Tithonia, Mexican Sunflower...A Butterfly Garden Must Have

Just as the yellows of sunflower season begin to fade, late summer unfolds the bold orange of Tithonia or Mexican Sunflower (rotundifolia). Beautiful and plentiful orange 3" wide daisy-like flowers on long stems, this plant makes for a spectacular backdrop in the garden or beautiful against a barn or fence.

 

A butterfly gardeners dream, Mexican Sunflowers attract several types of butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and later, seed loving birds. To further encourage butterflies to your garden, plant not only sunflowers for nectar, but Butterfly Weed or Common Milkweed for the caterpillars. Since the bloom time is late summer, the timing is perfect for traveling monarch butterflies on their way to Mexico for the winter.

 

Native to Mexico and Central America, Tithonia is a late season annual that will gladly thrive in a home garden as long as it gets enough sun, not too rich soil and not what they call wet feet. Not exactly drought tolerant, Tithonia is more of a water meter. During hot spells they can wilt a bit if not getting enough water. If given too much fertilizer (nitrogen) you'll get a lot of foliage growth and height but a lack of flowers. Since they can reach 6 - 8 feet tall, strong winds can topple them over, but unless the roots are actually pulled out of the ground, often they'll bend a bit to continue reaching upwards towards the sun. Some people pinch them back while young to encourage a more bushy look rather than height to lessen the risk of broken branches or falling over in a storm. Though not required, deadheading will prolong the blooming time and avoid their looking straggly by late season. In general, these flowers are survivors.

You can buy already started plants from the nursery in the spring, but these flowers are easy to start from seed. Two things to remember are to not plant too early and not to plant too deep. Here in zone 6 I wait till June to plant these heat loving sunflowers. They need light to germinate so barely cover with soil. These sunflowers are multi-branched so they need room to do their best. Thin out the plants to be about 36 - 48 inches apart. By October the flowers will start going to seed which are relished by the birds. Also, the dropped seed will happily return to reseed in the spring.

Tithonia is named for Tithonus, a Trojan prince who, in Greek Mythology, was the love of Eos, the goddess of the dawn.

By mid-October these beauties are a good 6 feet but soon to go to seed

Below is the tale of where Tithonia got its name:

Eos and Tithonus (A Greek Myth)

by Amy Friedman and Meredith Johnson

Long ago the goddess Eos fell in love with Ares, the god of war, and like so many others, he could not resist the beauty of this goddess of the dawn. Rosy-fingered Eos dressed in long robes of saffron, and sitting upon her throne she glimmered and cast a look upon Ares he could not resist.

Alas, Aphrodite heard news of Ares' love, and bursting with jealousy, she cast a curse upon Eos: The goddess of the dawn would never stop falling in love.

And so it was that time after time, Eos fell in love with mortal men. This was a sad fate for a goddess, for mortal men do not live forever as goddesses do. But of all the tales of heartbreak, there was no sadder story than the tale of Tithonus.

Tithonus was a proud young man, a prince of Troy, handsome and brave, and the moment Eos saw him, she fell deeply in love. That was her way, but this time she decided she must carry him away with her, and so she brought him to her palace, away from his homeland.

Naturally Tithonus loved Eos. Who could resist the love of such a beautiful goddess? Just as she does today, in those years long ago, Eos woke the world each morning with curling rings of light, and every morning she mystically brought the world out of darkness. Whenever Tithonus looked at her, he felt a glow, the way so many people feel at dawn -- as buoyant as an April morning on those days when the first buds begin to bloom.

Tithonus and Eos lived together happily, and they had two sons, Memnon and Emathion, who also became famous among men and gods. All seemed well, but as time passed, Eos remembered something she had forgotten: Mortals do not live forever.

Eos began to mourn the future. How would she survive without her love? She could not imagine such a life, and so she asked the greatest god of all, Zeus, to grant Tithonus immortality.

"Please," Eos pleaded, "let my beloved Tithonus live forever." Her eyes filled with tears, her skin flushed, and even Zeus was moved, and so he granted her request.

Now Tithonus was immortal.

