spring 2011 blue ridge wild flower society newsletter

7/31/2019 Spring 2011 Blue Ridge Wild Flower Society Newsletter

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Presidents LetterBy Rich Crites

As I look out my window this Januarymorning, there is a light snow falling a

reminder that winter is still in control. Itwill be for a while, but spring is coming.

As the photo period increases for thispart of the earth, the additional light andheat will bring out the buds on the treesand the birds will start their courtships.

When I walk in Garst Mill Park, I havenoticed the buds on the red maples seem tobe a little bit larger and the buds on the wil-lows are starting to bulge. Also, Ive seenseveral ocks of robins, with some singing.The cardinals are starting to sing as well.Lets hope we have an early spring!

Thanks to Michael Belcher for assumingthe newsletter duty this year. Butch Kelly

has done it for several years and was look-ing for a replacement. Thanks Butch. If yousee some things you can do to help, let usknow!!

At our chapter board meeting, severalactivities were planned through May. Atthat time we will have another meeting to

nish the plans for the year. See ourcalendar on page 4.

We will have meetings on the fourthMonday of February, March, April andMay. These meetings will be at the Roa-noke Church of Christ at 2606 BrandonAvenue beginning at 7 p.m. We will need

some members to bring nger foods.Several eld trips are also scheduled.

Usually these go, unless it is pouring rain.You may need to bring some food and per-haps bring your camera.

Also, we will have our annual wildfow-er sale Saturday, May 14 in the parkinglot near the arboretum at Virginia WesternCommunity College. Tell your friends, andif you have some plants for the sale, we willneed them.

Lets make this a really good year!

Blue Ridge Wild ower SocietyPresiden t .............................. Rich Crites

(540) 774-4518

[email protected] Vice Presiden t ........................ Rudy Albert

(540) [email protected]

Secretary ............................. Marci Albert(540) 774-2279

Treasurer ....................... Gail MacFarland

380-2150Historian ................................ Betty Kelly

(540) 384-7429Membership/Web site Contac t.. Butch Kelly

(540) [email protected]

Newsletter ...................... Michael Belcher(540) 989-6384

[email protected]


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A new Web site is getting all the buzz

The Great Sun ower Project(www.greatsun ower.org) ispartnering with Your Garden Show

www.yourgardenshow.com .Both sites allow gardeners to come

together to share information and ideasabout all things green.

In the near future, you will be able to goeither to the Great Sun ower Web site orto Your Garden Show to upload beeobservation data, get ideas aboutgrowing your bee-friendly garden andsee how pollination service in yourgarden compares with others.

The Great Sun ower Project has alsoteamed up with Renee Shepherd of Renees Garden Seeds to make orderingLemon Queen sun owers a breeze.

Shepherd is organizing a beauti-ful array of wildly attractive pollinatorplants that will make your garden humwith activity.

Also, there is a new book coming out inMarch, titled Attracting Native

Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide toConserving North American Bees andButter ies and Their Habitat, by the

Xerces Society.The book is designed to help increase

understanding about pollinators and tohelp you create and manage pollinatorhabitats.

Courtesy of the Great Sun oweProject Newslette

Some other useful Web sitesBlue Ridge Wild ower Society

www.brwfs.org

Virginia Native Plant Societywww.vnps.org

American Bird Conservancy

www.abcbirds.orgAudubon at Home

web4.audubon.org/bird/at_home/

Butter ies and Moths of North Americawww.butter iesandmoths.org

Virginia Game and Fish Outdoor Reportswww.dgif.virginia.gov/outdoor-report

Online eld guideswww.enature.com

Great Sun ower Projectwww.greatsun ower.org

Your Garden Showwww.yourgardenshow.com

ATTRACTING NATIVEPOLLINATORS:

The Xerces Society Guideto Conserving North American Bees and

Butter ies andTheir Habitat

by the Xerces Society.


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Calendar of Events Vol. 32, No. 1Spring 2011

A Look At Winter and a Hint of SpringTrout Creek, Catawba Valley Field TripThis walk will be an easy stroll along TroutCreek in Catawba. Learn how to identify trees

in winter. We will show folks how to use a verysimple twig key (See story page 7). Also wewill take a look at skunk cabbage with a littlefolklore thrown in. The group will culminatethe days activities with an early supper at the Homeplace Restaurant.

