Great Natives of Midwestern Ecotype

August 2009 Edition

Great Natives Of Mid-western Ecotype

The United States Department of Agriculture announced on June 18th that the emerald ash borer is now confirmed in New York state.

This alien threat was first re-ported in 2002. It has since destroyed (conservatively) over 70 million ash trees in 13 Mid-western states, Pennsylvania, and Ottawa and Ontario in Can-ada.

It is the larva that does the killing by girdling the trees under the bark. The trees die within 1 to 3 years after girdling.

On June 14, John Vandenberg, a Cornell adjunct professor in ento-mology, and Michael Griggs, both entomologists at the USDA-ARS in Ithaca, were driving to Michi-gan on Route 17 to study the beetle when they stopped to examine some damaged trees along the road. Upon sighting the beetles, which appear to have been in the area for a few years, they contacted Richard Hoebeke, senior extension associate in entomology at Cornell.

Hoebeke collected specimens and overnight mailed them to the USDA-ARS Systematic Ento-mology Laboratory in Washing-ton, D.C., which then officially identified the emerald ash borer. State and federal agen-cies now will begin helicopter surveillance of the area and investigate strategies for con-trolling the invasive pest.

The threat to New York state is large– as in other states finding the beetle. New York has some 900 million ash trees, represent-ing about 7 percent of all trees in the state, and all are at risk should this invasive, exotic pest become established. When Hoebeke was asked about the potential establishment of insects he responded “There’s not a whole lot we’ll be able to do about it.”

Volume 11 , Issue 1

THE BIG PICTURE: Emerald Ash Borer hits New York

August 4 , 2009

Did you know...

• TNT contaminates hundreds of US sites from military firing ranges to old produc-tion dumps to water-ways?

• The higher the de-mand or requests for natives in retail out-lets, the more likely they are to stock them? Ask for natives!

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Plant Profile 2

Native on the Net 2

Best Books 2

Organization Spotlight 3

Native News 3

Planting with a Purpose 3

Big City Support Invasives! Fantastic Fauna Focus on the Future

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GNOME NEWS

G N O M E ’ S M I S S I O N

Great Natives Of Mid-western Ecotype (GNOME) is an organization focused on the preservation and expansion of native flo-ral and faunal species. The mission is to provide a net-based forum where mem-

bers can share their pas-sion, plans, ideas, and ques-tions with other people hav-ing a common interest. You can participate in many different ways.

1. Join our facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45643568296

2. Submit articles, pictures, sto-ries, or plans for publication.

3. Visit or link to the website 4. Pass on the newsletter.

This month’s Name That Native selection received only 60% of the votes. Given that all of the other choices were also in the clover family, I can see where people might find it difficult to identify. It was the Dalea purpurea– Purple Prairie Clover. (See cover this month)

The original distribution of this plant was pretty much between the two North American moun-tain ranges with just a few ex-ceptions.

This plant has an erect habit. Multiple stems emerge from the base and are stiff. On older

plants, a more bushy effect is created by tiller-ing at the base.

It is usually from 1-3 feet tall. Leaves are pinnate and usually have be-tween 3 to 7 long and straight dark green leaf-lets. It blooms purple and blooming starts near-est the ground and

moves up in a wreath around the blossoming head.

Faunal associations are many with this plant from the bean family. These include long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, honey bees, bumble bees, metallic bees, wasps, flies, small butterflies, skippers, beetles, and plant bugs. It is also a high protein plant for mammalian herbi-vores and often heavily browsed where found.

I believe that this plant is underutilized in home land-scapes. Its foliage is orna-mental, it is non-invasive, and has a bloom time of over a month.

continent as settlers moved west. Examples of polluted rivers, deforestation, prairie vs. forest battles, and actions of those cou-rageous people to renew the health of ecosystems abound.

While having a histori-cal focus, it also con-veys the meaning of past events in our everyday lives.

A Natural History of the Chicago Region by Joel Greenberg is as informative as it is extensive.

This book covers everything dealing with floral and faunal interactions from 1673 and the first Europeans to modern times.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book is, that while it deals with the area around Chicago, it tells a story that has played out across the

Another appealing aspect of the book comprehensive writing done by Greenberg. He re-

searched nearly 500 sources while writing the book. He does-n’t rely on general-ized sweeping issues to make points.

