Landscaping with Native May 4, 2016

Restoring nature where we live, work, and play Nature incorporated into community design Native Demonstration Gardens

HPEC Native Plant Nursery A Radically Altered Landscape

• 98% of the lower 48 states has been altered for human use. • 43,480 sq miles of pavement • 62,500 Sq miles of suburban lawns • Source: Bringing Nature Home - Douglas W. Tallamy

How do you measure the value of

a river? Water is costly $$$ One square foot of lawn requires 20 gallons of water per year 60% of the residential water usage in the Western U.S. goes to landscaping Every year billions of gallons of water are used to support landscaping in Fort Collins alone. Decline in bio-diversity

Surveys by the Audubon Society reveal that bird populations in Colorado have declined 60% within the last 40 years as a result of suburban sprawl. Honey bees and other pollinating insects have experienced a similar decline within the same time-frame

“Unless we modify the places we live... to meet not only our own needs, but the needs of other , nearly all species of wildlife native to the US will disappear forever.” Doug Tallamy, Bringing Nature Home, 2007

Native Plants = Habitat What is Habitat?

• Food • Water • Shelter • Space • Arrangement What is a Native Plant?

A plant that occurs naturally in a particular region, state, ecosystem, or habitat without direct or indirect human actions. - Colorado Native Plant Society

Omernik EPA Map Eco-Regions of the

Top reasons to use Native Plants

1. Improved water conservation 2. Improved site adaptability, resiliency (able to survive without as much care) 3. Better sense of place – unique design element 4. Won’t become a noxious weed 5. May be required by law, policy, or covenant

6. Food or shelter for wildlife – watching the garden come alive 7. Reduce fragmentation of the landscape 8. Slow loss of local biological diversity

From Green Industry Survey taken by L. Potts, S. Wallner and M. Roll, published in Native Plant Journal in fall of 2002

Grouping Plants

• Soil may need to be amended or altered based on desired plants • Group plants in communities, with similar requirements, as they are arranged in nature • Close spacing is required if fullness and density are desired

Massing Plants • Larger groupings for visual and pollinator impact • Native plants may be massed in formal arrangements in the place of non- natives

Soil Prep • Alleviation of compaction is often necessary and will help with the recovery of beneficial soil biota • Most native plants do not benefit from added nitrogen (may encourage weed growth)

Mycorrhizae Covering the ground • Temperatures under mulch and gravel - same • Weed barrier (wrong and bad) • Steel edging is unnecessary with non-rhizomatous grasses • Most native bees (roughly 70%) require areas of bare soil for nesting

Raised beds for plants requiring better drainage

Native landscapes, unlike turf grass, provide four season interest, as well as habitat

Be a Lazy Gardener!! Reasons for not cutting plants back in the fall • Winter interest • Protects from desiccation and frost-heaving (Denver has more freeze-thaw cycles than any city in the U.S.) • Cover for over-wintering wildlife • Hollow stems (golden currant) overwintering invertebrates

Pruning to Death? • Birds require safe nesting space • Pollinators attracted to open sunny areas will also have more choices to pollinate or lay eggs on taller and trees along borders or north end of your yard

Combining Plants Painting utilizes color, form, texture and space

Music utilizes themes that repeat and transform through the measure of time

Garden design utilizes all of the above phe·nol·o·gy

/fiˈnäləjē/ noun

the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life.

Native Plant Booklet Committee Nick Daniel – Denver Botanic Gardens Deryn Davidson - CSU Extension Irene Shonle – CSU Extension Susan Crick Smith – Front Range Wild Ones Jim Tolstrup – High Plains Environmental Center Jan Turner – Colorado Native Plant Society Amy Yarger – Butterfly Pavilion

5 Regions • Prairie • Southeast • Front Range & Foothills • Mountain 7500+ • Western Slopes low elevation Additional wildlife information provide by • CSU Extension • Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center • Sarada Krishnan – Denver Botanic Gardens • Native Plant Booklet Committee

Early Season

Nodding Onion - Allium cernuum Sulphur Buckwheat - Eriogonum umbellatum Wallflower - Erysimum capitatum Prairie Smoke - Geum triflorum Firecracker Penstemon – Penstemon eatonii Bluemist Penstemon - Penstemon virens Pasque - Pulsatilla patens Golden Banner - Thermopsis divaricarpa

Nodding Onion Allium cernuum

Nodding pale pink umbels; 6”-12” tall; open woodlands, sunny, dry locations, up to 11,000’ late spring early summer

 Pollinated by bees and insects; attracts butterflies, Photo Linda Smith including the Hairstreak, and hummingbirds

Sulphur Buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum 6” -12”, sunny, dry, well-drained, up to 10,500’. Flower heads and turn reddish later in the season

 Essential for plant Bluebottle Butterflies.

