Wildflower Wednesday: Elephantopus carolinianus

 I don't think you would be at all surprised to discover that I've found another wildflower to love! This one is called Elephant's foot. It's a very cool flowering plant with large leaves and tiny flowers. When I say tiny I mean tiny and easily missed unless you're crawling around on the ground in a woodland setting. Yes, I do spend time crawling around on the ground looking at plants and I totally recommend it.

Although, I've seen Elephant's foot in wooded areas near by none have naturally occurred at Clay and Limestone. But, thanks to my South Carolina gardening friend Janet, I have some in the garden. I planted them in the spring ephemeral bed along the driveway. They've survived and flowered, but not spread aggressively as some gardeners have reported. Maybe, I should be careful about what I wish for, but, I do wish this one would spread about; it would make an attractive ground cover and massing them would highlight the pretty flowers so much better.

On that note, I've discovered  three seedlings in the cracks in my asphalt drive; which both amuses and amazes me. Whenever I find any plants growing in sidewalk cracks or grooves I conclude that they're perfect plants for Clay and Limestone! Plants that are able to adapt to harsh environmental conditions like heat, lack of nutrients and not much moisture are treasures. It's looking good that  Elephant's foot can survive our summer droughts and shallow soil. It also looks like I will be collecting seeds this fall since propagation appears to be easy! (see The Particulars below)

Elephantopus carolinianus is a member of the Asteraceae family, and can be found along the southeastern United States, from Texas to New Jersey. Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in part shade. It's tolerant of some full sun. From my experience it looks like it will grow best in semi-shade with good drainage. It has been reported to have the potential to become aggressive and weedy in garden settings, so you might want to place it where it can romp. I planted it in several spots to see what will happen, including a cobalt blue container. I think this might be an indestructible wildflower which means it's now a member of the Clay and Limestone rough and tumble wildflower collection. **

Of course, it's also planted in a blue container

The flower in full bloom looks like a large single flower, but is actually many small flower heads which are arranged in compound inflorescences. Elephant's foot flowers don't have the typical daisy appearance, instead each flower head contains only disc flowers. Each individual flower head rests upon leafy bracts and contains 2-5, tubular, pale lavender disc florets.

Clusters (up to 1 inch) of the small purple flowers on branched long stems give Elephant's foot a very colorful & airy appearance from July through frost. The broad leaves can be 8 inch long at the base of the plant, the leaves become much narrower & shorter on the flowering stems. (source)

 Similar in appearance and closely related to the ironweeds (Vernonia). Unlike them, Elephant’s foot has its primary flowerheads grouped together into dense, headlike clusters. Ironweeds have separate flowerheads that are not grouped into such secondary clusters. (source) Large lower leaves provide the inspiration for the common name of Elephant's foot.

Illustration  by Clara Richter of River City Natives check them out

The Particulars
 

Family: Asteracea

 Common names: Leafy elephant's foot, Carolina elephant's foot Synonyms: Elephantopus flexuosus, Elephantopus violaceus, Elephantopus glabe 

Type: Herbaceous perennial

Native Range: Eastern United States over to Texas, West Indies

Zone: 4a-9b

Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet (occasionally to 4 foot)

Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet 

Flower: Showy lavender, almost white flowers

Bloom Time: August to September or possibly to frost

 

Sun: Part shade

 

Water: Dry to medium

 

Maintenance: Low

Habitat: Low woods, ravines, streambanks, moist thickets, open woods.

 

Suggested Use: Ground Cover, native plant gardens, massed in woodland garden. Try growing it in a container

Tolerate: Drought, Dry Soil

Propagation: Germination - Very Easy: No treatment. Surface sow & press into soil. Cool temperatures to germinate.

Comments: Easy to identify in the field as no other plant even resembles it. But get on your knees to appreciate the flowers.

**Rough and tumble wildflower: If you're new to Clay and Limestone, rough and tumble wildflowers are simple wildflowers that bloom their hearts out and require the easiest of care. Many have never been hybridized, which means they haven't had their best characteristic bred out of them. Rough and tumble wildflowers are doing the job nature intended them to do, which is to make a lot of food (nectar and/or pollen) and bloom exactly when the critters need it-just in time for provisioning a nest for the winter or for migrating birds. Once bloom is past and the seeds ripen, they become feeding stations for over wintering birds which seek out those seeds.

