New Plants around the Grounds

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Katie Schmidt

I recently spoke at the Oklahoma Native Plant Network fall festival in Oklahoma City. They had a day full of speakers, including representatives from Tulsa Botanic Garden, the Xerces Society and Bat Conservation International. But the real treat of course was the plant market outside the presentation hall. So many great native treasures were available from local vendors, I couldn’t resist buying a few new plants. I was able to get a few hard-to-find species for installation on the Arboretum grounds. Keep an eye out for these beauties on your next visit.

Callicarpa americana var. lactea – White American Beautyberry

Photo provided by the grower, Wild Things Nursery of Seminole, Oklahoma.

I didn’t even realize a naturally occurring white variety of beautyberry existed until I saw it being sold by Wild Things Nursery at the ONPN event. All the same lovely characteristics as its purple cousin – shade tolerant, pollinator friendly, bird attracting – but with striking white berries on arching stems. Marilyn, the owner of Wild Things Nursery said she collected the seed over twenty years ago down a shady dirt road in north western Arkansas. According to her they come true from seed reliably. Beautyberry are marginally edible, though not very tasty. Find these new additions in the back of the Compassionate Friends Garden near the hedgerow at the arboretum.

Hibiscus laevis – Halberd-leaf Rosemallow

Our pond has several lovely Hibiscus moscheutos thriving along its edge, and I am excited to add H. laevis to the mallow collection. This is a slightly taller species with narrow leaves, as the name implies, in the shape of a medieval sword. Native throughout the eastern half of the US, though much of its wetland habitat in the mid-Atlantic has been disturbed. Sadly, it is not as commonly found as it once was. I’ll be planting this on tip of the island, where there is some space on the banks thanks to our latest renovation. I found this at a great plant at a vendor called Duck Creek Farms from Mounds, Oklahoma.

Native Range of *H. laevis*, according to USDA plants database

Wisteria frutescens – American Wisteria

Illustration by Mary Vaux Walcott, via Wikimedia Commons

Anyone who has seen the opening scenes of Bridgerton house on Netflix’s hit show will recognize the pendulous purple blooms of Wiseria vine. But most of the Wisteria you see in media and in formal landscapes is the asian variety. Beautiful, but at a price: invasive in certain parts of the country and downright pushy in the garden, it needs diligent trimming to keep growth in check. But native W. frutescens is a great alternative to its exotic cousins, and with plenty of color to spare. I’ll plant this next spring near a leg of our new octagonal gazebo soon to be erected in the Birdwatch Garden.

*Wisteria frutescens*, Photo by Bearerofthecup, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Shop Til You Drop

Photo by Sue in az, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In between shopping for the Arboretum, giving the keynote presentation of the festival, and networking with all the like-minded conservationists and plant peddlers, of course I also snagged a few things for my own landscape! I found blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum) for a hot, dry spot near my front sidewalk. I also found an adorable spineless cactus (possibly Optunia ellisiana?) to plant nearby. Here’s hoping these cuties fill in the rather inhospitable space between my purple prairie clover and creeping sedum.

If you are in the area, put ONPN’s fall festival on your radar for next year. It was a great time to learn about native plants and related topics in conservation. And you will never see me turn down an opportunity to buy plants and support small growers!

Messy Trees

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Scott Vogt

I love this time of year. Cool mornings and warm afternoons are a welcome break from the heat of summer. This time of year also reminds me that not all trees are the same. Some have beautiful fall colors of orange, red, yellow and purple while others shades of tan and brown. Once the leaves drop from the trees, the fruit stands out even more.

We also quickly realize that some trees are “messier” than others. Whether it is the leaves that drop, the fruit that drops or the sticks that litter the yard, trees are constantly dropping something. Sure, there is not a perfect tree that magically cleans up after itself, but there are some trees to avoid planting in certain locations within your landscape if you have a choice. Here is a list of trees to think twice about planting in your landscape.

