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joe pye weed

A Dilemma: “Weed” or Pollinators’ Best Friend?

July 25, 2018

No, this poster is not an advertisement to plant more thistles! As part of a class on the need for pollinator habitat, it provoked questions and the rethinking of some old ideas.

Thistle_weed or pollinator forage
Thistle

A patch of any kind of flowers covered with bees and butterflies is a bit like a soda fountain or candy counter jammed with kids. Pollinators choose flowers that are close by, abundant, and shaped so their tongues can reach the rich reward inside—nectar! Flowering weeds—what we gardeners sometimes define as a “plant out of place”—fit all these requirements. And so, pollinators discovered the virtues of flowering weeds millennia ago.

Maybe it’s time to take a new look at your lawn and garden weeds, through the lens of these creatures who are responsible for so many of the fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and oils we eat. Maybe you, too, will discover the virtues of weeds already valued by our pollinators.

What pollinators need
All 4000 native bee species, as well as imported honey bees, depend on flowers for food! They get carbohydrates from the sugary nectars and proteins and fats from flower pollen. Moths and butterflies also require the foliage of specific host plants, in addition to their flowers, to provide food for their hatched butterfly and moth eggs. 

Flowering spring “weeds”
With the arrival of spring, early-emerging solitary bees, such as the mason bees, go to work pollinating berries and tree fruits. Mated bumble bee queens are coming out of hibernation to begin nest construction and egg laying. Perennial honey bee colonies build up their populations from the 10,000-strong winter clusters to mighty summer-foraging forces of 50,000 or more!

Many winter- and early spring-flowering weeds provide these pollinators much-needed food when little else is in bloom. Purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum), henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), for example, are important nectar and pollen sources.

Honey bee on purple deadnettle_Ron Guest_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_Flickr
Honey bee on purple deadnettle
Black swallowtail on henbit_John Flannery_CC BY-SA 2.0_Flickr
Black swallowtail on henbit
Bee on dandelion_Leo-seta_CC BY 2.0_Flickr
Bee on dandelion

Flowering fall “weeds”
Fall is an equally busy feeding time for our pollinators. Wasps and hornets seem to know that their nests will soon be empty. Bumble bees are rearing queens. Honey bees are filling hives with honey they will need to survive the winter. They’re also rearing important winter bees with special fat body glands that are repositories of nutrition for babies that will hatch after the winter solstice.

Fall-blooming asters (Symphotrichum spp.), goldenrods (Solidago spp.), Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium ssp.), and ironweed (Vernonia, spp.)—all native plants that are often treated as weeds—provide significant staples at a time of frantic pollinator feeding when other blooming plants are in short supply.

Hoverfly on wild asters_MJI Photos_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_Flickr
Hoverfly on wild asters
Monarch on wild goldenrod_Joe Giordano_CC BY 2.0_Flickr
Monarch on wild goldenrod
Eastern swallowtail butterflies on Joe Pye weed_Miss-Myers_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
Eastern swallowtail butterflies on Joe Pye weed
Honey bees on butterfly weed
Honey bees on butterfly weed

A special note on butterfly weed vs. butterfly bush
Ironically, the plants with “weed” in their common names, milkweed and butterfly weed (Asclepias spp. and A. tuberosa), are the essential host plants required for Monarch butterfly reproduction. But, the foliage of butterfly bush (Buddleia spp.) is of no value to any moth or butterfly in the United States. Yes, butterfly bush flowers provide nectar, but the plants escape our landscapes and show up unbidden in the wild as plants out of place!

Is your landscape a food desert to pollinators?
Or does it include a smorgasbord of useful, attractive flowering plants? Adding native flowering annuals, perennials, vines, shrubs, and trees to your yard will provide foliage for butterfly and moth larvae, as well as flowers for all pollinators. In your lawn, white clover (Trifolium repens) blooms provide nectar in summer (and as a bonus, clover along with your grass clippings may put enough nitrogen back into the soil to fertilize your lawn). Richard Orlando, in Weeds in the Urban Landscape: Where They Come From, Why They’re Here, and How to Live with Them, notes that other low-growing flowering plants, such as thymes (Thymus spp.) and self-heal (Prunella vulgaris), are lovely and useful additions to a grass lawn.

Ironweed at garden edge_Eleanor_CC BY-NC 2.0
Ironweed at garden edge

You decide!
No one can—or should—tell you which plants are weeds and which are not. Of the uninvited guest plants in your yard, you decide: stay or go? Plants such as the early spring weeds can stay but not be allowed go to seed. Some may get to grow at the edge of the lawn. Some may be treasured native plants.

Options, decisions, and responsibilities abound. Just remember to use your pollinator lens from time to time when you head out to the garden to weed. Remember what A. A. Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh, says: “Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”

Article written by Diane Almond, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer.           

For more information
Gardening for Pollinator Super Heroes!
by NC Cooperative Extension

Orlando, Richard. Weeds in the Urban Landscape: Where They Come From, Why They’re Here, and How to Live with Them. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2018.
(Although the plant list is specific to California, the history, discussion on IPM, and notes on many plants are appropriate for WNC.)

