Red Mulch Rant

Dyed mulch is taking over - taking over the mulch aisle, that is. The mulch aisle at the big box stores used to have an array of bagged goods: pine bark mulch, pine bark nuggets, pine bark mini nuggets, hardwood mulch, cypress mulch, and soil conditioner (finely ground pine mulch). At least two of those types are gone now, their floor space given over to dyed mulches in at least 3 colors.

The popularity of these dyed mulches has exploded and the stores feature huge spring sales. For the last two years, the parking lots of both Home Depot and Lowes have enormous stacks of these mulches at special prices. I watch as pick-up trucks pull up and get 20+ bags at a time! Red, black and brown dyed mulches are the most common colors.

Mixing red mulch and pinestraw

These mulches are showing up in our neighborhoods and even professionally landscaped areas. Screaming red and coal black landscapes smother scattered perennials, occasional shrubs and solitary trees. Am I the only one that cringes at the unnatural palette they paint? Geez, at least get the brown one!

Nice blend with the natural woodlands - not!

Perhaps my personal preference should be left out of this. Not everyone has the same taste. Leaving aesthetics aside, there are still two reasons to seriously reconsider using dyed mulch.

The Dye

The largest companies proclaim that their dyes are “natural” dyes made from iron oxide (for the red) and carbon black (for the black). While these might be natural by-products, I am not very confident that I need large amounts of rust (iron oxide) and charcoal surrounding my plants. Should we believe them that these are “safe?” I’m sure we can all remember when they said several other chemicals (glyphosate as in Round-up, now considered harmful to humans, to name one) were fine. 

The Wood

Even small amounts of casual research reveals that the wood used in these mulches is primarily waste woods such as ground up pallets, shipping crates, and reclaimed woods such as old lumber that might have been treated with chemicals.

Sometimes it takes a few years for consistent results to show up. Also, are they evaluating human toxicity or plant toxicity? What about earthworms and soil bacteria? We are potentially poisoning the organisms that do the most work for us. (It reminds me of using neonicotinoids on plants and killing the bees. How counterproductive!)

Here are some ideas for mulch:

-          Leaves from your trees make the best, free mulch you can get. They are constantly decaying and releasing nutrients back into the soil while also attracting beneficial bugs and worms that help with the process and provide ground-hunting birds with food. If your leaves are too thick/large, chop them with a shredder or lawnmower before you place them in the beds.

-          Chips from tree companies can be a source of free mulch as most of them don’t want to have to pay to dump their chips in a landfill. These raw chips should not be piled high in the beds as they will heat up. You can age them in a big pile if you have room and then use them later (several months).

-          Bagged or bulk mulch that has not been dyed: pine bark, hardwood mulch (you may consider avoiding cypress mulch due to harvesting concerns, do your research).

-          Pinestraw is a choice that is readily available in the South; it is gathered from pine plantations. Examine the contents when applying to pull out any weeds caught up in the baling process (the non-native old world climbing fern has been known to hitchhike in the landscape that way).

-          Grass clippings, old garden straw – these are options if you know they are chemical free. Don’t pile them too thickly as they can create a barrier to rain if the clippings mat together.

This black mulch isn't 12 months old and it already looks faded

Redbud – Peas on a Tree

When someone says a plant is in the pea family, do your thoughts immediately go to sugar snap peas? Some people might envision the distinctive butterfly-like flowers associated with so many pea family (Fabaceae) plants (including sugar snap peas). In fact, Fabaceae family members with this type of flower are said to be in the Papilionoideae sub-family, a fitting name for those butterfly-like flowers. Our spring-blooming eastern redbud tree (Cercis canadensis) is one of those and those flowers are popping out now.

Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)

My first glimpse of the redbud was when I was driving along the highway in the spring of 1989; it was my first spring in Georgia. The highway generally has a thick row of pine trees along each side. Occasionally I would see glimpses of purple; I eventually realized they were thin branches enveloped in a tight arrangement of tiny purple flowers. Someone told me the name of the tree was redbud; I was confused – these were not red! I still haven’t figured that out.

Redbud habit (Cercis canadensis)

The eastern redbud is a small tree, growing 20-30 feet tall. The shape is wide and open, often being as wide as it is tall. Heart-shaped leaves emerge just as the flowers are finishing; it is unusual that the redbud has single leaves while most pea family plants have compound leaves. Pea pods form after the flowers, each holding about 4-10 bean-like seeds which are eaten by birds and squirrels. Seed production can be heavy on some plants and heart-shaped babies often sprout up.

