One of my favorite prairie wildflower species has to be aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium). Aromatic asters are hardy, drought-tolerant forbs that bloom toward the end of the growing season. Their leaves have an herbal scent when crushed. Aster species are host plants for caterpillars of butterflies including painted ladies, pearl crescents, and silvery checkerspots as well as many species of moths. In the late summer and fall, aromatic aster flowers delight the human need for color and provide nectar for many insects, most notably, butterflies, bees, wasps, flies and beetles.
Aromatic aster var. ‘Raydon’s Favorite’
According to Mike Haddock at Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses, aromatic aster is found across almost the entire state of Kansas on dry, open prairies. In our Dyck Arboretum reconstructed prairie, aromatic aster (seed collected from the Smoky Hills ~30 miles north of Hesston) is just about finished flowering. Its purple hues popped a couple of weeks ago among the reddish-brown colors of senescing warm-season grasses.
A Star in the Prairie Garden
In our native plant gardens, aromatic aster is the star of a show that we have been looking forward to all growing season. Aromatic aster fills garden spaces between other plants nicely where its dense, low 1′-2′ foliage crowds out weeds and lends above-ground support to neighboring plants. But its late-season flowers are the main reason that this species is a dominant part of our featured Butterfly Garden.
Educational signage in our Dyck Arboretum Butterfly Garden bed (line drawings by Lorna Harder)
While I enjoy observing all prairie flowers throughout the growing season and the pollinators they attract, aromatic asters just seem to take the human entertainment value to a higher level. Given the high number of flowers on each plant and the lack of anything else blooming this time of the year, this species usually seems to put on the greatest show of the year as it plays host to a busy array of insect pollinators.
The two varieties of aromatic aster in our Butterfly Garden are ‘October Skies’ and ‘Raydon’s Favorite’. They bloom at different times and in nice succession for a long season of attracting pollinators. I seem to usually observe the former blooming from late September to mid October and the latter from mid October to early November.
Comparison of aromatic aster varieties ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ on left and ‘October Skies’ on right (Photo by Janelle Flory Schrock)
Whether I’m walking with elementary schoolers, college students or retired master gardeners, this Butterfly Garden spot on a sunny afternoon is always a regular stop. The flowering spectacle by aromatic aster in this time of the year is one of my favorite flower/pollinator interactions in the prairie garden.
When trying to capture the jaw-dropping wow factor of a landscape scene like the Flint Hills or a Kansas sunset, a photo or video never conveys the inspiring scene I want. Nevertheless, here is a video of the super busy pollinator scene I witnessed yesterday (10/22/24).
13 Butterfly Species Observed
The butterflies I observed nectaring on the flowers of aromatic aster var. ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ yesterday included the following species: checkered white, sachem, common checkered skipper, fiery skipper, dainty sulphur, clouded sulphur, orange sulphur, eastern tailed blue, common buckeye, monarch, pearl crescent, Melissa blue, and American lady (not all species were visible in the video). Various species of bees (audibly busy), flies, beetles and moths were also abundant.
Stop by and see our Butterfly Garden before the aromatic aster finishes its show in the next week or two. Better yet, add different varieties of aromatic aster to a sunny spot in your landscape where you can enjoy a similar show for years to come.
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:
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.
Bird enthusiasts often flock to Dyck Arboretum to observe birds in our prairie, woodlands, and pond. In fact, Dyck Arboretum has been a data collection site for the Halstead-Newton Christmas Bird Count for 20+ years. Many FloraKansas patrons ask about how to attract more birds to their own landscapes, and the answer is simple: provide food, water and shelter!
Echinacea for goldfinches. Columbine for Hummingbirds. Corylus (hazelnut) for grosbeaks.Rudbeckia for chickadees. Bird photos courtesy of Gregg Friesen.
The Arboretum is a hot spot for birds because of the density of native plants on our grounds providing excellent habitat. Birds spend most of their lives looking for food, so add plants to your landscape that produce berries, seeds, nuts, and nectar. A birdfeeder is nice, but native plants will provide fresher sources of nutrition at the appropriate time of year. Each bird, with its specially evolved beak, has favorite food sources that fit its skillset. Try some of the food plants shown above to increase the avian diversity of your neighborhood!
Zizia and sumac to attract caterpillars (nesting birds need thousands of insects to feed the young).
