Yes, they are spectacular in bloom and a wonderful fragrance! I had them in CA but don't have any here. :(
Weeds or Wildflowers?
Oops, cross-posted. The above referred to the wisteria.
I get that. I have a few things out there that threaten to take over the world, chickweed being one of them. :(
Nice shots of the fleabane. I love them! Mine out front have just started to bloom. Mostly the white so far.
I picked up seed a couple of years ago at the Christmas Tree Store (?!) in spring called "Daisy Aspen Fleabane"
Looks like a real blue/purple flower which I haven't tried to start yet. Maybe this year, but Carole - do these look like yours?
I'm thinking Debra (JoesWife) sent this particular seed a couple of years ago. If so they're maybe Kansas natives, not east coast. Could account for the mid-day wilt (?).
A.
Could account for it. I haven't gotten any seeds from Debra, only plants from her, but none of the fleabane among them, as I recall. But it has been awhile.
One of mine is this one: E. pulchellus - http://uswildflowers.com/wfquery.php?State=TN&Color=White
...
Ahhh - thanks Carole. :)
I just KNEW if I came onto DG I would feel better. You are giving me a weeds or wildflower TEST!!!
I'm sunk because I'm from Boston and can't stop watching what's happening there. I just shut down the local news streaming live and determined that I would pull seed out of the fridge to plant. No, that's not it. Maybe find seed that I'm supposed to send?! I have several weed seed trades pending. And here I am. I smiled at the dandelion - do you know how much dandelion GREENS cost at the health food store?! My iguana really likes them, and they are very nutritious! ;)
Most of the rest look familiar, except for the giant weed that looks like a beach ball.
I sat out there pulling chickweed and crab grass this morning. We're supposed to get big Tstorms this afternoon. Anyway - it's really fun to find tiny plants that I started from seed last year. I found one this morning that made me so happy - just ONE single purple prairie clover. That's all that survived from what I tried to start in containers. I watched it sit where I planted it in the ground most of last season. I kept a milk jug lid/collar on it to keep the rabbits/critters from eating it. I found it this morning and SO happy. :)
I also found milkweed which has spread/multiplied - oh joy! And different flavors that I'd planted all over the yard. Last spring the rabbits ate what I had grown from seed the year before. I guess they are coming back.
My yard's not that big, so I've also gone around pulling out a lot of solidago and aster this morning. I laughed at the thought yesterday of leaving them where they are. If I was REALLY gardening for wildlife. But no, they are taking more than their fare share of space.
Does anyone have Chrysogonum?
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/574/
I've wanted it for years. I wonder if its cover is dense enough to fend off these kinds of running weeds?
A.
Would love to see your iguana?
Nice patch of Purple Dead Nettle, Carole, with the beach ball. Have you eaten the leaves or seeds?
Funny you mentioned Dandelion greens. Don't believe I'd eaten them until last Friday when they and various baby greens were included in a big salad with chipotle chicken strips. Tasty! But then again food is always better it seems when someone else prepares or cooks it. A DGer in Statesville on that plant files page has Chrysogonum, Manda, or did in 2010. Worth a shot to ask them since it's been a want for so long.
I did look there Froot. None of those folks are subscribers. I looked at their page(s) - do subscribers get mail or notices? Anywho. I bought some years ago for the library garden. I should go see if I could dig some up.
I haven't eaten the purple dead nettle other than to sample it but do eat the chickweed. Delish. :) And dandelion greens as well as the flowers when they are new in the spring. I have a recipe for Queen Anne's Lace Jelly that I want to try when they are in full bloom again.
I think non-subscribers get mail, don't they, but limited to 2 a day? I was always under that impression but I could be wrong.
If some way or how you can find the native Wisteria, it is supposed to be much more manageable- not rampant. After fighting Wisteria for years (I still have some), I would never recommend anyone plant it, especially not some you found growing on the roadside. I know a place where the Wisteria crawls over a bridge and it's beautiful and I stop to take a picture every year, but given the chance, I would banish it all. The bridge is pretty but it also covers all the surrounding woods. The native species has crossed with the Japanese and Chinese and apparently made a super hybrid
Amanda, go to Duke Gardens and admire theirs on that pergola instead of planting any. The stuff is worse than Kudzu in my opinion. (The one .in Duke Gardens might be a native. I'm sure you could find out and possibly get a cutting if you must have a Wisteria, which I am against) Even if you are able to control your own vine, it can make seed and spread way beyond your yard.