 

Wildlife value: Visited  by several insects who feed on it. Occasionally grazed by deer, visited by butterfly and bees. A host plant to Cremastobombycia ignota

source

Thanks for stopping by. xoxogail

Welcome to Wildflower Wednesday. It's the fourth Wednesday of each month and time to celebrate wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. I am always glad when you stop by and I so appreciate when you make a comment. 

xoxogail 

Don't forget our Wildflower Wednesday monthly challenge! 

The first part of this challenge is to do something every month during 2023 and beyond that supports native wildflowers, pollinators, and the critters that visit and rely on our gardens. Activities that increase our knowledge of the natural world are equally as valuable. Helping others learn about nature is included. Golly gee whiz, there are so many things you can do. The second part of the challenge is to post about it somewhere: Your blog, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or even your neighborhood listserve. Wouldn't an article in the local paper be a coup for nature! Why post it? Because positive publicity is needed to educate our friends, neighbors and communities about how important even the smallest changes we make as gardeners can be for pollinators, birds, insects and mammals that live all around us. 

Why now?  My neighborhood is changing. Yours might be, too. Every day an older home along with many (if not all) of the mature oak, hickory, maple, Eastern cedar and hackberry trees that have been there for over 75 years are cut down. In place of the "bee lawns" composed of Claytonia, Salvia lyrata, Ruellia humilis, fleabane, Western Daisy, Violets, self-heal, clovers, and dandelions that grew so well in the shallow soil that sits on top of limestone bedrock are sodded non-native lawns that get daily watering, whether it rains or not. Gone are the lightening bugs. Gone are the ground dwelling/nesting native bees. Gone is the habitat for insects, spiders and other critters. Gone is plant diversity. Gone are trees that provided for hundreds of moths, butterflies and other insects. Gone are the nesting sites for woodpeckers, hummingbirds, Chickadees and other birds. It breaks my heart. We can't stop the multi-million dollar houses from going up, but, maybe we can make a lot of educational noise and help our new neighbors see the value in providing for critters.

A gardener can hope!

Here's an incomplete list of things you might consider doing or changing in your garden, but don't limit yourself to my list, make your own list or check out the internet for ideas.

Shrink your lawn and make your planting beds larger.

Plant your favorite native perennials and shrubs. Leave them standing after they've gone to seed to continue to provide for wildlife. What you plant in your yard makes a difference to wildlife. I garden for wildlife so every tree, shrub and plant is chosen with wildlife in mind.

Plant more natives and then consider planting even more. "A typical suburban landscape contains only 20-30% native plant species. Try reversing that trend in your own landscape by using 70-80% native species." (source)

Commit to never, ever, ever, ever using pesticides in the garden.

Stay away from native plant hybrids and cultivars that are double flowered. They are sterile and have no pollen or nectar for insects and no seeds for the birds. If possible plant “true open-pollinated native wildflowers”

If you want to garden for wildlife and pollinators, don't let lack of space stop you! Plant your favorite wildflowers in large containers. You just might have the prairie or woodland garden you've always wanted...in a pot!
 
Create a water feature. Provide water year round that is accessible to birds, bees and other critters.

Show some soil! Our native ground nesting bees nest in bare soil, so don't mulch every square inch of your garden. 

Get rid of the plastic weed barriers in your garden, it's not good for anything.

Invite bugs into your garden. Plant annuals that attract beneficial bugs.

Learn to tolerate damaged plants. Imperfection is the new perfect.

Don't be in a rush to clean up the fall garden. Leave plant stalks and seed heads standing all winter. Leave those fallen leaves or as many as you can tolerate! Insects over winter in the fallen and decaying leaves. Leave a layer of leaves as a soft landing material under trees for moths and butterflies to over winter. Many caterpillars drop to the ground from the trees in the fall.