Popular with bees

Of course, we can thank the bees for all those seeds. Bees absolutely love redbud flowers. I can stand next to the tree and see both native bees and honeybees happily foraging in those flowers.

The flowers are made up of five petals: a ‘banner’ petal, two wing petals, and two petals that are partially fused together to form a boat-shaped ‘keel.’ Bees go inside that keel to get to the pollen and nectar.

Close up flower and arrangement on branch

An interesting aspect of redbud is that flowers can emerge not only on the branches but also directly from the trunk. They are usually arranged in small clusters on short pedicels. The flowers are considered edible and are high in Vitamin C. The pea pods can be eaten too (maybe that’s a way to control the volume of seedlings).

If you’re looking for an early-blooming spring tree, give redbud a try. It appreciates part-shade in Georgia but can probably take more sun if it has good moisture. If you're interested in learning about other pea family plants in Georgia, check out my earlier blog post: More Peas, Please!

Flowers Before Spring

When the first sign of green starts to appear and the first flowers open their buds, you notice. After a spell of cold, drab winter, flowers are oh-so-welcome! Georgia may not have a very long winter, but it’s winter enough for us. It’s warm enough now to really be outside (maybe even a little too warm), and the earliest of flowers caught my attention this week.

Bluets (Houstonia pusilla)

Viola bicolor

The tiniest of flowers can often be found in the thin edges of the lawn. When I walk down the street, some of the “lawn flowers” that I see are bluets (Houstonia pusilla), field pansies (Viola bicolor), common violets (Viola sororia) as well as some non-native imports: hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta), the very similar looking spring draba (Draba verna), and dandelions (Taraxacum officinale).

Draba verna

Taraxacum officinale with tiny bee

With the exception of dandelions and common violets, these are annual flowers that rely on good pollination to set enough seed for next year. Thanks to early bees and butterflies, they seem to succeed, so it is good news for the flowers and good news for the insects that needed them.

In the woods, tiny flowers are also sprouting: liverwort (Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa), trout lily (Erythronium umbilicatum) and bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) are up well before the official start of spring in Georgia. All of these manage to send flower and foliage up through the fading leaves of fall, sometimes piercing straight through a leaf to reach the sun. Nature finds a way, doesn’t it?

Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa

Sanguinaria canadensis

Herbaceous plants aren’t the only early bloomers. In the shrubbery department, spicebush (Lindera benzoin) and blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are the earliest to bloom. Overhead, red maple flowers (Acer rubrum) decorate far-reaching twigs until they tumble to the ground for us to examine.

Hooray for the earliest of flowers, arriving even before we might expect them. They are right on time for the insects emerging to seek them and to soothe our winter-weary soul.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

Wild blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)

Myrtles All Around

From our second story window, we have a good view of the winter bird feeders. Of course, we planned it that way. I can sit at the kitchen window with a pair of binoculars and watch the warblers come and go. We have year-round birds too, but I only see the warblers in winter.  Pine warblers are the most common, and occasionally we get a visit from the yellow-rumped warblers.

Also known as myrtle warblers, these small black and white birds with yellow splashes are winter residents in Georgia. They breed further north of us. In the summer they eat insects, which is typical for warblers. In the winter they will look for and eat winter-persistent berries, such as junipers, poison ivy, and those of our native wax myrtle (Morella cerifera), hence the name ‘myrtle warbler.’

I would plant this shrub for the birds alone if need be, but it has other wonderful characteristics to recommend it besides its berries. Wax myrtle is a large shrub native to the Coastal Plain of Georgia, although it has spread into the Piedmont area, perhaps by birds or human intervention, and it grows wild in the woodland edges of yards in my neighborhood now.

Two of them were in my yard when we moved in and one was a female. Only females have the beautiful blue-gray berries that the warbler loves. Other birds eat them too, such as Carolina wrens. The berries have historically been used to make candles, especially the berries of the northern species known as bayberry (Morella pensylvanica). Early settlers would boil the fruit and collect the wax that floated to the top of the pan to make candles.

Ready-to-eat berries of wax myrtle (Morella cerifera)

Wax myrtle is an evergreen shrub which makes it desirable for privacy, winter interest and as cover for nesting birds. The leaves are mildly aromatic and an unusual shade of olive green. Deer usually only browse the most tender foliage, leaving the older leaves alone. You can use it as a large shrub or it can be pruned up to resemble a small tree.