Sweet Gum (Liquidamber styraciflua)

This ornamental tree is primarily grown for its brilliant fall color of oranges, reds, yellows and purples. It can be quite stunning, but it also produces copious amounts of spiky gum ball fruit. My in-laws had one of these growing in their front yard and it was a prolific fruit producer that they complained about every year. Like most messy trees, it has its place in the landscape, but not in a place where your grandchildren will be walking barefoot.

*Sweet gums have great fall color, but spiny fruit*

Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)

The large heart shaped leaves of this native lowland tree along with the fluffy white blooms in the summer can be reasons to have this tree in your landscape. However, the long cigar shaped seed pods and thousands of catalpa caterpillars are major drawbacks. I have one of these trees in my yard in a low spot that has standing water when it rains. I can appreciate the blooms from a distance but in the fall, I do have to collect the large leaves so they don’t smother my lawn.

*Catalpa heart-shaped leaf with long cigar shape fruit pod*

Cottonwoods (Populus deltoides)

These trees are notorious for dropping sticks and debris throughout the year. The fluffy cotton clogs up air conditioner units and seedlings sprout up any place with constant moisture in the spring. They are also susceptible to many diseases and insect pests. As our state tree, their native habitat is along rivers, streams and ponds. Their roots are typically shallow, buckling sidewalks and driveways. My colleagues have been lobbying to cut one of these down that currently grows on the edge of our prairie.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

This tree is often found along prairies, stream margins and fencerows. While native, you should avoid planting a black walnut along streets and driveways. The round, hard nuts will stain concrete and they are tripping hazards. The fruit and foliage can be quite pungent as well and the leaves are a favorite of walnut caterpillars. These pests can become so numerous that they will totally defoliate the tree. It also produces a toxic compound that can kill other plants you are trying to grow around and under its canopy. Leave it in the wild and go to it to collect the black walnut fruit if you like to eat them.

Oaks (Quercus sp.)

I hesitated including oaks in this list, but then I looked at my back deck, currently covered with tiny acorns. We value oaks for their long life, shade, hardiness, fall color (sometimes), and wildlife attraction to our yards. In fact over 900 species of winged insects rely on oaks for their life cycles, not to mention birds and other wildlife. If you plant one of these mighty oaks in your yard, just know that you have to take the good with the bad. In my case, the good far outweighs the bad.

*Pin oak acorns roll around my backyard like marbles, but at least the squirrels are happy.*

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)

The ginkgo tree is a living fossil with distinct fan-like leaves. The beautiful yellow fall color and hardy disposition make it a much sought after street tree. However, there are male and female trees. The female trees produce a fruit that is both messy and smelly. Some liken the fruit smell to rotting flesh. If you really want a ginkgo in your landscape, seek out one of the many male varieties.

Other obvious trees to avoid

Bradford pear, mimosa, Goldenrain tree, silver maple, Norway maple, weeping willow, river birch, Siberian elm, tree of heaven, mulberry, black locust and Russian olive.

Choose Wisely

As I said earlier, there are no perfect trees. We view some trees as “messy” because they require us to repeatedly clean up the yard. Every tree drops something, but messy trees with stinky, messy fruit and large branches that can damage your house or pests are more problematic. If possible, do your research before planting so you know what to expect as the tree matures. To get good shade, you might have to put up with some messiness. If you are stuck with a messy tree, either embrace its faults by regularly cleaning up the mess or choose to have it removed.

As you know, trees in Kansas are a luxury, so think carefully before removing a mature tree. The downsides of a mature tree needs to far outweigh the upsides. In the case of my 60 year old oak trees that frame my backyard, I regularly pick up fallen branches and routinely blow off my deck and sidewalks of acorns and leaves. I have come to appreciate these trees because they attract so many different forms of wildlife, provide shade, and add to the diversity of my entire landscape.

Early May Blooms at the Arboretum

Posted on May 7, 2024 by Scott Vogt

As we work further into spring, I thought I would share some rare and some common prairie plants in bloom at the Arboretum the first week of May. Enjoy!

Plains wild indigo *(Baptisia bracteata*)

Missouri evening primrose (*Oenothera macrocarpa*)

Native Blue False Indigo-*Baptisia australis var. minor* and Golden Alexander-*Zizia aurea*

Eastern Gama Grass-*Tripsacum dactyloides* reestablishing itself along the new concrete pathway in the Prairie Window Project south of the hedgerow.