Make a brush pile. Stack fallen brush, cut tree limbs, broken pots for ground beetles. Ground beetles are excellent at eating "bad bugs'. They're also good bird, toad and small critter food. 

Rethink what you consider a pest. Lots of good bugs eat aphids. Spiders are important predators and bird food!

Add nesting boxes for birds. 

Turn off your yard up-lighting, eave lights and porch lights after 11pm. This is important for nocturnal critters including mammals, snakes, insects, bats, birds (especially during migration). (Birdcast suggestions)

Plant shrubs and small trees that provide berries and nuts.

Keep a nature journal: Observe visitors to the water feature, make note of when they visit. Notice which flowers attract the most pollinators and which ones are just pretty faces. 

Join your state native plant society (Tennessee Native Plant Society)

Join WildOnes even if there's no local group. (Middle Tennessee WildOnes)

Support your local native plant sellers. (GroWild in middle Tennessee, Overhill Gardens in east Tennessee,  Resource Guide TN Native Plant Society)

Encourage your local garden clubs to offer native plant talks.

If your garden club has a plant sale encourage them to sell more native plants.

Get trained as a naturalist (Tennessee Naturalist Program, Almost every state has their own Master Naturalist training program)

Take an online course on tree, fungi and wildflower id.

Take a walk in your neighborhood and observe nature. To quote Joanna Brichetto in Sidewalk Nature "Look Around. Nature is here, is us, our driveways, our baseboards, parks, and parking lots."

Buy the best wildflower, butterfly and bird id books for your state.

Read nature books to your children and grandchildren. Buy them nature books.

Give nature books as baby shower gifts (Nature books for infants and toddlers)

Read! There are hundreds of books on gardening for wildlife, the environment, and rewilding our world. There are delightful blogs with wonderful and informative articles.

If you are already gardening with wildlife in mind then add a few signs that help educate your neighbors. (Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership)

Set up an information station where neighbors can pick up brochures about your garden and other info. 

Get certified (National Wildlife Federation, check to see what your state offers)

 

Visit

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

February Wildflower Wednesday: An exceptional Carex

Carex plantaginea/Plantain leaved sedge/Seersucker sedge is a wonderful addition to a woodland garden, you might even say it's an exceptional sedge.

Carex plantaginea

 I've planted it along the stone path to the front porch with Blephilia subnuda, Camassia, Christmas fern,  and Trilliums. Planted close together means they provide an attractive mulch beneath the grassy Chasmanthium latifolium and Hydrangea arborescens. I like how the different textures intermingle. What would you think about planting it with native Sedums, wild geraniums and other finer leaved sedges? I'm going to give that a try this spring.

Carex plantaginea is one of the easiest sedges to identify with its shiny, wide deep green leaves that are puckered like seersucker. If you look closely at the photo above you can see that each leaf has three prominent longitudinal veins. Like most sedges it is semi-evergreen.

 

 Wildlife Value

Seersucker sedge is more often chosen for its attention getting puckered evergreen leaves but, don't over look their flowers. Flowering in early to mid-spring, the male flowers at the top of the flowing stem appear yellow due to the pollen. The female flowers below them on the same stem are purplish thin and black-tipped. It's been described as not especially showy,  but I appreciate the colorful flowering wands that decorate it in early spring. So do butterflies, other pollinators and song birds. 

The seeds of native sedges are eaten by many kinds of wildlife including ducks, grouse, wild turkeys, sandpipers, and sparrows, to name a few. They're also a food source for caterpillars and small mammals. Because they bloom in spring, sedges provide an early meal before most native grasses begin to bloom.

The male and female purplish/black flowers are interesting when back lit by the setting sun.

Seersucker Sedge is found growing in meadows and rich woods in the Eastern USA from Minnesota to Maine and south to Alabama and Georgia (Zones 4-8). An evergreen plant with showy foliage, it makes a great texture plant for moist shady places. It will slowly spread to make a nice ground cover; you can speed that process along by dividing your plants every couple of years. A very low maintenance plant that requires only the removal of the dead leaves in late winter. I am especially found of its semi-evergreen habit since so much of my woodland garden is brown during the winter. 