Interested in helping birds even more? Join the Halstead-Newton Christmas Bird Count, conducted each year on the Saturday closest to the winter solstice, and help to gather data about bird populations in our area.
And join us and our friends from Kauffman Museum on Saturday, March 2nd, for a spring symposium entitled “Murmurations & Exaltations: Birds & Birding in a Changing World.” We will start the morning with a bird walk, come inside for breakfast and conversation, and then hear presentations from three of our state’s top bird experts!
This winter has been one of the harshest Kansas has had in quite some time. Plants and animals have been tested with extreme cold, frozen soils and snow. It’s incredible to imagine that anything can endure these conditions. Over the past few weeks, I have watched the birds find food where they can. They are relentless in their pursuit of seeds and berries. After all, their lives depend on them.
Selecting plants that attract wildlife – including birds – to your garden is an important horticulture trend. The key to increasing wildlife diversity in your landscape is having as many different habitats and food sources as possible. Fruiting trees and shrubs provide food and shelter during these cold periods for wildlife. Leaving these sheltering spots, birds can find seeds from wildflowers and grasses during the day.
Here are several trees, shrubs and perennials that I have observed birds scavenging for food on over the past few weeks. They provide great winter food for birds.
This large shrub or small tree (20 feet high by 20 feet wide) can be found in eastern Kansas. It has creamy-white flowers in April and May followed by blue-black fruit in September. These fruits persist on the tree into winter, but are devoured quickly with the first snowfall. Buds are a rusty color that open to glossy green leaves and turn a beautiful reddish-purple in the fall. It is a very under used plant that provides excellent winter food for birds.
Blackhaw viburnum is the other native viburnum to Kansas that has abundant small prune-like fruit in the fall. With a mature height of 12 to 15 feet and a spread of 8 to 12 feet it is slightly smaller than Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum. In spring, it is covered with cymes that are 2 to 4 inches in diameter. The dark green leaves provide consistent fall color of red, yellow and orange.
Possumhaw is the only holly native to the Great Plains. It can grow to be 15 feet tall and wide. Branching is often dense and after leaf drop the round red fruit are revealed. The shrub is a heavy producer of fruits that are persistent into the winter months. When snow and sleet cover their regular food, birds flock to possumhaw and clean the branches in a short time. Deciduous holly are dioecious, meaning that there are both male and female plants and both are needed in close proximity to each other in order to have fruit set.
Ilex decidua ‘Council Fire’
Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Eastern red cedar is the only conifer native to Kansas. This is my top recommendation to homeowners looking for an evergreen tree, since there are so many diseases affecting pine trees these days. There are still some nice pines available, but they are not native. This juniper has dark green foliage and can reach over 20 feet tall with a dense conical habit. The dense branches provide excellent cover for birds during the winter. The female trees are often loaded with frosty 1/8 to 1/4 inch diameter cones that provide excellent bird food in the winter.
Eastern red cedar does have one drawback. Bagworms can decimate a tree. Bagworms have been very problematic over the last several years here at the Arboretum, but regular spraying with Bt (a biological insecticide) has been effective for us, especially when the larvae are smaller than ¼ inch. Begin checking for bagworms about the first week of June.
‘Canaertii’ is a female variety with dark green foliage that sets copious blue-green cones and matures to 20-30 feet. This tree has attractive branching architecture. A formal cultivar of Eastern red cedar is ‘Taylor’ which grows to 20 feet tall but only gets three to four foot wide. It too produces cones that birds enjoy.
Bad Bird Feeders – Ornamental Pear Trees
You can’t fault the birds for finding the fruit of pear trees and eating them. The problem is that a tree that was suppose to be sterile now produces so much fruit that it is on the verge of becoming a noxious plant. Do not plant another ornamental pear tree. They are becoming so prolific that they are pushing out desirable native plants.
Perennials as bird feeders
Coneflowers: These cones feed a host of birds including blue jays, cardinals, and goldfinches.
Birds use their beaks to carefully extract these seeds.
Sunflowers: Our native sunflowers are great sources of food for birds during the winter. Keep in mind that most native sunflowers can be very aggressive in the landscape. I have seen many different kinds of birds this winter working seedheads of Maximillian sunflowers outside my office window.