Never was there a happier man. Loved by a beautiful goddess, he was a proud father and ruler of a bountiful land, and Eos too was joyful, but they hadn't realized one thing.

Tithonus would live forever, but even Zeus did not have the power to make him a god. And so, as time passed, Tithonus, like all mortals, began to age. First Eos noticed the wrinkles upon his brow, and as the years passed, his muscles began to grow weak, his arms and legs grew slender, his hair grew gray and thin. Even the light of his beloved Eos no longer gave him the strength it once had.

When Eos understood Tithonus's fate, the sight of him filled her with such sadness that she could not bear to look at him. So she left him alone and traveled, falling in love with others.

Eos fell in love with other mortal men and other gods, and when she returned to Tithonus she would see her once-handsome beloved withering away. Day after day, he grew older. Like a shadow he roamed silent palaces of the gods of the east, thinking of long-ago days, remembering Eos' wish for his immortality, and ashamed of his desire for it.

How arrogant he had been. He hadn't thought of the future. In his youth he had never even imagined waste, and now here he was wasting away. Even love and beauty and power could not save him. Soon he wanted to be like other mortal men. He wished for the return of the natural order of life.

Some mornings when a soft breeze parted the clouds, he looked down at the dark world where he had once lived, and again he looked at Eos. Seeing her mysterious glimmering face and her exquisite light, he remembered the way she had once loved him. He watched with longing as the gloomy darkness below parted, and the rosy light of his beloved Eos warmed the world. This made him still sadder, for her warmth and glow were now lost to him, and he began to sing, "Give me back my mortality." But even the gods could not grant this request.

And now the rosy shadows of Eos bathed him in coldness as he looked down at his wrinkled feet, and cried out to Eos: "Every morning you renew your beauty, but I am a fool, a fool who desired to be different from his fellow men, and now I cry to you, forever. I will never stop singing this song. I sit here remembering what I cannot be."

Eos could bear this no longer, and so she used her powers to transform this shell of a man into a cicada. She watched as he emerged from the ground, his body pale but fresh as he shed his old skin, wings spreading where once there were arms, and that voice, singing on, and on, and on.

Jewelweed...Can Native Species Be Labeled An Invasive Plant?

 Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is actually a wild native Impatiens to North America.  Also called Touch-Me-Not or Orange Balsam, this wildflower is a fun plant and often one of the first people learning to identify wildflowers can easily recognize. The flowers are a speckled orange and look like little trumpets. Personally, I think they resemble little shrimp. Preferring damp to wet soil, Jewelweed can grow to 4 - 5 feet tall and even before flowering in late summer, it isn't difficult to identify by its stalks, stems and leaves. The stalks are a lovely light green shade and after a rain, the droplets seems to lay on the surface. 

Should you find this plant after exposure to poison ivy or stinging nettles, break off the stems and crush them in your hands. You'll see that the stems are hollow and contain the itch relieving juice inside. Apply like a poultice to the areas of exposure for relief.

Children love to play with those little trumpets but actually they have a second kind of flower not usually noticed. There are tiny flowers without any petals that don't open but form the seeds. At the end of the summer season when they are ripe, the slightest disturbance sends the seed flying, very amusing for any age group. 

There are many articles out there calling this plant an invasive. Technically they are not an invasive species in North America, but can be aggressive when happy with its habitat.  Therefore it shouldn't be labeled as an invasive. They are native to North America, especially in the Northeast, but spread with such enthusiasm that many people consider them a pest. If they like their location they will spread and happily take over the space of other plants. What is nice to control this is to simply pull them out. They have shallow roots and gardeners just have to pull them where they aren't wanted, no gloves needed to get a grip as is the case with many plants considered weeds. 

Hopefully people encourage a natural habitat spot in their landscaping because these flowers are adored by bees, butterflies and birds. Insects need the nectar and the birds love the seeds. 

Exposure to poison ivy or stinging nettles is never planned so it is a good idea to have a remedy on hand. You don't want to push off applying something to appease the itch or you'll end up with oozing blisters and the tendency to spread. Jewelweed infused in apple cider vinegar is a perfect home remedy that works. Lavender essential oil is added for its healing properties to help with inflammation and harm done from scratching.