According to some sources, it's a Goldilocks of a plant and prefers a rich woodland soil that's not too wet or not too dry. Finding the right spot for them in a garden that is often too wet or too dry wasn't nearly the challenge I thought it would be. The soil along the path has been enriched with leaf mold for years and is the perfect medium. The ferns and other natives that are planted with it should make that part of the garden glow this spring. (Not The Climate For Xeric)

an unknown Carex in a container

Let's talk about sedges for a bit. I've been thinking about them for quite some time. Not only would I like more native sedges in my garden, I would love to be able to identify the ones that are already here. 

Sedges are grass-like plants, but their leaf shape differs from grasses.  I know you are probably are familiar with this Mnemonic: “Sedges have edges, Rushes are round, Grasses are Hollow, straight to the ground”

They really do have triangular stems, but they don't all look the same. Their leaves can be short and fine-textured or bold and wide-bladed like our Wildflower Star. Their flowers and seed heads are also attention getting, many have showy bristles or mace-like capsules.

Sedges are for the most part perennial and evergreen. They're often cool season, shade loving, but, several very attractive for our gardens can take full sun if the soil is moist or wet. It’s the largest genus of flowering plants in North America (about 500 species) which means there are a lot of sedge choices, if only more were available. Native sedges are found thriving in just about any environment, from woodlands to marshes, and even dry sand. Arching, spiky, mounding, compact or airy, their ornamental qualities and their many uses have made them increasingly popular in the designed landscape. (source)

Biologist and Carex expert Dr. Robert Naczi says sedges are poorly understood in nature and few have been cultivated. “When people catch on to the diversity of colors, growth forms and growing conditions, they will embrace them in a big way,” he predicts. “There’s a sedge for every spot.”(source) 

Claudia West (source) says “We need to move away from mulch and fill gaps in the landscape with plants to provide habitat and hold the soil. Sedges provide essential soil-building function and support wildlife. They may not be the showiest, but many are evergreen so you see them in winter – green, lush and gorgeous.”

 Sedges, especially native sedges, have been lumped into the weed category for years! Which is too bad, that means most of the sedges for sale are usually not native. Once again our natives are overlooked for the showier exotic from the other side of the world. Those exotics might be lovely variegated beauties, but, I want more than beauty from plants that I add to my garden. I expect plants to feed the critters while they feed my soul. (Gardening For Wildlife)

I plan to add more Carex to the garden this year. In case you still need convincing!

• There's a Carex species for most of our ecological niches (sun, shade, wet, dry, etc.), 
• They make lovely specimen plants, 
• They're great as a living mulch
•  They make a great lawn substitute
  
• They control erosion in wet areas
  
• They're mostly evergreen, what garden doesn't need more green in the winter
  
• They have wildlife value
  

You can find Seersucker sedge and many others that will fill the ecological niche that's your garden from most native plant nurseries.  I appreciate that they bring more diversity to Clay and Limestone. Native sedges are part of my woodland eco-system, they were here before I started gardening and their seeds and flowers continue to provide food for butterflies, birds, and mammals. Now to learning just which ones I have, besides our exceptionally wonderful Wildflower Wednesday star.

Please plant more native sedges! xoxogail

 

The Particulars

Botanical name: Carex plantaginea 

Common Name: Seersucker sedge, Plaintain-leaved sedge

Sedge Family: Cyperaceae 

Native Range: Western North America 

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone: 3a, 3b, 4b, 4a, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7a, 7b, 8b, 8a

Height: 10"-12"

Bloom Time: April and May

Bloom Description: Small purple brown flowers

Leaves: Showy in the garden with a seersucker like puckering of wide leaves

Sun: part-shade, shade

Water: moist

Soil: acid, neutral, alkaline, rich, average, loam, clay, gravel/rock

Maintenance: Low 

Suggested Use: Water Plant, Naturalize, Rain Garden, Butterfly garden, woodland garden, meadow garden, containers, Shade garden

Flower: colorful flowering wands

Wildlife Value: This plant supports various Satyr larvae. Song birds, butterflies and other pollinators

Tolerate: Deer, Drought

Comments: evergreen, fall interest, ornamental foliage, rock garden plant, shade garden plant, woodland plant. Kristen Grannan  says that Carex works and plays hard. I agree with her. It’s a versatile grass and can be used as turf, to fight erosion, or as a volunteer in a bioswale.