Rudbeckia: Even though the seeds are smaller than that of other perennials, blackeyed susans attract many different types of birds, including American goldfinch, black-capped chickadee, Northern cardinal, and white-breasted nuthatch.
Native grasses: Big bluestem, Little bluestem, switchgrass, and indiangrass are great food sources for juncos, finches, and many of our native sparrows.
Blaze Little Bluestem seeds. Photo by Emily Weaver.
Angella Moorehouse has given us a great new resource for learning about and appreciating the “little things that run the world”. This book focuses on true bugs, a group of insects that don’t get a lot of good press, and their relationships to some of our favorite native flowers. It was published in 2023, by Pollination Press LLC out of Minnesota.
What is a true bug?
Most people can identify a butterfly and bumble bee. Most can even recognize a grasshopper, or praying mantis. But when we encounter a true bug, the common response is, “what IS that?”. True bugs, meaning an organism in the order Hemiptera, are not as well recognized. That might be because there are so many of them (~40,000 species, and counting) or because they lack the good press that pollinators and other crop-benefitting insects have garnered in recent years. Until now!
Biodiversity Heritage Library, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
“This book is intended to showcase the diversity of a misunderstood and under appreciated group of flower-visiting insects and to introduce a wider audience to the diversity of true bugs and the role that they play in our natural areas.”
Angella Moorehouse, Flower Bugs, A Guide to the Flower-Associated True Bugs of the Midwest
To be very simplistic about it, true bugs are identified by their double set of wings and their sucking, piercing mouthparts (perfect for sipping plant juice, or the liquified insides of other bugs…yum!). It is a pretty broad categorization. Perhaps that is why there is so much diversity in this order of organisms.
Contents
Like any good guide book, it has a short section of introductory information to prime the beginner bug enthusiast. Complete with diagrams and taxonomic tables, you will feel like an expert before you even get into the profile pages. It contains tips for how to effectively attract, capture and even photograph bugs, should you wish to catalog your sightings. The book then devotes the next 260 pages to detailed insect profiles.
The Little Details
For each species, readers get a full color photo, seasonality chart, native range map, feeding and behavior notes, and a list of plant species they are likely lurking on. For a beginner with little knowledge of insect classification, it will be difficult to use this alone as an identification guide. But in conjunction with an app, like iSeek, it will be a gold mine. The app can narrow it down to genus or even species, then use this book to get a positive ID. It is a great resource to learn more about the insects encountered in the yard and garden. Identification is key, especially if you are considering using pesticides as a control measure for a given insect in your yard. The downside is that this book focuses on midwest species, and their map does not include the Great Plains. Though Kansas is not on their map, rest assured, many species covered in this book are common in our state. It remains an excellent resource for our area.
Be Kind to the Bugs
The public is finally starting to wise up to the bee crisis, and the pesticide problem. Many folks come to the FloraKansas Native Plant Days asking for pollinator friendly plants. But no one comes asking about true bugs. After all, aren’t these the creepy crawlies that halloween and horror movies tell us to beware of? Aren’t these the pesky bugs that prey on our houseplants and invade our cellars? In a word, no.
This book reminds us that these little creatures play an important ecological role, no matter how under researched or unnoticed it may be. With their fantastic array of colors and great many variations in shape, size, and ecological role, it is hard not to be charmed by the bugs in these pages and to look with ever more wonder the next time I meet one in the real world.
The book is available now in our gift shop, and many of the plants listed in the book as host to these insects can be purchased at our FloraKansas Native Plant Days, coming up soon!
In the late 19th century, the rising fashion of feather plumes on hats and an appetite for wild game had taken a steep toll on native bird populations in the United States. By 1900 more than fifty North American bird species were on the brink of extinction, among them the Great Egret.
Great Egret at the Dyck Arboretum in March of 2022. Photo by Gerald Leinbach.
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count
Alarmed, citizens joined with scientists and lawmakers to take action to protect birds. Among them were Boston socialite Harriet Hemenway, who initiated a boycott of feathered hats, and ornithologist Frank Chapman, who proposed counting birds on Christmas Day. Thus began the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC), marking the beginning of the longest running citizen science project in U.S. history.