I have never eaten a dandelion green that was not incredibly bitter. I have read that you must pick the greens before the buds form, but here they come out of the ground with flower buds ready to go. (I don't like arugula either-too bitter)
I agree about the wisteria. It's invasive here in TN as well. This is the native species we have:
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=WIFR
I am a Southern greens eater, I guess, as I don't mind some bitterness. I often douse them with balsamic vinegar whether they are bitter or not.
Hello, I've been "watching" this forum for a while. I've also been lurking here digesting the informative discussion on this thread. I'm more active on the Central Midwest Gardening forum where many of us have been expressing an interest in growing more natives.
Anyway, I love eating greens too. My parents are originally from rural Weakley County, TN, so I ate my fair share of delicious "poke salad" greens as a child. I've never picked or cooked them myself, but I would love to try. I'm just afraid that I'll do something wrong & poison myself & family. At least, I have a variety of greens in the veggie garden. : )
Hi greenbrain and welcome! I've never met a green (or a greens eater) I didn't like. lol. It's good to hear that others are talking about and showing an interest in growing more natives.
As a bit of an aside, what greens do you have in your veggie garden?
Last year I got a new variety of poke, Sunny Side Up. I have a ton of the regular poke around me but I have eaten very little for the reason you mentioned.
Phytolacca americana 'Sunny Side Up'
My greens: kale, collards, giant winter spinach , mustard, turnips, beets, & chard. I grow lettuce (romaine & buttercrunch) for fresh salads. I don't think that I've missed anything. I pick any greens that I can find & mix them all together. Any extra, I freeze in ziplock bags for later. I allowed my kale & mustard to set seed & now I have volunteers all over the place. : )
You'll have to stop by & say "hello". "Pepper" is also trying to grow more natives. Here's our CMWG April thread:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1305246/
Hello Greenbrain:
The discussion about greens is very helpful!
Particularly because the iguana gets the best of all the fresh produce AND what grows around the house.
What other kinds of "native" greens are there that we can eat?
Ramps?
Oddly, the "green" that has the highest nutrient content for Rita are leaves from the mulberry tree! Collards, kale, turnip, and mustard greens follow next. One summer Court fed her curly dock and burdock which are not supposed to be good for her. Too much oxolates - as does spinach.
I have been pulling chickweed for days now and have only seen a few dandelions in the yard as a result of the very thick dense chickweed coating. The other volunteer is the violet and the every other occasional crab grass.
I have collected dandelions for her - Court has also become an expert on those greens because there are real dandelions and false dandelions. I collected seed one year - HA! Carole - didn't you send me dandelion seeds one year?!
We are growing several kinds of greens for human consumption, but I'm also growing snow peas for Rita (iguana) (and maybe me!), trionfono purple pole beans, lemon cucumbers, and butternut squash (these keep forever and are very nutritious for the iguana)( probably people too!). Funny that I was a vegetarian for 12 years, and I never ate as well as we did when I had the crippled chicken rescue in the living room. But Rita has the most expensive food requirements I suppose, and this year we are hoping to cut some of those costs with greater investment in time on greens/vegs and perhaps less insanity (never!) on wildflowers. More of my time will be dedicated to weeding that's for sure!
I just recalled that she also liked to eat hibiscus leaves (tropical and flowers), nasturtiums, and grape leaves. :)
I'm about to start the "sunset hibiscus" which I grew last year with gorgeous yellow flowers and purple centers - it's related to okra, which I do not care for, but I think it's another edible green I will use for Rita's breakfast.
A.
I'm an animal lover too! I share veggies with my 2 pet bunnies. They give me plenty of bunny poo in return. : )
Here's my native bamboo with the bunnies playing in it. They like to nibble on it too!
Here's a link to the nursery where I've purchased some of my natives; including the bamboo. I've always had a good experience with this nursery & they're very reasonable. I'm quite frugal! They carry grasses/sedges, flowers (including asters), shrubs, vines, trees, seeds & plants & all natives!
http://www.mowildflowers.net/
and a link to the DG watchdog ratings. You'll also see my 2007 review listing what I purchased that time.
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/42/
Here's a pic of my buttonbush from MO WF which does grow wild around a nearby lake. Also, my purple coneflowers and blackberries.
Aw, cute bunny! I am a cat herder/wrangler. We have 3, all rescues.
I like your bamboo. At the moment, I am in the midst of trying to eradicate some bamboo that shouldn't be in the yard. Actually this was supposed to be a native ... but isn't. Very aggressive. Enough said ... the battle is ON. Your Aurundinaria gigantea is native to TN as well and is what I wanted. It's not as aggressive though and can be kept down by regular mowing or cutting. Or critter munching. However, the neighbors sometimes don't mow very often and I'm concerned it will grow over there like what we have now is doing. Their dog does chew on some of it. That helps. :)
Fort Campbell Military Reservation (about 5 miles from here) contains one of the largest and intact barren systems in Kentucky and Tennessee. The barrens are most interesting to me. There is a big push on here to convert pastures back to native grasses and meadows. Yay!