Thank you for stopping by and welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom or not; and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. It's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wildflower Wednesday: Virginia Bluebells

Mertensia virginica is in gorgeous bloom in natural areas all around middle Tennessee.**

It's hard to believe, but, this is one wildflower not in my garden. Once upon a time there was a small, but, lovely stand that made me smile every spring. A dozen years ago we reworked the front garden path. We made it wider, built a small wall and had the workers place a beautiful boulder a few feet from the new path. It wasn't until the following spring, when I couldn't find any blooming Virginia bluebells that I realized that the boulder was sitting on top of them.

Look at that blue and pink! I know you'll agree with me, that's it's long past time to bring these beauties back to Clay and Limestone.

In the meantime, here's our March Wildflower Wednesday star.

I adore their water-colored beauty. The pink buds transition to shades of blue, with touches of lavender as they open. The nodding bells are perfectly complimented by the gray green leaves and stems (technically pendulate spiral-shaped cymes).

source: Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man)

Mertensia virginica is a member of the Boraginaceae (Borage) family. Wildflowers in this family are most often blue, mauve, pink or purple, and many of them change from reddish to blue as the flowers age. The leaves of most species in this family are hairy, and some of them can cause uncomfortable skin irritation if they are handled repeatedly. Although, Virginia bluebells share the color changing flower characteristic with other Borage family members, their leaves, stems and flowers are not hairy. The genus name Mertensia is in honor of the German botanist Franz Karl Mertens (1764-1831).

Creekside at Taylor Hollow

They thrive in moist, woodland soil, damp river bottomlands and clearings in shaded forests. They're native to most of eastern North America.

A long-lived perennial, Virginia bluebells expands slowly to form beautiful clumps that return year after year. They're ephemerals and emerge early each spring, taking advantage of the rich, moist soil and full sunlight streaming through the bare branches of the deciduous trees. In the short period of time before the tree canopy emerges and blocks the sunlight, they must grow, leaf-out, flower, be pollinated, produce seeds and die back (retreat underground).

Amazing isn't it?

 Columbine, anemones, violets and other shade loving natives grow well alongside Virginia bluebells

They will become dormant by midsummer, so use other plants to hide any gaps left behind. Native Christmas ferns, wild ginger, and fall blooming woodland ex-asters make lovely companions. They will also help you identify exactly where the dormant plants are so you don't drop a boulder on them like I did!

Virginia Native Plant Society

Adding Virginia bluebells to your garden is a great way to provide nectar to local pollinators in the early spring. Bumblebees are often seen visiting flowers, and according to the New York Botanical Garden: "our native queen bumblebee serves as the principal pollinator of Virginia bluebells. Because the nectar is at the base of the long, bell-like flowers, bees that do not have a proboscis (tongue) long enough to reach it may take a shortcut and slit the corolla closer to the nectar source to pilfer the nectar. In short, some bees are nectar robbers of Virginia bluebells, which makes them ineffective as pollinators. The flowers are funnel shaped and pollinators must hover making the bumblebee a rare pollinator. It makes more sense that butterflies would be the more common pollinator; they can grasp the edges of the flower petals as they explore (and pollinate) individual flowers.

Dear readers, have you seen pollinators on your Virginia bluebells?