Once you learn what a wild plant is called and its beneficial uses, oftentimes attitudes change and it isn't just a weed. By September Jewelweed is in full bloom and brightens up roadsides, hedgerows and wet areas.

The natural world is a fascinating place and it is wonderful if children are introduced at a young age and learn to appreciate and take notice of it all.

Here is a good article all about "leaves of three, let it be" 

 

Poison Ivy Itch Relief

Summer Nights and No Fireflies...What's Happening to Them?

Summer is a time for picnics and outdoor parties that often extend into the evening hours. Watching the children running around having a ball with glow sticks got me sadly contemplating on what was missing in this picture. Years ago there were no glow sticks to entertain children after dark. Kids were enchanted with the stars and the magical mystery of fireflies. Some people call them june bugs, others simply call them lightning bugs. What is happening to them?

Just as with the bees, the answer lies with habitat loss, and pesticide use, but there is another factor and it is called light pollution.

These insects aren't flies, they are actually beetles, and that glow comes from a chemical reaction. 

Both male and female fireflies use their flashing lights to communicate. Their language of light is used to attract mates, ward off predators and defend their territory. Too much light caused by streetlights, car lights and suburbia in general, interrupts the sync of firefly flash patterns. Difficulty for fireflies to signal each other results in fewer larvae being born with every passing season.

Open fields and forests, waterways and bogs, are all disappearing as development makes its slow crawl across what was once uninterrupted habitats. Most species of fireflies thrive as larvae in rotting wood and forest litter at the margins of ponds and streams. As they go through their life cycle, most stay around where they were born. The environment of choice is warm with areas of wet spots.

The female lays about 500 eggs in sheltered areas that contain damp soil. After about a month the tiny larva hatch and begin feeding as they get ready for the next stage when they become pupae. The larval period can last from one to three years. During this stage the fireflies look like small worms and crawl along the ground. They are carnivorous and eat worms, snails and slugs by injecting a digestive enzyme and then sucking out the liquid. When big enough, the larvae digs into the ground and goes through the pupae stage. It forms a hard exterior shell that is what we are familiar with when we see them. This stage of metamorphosis takes them to the adult firefly which emerges in early summer. Once adults, the fireflies only live another few weeks. They may or not even eat during this short span. The purpose is to find mates and reproduce. So if light pollution creates enough of a problem to interfere with this process, these adults won't have the time to mate and lay their eggs before their life span ends.

This little video shows the life cycle of the firefly:

There are ways we can make a difference for these little guys. Make your own difference where you live. Avoid the use of herbicides and pesticides. Don't feel every part of your landscape has to be under control. Let spots naturalize to provide the habitats needed for all the stages of life. Learn what invasive species are a problem in your area and remove them to encourage the natives to thrive. Unless you have good reason for outdoor lighting to shine throughout the night, turn it off.

Children don't miss what they've never seen. Fireflies bring a sense of magic to our world and it would be a real loss to lose them.

Bugs and Butterflies...Where Do They Go For The Winter

There is a cute saying we quote to children, "snug as a bug in a rug". That is very true when it comes to the survival of our backyard bugs and butterflies during the harsh, cold winter months.
Most of us are aware of the long migration south of the Monarch butterlies, but butterflies and other insects do not migrate. They cleverly hidden in the landscape.

Butterflies and other insects slow down their metabolisms in a process called diapause. They rid most of the water from their bodies to avoid freezing and there are certain chemicals in their bodies that act as antifreeze.

Different types of butterflies are in various stages of their life cycles during the winter months. Some will overwinter as an egg or ovum, some as a larva or caterpillar, some as a pupa or chrysalis and some as adults.

In order to accomplish any of this, butterflies need the proper conditions. There is a reason nature seems to be so untidy by late autumn when everything dies back for the winter. Without places of shelter in leaf litter, tree bark, plant stalks, seed heads and brush piles, these insects wouldn't survive.
This is why it is so important to hold off on your garden clean up until spring. Raking, bagging and disposing of all those fall leaves is actually destroying countless insects. If you want your yard and garden to come alive again in the spring, you simply cannot interfere with too much cleaning up and cutting back.