Wallflower Erysimum capitatum

6”-24” tall flower heads; biennial or short-lived perennial. Sunny dry locations up to 8,000’  Adapted to pollination by longer-tongued insects such as bees Photo Linda Smith due to the tube formed by the separate petals

Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) Nodding rose-pink blossoms followed by long feathery seed pods, 6” – 12” tall; sun to part shade, moist to part-dry, up to 10,000’

 Wildlife Value - Nectar and pollen for generalist pollinators Photo Linda Smith

Firecracker Penstemon – Penstemon eatonii

Bright red blossoms on spikes; 1-2.5’ tall, sunny, dry, well- drained, bees love this plant

 Attracts hummingbirds; rabbit resistant

Photo Irene Shonle Blue Mist Penstemon Penstemon virens Small blue-violet spikes up to 1’ tall in late spring. Dry, well- drained locations in sun to part-shade, up to 10,000’

 Attracts birds, butterflies and/or bees - Deer Photo Jan Turner resistant

Pasque Flower Pulsatilla patens

6”-12” tall, part sun, moist to dry locations up to 9,000’ Cup- shaped lavender blossoms followed by feathery seed heads

Pollinated by flies, butterflies, wasps, bumblebees and other native bees Photo Irene Shonle

Golden Banner Thermopsis divaricarpa 1 -2’ tall, part sun, moist to dry; up to 9,500’. Can be aggressive.

 Wildlife Value – Nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies  Toxic Photo Irene Shonle

Mid Season

• Pearly Everlasting - Anaphalis margaritacea • Milkweed - Asclepias spp. • Harebell - Campanula rotundifolia • Aspen Daisy - Erigeron speciocus • Blanketflower - Gailardia aristata • Bee Balm - Monarda fistulosa • Rocky Mtn. Penstemon - Penstemon strictus • Black Eyed Susan – Rudbeckia hirta

Pearly Everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea Silvery foliage, clusters of ‘straw’ white flowers, excellent dried flower; 1-2’ tall, sunny, moist or dry sites; up to 10,000’  Utilized by bees and butterflies; larval host for skippers and Photo Irene Shonle American Painted Lady Milkweed Asclepias species 3 -4’ tall, back of border; sunny, moist to dry locations; up to 8,000’; will self-seed

 Wildlife Value - Nectar and pollen for many pollinators; host plant for Monarch Butterfly larva

Asclepias incarnata

Harebell Campanula rotundifolia

Nodding bell-shaped flowers; 6-12” tall, moist to dry, sun to shade, up to 13,000’

 Pollinated by native bees, bumblebees, and butterflies; attracts hummingbirds Showy Feabane Erigeron speciocus Daisy-type blossoms, lavender with yellow centers; 1-2’ tall, sun to part shade, moist to dry; up to 9,500’

 Wildlife Value - Nectar and pollen for small generalist pollinators

Blanketflower Gaillardia aristata

1-2’ tall, up to 9,000’; dry, well-drained, sunny locations, most of the commercial varieties are non- native hybrids  Long blooming period  Wildlife Value - Nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies  Notes – Resistant to deer and rabbits, thrives in well-drained soils

Bee Balm Monarda fistulosa

2-3’ tall, sun to part- shade, moist or dry; up to 9,000’

 Wildlife Value - Nectar and pollen for bumblebees, butterflies and hummingbirds

Rocky Mtn. Penstemon Penstemon strictus 1-2’ tall spikes; dry, well-drained, sun to part shade; up to 10,000’

 Wildlife Value - Nectar and pollen for bumblebees, butterflies and hummingbirds

Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta

Golden yellow/brown centers; biennial or short-lived perennial, reseeds readily; dry mountain meadows up to 9,000’; moist to dry locations

 Wildlife Value - Nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies; seeds for birds

Late Season

• Rocky Mountain Bee Plant - Cleome serrulata • Sunflowers - Helianthus species • Spotted Gayfeather - Liatris punctata • Tansy Aster - Machaeranthera tanacetifolia • Goldenrod - Solidago spp Rocky Mountain Bee Plant Cleome serrulata

1-3’ tall annual; large pink to lavender flower heads; reseeds readily; sun to part shade, dry, well- drained; up to 7,500’; available by seed  nectar for bees; attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, night flying moths; seeds provide food for songbirds Sunflowers Helianthus species

