most popular plant in the prairie garden, but they should be! So here is an introduction to Joe Pye weed in all its forms.
Eupatorium coelstinum
Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) blooming in Bird Park, Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Mist flower is a lovely and rather petite member of this group of plants. It generally stays less than three feet tall, and blooms late summer through fall. It resembles the annual ageratum that I am used to seeing at traditional greenhouses. But this one is better! Why? Much more drought hardy, it is a perennial, and it is native here in Kansas, particularly in the far south east counties. In my experience, it does best in partial sun though many online sources say otherwise. I think hot afternoon sun on west or south exposures can wilt it, leading to less vigor.
Eupatorium perfoliatum ‘Blind Date’
‘Blind Date’ has flat topped flowers and chocolate colored new growth. Photo from Intrinsic Perennials
E. perfoliatum, common boneset, it native to pretty much every state east of the Rockies, and also Canada. Versatile and adaptable, it finds a home in roadside ditches, woodland margins, and along streams and wetlands. Moist soil is best for this beauty, and be prepared for rapid spread if conditions are right. The variety ‘Blind Date’ has slightly darker new growth than the straight species, giving it an ombre effect and heightening its ornamental appeal.
Tall Boneset is beloved by pollinators, but not so much by gardeners. It grows up to 6 feet tall in some cases, and spreads readily by seed and by rhizomes. Hundreds of white flowers appear in late summer, much to the delight of butterflies, beetles, wasps, bees, and many other crawling and flying things! Sometimes labeled as a ‘problem plant’ or undesirable, it’s actually quite lovely. If you have lots of space and don’t mind a bit of chaos, it is a worthwhile addition to wildlife gardens or pocket prairies. Not sure of your soil moisture level? No problem, this plant grows in wet or dry conditions, and can handle full sun or partial.
Eupatorium maculatum
Spotted Joe Pye Weed gets its name from the marks on its stem that distinguish it from other similar species. Tall plants are topped with umbels of pink flowers, and it needs full sun and consistent moisture to stay looking its best. Planted around ponds, near streams, or in reliably wet rain gardens, this plant will get up to six feet tall.
Name Game
Taxonomists, those scientists that work to classify living beings into the proper groups, have been hard at work changing some names around. Eupatoriumspp. with whorled leaves were changed to the genus Eutrochium, while those that have opposite or alternate leaves stayed the same. Mist flower is now referred to as Conclinum coelstinum, once genetic analysis revealed it was more closely related to Ageratums than true Eupatoriums. The genus name Eupatorium actually comes from ancient times, in what is now Turkey. It has a fascinating history involving King Mithridates VI of Pontus, known as Eupator Dionysius, and his fear of poisoning.
A lover of wet soil and sunny situations, ‘Little Joe’ is the best loved of all the plants in this group. It has been widely available for garden use for many years. The cultivar is shorter and more manageable than the straight species, but is unchanged in flower shape and color. E. dubium is not native to Kansas, found mostly in the southeastern US and Atlantic coast region. But it grows well here in garden settings with supplemental watering.
The largest of all the Joe Pye, this plant is also known as trumpetweed and Hollow Joe Pye. This is due to its mostly hollow stems. If you are looking for a statement plant, or something to obscure a fence or add some privacy, this might be the Joe Pye for you! Partial sun and medium soil moisture will suit just fine, though once established it is pretty tough and can handle a wide range of soil conditions.
What do all these Eupatoriums have in common? All are excellent for pollinators, all of them can be used ornamentally or for cutting gardens, and all of them are available at the spring FloraKansas event!
One of the lesser known services the Arboretum provides is native landscape consultation and design. We have had the privilege of working with many homeowners who want help creating aesthetically pleasing and ecologically friendly spaces in their yards. These are sometimes small plantings around a mailbox, or huge, multi-layered installations. Each is unique, and staff get the pleasure of watching these gardens mature and thrive as the homeowners send updates and attend our events. Following is the story of a large meadow planting that stands out as a particularly special example.
Prairie to Prairie Garden
In spring of 2019 Arboretum staff were approached by a homeowner who was building a new home in the country, surrounded by expansive views of the prairies all around it. Rather than the typical monoculture green lawn around the new house, this client wanted a lush garden space to attract birds and bugs, and blend the residence into the Kansas landscape.