From that first count day in 1900, growing numbers across the country joined in. Among them were the Ruth Sisters and Dwight Platt, who initiated the Halstead-Newton (KS) CBC in 1949. Like their counterparts across the continent, local birders have, for the past 75 years, fanned out across local rural and urban landscapes each Christmas season, to count and record birds that are seen and heard. Their reports, combined with CBC reports from across the nation, have contributed to a rich and growing database of information – information that helps us understand the status of North American birds.
Harris’ Sparrow at Dyck Arboretum in March of 2023. Photo by Dick Zerger.
Declining Native Bird Populations
Despite century-old laws that protect native birds, in 2019, the first-ever comprehensive assessment of net population changes in the U.S. and Canada showed staggering across-the-board declines. All told, the North American bird population is down by 2.9 billion breeding birds in every biome – that amounts to 1 in 4 birds lost. Grasslands showed the steepest declines of all. Habitat loss is a major reason for these losses in the 20th century.
Yet, not all the news out of this assessment is dire. Some groups of birds are doing well, and for good reason—governments, societies and citizens have invested in saving them. Wetlands conservation efforts and dedicated conservation funding like the Duck Stamp have paid off with healthy waterfowl populations. Raptors benefited from conservation policies, like Endangered Species legislation and the banning of harmful pesticides such as DDT. The gains among game birds like the Wild Turkey are due to dedicated conservation funding and efforts of hunting groups. People can bring back our birds!
Want to know how YOU can help save native birds? Here are seven simple steps!
Make windows safer, night and day. Up to a billion birds die each year colliding into windows. Screens, lines, or films break reflectivity during the day, and turning off lights at night during migration prevents birds from getting disoriented.
Keep cats indoors and work to reduce feral cat populations. Up to 2.6 billion birds are killed annually by cats, the #1 human-caused reason for loss of birds aside from habitat loss.
Reduce lawn and plant natives. Replacing 40 million acres of lawn in the U.S. with native plants offers huge opportunities to provide food, shelter and nesting areas that sustain birds.
Avoid Pesticides. Pesticides can be toxic to birds directly, or contaminate the seeds and insects they eat. Good for you and the birds!
Drink coffee that is good for the birds. Shade-grown coffee preserves forest canopy in tropical and subtropical regions of the world where migratory birds like orioles survive in winter.
Protect our planet from plastic. Waste plastic pollutes our oceans, harming sea-going birds. By reducing use of plastics, avoiding single-use plastics, and recycling, you are protecting our birds.
Become a community scientist! Watch birds and share what you see. Hundreds of thousands of people are reporting what they are seeing in backyards, neighborhoods, and natural places around the world. Join a project such as eBird, Project FeederWatch, Christmas Bird Count, or the Breeding Bird Survey. Your contributions will provide valuable information to show where birds are thriving—and where they need our help.
Tube flowers occupy a special niche in the ecosystem. They cater to pollinators with especially long tongues, saving their nectar for the lucky few who can reach it. There are lots of tubular blooms at the Arboretum right now, so I thought we ought to take a tube tour and examine a few of my favorites up close.
Penstemon
With so many species to choose from, there is a Penstemon that’s right for everyone’s garden. Penstemon grandiflorus is a drought-loving species, shorter and with waxier leaves than its common, white-bloomed cousin Penstemon digitalis. Penstemon cobaea is the diva of the bunch: much showier and larger flowered, with flouncy pink bloom spikes that are more prone to falling over after heavy winds or rain (the floral equivalent of fainting onto a nearby chaise). But for all its drama, it is worth it for those huge, almost foxglove-esque flowers! All of them are a boon to hummingbirds in early summer.
Penstemon grandiflorus can range from white to light pink or lilac. It likes dry conditions and lean soil.
Honeysuckle
There is good honeysuckle and bad honeysuckle, and you should learn the difference! Invasive honeysuckle can come in two forms: bush or vine. Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera mackii) is the bush that has taken over woodlands and displaced many of our native species. It spreads by birds ingesting the berries then *depositing* them into new areas. Forests full of this stuff have decreased value for wildlife, and become an impenetrable monoculture and a maintenance nightmare. A look-a-like species, Lonicera japonica, is a vine with a similar flower. This too is invasive in our area, and can be found climbing trees and toppling fences. If you have these species on your property, please eradicate them and replace with a native honeysuckle like Lonicera reticulata — all the beauty of clustered, yellow tube blooms, but without the nasty invasive qualities. Or Lonicera sempervirens, a red flowering vine that grows vigorously and attracts hummingbirds. Both are drought hardy too!
Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera mackii) is a threat to our native ecosystems.
Lonicera reticulata blooms in May, and attracts many pollinators!
Amsonia (Common name: Blue star)
These small, star shaped flowers all cluster together to create a showy head of light blue in spring. But behind each star is a tiny tube! I’ve seen hawk moths, also known as hummingbird moths, flitting around these things for weeks now enjoying their nectar. Amsonia is easy to grow and likes full to part sun. Amsonia hubrichtii is thin leafed, almost needle-like in appearance while Amsonia illustris has a broader, glossier leaf. Both are hardy and can stand up to wind and drought, with excellent fall color.
Amsonia hubrichtii in fall color. Photo courtesy Walters Gardens.
Monarda
Monarda fistulosa flower, photographed by Brad Guhr
Also known as bee balm, this plant has a unique, pom-pom style bloom made up of individual flower tubes. In Kansas you will most likely find Monarda fistulosa growing wild, in ditches or near streams and ponds. Monard bradburiana is a shorter, slightly better behaved cousin. Both like full sun and medium soil moisture. Monarda didyma is a common eastern US species, and does well here if given a bit of extra water. I’ve seen lots of bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds on this one so it gets an A+ rating for pollinator attraction.
A red variety of Monarda didyma shown with solidago (left) and a light purple Monarda fistulosa (right)
Tube-shaped blooms can be found everywhere if you start looking. They have a completely different structure than the classic radial flowers (roses, petunias) or composite flowers we are used to seeing (think sunflowers, echinacea, asters). The diversity of pollinators is as great as the diversity of flowers they feed on thanks to coevolution for thousands of years! Consider adding some tubular flowers to your garden, and enjoy their wacky, wonderful shape.
Recently I paused in front of a display at Kauffman Museum in North Newton that featured a pair of whooping cranes and a single Eskimo Curlew. I thought again about the two stories that are told here.
A story of loss and a story of near loss
The story of the Eskimo Curlew is the story of loss. The Eskimo Curlew was a small migratory shorebird, wintering in the Argentine pampas, and breeding in the Arctic. At the turn of the 20th century, Eskimo curlews numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Yet, in less than 100 years, they would be presumed extinct. In North America, the last individual was seen in 1987 in Nebraska. Market hunting, loss of grasslands, and grasshoppers led to its demise.
The story of Whooping Cranes is the story of saving a species. With 33 known individuals remaining in 1950, whooping cranes were also on the brink of extinction. Whooping cranes remain on the endangered species list today, but through the combined, dedicated efforts of citizens and scientists, populations have increased. Citizens of all ages and interests, familiar with their plight, are helping and tracking the whooping crane migration between Texas and northern Canada. They experience both the joy of watching these magnificent birds, and the satisfaction of assisting in the efforts to preserve this species.
The loss of the Eskimo Curlew and the near loss of Whooping Cranes are both sobering and humbling, knowing as we do, that losses in North American and global bird populations continue at an astonishing pace.
The first-ever comprehensive assessment of net population changes in the U.S. and Canada reveals across-the-board declines that scientists call “staggering.” All told, the North American bird population is down by 2.9 billion breeding adults, with devastating losses among birds in every biome … Grassland bird populations collectively have declined by 53%, or another 720 million birds.
More and more, PEOPLE in every community are concerned, and PEOPLE are making a difference. Enter the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). The GBBC is a global event held annually on the third weekend in February. The GBBC provides a snapshot of how many and where birds are present. This year citizens from across the U.S. have submitted more than 187,000 checklists, with 665 species reported. Globally, more than 325,000 checklists have recorded 7,417 species.
The GBBC is PEOPLE at work, seeing, hearing, identifying, listing, and enjoying the birds in their yards and gardens. The GBBC is PEOPLE at work as citizen scientists, helping conservationists and scientists and PEOPLE better understand what is happening to bird populations.
The GBBC helps PEOPLE get outdoors, connect to birds, to nature, to an entire global community, as they discover that, “birds are everywhere, all the time, doing fascinating things.” The GBBC serves as a springboard for PEOPLE to care, to make a difference, to create habitats that welcome birds into local landscapes, to advocate for bird conservation at the local, state and federal levels, and to recognize a kinship with the natural world of which birds are such a beautiful and important part.
