SPRING 2003, VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY Native Plant to Know Bottlebrush Buckeye Aesculus parviflora by Catherine Siddall Michael Dirr’s tome on woody plants is unlikely bedside reading because of its unwieldy size and dry, point-form style. It is a manual, after all. But by skipping to the Landscape Value listing I am often rewarded with an entertaining insight based on Dirr’s experience with these plants over a considerable period of time. (It can take years, even decades, to learn about how woody plants adapt and grow.) I pay particular attention to his evaluation of North American woody natives because I am convinced of their great untapped potential for use in the built landscape. Aesculus parviflora, bottlebrush buckeye, is featured in glorious golden fall colour on the cover of my paperback copy of Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. The author’s enthusiasm for this plant is evident:“Excellent plant for massing, clumping or placing in shrub borders...even if it didn’t flower it would be a superb shrub for foliage RANTON effect”.Under the Flowers heading he continues, G “In my mind, it is one of the handsomest of all RIGITTE native southeastern flowering shrubs.”After B reading this, I was hooked. I was excited to discover two mature Continued on page 12 ILLUSTRATION BY Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) SPRING 2003 1 The Blazing Star is... From the Editor… The Blazing Star is published quarterly This winter NANPS welcomed four new from others’ experience. Besides, we have fun! (April, August, November, February) by board members. Even the humdrum activities (like stuffing the North American Native Plant Society Eva D’Amico is a preschool teacher who envelopes – always need people for that) (NANPS). Contact [email protected] for tends her native plant garden and watches birds become interesting when you get to chat with editorial deadlines and for advertising in her leisure time. A nature photographer as like-minded people with great gardening rates. The views expressed herein are those well, she searches for giant puffballs with her stories to tell. As for the Plant Sale or the of the authors and not necessarily those of husband. Tom Du brings 10 years of Chinese booths, you may not be able to answer every NANPS. forestry research experience to the question that a passerby throws at you, but The North American Native Plant Society organization. Since coming to North America there will probably be someone around who is dedicated to the study, conservation, he completed a Masters of Forestry program at can – and you will learn from them. cultivation and restoration of North Madison, Wisconsin. His thesis was drought Members living outside the Greater Toronto America’s native flora. resistance in American elms. Emily Zhang is a Area have fewer opportunities to volunteer but web designer who wants to grow beautiful can still make a valuable contribution. For the Spring 2003 native plants in her new backyard. Garden newsletter to be a vibrant mouthpiece for Volume 4, Issue 2 designer Gillian Leitch enjoyed her experience native plant gardeners across the continent we hosting our Canada Blooms booth so much need input from you. Never written an article? Editor: Irene Fedun that she joined the board! Thank you to all. No problem; we’ll coax you through it. Have Production: Bea Paterson It’s encouraging to see more members great photos or illustrations to exhibit? We’d joining the NANPS board of directors. Of love to see them. Have a comment about the © North American Native Plant Society course directorship is not for everybody. But Blazing Star or other aspects of NANPS work? Images © the photographers and don’t let that stop you from becoming Please tell us ([email protected] or (416) 631- illustrators, text © the authors. All rights involved. As a volunteer organization we rely 4438) – we want to know. reserved. on members to get the jobs done. Without a For those who love to communicate dedicated volunteer base NANPS’ Seed electronically, our website Message Board North American Native Plant Society, Exchange, Plant Sale, booths at Canada (www.nanps.org) is a great place to ask and formerly Canadian Wildflower Society, Blooms and other events, newsletter, info answer questions, get a dialogue going, find is a registered charitable society, no. sheets, plant rescues….would never happen. native plant organizations or just learn more 130720824. Donations to the society are Members new to the organization, about plants. tax-deductible in Canada. especially those with limited native plant We’re determined to become a more gardening experience, may be intimidated by member-friendly organization. But we need NANPS Membership: CAN$10/year within the wealth of knowledge exhibited by long- your involvement to do that. Come join us. Canada, US$10 year outside Canada time gardeners. Don’t be. Everyone started Irene Fedun out somewhere, and