Thanks for the link to the nursery. Good prices! I order a lot from this TN nursery. They aren't as inexpensive though, but they've been good to me so I can recommend them. :) http://www.sunlightgardens.com/
Thank you Cville, I'll take a look after church. We should already be gone, but my daughter is having a difficult time after helping her dad with lawn work yesterday. : )
While we're talking about suppliers I guess I can recommend several in NC.
ONE is th NC botanical garden in Chapel Hill.
Another called Niche Gardens.
And a wholesaler called Mellowmarsh Farm which is more wetland oriented.
Carole it's exciting when there's a push to return to a natural state. This is the kind of widespread regional restoration work I hope to be doing with my masters degree one day soon. Is this an incentive program like the Conservation Reserve Program?
Green brain: I started this thread in response to efforts in this forum to develop regional foci (?!) On natives. Only I forgot to include regional information in the subject line. We also have a "Carolina's" forum/thread, but mostly just random chatter. Maybe you could start a thread too in this forum to discuss regional natives. Would yours be Midwest? 'Cause I was thinking I would add that to the subject line when this thread goes on to its second incarnation. "SOUTHEAST Weeds and Wildflowers"
What do you think, Carole? Of course many of our natives are the same mid Atlantic, New England, Midwest, great plains, and some in the central states. We could stand to participate in more than one. I would, anyway.
Pulled out chickweed for a couple of hours as well as fistfuls of the Eupatorium rugosum var. 'Chocolate' if anyone would like some plants. They're going gangbusters this year since I relocated the 4 or 5 monsters last year I started from seed from the botanical garden. Thought I was making room for other plants, but it's come back with a vengeance.
You've GOT to be out enjoying this fantabulous day. I am taking a break and came in to worry about schoolwork.
Cox
A.
Yes, a state program designed to fill in the gaps of some federal programs.
I think it would be fine if Greenbrain wants to start a thread for the Midwest Weeds and Wildflowers. Or someone else from the Midwest forums, if she doesn't want to. We could certainly post over there as well. I would. I'm not all that far from the southern part of Illinois. ^_^ I hope she'll continue to post here as well.
Ack, the Chickweed Wars ... it's everywhere here! I pulled a little in the front yesterday and took out more bamboo. I have spotted jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) seedlings all along the back bed and would have quite a stand of it there - but most of those will have to go. I already have tons of it along the edge of the back woods.
The Celandine poppy next to the fresh growth of the Tennessee Ostrich fern is beautiful back there now. The agastaches are all springing up as well as some goldenrod, baptisias, 'Big Blue' eryngo and who knows what else that self-seeded. I had to let those beds go last year so time will tell.
Hardy Iceplant (Delosperma) - while native to South America - is loved by the butterflies wherever it's grown. And it is just so darn cheerful!
Thank you all for the suggestion. I could certainly start that thread & invite anyone interested from the CMWG forum. We do have some natives in common. I'm east of the Mississippi River, and many on the CMWG forum are west. That seems to be an important dividing line at times; though I'm very close to it. Zones can make a slight difference too. I'm just enough south to grow the Arundinaria gigantea (canebrake). I'm also in the American Bottom (a Mississippi flood plain protected by an extensive system of locks, dams, and levees) which is quite different from the neighboring bluff region to the east, prairielands to the northeast, and the Ozark region to the south. Perhaps, I could start one on the Central Midwest floodplains?
Happy Earth Day 2013!
Green brain - NC has canebreak of the Arundinaria as well, but it is a threatened/endangered ecosystem. I've been involved here with a land trust property where we are using several methods to control invasives and encourage the regrowth/spread of the canebreak.
It sounds like you are near geographically to everything! :) I have to look at my map. Starting another forum thread is a good opportunity to start more chatter to share and will be an excellent resource. I wonder if we used the same subject line for the threads we could have continuity and others would recognize? I think these threads could take the form of a permanent resource in the forum.
Carole I love your yellow delosperma. My experience has been hit and miss with overwintering. I see you have it surrounded by stone and brick? Good to retain heat in winter I'll bet.