After my Native Plant School class last week, there were several good questions about native grasses that are worth addressing again.
Question 1: How do you clean up native grasses in the late winter (Feb-March)?
Grasses tend to remain attractive well into winter, providing texture, movement and continuity to the garden. However, they eventually need to be cut back in preparation for spring. We use a gas powered hedge trimmer because we have so many grasses to cut back. The stems are tough but the trimmer easily cuts through them especially compared to hand pruners or loppers.
Starting at the top of the grass, we just cut through the grasses back and forth at 2-3 inch intervals until the grass is cut down to 2-4 inches off the ground. We then scatter the cuttings around the base of the grass so that it is not too thick. The trimmer makes quick work of a five foot grass. If the pile at the base of the grass is too thick, we scatter the clippings someplace else in the garden. This way you are keeping all those overwintering insects in your yard.
In our recent Winter Lecture Series, guest speaker Heather Holm suggested an even more insect-centric approach to spring garden clean up. Gain access to her presentation HERE.
Northwind Switchgrass cut back and ready for spring
FUN FACTS!
There are more than 400 different native bee species in Kansas.
An estimated 30% of native pollinators nest in pithy stems of plants such as native grasses and wildflowers.
Dead branches or logs decaying provide excellent habitat. Create a small bush pile for birds and pollinators. Overwintering butterflies and ground nesting bees can be found in brush piles and the decomposing wood gives fireflies a place to lay their eggs.
Nearly 70% of native pollinators are ground-nesting, burying into the soil to reproduce. Open soil without landscape fabric or two to three inches of mulch allow these burrowing insects to easily access the soil.
Question 2: When is the best time to plant buffalograss?
Buffalograss is a native warm-season sod forming grass. It needs at least six hours of direct sunlight for it to germinate and grow healthy. It spreads by stolens and has fine blue-green leaves. New seeded forms of buffalograss have been developed over the years such as Cody, Bison, Bowie, Plains, Topgun and Sundancer. Most of these seed forms are available online and some are available at regional Farmers Cooperatives. Seeding can be done anytime from May through August 15 as long as the soil temperatures at a two inch depth are above 60 degrees. Check out Buffalograss: Five Keys to a Successful Planting on our website.
Buffalograss Interior of Arboretum
Question 3: Can you list out the heights and mature sizes of the grasses?
One of the key components of a successful native landscape design is situating grasses. Repeating taller grasses at regular intervals looks formal while these same taller grasses at irregular intervals is relaxing and less formal. Grasses unify and blend your landscape together and they are wonderful companion plants with other wildflowers and shrubs.
Short= 4-24 inches, Examples: prairie dropseed, blue grama, pink muhly, sideoats grama, june grass, “Blonde Ambition” blue grama, purple love grass, and Nassella tenuissima,
Medium= 2-4 feet, Examples: Little bluestem, Little bluestem cultivars, Sideoats grama, Blonde Ambition blue grama, Northern sea oats, Pink Muhly grasses, “Cheyenne Sky” switchgrass, “Shenandoah” switchgrass, and sand love grass (Eragrostis trichoides).
Tall= 4-7 feet, Examples: Big bluestem and cultivars, Indian grass and cultivars, Eastern gamma grass, prairie cordgrass, switchgrass and switchgrass cultivars.
Indiangrass against the Kansas sky. Photo by Brad Guhr.
Two years ago, I reported on an unusual convergence of migratory paths during the 2020 monarch fallout event here at the Arboretum. As we anticipate an abrupt change in weather and the official arrival of fall with tomorrow’s autumnal equinox, I encourage everyone to keep an eye out for similar monarch migration events in your natural areas.
(Original publication date: October 7, 2020)
Monarch Fallout
It happened again in 2020. The convergence of the peak of the September monarch southerly migration over Southcentral Kansas was met by a strong south wind, causing a “fallout” of monarchs at the Dyck Arboretum. Rather than waste energy fighting the headwind, monarchs find a place of refuge to rest and sip nectar. I would estimate that I’ve seen this phenomenon happen five times in the Arb since 2005 and this year’s was the most memorable for a few different reasons including big numbers, fallout location, and a predator story.