We have been fortunate to receive just enough rain to green up the prairie nicely. If you are in the area, stop by and see the many other early May blooms. The Arboretum will be at its peak for spring bloom in a couple weeks.

Benefits of Planting Perennials

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Scott Vogt

As gardeners, we have many choices of plants to introduce into our landscapes. From trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials (including grasses), the options seem to be endless. Here at the Arboretum, we gravitate toward perennials for a number of reasons.

What is a perennial?

Unlike annuals that germinate, flower, set seed, and die all in one season, perennials are typically cold-hardy plants that will return again and again each spring. If situated in the right place in your landscapes, perennials will thrive, and will bloom either in spring, summer, or fall.

In my mind, the benefits of planting perennials in your home garden are as follows:

Incredible Root Systems

It often takes perennials several years to develop a sustaining root system after being transplanted from a pot. These root systems compared to many annuals is much more extensive and much deeper. During periods of drought, these deeper roots feed nutrients and moisture to the plant. The deeper roots of grass are credited with developing the deep layers of top soil found in many states that now support farm crops. These roots also control erosion, sequester carbon, and break up tough compacted soil.

Xeric Garden interpretive signage located on the Dyck Arboretum grounds. Artwork by Lorna Harder.

Diversity of Perennials to Establish in the Landscape

As I said earlier, there are so many different types and varieties of plants you can choose to establish in your display beds. A well-designed landscape with a variety of perennials will enhance the aesthetics and appeal of your property. With perennials that bloom at different seasons during the year and attractive grasses for fall and winter interest, you can create a diverse habitat for wildlife and pollinators, too. Keep in mind, the habitat you create is provides homes for insects and food for birds during the long, cold months of winter.

Prairie Window Project, August 2016. Photo by Brad Guhr.

Do perennials require less maintenance?

The key to success with perennials such as native wildflowers and grasses is putting the right plant in the right place in the right way. Perennials will NOT require less maintenance if you are trying to grow something in your landscape that has no business being there. Learn as much about the plants you want to use before you put them in the ground.

Perennials typically last several seasons. You don’t need to plant every single year like you do with annuals. By planting them once, you save money and time. You will need to clear last year’s growth in February or March and occasionally divide some clumps of perennial grasses as they expand over time. Perennials are a cost-effective and sustainable choice for landscaping.

*Panicum virgatum* ‘Northwind’ ready for spring.

Perennial plants can be the anchors to a landscape. While trees and shrubs provide the backdrop, perennials provide the elements of habitat that pollinators and other wildlife seek. These permanent pieces of your garden puzzle add beauty year after year. They can be combined to add continuous blooms and interest throughout each growing season. As perennials come in and out of bloom, a diverse collection of wildlife and pollinators will discover your landscape. This is ultimately the real benefit of a perennial garden.

A note about annuals

When I think about annuals in the landscape I don’t think about petunias. I choose annuals on their ability to provide nectar for pollinators. Nectar-rich annuals need to be drought tolerant and self-seed, too. See this article about a mostly annual garden.

Kansas Shelterbelts

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Katie Schmidt

Recently I met a woman walking her dogs in the new woodland path through our hedgerow. She expressed admiration for the long lived hedge trees here, and was concerned that so many farmers are bulldozing their shelterbelts and reclaiming the acres for farming. She asked if we knew of any preservation effort to prevent them from becoming relics of the past. This led me down a rabbit hole into shelterbelt history. I hoped to understand more about why they were planted and what purpose they serve today. Are they actually good for our native wildlife? Are they still agriculturally and ecologically relevant?

The short answer is this: Hedgerows of good quality, and relatively few invasive species, can benefit the soil, provide good habitat, and are a part of the region’s cultural history. But “trees for the sake of trees” is not a helpful philosophy for conserving the Great Plains ecosystem, evermore imperiled by encroachment of woody species.

The long answer? It’s complicated.

