The Floral Backup Plan

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is blooming this week at my house (and has been for a little while). I had one plant last year, an unexpected plant from a stray seed in one of my pots. This year it is in numerous pots as well as growing up in the leaf litter around the pots; annuals apparently don’t always need a lot of root space. One plant is growing in the ground where a seed was transported further away.

This tall, succulent plant is one of our native annual plants; annual plants create a lot of seeds to ensure that the next generation makes it. Since I have more plants this year, I’ve noticed they are susceptible to deer browse. Such browsing would reduce the plant’s chance of reproducing, but this plant has a backup plan.

In addition to the pretty flowers that we see, jewelweed can form some cleistogamous flowers that self-pollinate and create more seed. The showy flowers that we see are chasmogamous flowers. The cleistogamous flowers require less energy from the plant, especially for one that was damaged by grazing. I read an interesting statement from this article: “If the plant is predetermined to develop into both chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers, we called it dimorphic cleistogamy. Very often, dimorphic cleistogamous flowers occur at different times or in different locations on the plant.” While I already knew that violets can produce cleistogamous flowers at the base of the plant, the article also mentioned that our native American hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata) does as well (that might explain why I have so much of that too!).

Above, left to right: a seed and the remains of the seed pod; a new seedling; and one of the showy flowers (and it looks like there's an ant inside it).

Many of us know that jewelweed is also called touch-me-not, a reference to the explosive seedpods that open when you touch them. This allows the plant to eject its seeds further away from the original plant. The seeds from the cleistogamous flowers often drop closer to the plant.

Seeds from showy flowers are cross-pollinated by insects and help to create genetically diverse offspring, a benefit to the species in general. Seeds from the cleistogamous flowers are not genetically diverse and are produced as a backup plan to keep the population going until more favorable conditions exist. I know you’re hoping I’ll show you one of those cleistogamous flowers but I haven’t been able to identify one. I found a statement that “Cleistogamous flowers are very small (about 1 mm long) and are borne near the bases of the leaves,” and I found this article with one photo.

The Ever-changing Roadside

Sabatia angularis

Roadsides can be wonderful places: full of native plants, places of nectar and host plants for butterflies and moths, and sometimes refuges for pockets of diversity. They can also be awful places: tangled in thickets of invasive plant species, ignored areas where seeds land, sprout and thrive.

In my area, I have both kinds of roadsides. During the growing seasons, I try to take time to appreciate the good ones, observing how they are managed and what grows there. This week I noticed bright pink flowers and pulled over to find the annual rose-pink gentian (Sabatia angularis) blooming in an area that was over-mowed last year. This year they are letting it grow, mowing only a six-foot strip next to the road.

Earlier this year, that same strip had lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrata), Small’s ragwort (Packera anonyma), and daisy fleabane (Erigeron sp. -- all of them important spring-blooming native plants. Currently blooming in addition to the rose-pink gentian is orange milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), St. John’s wort (Hypericum sp.), and partridge pea (Chamaecrista sp.). In the fall, I can already tell there will be thoroughwort (Eupatorium sp.) and goldenrod (Solidago sp.). Across all the seasons, native grasses fill in the spaces.

Salvia lyrata

Hypericum punctatum

Spring show of Packera anonyma

This place is a natural seasonal progression of pollinator plants, providing both nectar and host plants for a variety of insects. Because of its support for insects, it also provides support for birds that need insects for themselves or their young.

I’ve written about roadsides before; I am very fond of them. If you have the chance to help save one or persuade someone to manage it in a more favorable to insects, please do so. Being able to recognize good plants from bad is the first step to saving the good ones, so plant identification is important.

My previous roadside posts:

Roadsides: Trash or Treasure

Roadside Plants in June

Wild Roadside vs. The Average Garden

Flowers of the Fall Roadside

A roadside combo of Asclepias tuberosa and Passiflora incarnata

July 2022 Moment in Nature

This #amomentinnature has been a long time coming. I have tried to grow turk's cap lilies (Lilium superbum) for several years. My friend has given me several but I wasn't successful in growing them to flowering size. This year it worked; I had 6 stems mature enough to flower.

Then the moles came through! Four of the six stems were cut off, leaving just two. I dumped sharp gravel into the holes, hoping to save the last two. It worked and both of them bloomed this week.

Lilium superbum

As I admired the blooms one afternoon, a single Eastern Tiger swallowtail butterfly floated into the area. I have seen very few of them this year. So. Very. Few. She came over and sampled the lilies and the nearby Phlox paniculata. 