From this conversation, an idea emerged: a meadow-style garden as a gradient space from pasture and prairie to garden and home, a smooth transition from wild to tended. Closest to the house would be formal beds, with straight lines and steel edging. The design would include less structure towards the meadows edges. We discussed the aesthetic differences between a naturally established, randomly composed prairie and a prairie garden, which has distinctly human patterns and groupings. And, critically, much human maintenance to keep it so!
A bit hard to see, but this scan of the design shows the groupings and mixtures that make up the meadow. Many have been changed after the first few years, as we learned of slightly low areas that stayed wetter than expected, and exposed places that are subject to higher winds.
To accomplish these goals, my design included familiar prairie species in sweeping lines and clusters, and at a much higher ratio of flowers to grass than found in the surrounding area. Inspired by the designs of landscape legends Piet Oudolf and Roy Diblick, I aimed for flowing color ways, careful bloom timing and thick matrix plantings. The design includes thirty five different species, with many more added since.
Plant, Water, Weed, Repeat
I used a rolling spray paint dispenser to create clearly defined planting zones and meadow borders. This made it easier to stay on track with the design and toss out plants in the right place.
Over one thousand plants were installed early June of 2020, and the homeowner has continued adding and adjusting every year since. When first planted, the task of watering and weeding such a huge garden was monumental. Many hours were spent plucking bindweed seedlings and crabgrass clumps before they could take root. Thanks to diligent work by the homeowner and her partnership with a local landscaping company to assist with ongoing maintenance, a high percentage of plants established beautifully. Most have grown larger and more vigorously than expected!
Looking out the window in midsummer: various bird feeders and sculptures, and no shortage of flowers to admire. The landscape design included taller grasses at through the middle and back of the meadow (Panicum ‘Dallas Blues’) to allow for open viewing nearer the house. Rudbeckia maxima and Echinacea angustifolia are blooming in the foreground.Summer and winter both offer stunning views of the now mature garden.
New Visitors
As the meadow grew, so did sightings of insects, birds, and mammals. Hoards of black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars devoured the Zizia I’d included in the design. Goldfinches pillaged Rudbeckia maxima seed heads. Thirteen-lined ground squirrels started scampering amongst the grasses near the house. Deer tramped through the garden occasionally for a tasty nibble.
A hummingbird perches on Rudbeckia maximaThirteen-lined ground squirrel hides amoungst Engelman’s Daisy and blue grama grassA deer mother and her fawn wade through the lush growth of mid-summer
Now the meadow is mature but ever changing. The homeowner is continually filling gaps with new species and dividing old ones when they get too large. We have provided follow up consultations for this meadow. We’ve also designed additional installments along the driveway and near the back deck. I couldn’t be happier with how this landscape turned out, and am grateful for the chance to follow its progress!
We get a lot of questions about what it means for a plant to be a cultivar or a variety, and if that is good or bad in terms of pollinator attraction or ecological value. There are lots of strong opinions on the matter, but to really answer that question, it is important to know how that plant is produced, where and how it was discovered, and what the patent says about its parentage. It can be a tricky! Come along with us on our blog series where we plunge into the intrigues of plant reproduction and patenting, and the impact that the horticulture industry has on the market for native species.
Today’s question is: How is it possible to patent a plant, and why do people do it?
We most often discuss plant patents in reference to agricultural species. Selecting and improving crops for yield, drought resistance and improved taste has been instrumental in creating a stable global food economy. In fact, domestication of wild food plants has been happening for 10,000 years! But in modern times, horticulturalists are working to alter ornamental species as well. They do this to reduce the height, change the flower color, improve drought resistance, and so on. While our original goal in selecting and altering plants was for food, humans can now also use the same principles to improve certain flowering species for landscaping use in cities and neighborhoods.
For many thousands of years most of our commonly consumed foods have been carefully selected for desirable traits, and subsequently domesticated. Photo found here via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0,
Creating a “New” Plant
Echinacea is an easy example to start with, since horticulturists love to mess around with this plant!Echinacea species hybridize readily with each other, and they are a very marketable plant. This is why there are so many Echinacea varieties and hybrids to choose from, all with different colors, heights, and habits. But how do these come to exist?
Let’s follow the story of one line of Echinacea breeding, now known as Echinacea purpurea G0052Y. The patent link itself makes for a pretty long read, so I will do my best to paraphrase for the layperson:
In 2001, ‘Magnus’ Echinacea and ‘Kim’s Knee High’ Echinacea were cross pollinated.