Monarchs in the Hedge Row at Dyck Arboretum, 9/20/2020 – Photo by Gerry Epp
Big Numbers
The monarch numbers I observed on Monday, 9/21/2020 seemed to me to be more stunning than I can ever remember. I estimated conservatively in a report to Journey North, there were at least 500 monarchs resting in the Arboretum that day. But after giving it more consideration and talking to a local monarch tagger, Karen Fulk, I wonder if that number was more accurately in the thousands.
Karen’s many years of efforts to tag monarchs in Hesston has her keenly in touch with monarch phenology and migration patterns. She reports that the peak of migration through south central Kansas is usually between 9/22 and 9/27. This year, however, she started seeing an uptick in numbers when a cold front and north wind jump-started the southerly monarch migration a bit earlier.
Karen usually tags 300 annually during the fall migration. This year, Chip Taylor at Monarch Watch, knowing that migration numbers were higher this year, suggested that taggers order extra tags. Karen increased her number to 500 tags and was able to apply most of those when the fallout began Friday 9/18/2020 through Sunday 9/20/2020. Arboretum member, Gerry Epp, further documented this event by posting photos of the fallout on his Facebook page, 9/20/2020.
Monarchs on Seven Son Flower at Dyck Arboretum, 9/20/2020 – Photo by Gerry Epp
Fallout Location
With some repetition now in seeing these fallouts occur in the same place, I want to give some thought to why they congregate where they do at Dyck Arboretum. Karen usually tags at three places in Hesston based on the ability to catch and tag the maximum number in one place, and Dyck Arboretum is where she does the majority of her work. She estimated that 95% of her tagging this year happened at the Arboretum, based on seeing the greatest number of butterflies here.
I would hypothesize that they repeatedly congregate in the small 1/8th-acre area at the Arboretum amphitheater/pinetum for three reasons. One, they are seeking protection from the elements of wind and heat. This is about energy conservation. By escaping the wind and congregating in large groups on the north side of the dense hedge row of Osage orange trees, they are finding a microclimate that is cooler, more humid, and less turbulent than they would find on the south side.
Monarchs on Seven Son Flower at Dyck Arboretum, 9/20/2020 – Photo by Gerry Epp
Two, this location is next to a number of nectar sources. Why not rest where you can eat/drink too? Nearby native plant beds and a reconstructed prairie had a timely profusion of flowering from many species of the genera Helianthus (sunflower), Solidago (goldenrod), Symphotrichium (aster), Liatris (gayfeather), Eryngium (eryngo), and Heptacodium (seven son flower).
Three, a number of white pines in this location may resemble the trees of the Oyamel fir forests in Mexico. I don’t have any proof of this theory, but it seems plausible to me.
Predator Story
The newest wrinkle of this monarch fallout experience was the side story of five immature Mississippi kites. They were probably migrating with the monarchs and decided also to not fight the strong south wind. For a day and a half that I observed, this hungry bunch of pentomic predators took advantage of an abundant food supply. They hung out in the top of one of the white pines and took turns swooping through the monarch clouds to easily catch a snack.
Mississippi Kite Eating A Monarch at Dyck Arboretum, 9/22/2020 – Photo by Janelle Flory Schrock
Sometimes they missed catching their target, but usually, these agile insect catchers snagged their prey. Typically they would return to their perch to eat their catch, but sometimes they would eat in flight or “on the wing” as I hear experienced birders say. At one point, I counted approximately 120 monarch wings that had fluttered down to form what I’ll call a monarch confetti debris field. At four wings per monarch, that represented the carnage of about 30 monarchs. However, a number of wings had already been collected by onlookers, so it is not unreasonable to think that the number of monarchs preyed upon were double or triple what I saw.
Monarch Wings at Dyck Arboretum, 9/20/2020 – Photo by Brad Guhr
Monarch Toxicity
This predator behavior was a surprising observation. Monarch larvae eat milkweed and sequester in the mature butterfly wings and exoskeleton the milkweed toxins called cardiac glycosides. These heart poisons can seriously affect vertebrate predators, including birds, and often cause them to vomit and subsequently avoid eating them further. However, these young kites not only ate monarchs all day Monday, but they continued their feeding frenzy the next morning. Either their stomachs weren’t too adversely soured, or the calories needed to continue this migratory journey were simply too important.