Yes hippy earth day to you too
!!! :)
I purchased a book "Nature's Design A Practical Guide to Natural Landscaping" back around 1983 and it taught me about using natives and the unique ecology of my area. At that time, I lived further north in a rural area, on a ridge, between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. Thick pasture grass grew in clay soil on the flat area where the house stood and a wooded hillside with a spring at the bottom. Nothing but natives grew on the hillside because the land had been part of a large farm that was divided up. The ecology was very different than the river bottom below. I bought the book to help me identify some of the flora. The trees were mostly hickory, oak, persimmon, sassafras, and red bud). There were ferns growing near the limestone outcroppings along the spring. In the springtime, I discovered Jack in the Pulpits. This area was famous for apple and peach orchards.
The regions in this book are listed by the flora they support, not by state boundaries. I'm going to pull this book out again and read up. Thanks for the encouragement.
I'm currently near Horseshoe Lake in Madison County, IL. There's 2 Horseshoe Lakes in Illinois. This is a major industrial area with a steel mill nearby. (That's why my parents moved here.) The IL EPA has cleaned this area up quite a bit since I was a child. I've read some on your area and you seem to have a lot of nice public gardens. I'd especially be interested in the "Bog Garden". We have a few places like it that I enjoy visiting here.
I'm impressed that you're familiar with our Bog Garden. :)
I have a guide with a list of plants somewhere around here. I don't have any water features here, but there are so many interesting things you can do with natives if you want wetland plants.
I'm not sure if I've seen that particular book, but that was fairly early on in the green movement, eh? NC is interesting geographically with all kinds of disjunct populations here and there due to continental glaciation (love to say that)(ha ha). There's so much to learn!
I was going to upload a couple of snaps of some things blooming today but DG won't let me. Will check in tomorrow.
The book previously mentioned was published in 1982 by Rodale Press. It stays on the book shelve in my bedroom at arms length. I'm just glad that it has a strong binding. I'm borderline "Prairie Parkland" and "Eastern Deciduous Forest" regions. Your region is "Southeastern Mixed Forest". It's between the "Coastal Plain" and "Eastern Deciduous Forest" regions.
To get back on topic of native forbs in your area, here's what's listed for your region: White baneberry, Heart-leaf, Golden canna, Climbing butterfly pea, Swamp rose mallow, Purple lobelia, Wild passion-flower, Ruellia, Pitcher plant, Indian pink, Thermopsis, and Cranefly orchid.
Any sound familiar?
I just scored this book on paperbackswap. Amanda, It looks like there are more copies available if you have an account. It is free to sign up you just have to post 10 books you are willing to swap and you get a few free credits right up front so you'd be able to get the book that greenbrain mentions and Cville's link she posted.
Mike
Thanks, Mike. I do have an account and love the site.
So you know I'm getting a master's degree in natural resources emphasis on forest ecology so I'm pretty deep in the stuff, but always nice to have more actual books on the nightstand/ bookshelves. :)
Green brain I have much of what's listed except for the woodland shade specimens. And ephemerals. Don't have the space in my urban backyard.
Plus, the power company came and butchered everything along their easement last summer(almost 20 years of growth!) So I will have to move everything that wants shade. I see the Dicentra 'alba' I put in last spring just came up, and I put an old tiny rocking chair/yard art over it till I figure out what to do.
Mike- 2 of my "sweet bubby" survived the winter. I will replace the one you lost last year. They're so small from seed I would keep it containerized until it was a fair size.
How is your garden growing?
A.
Thank you so much!
My yard is coming along nicely. Some of what I thought I lost is popping up now after last week's warm up. I moved some of my nepata and the sedum has been devided nicely and distributed about the yard. My hollyhock is crazy out of control so I split some of that up too and moved it as well. Put in a few new roses and moved the baptisia to a more suitable ( read bigger) location as that sucker was WAY too big for my entry way. My service berry and beauty berry shrubs are coming along nicely as well. All in all a pretty good spring. I just wish more than 2 of the daylillies I received last year would have made it....
Ohhh - Hmmm. I'm sure there's more where that came from!
I spent a bunch of time today between stints at the computer out there pulling weeds. It's very therapeutic. By weeds, I mean chickweed mostly, some weird grasses, a stray mulberry seedling or two. I have a blackberry (with thorns!) coming up in my "cultivated" bed - Max's memory garden. This is where I have planted white and yellow. My daisies are thick and could be divided. The fleabane seem to be better this week. Could be cooler temps, or just the partly cloudy aspect or both.
I recognize some Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa) coming up that someone gave me in trade last year. I think that's what that is! I had some at my condo a bunch of years ago but had to transplant them all out to a garden where I volunteered because they spread so much. I took some snaps, but no time to upload. Have a nice Stokes' aster 'Mary Gregory' also from trade I am looking forward to very much. Pale yellow.