Blue Ridge Wild ower Society meetingWe will watch a DVD of Doug Tallamys presentation regard-ing the importance of native plants to biodiversity in theUnited States. Dr. Tallamy is the author of Bringing NatureHome, which outlines his research at the University of Delaware regarding the importance of planting native plants in oururban and suburban communities.

Arcadia Field TripJoin us for a look at the early spring ephemer-als. There are several habitats to see in thisarea, so there should be a large variety of plants.We will likely see bloodroot, birds foot violet,toothwort and many more. Bring something hot todrink and a snack. This will be easy walking. The groupwill meet early to carpool to Arcadia.However, you can meet the group in Arcadia at 10:30 by

Saturday, Feb. 19Time: 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.early dinner afterwardLeader: Butch Kelly

Contact: 384-7429Meet: Homeplace RestaurantSnow Date: Saturday, Feb. 26

Monday, Feb. 28Time: 7 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.

Leader: Rich CritesContact: 774-4518Meet: Roanoke Churchof Christ, 2606 Brandon Ave.

Saturday, March 26Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.Leader: Rich CritesContact: 774-4518Meet: Bojangles Restaurantat Botetourt Commons off U.S. 220 North of Daleville

Skunk cabbageSymplocarpus foetidus

BloodrootSanguinariacanadensis


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Vol. XX No.

taking I-81 to the Arcadia Exit north of Buchanan. Pass over the JamesRiver and through the village of Arcadia. After crossing the bridge overJennings Creek, park on right at rst pull off.

Blue Ridge Wild ower Society meetingCooking with Native Plants by Chef Mark Crim

Learn how to add some zest to your cooking usingnative plants and wild owers. Special guest MarkCrim, executive chef of Blackwater Cafe at SmithMountain Lake will demonstrate how to cook with

native plants and wild owers and will have dishes for sampling.

Buffalo Creek Field Trip

Rich Crites will lead this close up look at one of the Virginia Native Plant Societys Registery Sites.This area has bluebells, dwarf ginseng, walkingferns, dwarf iris and many more. For people com-ing from the Lynchburg area, we will meet at theSheetz at U.S. 460 and Va. 811 at 9:30 a.m.

Booker T. Washington Field Trip

Join co-leaders Marshall Daniels and Rich Crites to enjoy some of thespring wild owers along Jack-O-Lantern Trail. Spring beauty, foam-ower, mayapples, bluebells, and pink lady slipper are a few of the

many varieties we might see. For those of you who want to car poolfrom Roanoke , meet Rich Crites at the Lowes parking lot off U.S. 220 south of Roanoke at 9 a.m. Moderate walking. If desired,bring lunch. Picnic tables are available.

Blue Ridge Wild ower Society meetingHealing Garden, a therapeutic garden for veterans

Special guest Sandra Lane, horticulturist withthe Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center, willtalk about therapeutic gardens and how theyhelp people with Post Traumatic Stress Disor-

Monday, March 28Time: 7 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.Leader: Rich CritesContact: 774-4518Meet: Roanoke Churchof Christ, 2606 Brandon Ave.

Saturday, April 16

Time: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.Leader: Rich CritesContact: 774-4518Meet: Bonsack Kroger parkinglot off U.S. 460.

Saturday, April 23

Time: 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Leader: Marshall DanielsContact: 721-8304Meet: Booker T. WashingtonMonuments parking lot

Monday, April 25Time: 7 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.Leader: Rich CritesContact: 774-4518Meet: Roanoke Churchof Christ, 2606 Brandon Ave.

Virginia bluebellsMertensia virginica


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der, dementia, traumatic brain injury, cardiac rehabilitation and physicaltherapy. The veterans garden will have a pavilion, walking paths, greenhouse, and water features.

Roaring Run Furnace Field TripJoin Butch Kelly and Rich Crites for a eld trip to Roaring Run Funace in the George Washington-Jefferson National Forest. Weshould see a wide variety of plants, including some shale barrenspecies. The trip includes a nice stream and picturesque water-falls. Come prepared for some trail walking. The trail is rolling, butnot steep. Bring a lunch, sun screen, sturdy shoes and rain gear.Because of limited parking, we will carpool from Botetourt Commons.

Spring Wild ower Plant Sale

This is the clubs only fund raiser. Each year, the stock of plants varies, butwe usually have as many as 30 different species to sell, including blood-root, trilliums, twin leaf, spring beauties, spiderwort, jack-in-the pulpits,and maiden hair and ebony ferns, to name a few. Besides being morebene cial to the wildlife than non-native species, many of these plantshave evolved to grow in shady areas and to be more tolerant of droughtand poor soil and to be resistant to insect damage. If you have plants todonate, be there by 8:30 a.m.