Below are a few examples of where our flying flower beauties go for the winter:

The Viceroys, who look so much like the Monarchs,are in the caterpillar stage. The chew a leaf into a certain shape, roll up inside it to form a tent form and then fasten to a plant stalk.

Viceroy



The Swallowtails are at their chrysalis stage 

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Black-tail Swallowtail



Hairstreaks overwinter as eggs

Coral Hairstreak

Fritillaries, Crescents and Skippers hatch from their eggs in the fall and sleep through the winter as caterpillars.

Fritillary

Crescent

Skipper


Cloaks, Question Marks and Commas tuck themselves away as adults in fallen leaves or behind loose bark.

Mourning Cloak

Question Mark

Comma

Here is a more complete list

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) - Chrysalis
Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) - Chrysalis
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) - Chrysalis
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) - Chrysalis
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) - Chrysalis
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) - Chrysalis
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) - Chrysalis

Mustard White (Pieris napi) - Chrysalis
Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) - Chrysalis
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) - Chrysalis

Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus) - Egg
Edwards’ Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii) - Egg
Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas) - Caterpillar
Karner Blue (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) (rare, endangered) - Egg
Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) - Chrysalis

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) - Migrant

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) - Migrant
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) - Caterpillar
Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite) - Caterpillar
Atlantis Fritillary (Speyeria atlantis) - Caterpillar
Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene) - Caterpillar
Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona) - Caterpillar

Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) - Caterpillar
Harris' Checkerspot (Chlosyne harrisii) - Caterpillar
Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta) - Caterpillar
Baltimore (Euphydryas phaeton) - Caterpillar
Gray Comma (Polygonia progne) - Adult Hibernation
Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum) - Adult Hibernation
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) - Adult Hibernation
Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis milberti) - Adult Hibernation
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) - Migrant
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) - Migrant

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) - Migrant
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) - Migrant
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) - Caterpillar
White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis) - Caterpillar
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) - Caterpillar

Northern Pearly Eye (Enodia anthedon) - Caterpillar
Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela) - Caterpillar
Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) - Caterpillar

Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles) - Chrysalis
Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius) - Caterpillar

Winterberry Holly, A Deciduous Native Shrub

Mention holly and most people think Christmas and holiday decorating. The image that comes to mind is the bright red berries and the glossy, pokey, evergreen foliage. But did you know there is a deciduous holly that doesn't have those glossy leaves and loses them every autumn?

The holly we are most familiar is Ilex opaca, the American Holly.
The deciduous holly is Ilex verticillata.
Both species are natives to eastern and south-central United States and very beneficial to our wildlife.

The Winterberry Holly is generally considered a wetland holly but it does grow just fine in drier soils. The difference is that in wetter soils it suckers to form a spreading thicket and in the typical garden soils it tends to be more of a clump.

 A tough, easy to grow shrub with few serious disease or insect threats, this shrub is a winner. The size ranges from a height of three to fifteen feet with a variable width as well.

There are male plants and female plants. Originally I didn't know this and only planted the one you see in the photos, so obviously there must be males around or this one wouldn't produce berries.

In the spring, Winterberry Holly produces tiny white flowers, not much to write home about. But by late summer, the slender branches are covered right to their tips with numerous berries. This photo was taken in November and you can see that the leaves are still hanging in there.



Then when the leaves do finally drop, the shrub is in it's glory all winter long.

The berries provide beautiful winter color to the landscape for months until they are finally stripped by the birds and small wildlife.
Keep in mind that though the berries provide an important food source for wildlife, they should not be eaten by humans as they are considered mildly poisonous.

Therefore, if you do cut branches of the Winterberry Holly and bring them indoors for holiday decorating, keep them out of reach of small children and pets. If the berries or leaves are ingested, they can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Nasturtiums, Cottage Garden, Children's Garden

Nasturtiums are everything a gardener could want in a flower. Easy to grow, drought resistant, totally carefree as they cheerfully meander their way around to quickly fill in bare spots.
Not only pretty to look at, these annuals can be used as a companion crop, an edible, part of herbal medicine and a source of play for a child's imagination.