Male flowers of wax myrtle (Morella cerifera)

For those in coastal areas, you probably already know that wax myrtle is tolerant of brackish water, sandy soils and salt spray. It also helps to improve soil conditions. The roots of the plant form nitrogen-fixing root nodules similar to legumes. When you count up all the pluses of this plant, you can see why it’s worth having, especially if you’re in its native range.

As for me, I’ll enjoy the ones I have and the warblers that stop by to visit. Whether it’s myrtle shrubs or myrtle warblers, I’m glad to have them around.

Buds Poised

Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Early signs of spring are showing. The Hepatica bloomed and the trout lily blooms (Erythronium umbilicatum) are starting. A few red maple flowers are to be found as well and yesterday I saw a large patch of the annual bluets (Houstonia pusilla) in full bloom.

Most people don’t notice these things; the big show is yet to arrive. While we wait, I enjoy noticing the swelling buds of trees and shrubs.

While some buds look the same as they have all winter, others are noticeably growing larger. In some cases, like the spicebush (Lindera benzoin), the color reflects the color of the flower because it is the flower bud that you are seeing. The Chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia) gives a hint of the white flowers yet to come.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) flower buds

Chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia)

Aesculus pavia

Sometimes the flowers are inside the leaves, like the red buckeye (Aesculus pavia). I can usually tell which buds will have flowers because they are so much larger, but sometimes I get fooled and the bud opens with only leaves.

Viburnum and azalea (Rhododendron) buds are similar in that regard as well – bloom buds are noticeably larger (and they don’t even contain the leaves!).

Crabapple (Malus angustifolia) leaves

Keep an eye on your shrub and tree buds and watch them expand as the days get longer. Earlier blooming plants usually start first. You might even find it interesting to keep a journal of the changes.

Phenology is the study of plant life cycle events and how they change over time due to climate. Are certain plants blooming earlier now than they were 10 years ago?

Well, whether they are or not, it’s always interesting to notice and appreciate how much nature can pack into that tiny bud package. 

As for that honeysuckle in the first picture, it's been blooming all winter. Another flower was blooming just a few feet away.

Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) blooming in February

Alternate or Opposite

When I’m talking to people about plant identification, leaf arrangement is the first place that I start. And while I’m usually talking about woody plants (trees, shrubs and vines), leaf arrangement on perennials is used for identification as well. To simplify the concept, this post will focus on woody plants.

Calycanthus floridus, opposite leaf arrangement

Leaf arrangement on a plant is either opposite or alternate: leaves may be opposite one another on the stem or they may be alternate along the stem.

Occasionally you might find plants with leaves arranged in a whorl, which is 3 or more leaves together. Lily (Lilium) is a good example of a plant with leaves in a whorl.

Viburnum with opposite twigs

In the winter time, you might think that you can’t discern leaf arrangement on deciduous plants because the leaves have dropped. The clues are still there, even when the leaves are gone. In younger trees or shrubs, you can study the branches – they follow the same pattern as the leaves. Older trees might not have all their original branches so it’s best to examine the twigs.

The twigs are the ends of the branches; they represent the most recent year’s growth. In a slowly growing plant, the twig might be very short, but in a rapidly growing plant there could be several inches of twig. The fresh growth on the twig is a good place to check for leaf buds.

Hawthorn (Crataegus) leaf buds, alternate

Leaf buds are next year’s leaves. They may be large and prominent like American beech (Fagus grandifolia), or they may be so small as to appear hidden like sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus). In both cases, you can still discern the arrangement.

Most leaf buds are large enough to see in the winter. You will usually see the leaf bud and below it is the leaf scar (where last year’s leaf was attached). Only occasionally do I feel the need to use a 10x hand lens to figure out arrangement. Another tip: twigs with opposite leaf arrangement are fairly straight while those with alternate leaf arrangement might have a bit of a zigzag appearance.

Beech leaves, alternate

Leaf buds are not visible in the spring and summer because they haven’t formed yet, but it doesn’t matter because we have the leaves to help us to see the arrangement. Occasionally some leaves are missing, so look carefully before you decide the arrangement is alternate; it might be opposite with missing leaves.

Now that you’ve identified the leaf arrangement, you can proceed further into identifying the plant. Most plants have alternate leaf arrangement, so if yours has opposite then you have a smaller set of choices.