Also - the grapevines are coming up thick and fast. Does anyone make anything with their native varieties? Mom had a scuppernong I think in PA that she brought with her from NC. They were the sourest bestest grapes O MG. Starting to salivate. ha ahha.. She made jelly for years and years, and grape juice. Good times.
A.
This message was edited Apr 24, 2013 11:24 PM
Our wild grape is the Southern Fox grape (Vitus rotundifolia - 2nd photo below). Same thing as your scuppernog? It grows rampant around me here. I've not used the fruit but some do make wine from it in these parts. It's all over the woods behind me as well as some in my yard. I think the former owner of the house planted it around in some places. Once it is established it is almost impossible to eradicate. Maybe he made wine with the grapes. Don't know. They are small and tough skinned. I do love jelly from wild plants too. Maybe I should try making some with the fox grapes ... along with my Queen Anne's Lace jelly.
Everything is stating to pop in the yard and woods. I'm still waiting impatiently for my first hummer. I keep watching the honeysuckle as well as my feeder. It has to be soon. I always worry that they didn't survive the migration for some reason. But then they show up happy and healthy. Amazing trip they make. They are just amazing.
Dwarf 'Tennessee White' Crested Iris (a native woods iris), Southern Fox Grape, Salvia 'May Night', Phlox subulata, 'Alabama Crimson' Coral Honeysuckle vine.
Pretty! You know I love the dwarf white iris. And the Lonicera.
I received some yellow campsis radicans seed this week in the Round Robin seed exchange, but I'm not sure I have anyplace left for vines. Any takers?
Carole - the 'Black and Blue' salvia is coming in pretty thick so I'll start pulling some starts for you. Should be warm enough to send soon I would think.
Have my big presentation at school today 35% of the grade so it'd better be good! I posted it on another thread, but this is part of what I've been working on - a revised management plan for one of the forests owned by the University.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=9495065
Have a great day! Nothin' but blue skies. :)
A.
Funny, I was just thinking about salvia. :) I thought I had some coming from somewhere. I'm going to plant it with some of the other things I have that can sometimes be thugs and let them battle it out. I'll try to keep an eye on it but last year I lost control of things due to circumstances beyond my control and some things really grew and took over my world. That happens.
Nice presentation, Amanda. Good luck with it. ^_^
Rain and storms here this morning with a cold front following behind. It will be colder later today than it was this morning. And frost again. :( We probably won't have any here but more so in the outlying areas, she says hopefully. Such fluctuations this year.
It's pretty late in the season to be having these lows consistently in our neck of the woods Carole, the natives can take it, but not the cucumbers.
I am livid, but coming down from it and the botched GROUP presentation that occurred today. I'm an adult you know? A professional. Grouped with a couple of 12 year olds who don't know WTF, and I am miffed. I need to talk to somebody about it, but I'm not sure who. Would be bad for "team" morale, but considering that it was 35% of my grade that they blew, I SHOULD be pissed. >:
Uh oh. :(
Yes, so far my tomatoes and peppers are okay - no frostbite and hopefully this was the last of the cold and frost temperatures for the year. Our average last frost date is April 11- 20 so it's time to be done with it all.
Red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) in bloom.
Sorry about that last post! Better today - and why not - what a GORGEOUS day!
I'm going out to play with my weeds. See new growth at the base of the red cherokee bean I grew from seed last season.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2724/
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ERHE4
This message was edited Apr 25, 2013 2:40 PM
Ripping out weeds helps me when things get frustrating. From the looks of things in my garden, I need to get frustrated more often. ;-)
Grape hull pie is a classic way of using Muscadine grapes. It makes the thick skin of the fruit an asset. In this area, the larger, single green fruited type is called a scuppernong grape and the smaller bronze fruited type that usually comes in clusters of three is called a Muscadine grape. But, now there is a cultivar of vitis rotundifolia called ‘Scuppernong’ which is muddying the water. At least it is of the scuppernong or bullace type meaning it has large, green fruit.
GreenBrain, glad you are hangin' with us. Are you familiar with Ohio spiderwort? (a.k.a.-blue jackets) I'm assuming from its name it is most prevalent in the Midwest. I'm trying to determine if it is just naturally aggressive, like goldenrod, or if it is behaving out of character because it is so far south.
Native and honeybees love the flowers and it blooms from last frost to first frost. I like the color. Because it is so easy to pull up and it doesn't seem to mind being mowed down when it gets long and scraggly, I'm not worried about it. Should I be? (Jim)