Seed developed, and was collected.
Researchers planted that seed in fields and in greenhouses in the spring of 2002.
By July of 2002, eleven of the best plants were chosen as the best of the bunch. Pollen was collected from these eleven plants, mixed, and redistributed amongst the eleven to pollinate them.
Seeds where harvested from each of the eleven plants, and planted into eleven different field populations.
Researchers monitored the fields for desirable traits, and identified 22 plants with horticulturally important traits (brighter flower color, good branching, compact height).
Pollen was collected from the 22 plants, mixed, and used to pollinate them again.
Researchers harvested the seed that developed, and planted again in 2004.
The plants with the most striking, deep rose flower color and best growth habit were identified, and tested for which of their traits are dominant (recessive color testing).
Researchers identified four plants that had identical copies of the gene for brighter flower color.
These four were crossed to create a stable line that could be named G0052Y.
Between 2006 and 2008 the resulting seeds were planted in field trials to ensure stability and uniformity.
Once confirmed, the patent was applied for – USP 7,982,110.
Patent Pending
The process of breeding and trialing plants requires a lot of time, and a lot of money. Researchers can spend many years testing and tinkering before they create a plant that is actually marketable. Receiving a patent protects their hard work and initial investment, and eventually allows them to charge royalties on the product. The breeding of E. purpurea G0052Y has directly led many of the popularly available Echinacea varieties available today, like the Sombrero series of red, orange, and yellow, as well as the Proven Winner’s Echinacea ‘Fire Finch’.
Rhus typhina ‘Tiger Eyes’ is a patented cultivar of the native staghorn sumac with a shorter height than the species. Because of this, we can more easily incorporate it into landscape designs. But research is ongoing on whether the alteration in leaf color is detrimental to insects.
Pros and Cons of Patented Plants
Patented plants are all around us. They are hard to distinguish from other plants unless you read the fine print on the tag. But there are some pros and cons to using them in your garden.
Pro: breeding plants increases awareness and wider use of natives. Folks who would have never been exposed to these species are now seeing them in popular gardening magazines and at garden centers, leading to greater public access.
Pro: patented plants bred for reliable height and structure are excellent for landscapers trying to achieve a specific look. These plants grow more uniformly than genetically variable straight species, which can be bigger/smaller depending on parentage or environmental conditions. In a formal planting, business setting, or city park, aesthetic is king! The predictability of a plant’s performance is a must*.
Cons: in some cases, we inadvertently shorten the lifespan of highly specialized plants. This is particularly apparent in Echinacea. A native Echinacea can live on for many years, but some of the brightly colored red and orange hybrids sometimes last four years or less. If the plant blooms more prolifically and for a longer period of time, it can sort of “exhaust” itself and this may be a contributing factor to a shorter overall lifespan. This is certainly not the case for all patented plants, but is something to be aware of.
Cons: patented plants reproduced via asexual propagation are all clones. The lack of genetic variation may lead to issues in mass plantings – if they are susceptible to a certain pathogen, the gardener is likely to see the problem in the whole group.
*hopefully we will start to slowly change our perspective on what constitutes an “attractive” urban landscape to allow for more natural variation, and if so, the pressure for the plant to be ‘perfect’ and uniform will become a thing of the past!
Should I Buy Patented Plants?
‘Tuscan Sun’ Heliopsis is less prone to flopping over than the straight Heliopsis helianthoides. It is also a little less spready, which appeals to gardeners with little space. Photo from Walter’s Gardens
For some folks, these pros are not convincing enough and for others these cons are no worry at all. It just depends on your overarching goals. If you are trying to create a prairie reconstruction and are concerned with genetic diversity, then steer clear! But when looking for bloom power and reliable performers for an urban setting, a well-bred plant might be perfect. In my vegetable garden, I stick with ‘Better Boy’ tomato and ‘Slicemaster’ cucumber, those patented plants ensured to perform well. I also opt for nativars when planting a species that is traditionally too unruly. With a small yard, I must choose plants that won’t outgrow my space. But in the case of most other flowers and grasses, I personally prefer to stick with straight species or older cultivars that are not far phenotypically from the species.
All that to say, don’t let the business of plant patenting scare you off. Do your research, and figure out what your priorities are for the garden. If you need advice on your particular project, be sure to reach out to us via our contact us form. Our plant people are happy to help!
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