When one thinks of their grandmother's garden or a cottage garden, Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus), most likely are at the top of the list. This self-sowing annual flower germinates easily, usually within 10 - 14 days. Some people like to soak the seeds overnight to speed things up a bit.



Being the seeds are fairly large, these are perfect for the little hands of children to handle. Just press the seeds down into the warm soil about 1/2" deep and a foot apart. Children will be delighted when the little umbrella shaped leaves emerge since they are so easy to recognize.

Though planted after the threat of frost is past in the spring, these flowers are cool season annuals and wait till late summer to really put on their show. They like full sun and will grow in partial sun, but the result will be more lush foliage than flowers. Drought resistant, these plants need well-drained soil and actually thrive on neglect.



Once established, they'll reseed themselves, so there really isn't any need to collect the seeds and store for the winter unless you want to plant them elsewhere in a different spot.

Nasturtiums come in two forms: compact (dwarf) and trailing. The compact variety is low and stays bushy at around 12" tall. This type is good in spots where you want a lot of dense growth and color such as in borders, places where you need the plants to behave and not spread out onto the walkways. The trailing types are great for areas you want a tumbling effect such as in hanging baskets or down rocks or walls. If simply planted without caring where they go, nasturtiums will meander around other plants and by early fall they will fill in any bare spots.

These beautiful, carefree flowers really come into their own once the heat subsides in September. They just seem to bounce back from the heat of summer with renewed energy.



There are climbing varieties such as "Canary Creeper" or "Jewel of Africa". These have runners that climb six to eight feet, good for a trellis.

Though the stems break off easily, don't think these are delicate plants. They are actually very durable and even when our dogs bumble right through them, they always bounce right back. The leaves look like little water lily pads, flat and round with the stem attached to the center and the vein radiating out from there. Some think of the leaves as parasols held up by their stems but the actual name is called peltate or shield shaped leaves.



 The traditional colors are a bright yellow and orange, but there are varieties available now such as "Empress of India", which have brilliant red blooms, and the "Whirlybird", which can be described as mixed colors of soft salmon, tangerine as well as a deep cherry rose. Then there are the "Peach Melba" which are the color of cut peaches. Try "Alaska" for varigated leaves.

The blooms have spurs at the back, sort of like the Columbine, which are nectar tubes and a draw for hummingbirds.

Before the age of pesticides gardeners utilized companion planting to deter pests. With the awareness of just how damaging insect killing sprays are to our pollinators, organic gardening is thankfully making a comeback. Plant nasturtium amidst your vegetable plants to deter slugs. Aphids love nasturtiums, therefore they make a good "catch crop" for your other plants. Years ago, nasturtiums were often seen among those large truck patches of potatoes.

Nasturtiums originated in South America and brought back to Spain in the 1500's. Once introduced to European gardens, their popularity quickly took off. Monet had them planted in his pathway borders. Thomas Jefferson loved them and they are now seen in American historical gardens.

The actual meaning of the word nasturtium is "nose-tweaker". Victorian ladies used to include the flowers and leaves in their tussie mussies to help alleviate bad smells.
The latin, Tropaeolum, is a reference to the battle victory trophies which the Romans hung on poles, called tropaeum. The flowers resemble hemets and the leaves resemble shields.

Medicinally, the leaves were used in teas to treat respiratory conditions and bladder infections. High in vitamin C, nasturtiums are a natural antibiotic. Minor cuts could be treated topically by using the leaves as a poultice.

In the kitchen, the flowers, leaves and seeds can all be utilized.
During WWII, the dried seeds were ground and used as a substitute for black pepper.
The chopped leaves add a zesty zing to mayonnaise, vinaigrettes, cheese spreads and dips.
That peppery spicy taste gets hotter as the summer progresses.
Add the flowers to salads for a beautiful visual effect and spicy flavor.
Make pretty tea sandwiches with both the leaves and the flowers.
Children love stuffing the blossoms with egg, chicken or tuna salad or cream cheese mixtures. Guacamole is another great option as a filler. Used as appetizers, these stuffed flowers are a hit with summer parties.