Blue Ridge Wild ower Society meetingTBASorry about this folks, but details are still being worked out. We willannounce details at future club meetings as well as by e-mail.

Rhododendron Day on the Blue Ridge ParkwayMeet Rudy Albert at the parking lot at the Peaks of Otter Visitor Center.

Through bad luck, we have missed the peak bloom time for the last coupleof years and are trying this eld trip a little earlier. If we are lucky, we willcatch spectacular scenes of Catawba Rhododendron as well as many otherplants. Last year we still identi ed more than 100 plants. Some folks maywant to join the early birds for a breakfast at the Peaks of Otter Lodge at 8a.m. We will be overlook hopping, so walking will be at a minimum.

Saturday, May 14

Time: 9 a.m. - noonLeader: Rich CritesContact: 774-4518Meet: Virginia WesternCommunity College parking lotbehind the arboretumand greenhouse

Saturday, May 28Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Leader: Rudy AlbertContact: 774-2279Meet: Peaks of OtterVisitor Center parking lot.

Saturday, May 7Time: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.Leader: Butch KellyContact: 384-7429Meet: Bojangles Restaurantat Botetourt Commons off U.S. 220 North of Daleville

Monday, May 23Time: 7 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.Leader: Rich CritesContact: 774-4518Meet: Roanoke Churchof Christ, 2606 Brandon Ave.


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Practice your plant ID skills when branches are bare

Its exciting to see the buds on trees

swelling, each ready to burst into bloomwith fresh owers or foliage.

Learning to recognize deciduous treesand shrubs when they are bare is one of the best ways to hone your plant identi -cation skills.

Look closely now and you will seeplump buds on redbuds, paw-paws, dog-woods and ame azaleas see photos of these at dailypress.com/digginblog.

Virginias native bitternut hickory, alsoknown as pignut hickory, is easily recog-nized, according to Helen Hamilton, presi-dent of the John Clayton Chapter, VirginiaNative Plant Society.

Like those of pecan trees, the buds of bitternut hickory are naked, not coveredby bud scales, she says. What we are see-ing is actually minute powdery-yellowleaves.

In April, male owers appear as long,graceful catkins, and wind pollinates the

owers. The bitternut hickory leavesare compound, the small lea ets usuallynumber seven to 11, and are usually hairyunderneath. In autumn, the leaves arebright yellow, and are retained on the treelonger than other hickories.

Bitternut hickory is one of the largest in

its species, growing 50 to 100 feet tall. Ittypically develops several primary ascend-ing limbs, forming a nice arched shape.

The trees four-winged, cylindrical nuts

have a thin, rough husk which splits onlyto the middle. They are so bitter that evensquirrels avoid them.

Bitternut hickory is common throughouteastern and central United States and Can-ada. The tree grows in a variety of habitats,from rich, moist lowlands to drier uplands.

In nature, it furnishes food for the larvaeof giant moths, including the luna, and theregal moth, which comes from a fearsomecaterpillar known as the hickory horneddevil.

For more about native plants visitclaytonvnps.org.

By Kathy Van Mullekom(Hampton Roads) Daily Press

Courtesy of buroakbotanicals.blogspot.comWinter Twigs, from left, are black oak (Quercusvelutina) , bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) ,tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) and Ohiobuckeye ( Aesculus glabra) .


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WICKED PLANTS: The Weed That KilledLincolns Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities.

By Amy Stewart. Algonquin Books. 236 pages. $18.95

If you are looking fora fun read that is easy toskip through, check outWicked Plants by AmyStewart. Its a collectionof short stories about

infamous plant poison-ings some accidental and some not.Stewart describes more than two hundredof Mother Natures most appalling cre-ations in an A to Z listing of plants that kill,maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend.She even describes poison-plant gardens,one of the most famous of which was usedin the Harry Potter movies.

Think of it as a eld guide to plants fora murder-mystery writer. Its a morbidlyfun way to pass the time during drearyweather.

Michael Belcher

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

Cicero

Read anything good lately?

If you have discovered a great bookabout native plants or gardening,share it with us.