This book gives a great picture of America from pre-settlement to mod-

ern times.

Page 4

N A T I V E O N T H E N E T

Dalea purpurea– Purple Prairie Clover

B E S T B O O K S – A N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y O F T H E C H I C A G O R E G I O N

To go along with the Planting With A Purpose section, I de-cided to include this great site about rain gardens.

As the site name suggests, the focus of the site is the use of native plants in a rain gar-den situation. One thing that I really find helpful about the site is that it takes you from a

beginner's level of knowledge and just keeps expanding.

The menu on the left of every page makes it easy to navigate. The types of plants are listed there and are then broken down by region. It is easy to find great plants to add to your garden.

Check out the Garden Tips too!

Sometimes wading through sites looking for good resources on na-tive plants is just too time consum-ing. This section should help!

This month’s featured site is : Native Rain Garden

http://www.native-raingarden.com/

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” ~George Santayana

Purple Prairie Clover is a high interest plant both in and out of bloom.

Volume 11 , Issue 1

An extensive historical portrait of complex interactions.

GNOME News

Wildlife Gardeners promotes environmentally sound prac-tices to preserve biodiver-sity. We do so by encourag-ing discussions of the pres-ervation, restoration and establishment of native flora and fauna AND sustainable gardening practices. The Best science will prevail. We are an environmental tute-lage and advocacy organiza-tion dedicated to fostering a love of ecosystems and edu-cation in the areas of envi-ronmental science and natu-ral history. Mission statement taken from www.wildlifegardeners.org

While browsing for other organizations that promote native flora and fauna, I came across this one. While not an organization in the same way as more traditional ones, this online forum-based site is a great place to get and exchange knowledge about the na-tive plants and animals around you. This site has several ways to participate. You can read fea-tured articles for information. You can search threads to find out more about specific things you are looking for by keyword, or you can post (if you are a member) and add information to

existing comments and ques-tions. Membership is as easy as filling out an online form. It is free for all to join.

By taking a closer look at your lawn in these spots, you can easily see just where the water already makes conditions more favorable for a possible rain garden. Using that as a starting point, you can begin to make plans.

Even though the grass is greener and taller in these ar-eas, it might not make the ideal garden shape. You can how-ever find a good starting point

With summer heat, identifying where to place a rain garden just got easier.

While the best time to plant a rain garden is not in the sum-mer, drier and hotter weather can give a nice outline for fu-ture plans.

Rain from your house roof will typically flow down your lawn at designated areas where eave spouts end.

with this method. Mark the area with something more permanent like stone, a hose, or paint so that it can be identified later.

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ORG A N I ZAT I O N SP O T L I G H T: W I L D L I F E G A R D E N E R S

P L A N T I N G W I T H A P U R P O S E : I D E N T I F Y I N G R A I N G A R D E N P L A C E M E N T

While waiting his turn to get some pictures of Isotria verticillata, Justin Thomas turned his eye to surrounding plants. He noticed a small wildflower on a hummock nearby and snapped a few photos of it. Shortly after, the field trip ended and he went home.

Near midnight when taking a closer look at his daily pictures, Thomas was surprised to find that

the small wildflower he had seen on the hummock was not a com-mon coralroot or cranefly orchid, but a Southern twayblade orchid (Listera australis)- a species never documented in Missouri before.

The group was astonished that it was not trampled. Over 30 ac-complished botanists had missed the plant Thomas found.

Native plant enthusiasts from the Missouri Native Plant Society gathered is southeastern Mis-souri to visit sites with rare and unusual plants in April.

A highlight of the day was a patch of Isotria verticillata– commonly known as large whorled pagonia. In full bloom, this imperiled orchid was a rare treat for those on the trip.

“It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark” ~Howard Ruff

North American Wildlife Gardening

N A T I V E N E W S : “ M I R A C L E ” O R C H I D F O U N D I N M I S S O U R I

Look for the green to aid you in identifying potential sites.