A Google literature review turned up no articles mentioning this habit of Mississippi kites eating monarchs. However, a follow-up conversation with University of Kansas biology instructor, Brad Williamson, helped me understand that this observation is not so irrational. He explained that the monarch population is not 100% toxic.
“The individual toxicity depends a lot on the particular milkweed species that hosted the larval stage. Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) and Cynanchum laeve (honeyvine milkweed) are not nearly as toxic as A. verticillata (whorled milkweed). There is an entire range of toxicity and it makes for some great mathematical modeling questions–just how much toxicity (percent toxic) in the population is necessary for protection for the entire population? How much metabolic costs are there for monarchs trying to process highly toxic host plants? Turns out that only 25-40% of the population being toxic confers protection for the remaining population.” (I will include below a bibliography on monarch toxicity that Brad Williamson provided if any of you are interested as I am in learning more about this topic.)
There were a lot of interesting biological and ecological issues at play here with these monarchs and kites. It was just one more interesting natural history story with subplots to be observed by those of us living in the Monarch Flyway. Until I’m able to one day witness the hundreds of millions of monarchs wintering in the the Oyamel forests of central Mexico, I am completely content having a front row seat to this fascinating migration phenomenon right here in Kansas.
Monarch butterflies observed at the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán, Mexico. Video by Beatrix Amstutz, February 7, 2020.
Plant Milkweed
To assist the monarchs and their annual migration, plant milkweed host plants and other native nectar plants for adults. Check out our annual spring and fall Flora Kansas native plant sales.
Articles on Monarch Toxicity
Brower, L. P., and C. M. Moffitt. “Palatability Dynamics of Cardenolides in the Monarch Butterfly.” Nature 249, no. 5454 (1974): 280–283.
Brower, Lincoln P. “Avian Predation on the Monarch Butterfly and Its Implications for Mimicry Theory.” The American Naturalist 131 (1988): S4–S6.
Brower, Lincoln P., and Susan C. Glazier. “Localization of Heart Poisons in the Monarch Butterfly.” Science 188, no. 4183 (1975): 19–25.
Brower, Lincoln P., Peter B. McEvoy, Kenneth L. Williamson, and Maureen A. Flannery. “Variation in Cardiac Glycoside Content of Monarch Butterflies from Natural Populations in Eastern North America.” Science 177, no. 4047 (1972): 426–429.
Fink, Linda S., and Lincoln P. Brower. “Birds Can Overcome the Cardenolide Defence of Monarch Butterflies in Mexico.” Nature 291, no. 5810 (1981): 67–70.Malcolm, S. B., and L. P. Brower. “Evolutionary and Ecological Implications of Cardenolide Sequestration in the Monarch Butterfly.” Experientia 45, no. 3 (1989): 284–295.
Malcolm, Stephen B. “Milkweeds, Monarch Butterflies and the Ecological Significance of Cardenolides.” Chemoecology 5, no. 3–4 (1994): 101–117.
Malcolm, Stephen B., Barbara J. Cockrell, and Lincoln P. Brower. “Cardenolide Fingerprint of Monarch Butterflies Reared on Common Milkweed, Asclepias Syriaca L.” Journal of Chemical Ecology 15, no. 3 (1989): 819–853.
Nelson, C. J., J. N. Seiber, and L. P. Brower. “Seasonal and Intraplant Variation of Cardenolide Content in the California Milkweed, Asclepias Eriocarpa, and Implications for Plant Defense.” Journal of Chemical Ecology 7, no. 6 (1981): 981–1010.
Roeske, C. N., J. N. Seiber, L. P. Brower, and C. M. Moffitt. “Milkweed Cardenolides and Their Comparative Processing by Monarch Butterflies (Danaus Plexippus L.).” In Biochemical Interaction between Plants and Insects, 93–167. Springer, 1976.
Zalucki, Myron P., Lincoln P. Brower, and Alfonso Alonso-M. “Detrimental Effects of Latex and Cardiac Glycosides on Survival and Growth of First-Instar Monarch Butterfly Larvae Danaus Plexippus Feeding on the Sandhill Milkweed Asclepias Humistrata.” Ecological Entomology 26, no. 2 (2001): 212–224.