Put the flowers up in vinegars. Place some blossoms in a decorative bottle and cover with hot (not boiling) white wine vinegar. Use about five blossoms per cup of vinegar. Strain when ready to use or strain and add fresh blossoms to give as gifts.

Autumn Olive Shrub, Should it Stay or Should it Go

Autumn Olive, Elaeagnus umbellata, is a deciduous shrub that is one of those plants intentionally introduced into North America from Asia for a very practical purpose. It was first brought here in 1830 but was widely planted in the 1960's along highways to revegetate road banks and prevent erosion. For areas where the soil was poor, such as land devastated from mining practices, the Autumn Olive plants improved soil quality due to its nitrogen-fixing root system.

The problem with that, as found out, was that this adversely affects the nitrogen cycle of the native plant communities that depend on infertile soils. It wouldn't be a problem if the shrubs wouldn't propagate so easily and pop up in naturalized areas, meadows and farm fields. The seeds find their way so far and wide from the droppings of birds. This is the catch. We want to provide food for wildlife and that this shrub certainly does since one bush can produce several gallons of berries a season.

Opinions differ on the attitude about the Autumn Olive shrub. Those interested in a permaculture lifestyle love this plant because it is so prolific, inexpensive to purchase or simply find in the wild to propagate. As such, it serves as a valuable food source for both people and wildlife.
Permaculture is the development of agriculture in sync with the ecosystem that is sustainable and self-sufficient. It combines the best of natural landscaping and edible landscaping.

Here is a good video on the benefits of food bearing plants.

Those seeking to create hedgerows have various reasons for doing so. Some want a low maintenance privacy hedge, others want to create a wildlife haven that will provide safety, nesting sites and food for both birds and animals. The Autumn Olive perfectly fits the bill for that purpose. It is drought resistant, winter hardy, can be pruned but doesn't have to be, and quickly fills in with its intertwining branches.

People who plant these shrubs for hedgerow privacy purposes have to be aware of the growing habits of this plant. It needs lots of space to spread out. The branches don't just grow up towards the sun like most shrubs and trees, they grow in any direction and intertwine. So if there is no intention of keeping a shape by pruning, expect them to reach a height of 20 - 30 feet high and depending on if the branches reach sideways at ground level, the shrub could be 15 - 20 feet wide.

These plants are very tough but do have the dying back of branches as the inner parts get shaded out. Working around the shrubs definitely requires thick work gloves. While there aren't actual thorns on the limbs, they are very spiny to handle.

Those who want to eradicate the plant have good reason as well since they do pose a threat to our native plants and are now on the invasive species list. 

Autumn Olive shrubs are easy to identify once you are familiar with them. The leaves form alternately on the stems and have wavy margins to their oblong shaped leaves. Flip them over and there is the tell-tale silver sheen to the undersides of the leaves. The berries are small and form clusters along the stems.



May is a wonderful time to enjoy the scent of these shrubs. The flowers are not very conspicuous, only about a half inch long, and a pale yellow to white bell shape. But they give off a sweet, exotic fragrance that can be very noticeable, but interesting is that if you just stick your nose into the bush and sniff you may not smell anything. Unless you know the source of the aroma you may not know where it is coming from.

The berries form in early August but are too sour to eat. They sweeten up as the temperatures drop and are best by October when the red berries have a speckled appearance. They can be eaten right off the bush but if you wait too long the birds will get to them first. Some people don't like them because they can be seedy, but as far as eating for nutritional purposes, they are at the top of the list of fruits high in antioxidants.

Here are two previously written blog posts on the Autumn Olive.
To Plant or Not to Plant..Learning about Invasives

The Marvels of May

My Sweet Annie

The genus Artemisia is a member of the Asteraceae (formerly Compositae) family. There are many varieties of Artemisia and though Sweet Annie is also called Sweet Wormwood, it is an annual whereas Wormwood, Mugwort and Silver King are perennials. If let go to seed you'll never have to plant it again, as it'll pop up anywhere. This sun, loving, drought and heat tolerant plant will grow in even the poorest soil.