There have been several articles related to the native nursery market reported in GNOME News over the past nine months. Education, public de-mand, environmental awareness, and damage of invasive plants have all been mentioned as factors that affect the number of native plants available to the average consumer.

But we all know that, right or wrong, big names en-dorsing something often can create results that the average citizen cannot attain. Examples of this from the celebrity world are many. Take Paul David Hewson, aka Bono, from the band U2. From AIDS in Africa to the many other humanitarian efforts he supports, he has influ-enced politicians and pub-lic alike. He has even been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

So I consider it no little thing when “big” names throw their support to the native cause. I’m not talking about celebrities in this case, but major US cities and the impact could be huge.

Chicago recently implemented an updated ban, adding 14 plants to the already 26 plants and animals on the list from a 2007 Invasive Species ordinance. Some of the new ones on this list are chocolate vine (Akebia quinata), wild chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris), Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatas) and privet (Ligustrum spp).

The ban makes it illegal to sell or possess plants on this list. The city created an extensive panel of professionals to create the list. It was not simply a public relations lip service project.

The city chose plants that have not already taken over and/or are not a major threat, with the goal of circumventing future problems. Even though there are other invasives that pose problems, the goal here is prevention.

In addition to the banned plants, the city also cre-ated a “discouraged” plant list of 43 plants not yet banned, but that could pose a problem. The city features these lists on the city website as well as offering a list of alternative plants to use.

cityofchicago.org/invasivespecies

Page 6

B I G C I T I E S F O C U S O N N A T I V E S A N D T H E I N VA S I V E T H R E A T

Volume 11 , Issue 1

“I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the ele-ments or to chal-lenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow.” ~David Hobson

Chicago isn’t the only big city shouting about na-tive plants from the roof tops. Recently, New York City unveiled the city’s largest “green” roof on the United States Postal Service (USPS) Morgan mail sorting facility.

At nearly 2.5 acres, the goal of this roof is to reduce surface pollu-tion runoff and cut energy costs.

USPS said the green roof will help the agency meet its goal to reduce energy use by 30 percent by 2015 and expects to reduce polluted runoff by as much as 75 percent in the summer, and up to 35 percent during the winter months.

Another stated benefit of the roof is that it more than doubles the lifetime of the roof that it re-placed. It is estimated to last for 50 years and is planted with native plants and trees.

In yet another major US city– Los Angeles– the Department of Water and Power (DWP) reported that June water usage demand in 2009 was at a 32 year low. While several factors such as lower average monthly temperatures and higher restric-tions played an important factor in the lower de-mand, Jim McDaniel, the senior assistant general manager of DWP's water system, said that the use of native California plants instead of water-hogging lawns was also important.

While the benefits of using native plants and con-trolling invasive ones has been steadily growing since the 1970s, the fact that big cities are direct-ing resources to this cause is reason for celebra-tion.

Education of the public remains a powerful and essential element of increasing awareness of na-tive plant use. Since large cities have an educa-tional “machine” to increase public knowledge of this issue, it is logical that the effects of this cam-paign will create many positive results. Media coverage will also allow the message to reach a greater audience than small groups or individuals can contact. Maybe going native will be the next big trend! Let’s hope so!

USPS Morgan facility’s “green” roof in New York uses natives meet environmental goals.

GNOME News

Lythrum salicaria is commonly known as purple loosestrife. This aquatic invader is currently found in almost every state, though the map below shows it missing in a few.

Introduced to the Americas from Europe in the 1800s as an orna-mental, it has escaped into the wild to wreak havoc on native systems.

This plant is still being sold in the US as an ornamental except in states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois where sale is prohib-ited.

Purple loosestrife is typically between 4 and 10 feet tall. Found in many wetland environ-

ments, it blooms from June to September.

It can spread both vegetatively through roots or by seed. It is estimated that a single mature plant with about 30 flowering stems may produce between 2-3 million viable seeds.

Control options for this plant include hand pulling young plants, and treating older plants with Rodeo in wetlands or Round-up in upland areas.

Biological controls are also being researched. USDA has released a root mining insect and two leaf-eating insects experimentally in 16 different northern states.