Early Tree Planting

In the early 1800s, Kansas had few trees. As European settlements encroached on the Great Plains, newcomers planted shelterbelts for wind protection and privacy around new homesteads. They were useful for delineating property boundaries, keeping livestock contained, and side trimming for firewood. Later on, Franklin D. Roosevelt encouraged the planting of shelterbelts and hedges during the dustbowl years to curb erosion. Of course, as he was from the east coast, he may not have understood that planting millions of trees on grasslands with little rainfall and frequent fires might not be the best solution. Modern ecology has taught us a few things! With the advent of cheap barbed wire for fencing and more erosion-conscious farming practices in place, the need for such frequent tree lines decreased.

What’s in a Kansas Hedgerow?

*“Hedge apples” litter the arboretum grounds every year. Bigger than a grapefruit, watch your head(!) as these fall from female Maclura pomifera trees.*

The history of the hedge tree, or osage orange species, is inextricably tied to Kansas. These trees are tough and hardy, thorny enough to deter livestock and dense enough to make excellent firewood. But the ‘hedges’ of Kansas are not exclusively made up of osage orange trees. You may find native oaks, elms, hackberry, mulberry, and cedars in a rural shelterbelt, as well as a fair number of problematic and invasive species such as Siberian elm, bush honeysuckle, ornamental pear, and Russian olive.

Planting Trees in the Plains

*Willa Cather Memorial Prairie near Red Cloud, NE.*

For at least a hundred years we’ve been hearing the same message: trees good, open space bad. The European settlers of the Great Plains, with their wagons headed west, knew trees meant cooking fuel and housing material. At the founding of Arbor day in 1872 planting trees became a patriotic mission and civic duty. In recent years we have seen countless campaigns to save the trees and “plant a tree with every purchase”. But the Great Plains ecosystem relies on all that open space. For example, only one tree per acre is enough to limit the nesting success of the greater prairie chicken. While planting trees in forested areas is much needed, planting them in grasslands and calling it conservation may be misguided. We know that grassland bird species are in steep decline, and that too many woody species on the prairie can lead to a low water table and more volatile wildfires. Grasslands are just as ecologically important, and imperiled, as forests. It is long past time to update the messaging and match that zeal for nature conservation with geographically appropriate solutions.

Over and over, I watch people buy small parcels of prairie and immediately plant trees around the borders. Grassland acreages invaded by eastern red cedars or other trees are often appraised at a higher real estate value than uninvaded grasslands because of their ‘recreation value’. People who write angry letters about trees being cleared to make way for a shopping center don’t bat an eye when a prairie is plowed under or allowed to be overtaken by Siberian elms.
Chris Helzer, The Prairie Ecologist “The Darker Side of Tree Planting in the Great Plains“

To Tree, or Not to Tree? That is the Question

In light of all this, do we really need these well-intended hedgerows disrupting the open spaces of the grasslands? That very much depends on the location, condition, and composition of each hedgerow.

Is the row of trees protecting a home from those rowdy prairie winds? Is it grown specifically for sustainable collection of firewood or does it grow out of control year by year, encroaching on neighboring grasslands? Is it located on a Century Farm or in an important historic area?

Does that stand of trees have native species like oak, walnut, persimmon, and pawpaw or is it mainly non-native invasives spreading their seed into nearby prairies? Is it providing erosion control for a farmed field? Would a restoration of native prairie grasses do just as good a job at holding the soil? Do the trees provide habitat to native birds or is it simply encouraging predator birds to move farther west?

Thinking about these questions can help you decide what trees on your own lands deserve protection and conservation, and which can be safely removed.

To the Pond and Beyond

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Katie Schmidt

Many people think that the phrase “native plant” is synonymous with “drought tolerant plant” or “dry prairie species”. But not so! Kansas is a place full of sunny skies as well as quiet, shady streams; prairies as well as ponds. I noticed at our FloraKansas event last week just how many wetland and pond species we offer. For those with small backyard ponds or even large country creek banks to restore, the following species might be perfect for you (and we still have them in stock! Find our updated inventory here.)