Any of these plants are grown for medicinal purposes, to ward off insects, or as an ornamental plant used for wreaths and crafts. Growing to 4 - 5 feet tall, Sweet Annie isn't grown for their flowers and best used as a background plant. The foliage is attractive, various shades of light to silvery green and gathered for beautifully scented wreathes, swags, baskets...a crafter's love.

I've found that although Sweet Annie is a finer textured and softer plant to work with than most Wormwoods, it does wilt rather quickly once cut. To use it for wreaths it is best used as the foundation part of the wreath like you would use moss, and to use other everlast type plants layered over the top. 

Here is an informative post all about the various types of Artemisias and how to use them for crafts.

 The resilience of plant seeds and how they just lie dormant and wait for ideal growing conditions never ceases to amaze me. We used to have our chickens wandering around an area I had for my perennial plants and native shrubs. We fenced it in and the chickens helped keep the weeds down so I didn't have to mow in there. After a winter storm took down the fence we enclosed a much smaller area which didn't take long to become bare ground from the chickens scratching. This year we had only a handful of chickens so that area was able to fill in again. I was thrilled when I realized that a large patch of those little plants were my Sweet Annie!

 All is abuzz out there with so much insect activity. Artemisias are one of the group of plants that attract beneficial insects and pollinators to your gardens. By providing a variety of plant sources for all stages of insect life, you will find a healthy, balanced ecosystem that has no need for man's pesticides. Here is a good post on the subject to help identify beneficial insects and plants that attract them.

Lamb's Ear, the Bee magnet, Pet a Plant

Once you get hooked on the fun of herbal gardening you soon want to know what the name of every plant you see and what it can be used for. Be it medicinal, edible, cosmetic, insect pollinator, butterfly gardening, companion planting, crafts, aromatics or even just to enjoy as a visual beauty.

One plant in particular that meets most of those criteria is Wooly Lamb's Ear (Stachys Byzantina). This fuzzy, wuzzy fun-loving plant is a favorite for any child's garden. It's thick, fuzzy leaves are soft, easily dried and a pleasure to simply play with whether you are an adult or a child. The soft leaves can serve as "worry stones" to stroke mindlessly while lost in thought. During imaginative play, children often pretend they are beds or carpet floors for the wood fairies. 

On a more practical note, this plant serves as a very good toilet paper, tissue or even menstrual pad if in a pinch.

 

Lamb's Ear has been used for centuries as a wound dressing on battlefields. Known as nature's band-aid, the leaves not only absorb blood and help with clotting, but they contain antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. 

For eye problems such as sties and pinkeye, knead a few leaves to release the juices and simmer in a small pot of water. Cool and strain (use a coffee filter) the infused liquid and use as an eyewash.

If stung by a bee, knead a leaf to get the juices released and apply to the bite to reduce swelling.

Lamb's Ear is also edible. The young leaves can be eaten fresh in a salad or gently steamed as greens.

Simmered and use as a healing hot tea for relief from a sore mouth and throat, fevers and diarrhea.

For those of you into crafts, you will love, love this herb. With its texture and soft gray color it dries easily and blends beautifully for wreaths, potpourri and can even be made into bows.

As a bee plant this choice is a true winner. Once in bloom you'll be amazed at the number of bees Lamb's Ear attracts. You'll have to resist the urge to cut it back once those flower spikes start losing their appeal and get lanky. You'll find bees on those flowers till the bitter end. Don't be too concerned about those bees becoming pests. They are only concerned about those flowers and really do mind their own business.

Easy to grow, this plant is a perfect solution for a low maintenance rock garden, around a homemade pond or as a ground cover. If happy where it is planted, it will easily spread and though some may find it invasive, it is not difficult to control. With shallow roots, it is simple to pull out and replant elsewhere if desired. Drought resistant, Lamb's Ear actually forms a mat, leaving little room for weeds. With a shallow root system, it doesn't like humid or wet conditions or it'll rot off.