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Categories Beneficial Insects, Weeds Tags asters, butterfly bush, butterfly weed, dandelion, deadnettle, golden rod, henbit, honeybees, ironweed, joe pye weed, milkweed, pollinators

Going Native with Plants: More Than Meets the Eye

March 23, 2017

Living in one of the oldest and most biodiverse places on earth, it’s easy to take our native plants for granted. Look beyond the showy favorites—rhododendron, mountain laurel, native azaleas, dogwood, and sourwood—and you’ll find beautifully understated plants that create welcoming wildlife habitats and gorgeous gardens. 

Why native plants matter
Native plants do much more than look pretty! There are horticultural and environmental reasons to integrate them into your home garden:

“The destruction of natural habitat is the greatest threat to biodiversity worldwide. In fast-growing regions, development often fragments remaining natural habitats into smaller pieces that are less likely to support a range of ecosystem services. As natural areas disappear, residential landscapes become more important sources of nourishment and habitat for the many species needed to support healthy ecosystems.”
N.C. State Extension Gardener Handbook
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/12-native-plants

Take a page from Sherlock Holmes
Investigate the planting location. What does it tell you?
Soil: Is it well-drained or does it hold water? What is the pH? Some of our most showy native plants require specific soil conditions. The Turk’s Cap Lily, for example, likes rich, slightly acidic soil.
Light: How do the intensity and timing of direct sun and shade change throughout the day and during each growing season?
Aspect: Does the garden face north/south/east/west?
Space: Can both the horizontal and vertical space accommodate mature plants? Some grasses and wildflowers grow several feet tall!
Elevation: What is your altitude? Even a few hundred feet in altitude change can make a difference in frost hardiness. 

Mimic Mother Nature
Going native means focusing on plant diversity and layering. According to the authors of “Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants” (https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/landscaping-for-wildlife-with-native-plants): “Clustering similar types of vegetation allows wildlife easy access to seasonally abundant food sources without excessive movement and increased exposure to predators.” Create layers by planting low-growing plants and shrubs under taller ones. This produces a healthy environment in which birds can nest and feed.

Wildflowers that wow
Wildflowers often come to mind when we think of native plants— for good reason. They attract pollinators and add vibrant color. Reliable choices for our region include: eastern bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana), eastern columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), and lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) for spring; butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), summer phlox (Phlox paniculata), and green-headed coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) for summer; and Joe-pye weed (Eutrochium fistulosum), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), and New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) for fall.

Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana)_John Brandauer_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_Flickr
Eastern bluestar
Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)_Stephen_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_flickr
Eastern red columbine
Lanceleaf Tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata)_Jenny Evans_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
Lanceleaf coreopsis
Butterfly weed (Asclepia tuberosa)_Mark Levisay_CC BY 2.0_Flickr
Butterfly weed
Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)_Fritz Flohr Reynolds_CC BY-SA 2.0_Flickr
Joe pye weed
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)_Jame_CC BY 2.0_Flickr
Cardinal flower

Gorgeous groundcovers
Instead of planting a cultivated groundcover, consider a native that thrives in shady areas. For color and impact, partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) is hard to beat. In the spring, its small white flowers are a striking contrast against the plant’s vibrant green leaves. In the fall its bright red berries look holiday-inspired. Green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) is a popular low-growing groundcover perfect for rock gardens or along a woodland path.

Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)_Per Verdonk_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
Partridgeberry
Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)_J Michael Raby_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_Flickr
Green and gold

Fantastic ferns
They may not be show-stoppers, but in shade gardens nothing quite compares with a lush stand of ferns. Use cinnamon (Osmunda cinnamomea) and Christmas (Polystichum acrostichoides) ferns, for example, to provide a sturdy backdrop for their more delicate relatives like maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum).

Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea)_Aaron Carlson_CC BY-SA 2.0_Flickr
Cinnamon fern
Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)_NatureServe_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
Christmas fern
Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)_Kent McFarland_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
Maidenhair fern

Great grasses
It’s easy to overlook these hardy plants that provide a rich habitat for songbirds, skipper butterflies, and small mammals.  But to add height, texture, and delicate color to your garden, grasses provide a low-maintenance option. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), for example, has pink-tinged flower particles which create a cloud-like effect in mid-summer. Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) develops a blue cast in the summer that turns copper-colored in the fall and lasts through winter.

Panicum virgatum_Matt Lavin_CC BY-SA 2.0_Flickr
Switchgrass
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)_Autumn Light_jacki-dee_CC BY-NC-ND 2.0_Flickr
Little bluestem in fall

Resources
With so many choices available, making decisions about what is right for your garden can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are excellent resources for navigating the world of native plants. Purchase your plants from nurseries and gardens that specialize in propagating natives. Not only do plants harvested in the wild rarely survive, the practice of harvesting them degrades the very ecosystems we know and love.

NC Native Plant Society:
http://www.ncwildflower.org/native_plants/recommendations

Article written by Janet Moore, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

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Categories Native Plants Tags bluestar, butterfly weed, cardinal flower, Christmas fern, cinnamon fern, columbine, coneflower, coreopsis, ferns, green and gold, groundcovers, ironweed, joe pye weed, little bluestem, maidenhair fern, native plants, ornamental grasses, partridgeberry, switchgrass, tickseed, wildflowers

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