Caltha palustris – Marsh Marigold

*Marsh marigold is adorable along pond edges and in water gardens.*

Caltha is an upper midwest native, not usually found in Kansas, but can grow here under the right conditions. We don’t get enough ran to sustain swampy areas where it can run wild, but its petite yellow flowers are happy blooming along pond edges with their feet in the water. We are hoping to get them established along the Arboretum pond edges this year.

Teucrium canadense – American Germander

*Laval University, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons*

A colony-forming mint family plant, it can go wild in moist to wet part sun conditions! The blooms are attractive to long-tongued pollinators, and they make great additions to wildflower bouquets.

Nyssa sylvatica – Black Tupelo

*Black tupelo in New York state. Photo from Wikimedia commons*

A truly beautiful tree, unmatched for its red fall color. But in our region it simply cannot survive without moist soil. Planted on the edge of a stream or in a frequently flooded drainage area, it would be stunning every October.

Cephalanthus occidentalis – Buttonbush

*Public domain image from US Fish and Wildlife Service*

The height of this fascinating shrub depends on the moisture it receives: growing near standing water it can be 10 feet tall or more, but in average garden soil it may only reach 6 feet. Very adaptable and easy to care for, its spherical flowers are long blooming. In June they are covered in bees, beetles, butterflies, spiders, wasps, and every other flying thing!

Lythrum alatum – Winged Loosestrife

*Joshua Mayer, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons*

Not to be confused with the terribly invasive purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), this petite plant sports purple flowers and wiry stems. Very adaptable, it is used in rain gardens, but thrives in garden settings given a bit of shade and semi-regular watering. The Lurie Garden of Chicago has a nice profile on this species found here.

Lobelia siphilitica – Blue Cardinal Flower

*Blue lobelia photo courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service*

The tall blue spikes of lobelia attract hummingbirds and butterflies, but they can be finicky to grow. Clay soils that hold moisture are best, and while they don’t have to be situated in water at all times they do best in ditches and frequently wet seasonal streambeds.

While we know not many people are lucky enough to have a pond or creek on their property, for those that do, we want to continue suppling a small number of wetland plants to help you restore and improve those places.

Other water loving species to look for next spring: Acorus calamus, Lobelia cardinalis, Physostegia virigniana, and Sauurus cernuus. For more info on wetland plants, check out a previous blog post all about them!

Very Hungry Caterpillars

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Katie Schmidt

No, this is not the start of an Eric Carle children’s book. It’s the start of a blog post all about gregarious feeders! Unlike the lone green caterpillar of the book that goes chomping through fruits and cakes and slices of salami, some caterpillars can be seen feeding and living in large groups, and as such are labeled ‘gregarious’. We have found many of these fascinating species on our grounds.

Tussock Moth

Milkweed is famously host to monarch caterpillars, but many other species depend on it as well. The tussock moth caterpillar is a crazy-haired and charismatic species that seems to appear out of nowhere and turn your milkweed plants into skeletons, eating an entire plant in a matter of days!

Euchaetes egle are orange, white and black, reminding me of my grandmother’s calico shag carpet from the ’70s. As nostalgic as that may be, don’t touch! Their hairs are urticating, meaning they break off into skin and cause irritation. The Latin buffs might remember that “urtica” translates to “nettle”. It is best to let them devour the plants and go on their merry way.

What about the monarchs? Will there by any milkweed left for them? The solution is always to plant more! Try several different species of milkweed to diversify your selection and increase the available habitat.

Walnut Moth Caterpillar

Just last week I noticed a black caterpillar with wispy white hairs crawling along the sidewalk near our greenhouse. Just as I stooped to get a closer look, I saw another. And another. They were everywhere! Crawling every direction on the sidewalk, in the grass, over the rocks and up the side of the building. I followed them back to their host tree, a young walnut. These were walnut moth caterpillars, Datana intergerrimma. There I found a wiggling mass of hairy caterpillars on the trunk. They hatch on the leaves, defoliate the tree with their voracious appetites, then travel down the trunk to disperse and find a bit of open soil to dig in and pupate.