Lamb's Ear happy around a homemade pond

Lamb's Ear easily spreads to thrive in an herb garden

Hornets, Feared yet Fascinating

My dogs have brought me some interesting gifts over the years, but when our Marley came up from the field with a hornet nest in his mouth it got my attention pretty quick. By late October, the bee activity is slowing down and since he didn't look any worse for wear, perhaps he didn't pay a price for disturbing the nest. Below is what was left of it, and I have to admit, its construction is pretty interesting. It looked like several paper wasp nests stacked upon one another. The outer covering was missing which is a protection that the nests of paper wasps don't have.



There was one solitary wasp still in one of the cells. From the looks of it, it appears to be a bald-faced hornet. In the picture below it is in the center, a bit to the right. Just the back end is showing.

Bald-faced Hornet
Dolichovespula maculata
cosmopolitan family Vespidae

There is confusion when identifying these insects. The only species of a true hornet in the United States is the European or brown hornet (Vespa crabro). The insect that is really a wasp, but usually thought of as a hornet, is the bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata). The bald-faced hornet is actually a yellow jacket. All of the yellow jackets in the genus Dolichovespula build nests in bushes, trees and sides of buildings, and produce the grey papery nests.

The insect we usually think of when we say yellow jackets build both above and below ground nests, underground more often. Other differences include:
Hornets are 1 - 1 1/2 inches long, whereas yellow jackets are an inch or smaller.
Hornet nests can have 100 to 500 workers, while yellow jacket nests can have up to 5000 workers.
Hornets are black and white, jellow jackets are a variety of coloration.
Hornets feed on other insects and are not attracted by sweets, yellow jackets prey on insects too but are scavengers and like sweets.
Hornets are very aggressive and will sting over and over, but usually do so only if the nest is bothered or they are provoked.
Yellow jackets are also very aggressive, but paper wasps are not likely to sting unless threatened.

Paper wasp

Yellow jacket

The Bald-faced hornets have an interesting life cycle. All the workers die off by November, except for the fertilized queens. In the spring, queens that have overwintered in areas of protection such as hollow trees and rock piles, become active and begin to build a nest. She collects cellulose from rotting wood, chews the wood and by adding her saliva, she makes a paste. With that paste she makes a papery material to construct the nest, starting with the stem and enough brood cells to begin egg laying. She feeds the hatching larvae and these young will take over the duties of nest building, food collection, feeding the larvae and protecting the nest. The queen then never leaves the nest and her purpose is to lay eggs. As the colony grows there may be from 100 to 400 workers.

The chosen spots for the nest can be a few feet off the ground in shrubs or way up in the trees. They are a grey color and can reach two feet in height and a foot across. There have been several occasions where towards the end of the summer season and the leaves are starting to die back, I'll suddenly notice a huge nest in an area I've been mowing past or working around without incident all summer long. A little unsettling to think what could've happened had they felt threatened.

Bald-faced hornets can be considered a beneficial insect in that they feed on insect proteins, therefore reducing the populations of unwanted insects.
As the season progresses and there are fewer larvae to feed, the workers will take nectar, so do help with pollination.
With the arrival of fall and the first hard frost, all the workers die off except for the fertilized queens that will leave the nest and seek protection for the winter. The nests are not reused the following spring.

It is wise to have the utmost respect for hornets and unless the nest is in an area where there is a good chance of disturbing them, it is best to just leave them alone. 

If you do discover a hornet or wasp nest there are a few ways to handle them. Since the workers will die off with the arrival of the cold season, if it is already near fall, try to just use caution around the nest and leave it alone. If the nest is high up in the trees, there is little chance it would become a threat anyway.

If the decision is to remove the nest there are options:
Commercial sprays can be used to kill them. If you choose this route and try to do it yourself, wait until evening when the wasps are all back in the nest and are quiet. Follow the instructions on the can. If over the next few days you still see activity, you may need to repeat the application.

A way to get rid of the nest without using chemicals is to wait until evening and very slowly and carefully cover the nest with a plastic bag. Leave as little opening at the top as possible and cut the branch holding the nest. Moving slowly, relocate the nest to an out of the way area or to kill them, place the bag in the freezer or lay it in the hot sun. They'll die within a day or two. Be aware that even though the nest is basically quiet at night there is still the risk of getting stung since there are wasps on guard near the entrance hole.



Information for this post came from:
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Extension Office
Orkin