2-5’ annuals; sunny, dry, well-drained; give these plants lots of room in an informal, meadow-type setting

 Attract a wide range of pollinators including butterflies, moths, bees and flies

Spotted Gayfeather Liatris punctata Spikes of fringed rose- purple flowers attract butterflies. Rigid linear leaves. 6”-12” tall; dry, sunny, well- drained locations; up to 7,500’

 Wildlife Value - Nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies not browsed by deer Tansy Aster Machaeranthera tanacetifolia

Erect stems of small lavender daisy-like flowers; short-lived, but readily reseeds; 6”-30” tall; sun, dry, well-drained locations; up to 8,000’

 Attracts a wide range of pollinators Photo Linda Smith Goldenrods Solidago species 1-4’ tall depending on species; spreads by rhizomes; tiny yellow flowers in heads bloom mid-late summer; sun/part shade; moist to dry; elev. range varies w/species  Attracts a wide range of insects Photo Linda Smith that benefit from its nectar and pollen Shrubs and Trees

• Rabbitbrush - nauseosus) ( nauseosa ) • Chokecherry – Prunus (Padus) virginiana ssp. melanocarpa • Golden Currant - Ribes aureum • Wood’s Rose - Rosa woodsii • Boulder – deliciocus

Rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa (synonym Chrysothamnus nauseosus)

Bright yellow flowers late summer; up to 6’ tall which can be controlled by early spring-time pruning; dry, well-drained, sun; up to 8,000’

 Attracts bees and butterflies

Chokecherry – Padus (Prunus) virginiana

Racemes of white flowers in spring, followed by red/black . Up to 6’ high, wide-spreading, prefers dry, well drained location in sun or part-shade; up to 8,500’  Host plant for the caterpillars of the Western Tiger Swallowtail and the Two-tailed Swallowtail. The are eaten by many fruit-eating birds and by raccoons

Golden Currant Ribes aureum Yellow flowers in spring, black fruit for the birds; leaves red/orange in fall, 4- 6’ tall, arching branches; sun/part shade, well- drained; moist to dry, up to 10,000’  Host plant for the caterpillar of the Zephyr Anglewing Butterfly. Fruits are eaten by skunks, squirrels, chipmunks, and raccoons as well as numerous birds Boulder Raspberry Rubus deliciosus Large white flowers in summer; 5’ tall; sun to part shade, dry, well- drained, up to 9,000’

 Pollinated by bees, fruit great for wildlife Wood’s Rose. Rosa woodsii Large pink flowers in summer; red/brown prickly stems; red- orange hips in fall; 2-6’ tall, suckers from rhizomes; sun to part shade; moist to dry; to 10,500’

 The hips form an important food source for birds in the winter Populus deltoides

One of the largest North American hardwood trees. Sustained height growth of 5 foot height growth and 1 inch diameter growth per year for 25 years is common. The tree serves as a butterfly larval host

Apache Plume Fallugia paradoxa

Upright, to semi-evergreen, multi- branched , 2-6 ft. tall, with grayish- white, pubescent branches, white flowers and silvery puffs of fruit heads Side oats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula • Height x Width - 24' x 12“ for full sun. Water requirements – low • Interesting seeds arranged along the side of the stalk in late summer and fall. • Wildlife Value - Seeds for birds; host for skipper larvae, host for Satyr and Skipper butterflies Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium

A very ornamental bunchgrass with fine- textured foliage that forms very dense mounds 18”- 24” in height. Become radiant mahogany-red with white, shining seed tufts in the fall. Color remains nearly all winter. Attracts: Birds , Butterflies Larval Host: Ottoe Skipper, Indian Skipper, Crossline Skipper, Dusted Skipper, Cobweb butterfly, Dixie skipper Big Bluestem Height x Width - 48" x 24" Water Requirements – Medium Exposure – Sun to part shade Flower Color – Green/brown, interesting “turkey foot” seed-tassel Bloom – Summer Wildlife Value - Seeds for birds; host for skipper larvae

Switch Grass Panicum virgatum Height x Width - 48" x 24“ Water requirements – medium. Sun to part shade. Color – Green in summer turning to gold interesting seed heads persist in winter Wildlife Value -Seeds for birds; host for butterfly larvae, high Photo Irene Shonle resistance to deer

Yellow Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

• Height x Width - 48" x 24“ water requirements – medium. Sun to part shade, golden fall color. • Wildlife Value - Seeds for birds; host for butterfly larvae www.conps.org www.suburbitat.org