I took photos as she went from flower to flower. As I looked at the photos later, I realized I had captured a glimpse of her pollination services. 

Her wings collected pollen as she sipped nectar; the pollen was transferred to the next flower as she visited it. What a special moment to witness!

Notice the dark pollen on her wing

Where Do I Start?

 

Change can be intimidating. If you’ve been inspired to transform your existing landscape to one that includes more native plants, chances are you are wondering how to start. This is a question that comes in occasionally to native plant societies and I have fielded it a few times. Certainly, we recommend using a landscape designer, but that can be costly or sometimes people can only afford to replace small areas at a time (you can still get a plan and do one section at a time).

Butterflies are a good reason to add more native plants

I wrote a blog last year entitled “Easing Into Using More Native Plants” that outlined some strategies. It should be no surprise that the recommendations included Replace, Reduce, or Remove:

Replace – this requires no significant design changes; simply identify a non-native plant (like a shrub or tree) and swap it for a native one of similar size and appropriate for the spot (sun, shade, etc.)

Reduce – this focuses on reducing lawn to create more productive plantings but it might also apply to a plant that is overgrown for its space, especially a tree or shrub; replace with a smaller plant or group of perennials.

Remove – this focuses on removing invasive plants, especially those mature enough to fruit and create more in adjacent areas (like nearby neighbors or natural areas).

These shrubs are over 30 years old and sit in a prime sunny spot;
these are good candidates to replace.

Use those 3 R’s to identify manageable changes. Once you’ve figured out what you want to do, act like a pro and do two fact-finding steps. The information from these two steps will help you make the best choices for your change:

Learn – identify your light and moisture conditions in the chosen spot. On a sunny day in the spring or summer, watch how the sun moves across the landscape and count the number of hours that your intended spot(s) has direct sun. Check the moisture and determine if it is damp or dry (or in between). Full sun is 6 or more hours of direct sun or less sun but in the harsh afternoon.

Research – find what plants might be available and what your goals are. While searching for unusual native plants can be rewarding, often we are limited by what we can find at a nursery. This link on the native plant society website can help you find nurseries; just give them a call or check their online inventory listing.

Happy shrubs reward you with good blooms and dense growth;
this is Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica)

You know what you want to do and you’ve chosen your plants; now do it!

Plant – choose an optimal time (in Georgia: October and November are good months for planting trees and shrubs) for best success. I’ve have been amazed at how many people are planting things now during summer days with temps in the mid-90’s.  

Practice Care – the first year of any plant, including native ones, requires some attention. Water them if you don’t get enough rain, provide good organic mulch (not dyed!) in modest amounts, and protect them from critters.

Working small areas can make the change manageable

Pollinator Favorite: Bottlebrush buckeye

 

Aesculus parviflora

The bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) is a large native shrub with a small natural presence in southwest Georgia: Early, Harris, Clay, and Quitman are the reported counties. Its presence is more widespread in Alabama. This summer-blooming species – it is just now starting to bloom at my house – is not as well-known as its spring cousin, red buckeye (Aesculus pavia).

Bottlebrush buckeye has long panicles of small white flowers (parviflora means ‘little flower’) with long, pinkish-white stamens and red anthers. The panicles can reach 12 inches long and certainly resemble a bottlebrush. The leaves are compound with mostly 5 (but occasionally 6-7) leaflets.

While the shrub was first noticed by William Bartram in the 1770’s, it was described in 1788 by Thomas Walter based on a single population found in South Carolina. Bartram’s account of it was from southern Alabama where he found it as a large, stoloniferous shrub growing in the shade along stream banks.

The flowers in the panicle open from the bottom

The shrub can reach a height of 15 feet; the width varies and suckering growth can make it seem even wider. My first plant was a neighbor’s donation of one of her suckers. While it can take some afternoon sun in good moisture, this species is naturally found in part-shade, open woodlands. Like the red buckeye, the plant seems to be ignored by deer most of the time, a very desirable trait for many gardeners.

Silver-spotted skippers

When it blooms, I have primarily 3 visitors to it: the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (our state butterfly), the silver-spotted skipper butterfly, and bees. 

The flowering lasts for 3-4 weeks as the panicles mature at different times. Good pollination yields small buckeye nuts which are easy to grow into new shrubs.

Fall color is a nice clear yellow

Habit is large and loose

Summer can be a tough time for flowering plants. If you need more native shrub ideas, check out my earlier blogs.

Don’t Blow it all on Spring 

Save Some Room for Summer Blooms 

Summer Shrubs 

Native Shrubs in Georgia (all seasons)