I’ve given up on using mnemonics to remember the common opposite plants; every version I’ve heard leaves several of them out. Here are the common ones in Georgia: maple (Acer), buckeye (Aesculus), Viburnum, ash (Fraxinus), dogwood (Cornus, except one species is alternate), elderberry (Sambucus), fringetree (Chionanthus), beautyberry (Callicarpa), Euonymus, honeysuckle (Lonicera), sweetshrub (Calycanthus), and buttonbush (Cephalanthus).

Most identification books offer a “key” for you to follow. The key walks you through a series of questions until the plant is identified. Winter keys will focus on other twig characteristics such as leaf scars, bundle scars, terminal bud and bud characteristics and presence of lenticels (you might want that hand lens here). Summer keys will focus on the leaf characteristics as well as flowers and fruit (seeds, nuts, berries).

I always recommend that the best way to learn is to practice on plants that you already know until you are familiar with the keying process.

Good resource: Native Trees of the Southeast by Kirkman, Brown and Leopold (older version of this book is Trees of Georgia and Adjacent States).

Native Shrubs for Supporting Birds

Lots of blog posts out this week about watching birds in the winter, and this weekend is also the Great Backyard Bird Count. My feeders are out during these lean months, and this week’s second snow “event” of the year had them flocking in to devour seeds, suet and mealworms. I like to feed them in the winter because I know that humans have taken more natural winter food sources than we should have.

Cardinal with Euonymus americanus

In my continued focus on shrubs, I’d like to offer some ideas on native shrub choices that we can make in Georgia to provide year-round bird support. These ideas might be of particular interest to people that have a passion for birds and want to include their garden as a way of supporting them.

There are 3 areas of support that I would consider for birds: shrubs that provide fruit, berries or seeds for birds; shrubs that provide dense cover; and shrubs that support insects that would then be a food source for birds.

Food for Adults

Shrubs that provide fruit, berries or seeds are basically supporting adult birds. Adult birds that eat fleshy fruits or berries are frugivores. Adult birds that eat seeds are granivores. Some granivores like cardinals will also eat berries in the fall in winter.

When selecting these shrubs, be sure to research their light preferences. A shrub that grows in too little light won’t produce as many flowers and, consequently, not as much fruit/seeds. Your success in providing food for birds with these shrubs depends on your placement of them.

Here are some ideas: Native viburnums (Viburnum spp.), hearts a bustin’ (Euonymus americanus), spicebush (Lindera spp.), elderberry (Sambucus spp.), holly shrubs (Ilex verticillata, I. glabra, I. vomitoria, I. cassine), chokeberry (Aronia spp.), shrub dogwoods (Cornus amomum, C. foemina and others), St. John’s wort (Hypericum spp.), beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), huckleberry (Gaylussacia spp.), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), sumac (Rhus spp.).

The fruits of silky dogwood (Cornus amomum)

Cover for Birds

Dense shrubs have a thick network of branches inside the shrub. They are the ones you hesitate to stick your hand inside when the tennis ball you threw for the dog rolls into it. Twigs and branches are going every which way! Those shrubs are perfect places for birds to build a nest or just take shelter during the night.

Some ideas:  Some native viburnums such as V. obovatum and V. prunifolium. Shrubby hollies like Ilex vomitoria and Ilex glabra. Dwarf forms of wax myrtle (Morella cerifera). Aggressive pruning can encourage dense growth, even of shrubs that might not have been so inclined.

Viburnum obovatum

Shrubs as Larval Host plants

A third source of support for birds is to provide them with insects. Most birds (96%) feed insects to their nestlings and many adult birds eat insects as part of their diet (insectivores). The ability of plants in our landscapes to both attract and produce insects is an important point when selecting plants.

Azalea sphinx moth in my garden

An important source of information in understanding which plants have host relationships with insects is a study and subsequent book published in 2007: Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy.

A website now makes the data from the study available to all of us. Based on that data, here are the genera which have shrubs (some also have trees) and the number of insects that use them as hosts:

Cherry/plum (Prunus, 456 different insects), blueberry (Vaccinium, 288), blackberry (Rubus, 163), hawthorn (Crataegus, 159), alder (Alnus, 156), rose (Rosa, 139), dogwood (Cornus, 118), viburnum (Viburnum, 104), currant (Ribes, 99), spirea (Spiraea, 89), and sumac (Rhus, 58).

You can see there is some overlap - some plants that provide fruit for birds are also good at being a larval host. It would be a good opportunity to choose something that is in both lists, especially if you have a smaller area. For more ideas besides shrubs, visit my earlier blog on Natural Bird Food.