Checkerspot Butterfly

In early June we get lots of calls asking “what is feeding on my Echinacea and sunflowers, and how do I kill it?”. It is usually checkerspot butterfly larvae. These small black caterpillars are lined with tufts of black hair, and they can turn leaves to lace right before your eyes! They host on plants in the Asteraceae family, and their favorites seem to be annual sunflowers and Echinacea purpurea. Through all the years we have had major populations feeding here at the Arb, our Echinacea flowers are doing just fine with no pesticide treatment. They look a little rough for a time, but recover quickly and pop up healthy and green the next spring.

Next time you see a mass of caterpillars feeding on your trees or flowers, don’t reach for the bug spray! Use a tool like the Seek app, or BugGuide.net to properly identify them. If they are native, let them continue to eat and fulfill their ecological role!

Remember, native host plants and native insects have been evolving together for thousands of years. They battle, and sometimes even benefit each other in ways we are still studying today.

Summer Garden Checklist

Posted on July 27, 2023 by Scott Vogt

Kansas summers can discourage even the hardiest gardeners. However, taking time to manage your garden now will help your garden later. Here’s my Summer Garden Checklist for the Kansas gardener.

Control Warm Season Weeds

Summer brings with it a new set of weeds to control. Hot weather germinates summer annuals like crabgrass, foxtail. Nutsedge and other weeds invade your lawn and landscape as well. Manage weeds using nonchemical methods such as cultivation, hand weeding, or mowing; use toxic chemicals as a last resort.

Mowing regularly and occasionally edging along sidewalks and walkways is needed to ensure your lawn is not overrun with weeds. In a landscaped bed, hand pull any of these weeds, especially if they have seed heads. It is so important to not let these weeds go to seed. Stay vigilant even though the summer heat tries to squash your enthusiasm. A little extra effort now will make your garden better this fall and into next year.

*Crabgrass in tree mulch ring controlled with roundup: one treatment should clean up the mulched area and keep it weed free the rest of the season.*

Be Water Wise

To reduce evaporation, water when temperatures are cooler and air is still, usually in the early morning. Water deeply to moisten the root zone, but infrequently. About an inch of water each week is a good rule of thumb! If you have invested in container plants, they will need daily watering, as soil in pots can dry out quickly and damage plant roots on hot summer days. Each of our gardens have indicator plants that show stress first, let these plants be your guide as when to water. For new planting started this spring, water when the top one to two inches of soil is dry. Remember it takes three to five years for sustaining roots systems to develop for most native plants. Supplemental watering is necessary to encourage growth and root development in these young plants.

*We use pressure compensating 1/2 inch soaker hoses to efficiently water trees, shrubs and a few flower beds. Each emitter puts out 1 gallon of water per hour.*

Prepare for seeding

If you are wanting to establish native prairie plants from seed, now is a great time to prepare your area. Mow your area short (1-2 inches). Control perennial weeds such as bindweed or Bermuda grass by carefully spraying the area with Roundup. It will take several applications to get these problematic weeds under control. If you can see soil, tillage is not necessary. If you can’t see soil, till lightly to expose some bare soil. Remember, each time you till, you bring up more weed seeds, so tread lightly.

Measure your area and order a seed mixture that matches your site. A good seed mix ratio of wildflower to grass is 70% wildflowers to 30% grasses. Grasses tend to dominate over time, so this ratio will give the wildflowers a good start. We typically spread seed in November and December after the soil temperature has dropped enough to discourage germination. The natural freeze/thaw of the ground will work the seeds down into the soil to the proper depth for germination next spring.

*This is the seed mix we established along our newly renovated path.*

Sidewalk edge planting: We mixed some sand with the seed mix to make it easier to distribute. We then let the natural freeze/thaw of the soil plant the seed for us through the winter. Germination occurred the following spring when soil temperatures rose above 60 degrees.

Trim

Now is a great time to trim back perennials that have become unruly. Perennial and grasses that are encroaching sidewalks, paths, and structures can be sheared back to size. If this is a problem every year, you may consider moving the taller plants to another spot. Plants can be divided next February or March before they start to actively grow.