VNPS Wild ower of the YearWild ginger Asarum canadense

Plant Type: A herbaceous

perennial that can reach 12

inches tall.Leaves: The two heart-

shaped basal leaves are up

to 6 inches wide and have

a shinny surface. The leaf

stem is hairy at the base.

Flowers: The brown to dark

purple owers have three regular parts and are up to 1.inches long. Blooms appear in early spring and are at th

base of the plant hidden by the leaves.

Habitat: Rich woods.

Range: New Brunswick to South Carolina to Missouri

Because the plant spreads via the roots, wild ginger some

times grows in dense stands. You can test its identity by

scratching the root. A ginger-like smell on your nger wbe proof.

Lore:Native Americans used the root to avor foods muc

as real ginger is used (This plant is not related to the ginge

in your grocery). It was also thought to protect people from

poisoned or spoiled meat.

Medical Uses: It was used for treatment of digestive

disorders, especially gas, and in a poultice on sores. Thdried powdered leaves were used to promote sneezing

Often it was used to promote sweating, reduce fever and

for coughs and sore throats. These uses may be somewhat

valid as the plant has antimicrobial properties.

Source: 2bnthewild.com

Wild Ginger Asarum canadense


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Biologists call for regulation of rare-plant sales

People are increasingly obtainingendangered or threatened plants, often

illegally, and moving them outside theirnative range, according to an article pub-lished recently in the journal Nature byPatrick Shirey and Gary Lamberti in theDepartment of Biological Sciences at theUniversity of Notre Dame.

According to their research last year,nearly 10 percent of the 753 plants listedas threatened and endangered under theU.S. Endangered Species Act are beingadvertised for sale online.

Many buyers are horticulturists whowant owers for their gardens. But anec-dotal evidence suggests that online shop-pers include individuals and citizen

groups involved in assisted colonizationprojects. In other words, species at riskof extinction are moved to non-nativeenvironments in which they might thrive in the face of climate change or com-mercial development, for instance.

However, Shirey urges governmentagencies to monitor translocationsbecause of the risks associated with intro-ducing new species. The widespreadtransfer of endangered or threatenedplants poses environmental and econom-ic risks.

Shirey and Lamberti cite other studies

reporting that damage from invasive plantspecies costs more than $30 billion in theUnited States by damaging crops, pas-

tures and ecosystems. One example is theAustralian paperbark tree, which is a nox-ious weed in the United States that causesmillions of dollars of damage, althoughits native habitats in Australia are consid-ered threatened because of coastal devel-opment. The transfer of plants also canspread plant pathogens and pests.

Shirey and Lamberti warn of the dan-gers of unchecked species redistributionand urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser-vice to better monitor the movement of plants and enforce existing legislation.

As a rst step in enforcing existing leg-islation, Shirey says the sh and wildlife

service should establish surveillanceteams to monitor online transactions.Secondly, the agency should restrict con-sumers ability to purchase hybrids bredfrom endangered species which haveserious implications good and bad for wild populations. On a worldwidescale, exporting and importing countriesshould ensure the enforcement of domes-tic laws such as the Convention on Inter-national Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

For more information, visitwww.nd.edu/~strmeco/

Story courtesy of Media Newswire


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Welcome New MembersMary Boone of BedfordKris Lloydof LynchburgJoe Coulter of ForestSally Noble of BedfordWilliam Goodman of LynchburgNorma Jean Rist of LynchburgMary Lexa of ForestJack & Sharon Curtin of LynchburgSam & Janet Lin of Lynchburg Frances Kemper of LynchburgCarol Lusk of ForestJoyce Ratcliffe of Concord

So long, farewell and good luckGoodbye toBryan Wender. Bryan recentlymoved out of state. He was the steward for theVA Dept. of Natural Heritage. He was active inour club, having led several trips to Heritagesites. Bryan will be missed.

Blue Ridge Wild ower Society

P.O. Box 20385Roanoke, Va. 24018

Tell us what you think

You may have noticed that there havebeen a few tweaks to the newsletter.

Weve made the print a little bigger tomake it easier to read and added a fewmore items and photos that we thoughtyou might be interested in.

However, if you see something youdont like or dont see something youwould like, let us know. Maybe there is agood walk with lots of native plants thatyou would like to suggest. Or maybe you

have a really good photo from a previouseld trip. Do you want to recommend a

plant-related book, Web site or DVD?If so, email them to us at:[email protected]

spring 2011 blue ridge wild flower society newsletter

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