What Have They Done to this Plant?

 

The common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a native plant that might be found in Georgia but is primarily native to the Midwest. Presence in Georgia is likely because of human assistance. It is an annual plant, growing each year from seed; there are numerous perennial species of Helianthus, and over a dozen of them are native to Georgia (and you can find my earlier post on Helianthus here).

Common sunflower is the only plant species native to North America to become a worldwide crop of economic importance. All parts of the wild plant were used by indigenous people for food, medicinal, and ceremonial purposes. Source 

As a result of such extensive usage, it's not surprising that people have bred it for both higher yields (bigger heads for more seeds), usage for sunflower oil, and ornamental purposes (different color flowers). The form of the plant is naturally a multi-flower plant with smaller flowers and leaves than you might expect. You can see some good photos of it on this site, but this photo below is fairly representative of the form.

Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

One of the most significant cultivation efforts took place in Eastern Europe where breeding programs in what is now Ukraine and Russia developed the single large flower on a single giant stem. This is often sold as the cultivar called 'Mammoth' and fields of it provide for great photo ops (as well as large amounts of seeds).

A field in North Georgia planted for tourists

I came across a vegetable plot recently where a variety of different cultivars had been planted amongst the tomatoes, corn, and peppers. Three of the below photos are from that plot. The fourth photo is a dwarf form that I found being sold at the grocery store.

'Mammoth' cultivar is very tall

A dwarf form sold in pots

Fewer disk flower cultivar

Cultivar with autumn colors

On all the cultivars, the foliage is still beneficial to insects that might use it (such as the 73+ species of moths and butterflies that lay eggs on it) and most of them still have lots of disk flowers to support bees and feed the birds. It's a fun and well known native plant to add to your garden whether you grow vegetables or not, but you do need lots of sun for it.

July 2023 Moment in Nature

 The tigers have been a long time coming this year - the Eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies, that is. I have seen very few so far; even my neighbors' buttonbush failed to attract very many when it bloomed in June.

My summer phlox cultivar 'Jeana' (Phlox paniculata 'Jeana) is blooming now and a couple of females have been on it for days. I have written before about this especially floriferous cultivar (it has smaller flowers but more of them than the species). I also grow the Phlox paniculata species, so I have observed the differences first hand. Read my post (linked here) for the history of how this discovered sport came to be. Skeptical of cultivars? Read the native plant society's position on them here.

This month's #momentinnature celebrates these elegant butterflies and their return to my garden! Here's hoping that next year they'll come back a little sooner!

Landscape Spotlight: Parking Lot Rain Garden

 

Last week I was driving with a friend when I spotted some cattails in a parking lot. About 1 second later I realized that next to the cattails were pink and white hibiscus, and I realized that someone had installed a rain garden there. The business currently located in this spot is Shake Shack, a burger/shake joint (this one is in Alpharetta).

Crimson-eyed rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)

I have seen a couple of other efforts in the area to create parking lot drainage areas, but this one is particularly colorful. I’m not sure that the cattails (Typha latifolia) were a good idea because they are filling up the area and even popping up into adjacent areas. Particularly colorful right now were pink and white hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos). I was surprised also to see what appears to be wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa); I had no idea it could handle the occasional heavy moisture that a rain garden can have. A blooming goldenrod (Solidago) was there as well but it might not have been planted deliberately.

Monarda 

Crimson-eyed rosemallow, different color form

Between the rain garden and the sidewalk, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) was growing. The cultivars of that species are certainly helping it to get used in designed landscapes. And there are plenty of non-native plants in the overall design, but you can’t help but do a little fist pump to see things like this.

Use Your Garden to Support Fireflies

 

I was out this week at dusk and was pleased to see a sprinkling of fireflies blinking in the darkest areas. I chased them around a bit, hoping to get some photos, but mostly I just collected a bunch of spider webs. You may have heard that fireflies have been decreasing in population, and people have realized that they are seeing fewer of them (if any at all).

Photinus pyralis, common eastern firefly

We are fortunate that one man has made it his mission and his work to document how humans can help fireflies; his website firefly.org has lots of information to help us learn more so that we can do better about supporting them. I learned that my fireflies are Photinus pyralis, or the common eastern firefly.

If you’re already following garden practices usually associated with having more native plants (reduced pesticides, leaving organic material) then you are well on your way. Firefly larvae are carnivorous so the actual plants you use are not as important. Firefly spend most of their life (up to 2 years) as larvae, eating small insects, slugs, and snails. It is unclear what adults eat but they only live for 3-4 weeks. Adults do appreciate having vegetation like long grasses (think ornamental grasses) that they can rest in during the day.

So while you’re busy adding native plants to your garden, reducing your use of pesticides, and leaving your leaves – know that you’re also helping out these fairies of the night. And get out there and see them. We enjoyed catching (and releasing) fireflies in July 2021 with our grandson; it’s a fun way to help kids understand that special creatures are all around us.

Summer Compilation

 

Left: Rudbeckia fulgida, Pycnanthemum muticum;
Center: Agastache foeniculum; Right: Asclepias perennis, Hibiscus coccineus

It’s summer! When it comes to native flowers, what can we expect? And what should we consider when we realize our summer doesn’t have enough native flowers? You can imagine that over the last 12 years, I’ve written about summer flowers a time or two. Here is a list of summer topics you might want to read. I hope that you find something inspirational for your garden this summer!

Plant specific posts:

Pycnanthemum (Mountain Mints) 2014

Helianthus (Sunflowers) 2012

Silphium (Rosinweeds) 2014

Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susans) 2012

Hibiscus (hardy and native) 2014

 

Plant collection posts:

Summer Perennials 2011

Early Summer Garden 2020

Summer Whites 2020

Summer Blues 2017

Late Summer Yellows 2011 (includes comparison of flower head backs)

Summer Shrubs 2018

 

Garden Ideas:

A Native Cottage Garden 2017

Native Plants in Containers 2013

 

Left: Rudbeckia laciniata; upper right: Clethra alnifolia; lower right: Rhododendron prunifolium