Low hanging branches from trees can also be pruned. It is getting late in the season to do much pruning on shrubs. New growth may not have enough time to get hardened off before cooler/colder weather. If a branch or shoot is in the way, then prune it, but prune sooner rather than later. If you can wait until the shrub goes dormant this fall, then wait.

As a general rule, early spring flowering shrubs such as forsythia, lilac and spirea should be pruned right after they are done blooming since they bloom on the previous year’s growth. Pruning right after blooming will allow the shrub to grow and develop a new set of buds for the next spring.

*A large compass plant that needs to be trimmed away from the path.*

Finally, remember “WHY” you are gardening; creating habitat, conserving water, aesthetics, attracting pollinators, attracting birds and other wildlife or curb appeal. Let your “WHY” reinvigorate you to take care of a few extra tasks that will give your landscape a boost. Don’t sweat the small stuff and don’t forget to step back to enjoy what you are trying to create. If it is all work and no enjoyment, then what is the point.

*Pale purple coneflower with a common buckeye butterfly. Fun to watch!*

All About Bindweed

Posted on June 7, 2023 by Katie Schmidt

It’s a plant all gardeners know well: the infamous bindweed. Thought to have been accidentally introduced from Europe by crop seed contamination in the 1700s, it has established itself all over the North American continent. But I recently found a native relative to this terrible pest, and upon further research, learned some fascinating facts about this plant family! The more we know, the more effective we can be at eradicating the invasive ones and properly identifying our look-a-like native species.

*Common field bindweed is often pink, white, or even striped. Photo from wikimedia*

Common Bindweed, Uncommon Problem

Convolvulus arvensis is the bindweed we all know and hate. It is a member of the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae). Its funnel shaped flowers hint at its lineage, and they are often visited by sweat bees and other small pollinators. Blooms may be white, pink, or even striped. Even farther up it’s family tree we find it is related to nightshades (think: tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, horsenettle) all a part of the order Solanales. Bindweed has spread all around the world and is listed as one of the United States most problematic agricultural weeds. It causes millions of dollars in crop losses every year.

Good Bindweed and Bad Bindweed

I didn’t know there was such a thing, but good bindweed exists. There are native species, often called false bindweeds, that look very similar but do not grow as aggressively. I was walking along the pond edge here at the Arboretum when I spotted what I thought was a bindweed. Odd, since bindweed rarely colonizes densely planted areas, especially in the shade. When I came closer I saw just how big the flower was. It was easily double the size of a regular bindweed flower, and a much brighter white.

This plant was actually a Calystegia species, likely low false bindweed (C. spithamaea). To my knowledge, this is the first occurrence of this species on our grounds. It could have come in with some flood waters, or sprouted after the disturbance of our island renovation efforts. We may never know, but we can surely enjoy its blooms and try to preserve it.

*C. spithamaea* isn’t usually found in our state, but it isn’t impossible. The native range is much farther east and north, but it could have found its way here in a seed mix ordered from out of state. There are other Calystegia’s that are more commonly found in our area, but they don’t match it’s growth habit as well. Oh the fun of solving plant ID mysteries!

**Calystegia spithamaea** has a pure white flower and is much less vigorous and vining than field bindweed.

*The flowers are much larger than those of common field bindweed.*

Best Management Practices

If you have the non-native kind of bindweed, you are probably in a daily struggle to keep it under control. Common bindweed is a perennial, meaning its roots survive the winter. Simply mowing it or cutting off the flowers will not successfully eradicate it from your lawn and garden. Also, those roots are incredibly tough and can be 20 feet deep! Pulling it is an exercise in patience, as it seems to regrow before your eyes. Most bindweed can easily resprout from small pieces of root left behind in the soil. If you have a small patch and you weed often, you may be able to get ahead of it and eventually weaken the root system. For folks who have A LOT of bindweed, here are some of the most effective controls:

Solarization (clear plastic placed over the area for a full growing season)
Smothering (cardboard with a thick layer of mulch on top for at least a full year but more likely 2 to 3)
Chemical control (glyphosate, 2-4D, paraquat, etc.)