Source

The Particulars

Mertensia virginica
Virginia Bluebells
Borage family (Boraginaceae)
Type: Perennial, spring ephemeral
Zone: 4, 5, 6, 7
Range: Eastern US and Canada; NY & s. Ont. to e. MN, s. to NC, AR & e. KS; naturalized northeastward

Spring ephemeral: emerges in late winter, yellows and disappears by June/July

Source

Blooms: March through April
Habitat: moist bottomlands, clearings in moist woodlands
Flower:Terminal clusters of pendulous, trumpet-shaped pink, blue flowers

Source

Size: They grow 18 inches tall and spread
Soil: moist, well drained soil, that's slightly acidic to neutral
Water: moist soil essential
Wildlife value: Faunal Associations: The flowers are cross-pollinated by long-tongued bees primarily, including honeybees, bumblebees, Anthophorid bees (Anthophora spp., Synhalonia spp.), and mason bees (Osmia spp.); these insects obtain nectar and/or collect pollen. Other visitors of the flowers include the Giant Bee Fly (Bombylius major), butterflies, skippers, and Sphinx moths, including a hummingbird moth (Hemaris thysbe). This group of visitors suck nectar from the flowers. Halictid bees and Syrphid flies sometimes visit the flowers, but they are too small in size to be effective pollinators. In some areas, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird has been observed to visit the flowers. White-Tailed Deer browse on the foliage occasionally during the spring. When this plant forms large colonies, it provides protective cover for many kinds of wildlife during the spring

Thank you for stopping by Clay and Limestone to see our March Wildflower Wednesday star. Virginia bluebells may be the most popular of all spring flowers and can be found in many gardens. It's easy to grow, providing you give it well drained, moist soil and there my friends is the rub for many of us.

I wish you all a peace filled spring and may your gardens bring you happiness and a respite from all that's happening.

xoxogail

** Most of these photos were taken at Taylor Hollow or at Edwin Warner Park on hikes and strolls and I hope they showcase this beautiful wildflower.


Wildflower Wednesday is about sharing wildflowers from your part of the world. Don't worry if you have nothing in bloom, you can still showcase one of your favorites. You don't have to write anything, just share your wildflowers. The native plants I've chosen are adapted to the environment and conditions at Clay and Limestone and provide food, nesting and/or shelter for mammals, reptiles, birds and insects. Humans seem to appreciate it, too.  It doesn't matter if we sometimes show the same plants; how they grow and thrive in your garden is what matters most. I hope you join the celebration...It's always the fourth Wednesday of the month!



Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wildflower Wednesday: Bear's Foot and a walk on the wildside

We walked the Richland Creek Greenway with our toddler granddaughter this past weekend. It's a 4 mile loop around a local golf course and is frequented by runners, walkers and bikers. We love the greenway and often use it to access favorite coffee shops and restaurants, but it's also a fantastic way to connect with nature. It's exciting to see so many parents and children there each time we go.  I imagine that for a lot of urban children greenways are their first introduction to nature. It's a pretty cool resource and it's exciting to see that Nashville is continuing to expand its greenway system.

Bear's foot/Hairy leaf cup leaves are giant sized

The greenway has a wide asphalt path that crosses Richland Creek several times and since we've had a lot of rain this spring the creek was flowing. We were excited to show our granddaughter the turtles basking in the sun and minnows in the deeper water, but, the biggest excitement came when a black snake crossed the path in front of us on its way to the water's edge. There are several open fields where we saw bluebirds, cardinals and other familiar birds. There's plenty of wildflowers like our Wildflower Wednesday star, Smallanthus uvedalius, along the path to attract butterflies and other pollinators. It's a good place to connect with and watch nature.

Hairy Leafcup/Smallanthus uvedalius grows along the greenway path

Our cities need to make sure there are greenways, parks and woodlands. Wilderness is disappearing and human-dominated landscapes of houses, businesses, parking lots and roadways are expanding and displacing living/nesting spaces for butterflies, bees, songbirds and other creatures. This is not good for the critters or for us.

I want a world where my granddaughter and other children don't have limited opportunities to connect with nature. Too many children already are nature deprived. Children spend more time viewing television and playing video games on computers than they do being physically active outside. Richard Louv called this phenomena, ‘nature-deficit disorder’ in his book, The Last Child in the Woods. He wrote about how significant the developmental effects of nature are for children. Although, it's not a medical term, he said it's "a metaphor—to describe what many of us believe are the human costs of alienation from nature: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses, a rising rate of myopia, child and adult obesity, Vitamin D deficiency, and other maladies." (source)

Researchers are discovering all the different ways that nature benefits our well-being, health, and relationships. Those benefits will be irrelevant if we cannot get people to reconnect and value nature. You don't have to take my word for it...Just do a little research and then get out there and push to make sure there are parks, greenways and school programs so that everyone can connect or reconnect to nature. The future is at stake.