Ah– the sounds of summer. Crickets creak, Night-hawks peent, and cicadas buzz. While these sounds may be hard to miss, there is an animal working behind the scenes that I find truly fantas-tic– the Easter cicada killer wasp (Sphecius speciosus). There are four kinds of cicada killer found in the US. The Eastern cicada killer is the most wide-spread, ranging from the western states like Wyo-ming and Montana to the Atlantic coast and from Canada to Central America.

These large wasps emerge from their burrows in July and August, timed usually a couple of weeks after annual cicadas emerge.

Males, whose adult lifespan is typically about 2 weeks, set up territories and wait for unmated females to exit the burrows in their territory. Males unable to set up territories form “satellite” territories in hope of getting in on some mating action.

Females emerge, are mated, and then proceed with digging burrows, hunting cicadas, and laying eggs throughout their month long adult lifespan.

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F A N T A S T I C F A U N A : T H E E A S T E R N C I C A D A K I L L E R

IN VA S I V E S- P U R P L E L O O S E S T R I F E

Females will dig burrows up to three feet long and two feet below the surface of the ground. These serve as nest sites for future young.

Females will locate a cicada (not by sound as pre-viously thought), paralyze it with a sting, and then begin the arduous task of flying it back to the bur-row. A cicada might weigh fully twice as much as a wasp.

Once at the burrow, it will enter and lay a single egg on the cicada. The young will hatch and con-sume the cicada. It will then weave a cocoon and overwinter in the ground. For more info, visit this GREAT site on these ani-mals-http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~hollidac/cicadakillerhome.html

“To the dull mind nature is leaden. To the illumined mind the whole world burns and sparkles with light.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Purple Loosestrife Distribution

Female cicada killer wasp with prey.

Primary Business Address 1753 Wick Way Montgomery, IL 60538

Great Nat ives Of Mid-western Ecotype

Man outside after getting off the phone an opening the screen- “Isn’t it nice out here?”

“What’s that?!”

“Oh my God! It’s a mosquito!” “RUN! Get inside or the mosqui-toes will get you!”

The end of conversation as the boy runs into the house with father behind shutting screen and inside door.

I was in my backyard, minding my own busi-ness. I was– I really was. However when you live in a new development and on a particularly small lot within that development, privacy is one of those things that you can’t al-ways count on.

A neighbor a couple of lots west of me was hav-ing a conversation on the phone with an adult and in the house with his two year old son . I was not trying to eavesdrop, but their back patio door was open and the voices were loud and they carried to me. The conversation went something like this.

Man on the phone: “Yup– he wants to go out to play.” “I know, but I have to make supper and would rather he is in here where I can watch him.”

“Well, I’ll catch you later– bye.”

Now– there are a few things about this that I find particularly amusing. In the first place, the man in the story has a fenced yard. I know that doesn’t ensure safety of young children, but it sure helps. Secondly, the village in which we live actively sprays for mosquitoes as needed in the summer time. The spray truck had just come by the night be-fore. Third– the family just spent a bunch of money on land-scaping their backyard where the child wished to play. Lastly, this family is almost never out-side.

That being said, as a parent I can understand the father’s predica-ment– especially when considering a two year old.

My question for you (and for myself to a degree) is this: How do we balance our family lives, obligations to our children, and obligations to the world as a whole? I think this story illustrates how this can some-times be difficult. Think about it.

FO CU S O N T H E FU T U R E

E-mail: GNOME.Native@gmail.com

There’s no place like GNOME!

“RUN! Get inside or the mosquitoes will get you!”

GNOME

Great Natives of Mid-western Ecotype (GNOME) is an organization focused on the preservation and expansion of native floral and faunal species. The mission is to provide a net-based forum where members can share their passion, plans, ideas, and questions with other people having a common interest in native species.

Check out our site!!!

Join our facebook group!

(http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45643568296)

This is our primary forum location. The newsletter as well as open discussions are there and also other links to people and groups that focus on natives.

Got an article? Now accepting member submitted news and photos! Once you have something to share, send it to the email listed at left. Monthly news articles will, of course, give credit to the contributor. Everyone welcome!

We’re on the Web! http://gnomenative.webs.com/

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