And remember, avoid tilling the soil! Freshly disturbed soil is easily colonized by bindweed, and often there are seeds in the soil that get churned up to the surface, ready to germinate. Leave the soil undisturbed and only dig/loosen it in the specific holes where you will be planting.

Stumped: Reimagining a garden after tree loss

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Janelle Flory Schrock

Ten years ago, my spouse and I purchased our first home in Central Kansas. The backyard was dominated by a large American Elm tree that had miraculously, and with a lot of help from a local arborist, survived the bout of Dutch Elm Disease that had taken nearly all of the American Elms in town in the 1990s.

*In June of 2013, an aged American Elm tree beautifully shaded our backyard.*

What this meant was that, like many Kansas homeowners, we had a large area of dry shade to contend with. Informed by my spouse’s childhood experiences growing up in the bush of South Sudan, we were not inclined to water our lawn just to maintain the status quo. So, the challenge was, how do we increase biodiversity in this backyard without using supplemental watering? We were stumped.

We tried a few things in the deep shade of the tree – transplanted spiderwort, river oats and columbine from a friend. And although these species hung in there pretty well, they certainly did not thrive. Ideally, they would have liked a little more sun and a lot more rain.

Here at the Arboretum, in our list of frequently asked questions at FloraKansas Native Plant Days events, “Which Kansas native plants will grow well in dry shade?” rises to the top. Unfortunately, the answer is “Hardly any.”

In a prairie ecosystem, trees will only flourish along creekbanks or near another water source. The garden condition “dry shade” is a human-created environment that simply does not exist in nature. For humans, and particularly for those of us who are relatively new to gardening with native plants, this is often a difficult reality to process and to accept.

*Over the years, several major ice storms and wind events have weakened the structure of the tree. The final blow came in August of 2021.* *It was time to have the tree removed.*

Another reality that was difficult for us to accept was that the elm tree was in an irreversible decline. The health of the tree had been compromised by an ice storm in 2007. Slowly over time, the rotting that had begun after that first injury made the elm more susceptible to being damaged again. As it became clear to us that this tree was in a death process, we focused our efforts on developing the front yard and enjoyed the shade while we could.

*After the tree had been removed, we needed to reimagine what our backyard was going to be.*

In the fall of 2021, we finally admitted to ourselves that the tree needed to be removed. We allowed ourselves a year to sit with the new reality of a full sun back yard. We left the stump and planted it with yarrow, little bluestem and soapwort. We have also contemplated growing mushrooms in the stump. Over time, we will watch the stump disintegrate and return to the earth. For now, it provides a lovely focal point.

In the raised rock garden beds surrounding the stump and along the south fence, we have filled in with plants that prefer well-drained soil, including butterfly milkweed, Missouri evening primrose, blue flax, soapwort, and several adaptable creeping groundcovers. Also, I couldn’t help but try my guilty pleasure plant that would prefer to be at higher elevations, pineleaf penstemon.

Missouri evening primrose (*Oenathera macrocarpa)*

In a test area that was formerly in deep shade, we have seeded buffalograss and encouraged it to spread. In retrospect, I wish we had done this to the whole lawn area right away, because this spring, much of the former fescue lawn has mostly been populated by dandelions, wild lettuce, henbit, clover and spurge. Nevertheless, we are motivated to continue to populate the back yard with sun loving prairie plants.

The lawn is currently a polyculture of warm season grasses and annual weeds (please don’t judge!), but we are on our way to establishing buffalograss and determining where we would like to plant native perennials.

I know there are likely many things we could have done so much better. Do I have regrets? Definitely. Could we have saved that elm tree by trimming it every year? Probably. In stewarding this small piece of the land, we are far from perfect. But honestly, in this process, I’ve learned that the land is more forgiving than humans are, as long as you don’t try to bend it to your own will. If you listen and observe your garden, over time, it will tell you how it wants to be. It will allow you to make mistakes, and then correct them. It will teach you to view the cycle of life in new ways. And if you can hold back from trying to control it too much, you will be rewarded by new and unexpected discoveries on a daily basis.