The number one reason I garden for wildlife is to make a difference. The number one reason I continue to blog about my beloved wildflowers and critters is to demonstrate to others that we can make a difference. I believe that with all my heart...It's what keeps me going despite the assault on nature that is happening all around us.

Without further ado...Here's our Wildflower Wednesday May star, Smallanthus uvedalius, it was showing off all over the greenway this past weekend. You may know it by one of its common names: Bear's foot, Hairy leaf cup and Yellow flowered leaf cup.

it's hairy

The first time I saw Hairy leaf cup the giant leaves made me think of an Oakleaf Hydrangea.  Smallanthus uvedalius is a perennial, not a shrub, although, it can get almost as large as a small understory shrub. The plants along the greenway average about 4 to 6 feet tall, but it's not unusual for them to get even taller. It has stout stems with opposite leaves that form a small leafcup. The leaves are palmately lobed and green with fine hairs scattered across the veins and both leaf surfaces. Leaves are 4 to 12 in long and are the most striking thing about this yellow flowered aster! Each flower head has 7 to 13 yellow ray flowers to the outside and 40-80 yellow tube-like disc flowers to the inside. The ray flowers produce seeds and from my observations, this wildflower does a nice job of reproducing.

Steven J. Baskauf http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu/

This large wildflower grows best in moist, part shade. It is found naturally occurring in moist to dry, lightly shaded, open woodlands, savannas, thickets, fields and bottomlands.  If it's happy it can become tall (up to 10 feet) so plant it in the back of a perennial border or woodland garden. This species is found from Michigan southwest to Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas, south to Oklahoma and Texas, east to New York and New Jersey, and, south to Florida. It is beginning to flower in middle Tennessee and will continue to bloom until late summer keeping bees and wasps very happy.

it can get tall~on average it's 4 to 5 feet but, I've seen it taller

The particulars
Smallanthus uvedalius/Polymnia uvedalia
Family: Asteraceae — Aster family
Common names: Yellow-flowered Leafcup, Bear's foot, Hairy leafcup

Range:  In the U.S., it is found from central Texas to southeastern Kansas to Michigan to New York, then southward to the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
Habitat: Moist soils in partially sunny thickets, woodlands and fields.
Leaf: Green with very large opposite petiolate leaves that form a small cup around the stem and hence the name leafcup.

leaves decrease in size and become less complex up-stem

Flower: yellow rayed flower
Bloom: Anytime from now to early summer in our neck of the woods
Propagation:  Seeds should be sown in fall or spring.
Comments: This is a big guy and needs room to spread. Might be appropriate for a naturalistic and woodland garden.The leaves really bring another dimension to a woodland garden. The flowers are pollen and nectar rich.

Some folks might think this is a course looking flowering plant, and it may well be, but, I still like it! I think it's an honorary rough and tumble wildflower!
xoxogail

Mt Linky is not cooperating these days, not sure why, so put a link in your comment. Thanks.

Welcome to Clay and Limestone and Wildflower Wednesday. This day is about sharing wildflowers and other native plants no matter where one gardens~the UK, tropical Florida, Europe, Australia, Africa, South America, India or the coldest reaches of Canada. It doesn't matter if we sometimes share the same plants. How they grow and thrive in your garden is what matters most.



Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wildflower Wednesday: Dirca palustris

The small bell-shaped pale lemon-yellow flowers of Dirca palustris are in bloom today. The flowers with their long bright yellow stamens bloom in clusters along the branches before the leaves emerge.

What a lovely surprise for a late winter day.

small carpenter bee on flower

Dirca palustris is an early blooming deciduous native shrub. It can be found in rich, moist, neutral soil in woodlands scattered (meaning uncommon) over much of eastern North America. The small yellow flowers first appear in late winter and continue into early spring just in time for small bees to stop by for nectar and pollen.