everyone can benefit Please make cheques and money orders payable to North American Native Plant Volunteers Needed Society and mail to P.O. Box 84, Station D, NANPS biggest fundraising event – our use why not donate them to the Members Etobicoke, Ontario M9A 4X1. annual Plant Sale – is taking place on May 10 Table at the sale? Or dig up some of those Telephone: (416) 631-4438. E-mail: from 10 – 4. We need help setting up the rapacious spreaders such as wild ginger [email protected]. Web: www.nanps.org. plants when they arrive on Friday evening, (Asarum canadense) or mayapple selling the plants on Saturday and helping (Podophyllum peltatum) and bring them Board of Directors: Honorary President: James A. French with the take-down in the afternoon. along. (NANPS searched high and low but we President: Deborah Dale Of course you will want to take time out for simply could not find any ethically grown Vice President: Darcie McKelvey your own purchases. Be prepared; check out Podophyllum to offer for sale this year.) Treasurer: Kathy Edgar some of the plants that will be available for Please join us for this busy and fun sale. Secretary: Bill Kilburn sale by visiting www.nanps.org. As a member Volunteers will be invited to a social event Catherine Crockett you can even order your plants ahead of time. afterwards. Details to be announced. Grif Cunningham If you’re growing native plants from seed Help us make the 2003 NANPS Plant Sale Eva D’Amico and have way more seedlings than you can the best ever. Tom Du Irene Fedun Martin Field A SPECIAL THANKS TO JOE REA FOR JOINING NANPS AS A SUSTAINING MEMBER! Feng Gao Scott Guthrie Know Your NANPS WEBSITE! Gillian Leitch Howard Meadd Website feature this issue: Remember that you can post questions, Erika Thimm http://nanps.org/feature/frame.shtml. offer ideas, find that elusive plant or put Richard Woolger Learn more about outstanding natives up notices on our message board: Emily Zhang from sassafras to sedges. http://nanps.org/board/frame.shtml 2NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY Sowing the Seed by Paul Jenkins If you stroll through a residential neighborhood these days you are likely to observe a change. Alongside expanses of manicured lawns and formal plantings, you’ll find increasing numbers of gardens filled with native wildflowers and grasses. In rural areas homeowners are installing acres of prairies and meadows. Large corporations are also embracing the concept of environmentally sustainable, low- maintenance landscaping with native plantings at their factories and office buildings. Yet, it was not so long ago that many people considered most native species to be mere weeds. Through our retail store, Wildflower Farm, and our landscaping contracts, my wife and I talk to many gardeners who exhibit a strong desire to learn more about native plants and how to incorporate them into their landscapes. So the question arises: how, when and why did our society come to accept the concept of landscaping with native plants? The movement originated with a few people concerned about the fate of ENKINS endangered native plant communities. J AUL Inspired by their desire to preserve the P genetic diversity found in local plant species, they created "restorations" which became outdoor ecological teaching facilities. Volunteer groups across North America HOTOGRAPH COURTESY P (the Canadian Wildflower Society which later Echinacea pallida, Asclepias tuberosa, Coreopsis lanceolata, Tradescantia ohiensis are planted with grasses became NANPS, the Society for Ecological Schizachyrium scoparium, Elymus canadensis and Sporobulus heterolepsis in this meadow in Midland, Ontario. Restoration and Wild Ones to name a few) began restoring native plant communities, Hudson’s example as did Cobalt, Ontario. us to make that connection. embarking on endangered plant rescues and Now major centres such as Toronto and Finally, while it is true that people often educating the public. As more people became Ottawa are giving it serious consideration. plant wildflowers (or trees or shrubs) for exposed to native plants the concept of using The advantage of native plants suited to a their own enjoyment or because they want a them as a viable landscaping alternative for given environment is that toxic chemicals flower garden without all the work, many homeowners and businesses alike emerged. become unnecessary. Soil amendments are gardeners are working with native plants as a With the rise in environmental not required either, if plants are correctly way of returning something back to the consciousness in the 1980s gardeners began matched to the existing soil, light and Earth. The process of establishing and to re-examine their use of toxic chemicals in moisture conditions. Native plants offer restoring indigenous plant communities is a the form of herbicides, insecticides and viable solutions for the desperate gardener significant personal act, helping to heal our fungicides.