If Lindera benzoin (Spicebush) is happy in your garden conditions, then, so will Leatherwood. They may be found near one another in woodlands and forest settings. They also share similar characteristics: bloom time, yellow flower color, leaf shape, blooming in deep shade, red fruit and lovely yellow fall leaf color. They're both blooming in my garden right now and make those shady spots pop with their yellow flowers.

In the annals of underused/under appreciated native shrubs Leatherwood could be the poster child. I love this accurate quote from Dirr's:

"A great restrained, dapper, shade-loving shrub that simply cannot find its way out of the shadows into commerce."

It's always a shock to me that many of our lovely native perennials and shrubs receive relatively little attention in the nursery and landscape trade despite their many attractive features. Dirca palustris should be at every Independent Garden Center. Researchers suggests that its slow growth and the uncertainty about how well it might be be produced asexually has slowed industry interest.

I think that we wildflower/native plant aficionados could make a difference for these orphaned natives. We can start with requesting natives at our garden centers and we can stop purchasing the same old-same old exotics that don't add wildlife value to our gardens.

We must be the squeaky wheel for natives!

Where did I get mine? It was a gift from a good friend. I was thrilled to get it and planted it in a shady spot (built up over time from leaf mold) that has good soil that doesn't turn to concrete in the heat of the summer. It's underplanted with Phacelia bipinnatifida and Hydrophyllum macropyllum. Consider planting Trout lilies, Virginia bluebells and other moisture and shade tolerant natives under the Leatherwood.

Gardeners don't dispair! You, too, can find this delightful little beauty for your garden. Local gardeners can find in at Growild Nursery. It's also available online from Prairie Moon Nursery and Mail Order Natives (good reviews).

The Particulars

Dirca palustris
Common Name: Leatherwood
Origin of common name: According to several sources the common name refers to the soft leathery, pliable, yet still very strong stems that are flexible enough to be tied into a knot and not break. The bark is fibrous and can be peeled off in strips and woven into twine.
Type: Deciduous shrub, a forest understory beauty
Family: Thymelaeaceae (Daphnes are also in this family)
Native Range: Eastern North America (Source)

Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 4.00 to 6.00 feet
Spread: 4.00 to 6.00 feet
Bloom Time: March to April (February in my middle Tennessee garden)
Bloom: Pale lemon yellow with bright yellow stamens
Leaf: Elliptic to obovate leaves (to 3-4" long) emerge yellow-green in spring, mature to medium green in summer and turn a pleasant bright yellow in fall.
Bark: Leathery with extremely pliable twigs
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium
Soil: Neutral, calcareous and acid soils. Moisture may be more important than the soil.
Pollination: The flowers have both male and female organs and are pollinated by insects.
Propagation: Seed dispersing birds and mammals (frugivorous)
Faunal associations: Small to medium sized bees: little carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), cuckoo bees (Nomada cuneata), mason bees (Osmia lignaria), Halictid bees (Augochlora pura, Lasioglossum spp.), plasterer bees (Colletes inaequalis), and Andrenid bees (Andrena rugosa).Source: Illinois Wildflowers
Maintenance: Low, if planted in the right spot otherwise keep soil moist
Interesting notes: Often found growing near Spicebush. Contact with the bark of Dirca palustris has been know to cause dermatitis; redness and blistering in some people.
Suggested Use: Woodland garden, specimen plant
Deer and bunnies seem to avoid it, possibly toxic.

Welcome to Wildflower Wednesday and thank you for stopping by to see/meet Dirca palustris, our Wildflower Wednesday star. In a shady garden like mine, the shrub layer is just as significant to wildlife as the herbaceous level, so, shrubs and even understory trees are going to be an occasional star. Leatherwood is a sweet native shrub that has been under-appreciated for too long. I hope that giving it the attention it deserves will help.  Thanks also, for joining in and if you are new to Wildflower Wednesday, it's about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if your wildflower is in bloom or not and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.

xoxogail



Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.