No. 82 May 2019 IrisThe Alberta Native Plant Council Newsletter Every Plant Tells a Story: In This Issue Documenting Native Plants in Every Plant Tells a Story – 32nd ANPC Workshop ..................1 Alberta at the 32nd ANPC Workshop Power of Native Planting in Coleen Mahoney a Municipal Park ...........................2 The 2019 ANPC workshop and AGM change in Alberta, and the development Impact of Rose Stem Girdler took place in Lethbridge on March 16. of the Kainai Traditional Plant database on Prairie Rose Communities.......3 This year’s theme was Every Plant Tells that is used to document Western and Figworts? What Figworts? ............6 a Story: Documenting Native Plants in Traditional plant knowledge. Alberta. Illustrated Keys to Alberta In the afternoon, we received an Vascular Plants – Update .............9 In the morning, our speakers provided update on the Second Edition of News and Events .........................12 us with information on monitoring in the Rare Vascular Plants of Alberta the Milk River Natural Area and the Book Project, an update on rare plant Kennedy Coulee Ecological Reserve, surveys and ACIMS, and information a ten-year update on the management on a new element occurrence of rough of Yucca glauca at the Pinhorn Grazing blazing star (Liatris aspera) in Alberta. Reserve, and using rangeland To close out the afternoon, we heard management in xeriscape designs. We about monitoring and assessing of also had an overview from the Alberta SARA species in southern Alberta, the Biodiversity Monitoring Institute on fight against invasive aquatic species monitoring and reporting from their in Alberta, and assigning wetland 1656 permanent sites, a discussion of indicator status to wetland and upland the importance of data gathering in plant species. Look for more information relation to development and climate on the ANPC’s website. See Workshop, page 8 www.anpc.ab.ca Workshop participants toured the display of soil monoliths at Lethbridge College. The collection was donated by Agriculture and Agri- Cover photo: Marsha Hayward Food Canada and provides Prairie crocus (Pulsatilla nuttalliana) growing in open a valuable resource for jack pine (Pinus banksiana) forest near Cold Lake, AB. instructors and students. Monica Bartha Iris ♦ The Alberta Native Plant Council Newsletter ♦ No. 82 May 2019 Power of Native Planting in a Municipal Park Kristen Andersen A project to establish native plants in a small park in Devon, AB, was completed in June 2018. The project was inspired by a group of local residents that had taken initiative to remove weeds and debris from the site over the past several years. There was a growing concern that the common landscape management practices around the Kristen Andersen small wetland area were contributing Kristen Andersen to habitat degradation, as amphibians, bats and garter snakes once present were no longer around. ANPC member Kristen Andersen joined a few motivated community members, and together they created a plan for ecological restoration of the degraded area while creating an opportunity for local stewardship and education. Restoration is assisting Kristen Andersen Kristen Andersen recovery of ecosystems that are damaged or degraded. In addition to environmental benefits, there are also spiritual benefits of community projects where restoration reconnects humans to nature and to each other. The work took place in a small wetland that is part of the stormwater drainage network in Highwood Park, located within a residential area, which includes a paved multi-use trail, a Kristen Andersen Kristen Andersen playground and green space that are Top Row: Left – Site along park trail before work. Right – Volunteer crew working on June 26, widely used by residents. The small 2018. wetland is about 200 m2. Devon’s parks, Middle Row: Left – Preparing erosion control filter sock. Right – Beneficial use of erosion ravines and river valley are home to control filter sock along top of slope. wetlands and watercourses that have Bottom Row: Left – Transplanting young native sunflowers. Right – After clearing and native planting work (June 27, 2018). surface and groundwater connections to the North Saskatchewan River and provide important ecosystem services. chamomile (Tripleurospermum inodorum) generally placed them in the following and quackgrass (Elymus repens). categories: 1) provisioning services The majority of the site is covered by (food, fuel and medicine), 2) regulating rock and landscape fabric installed for Establishing native species was a great services (purifying water or mitigating erosion protection. These conditions opportunity to increase aesthetic value floods, 3) habitat and supporting limit the ability for desirable plants and provide important ecosystem services (habitat and food for migratory to grow. Much of the vegetation is services such as habitat for birds birds, pollination and nutrient cycling), growing between openings in the and pollinator species, water quality and 4) cultural services (aesthetic, geotextile and on sediment that improvement and erosion protection. spiritual and intellectual needs) (MEA accumulated on top of the geotextile. An international coalition of scientists 2005). Ecosystem services are on the rise Weeds comprised the majority of produced the Millennium Ecosystem at the Highwood Park wetland through vegetation including perennial sow- Assessment Report (MEA) that defined the power of establishing native plants. thistle (Sonchus arvensis), creeping ecosystem services as “the benefits thistle (Cirsium arvense), scentless people obtain from ecosystems” and See Municipal Park Planting, page 8 2 www.anpc.ab.ca Iris ♦ The Alberta Native Plant Council Newsletter ♦ No. 82 May 2019 The Impact of the Rose Stem Girdler (Agrilus cuprescens Ménétriés) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on Prairie Rose Communities: A Call to Action David J. Larson (Note: First printed in Entomological the area of a tunnel but most often the or if the slice is so deep that it cuts into Society of Saskatchewan Newsletter, 2013, only indication that a stem is infested is the sapwood below the tunnel, at least Vol. 32 (2): 1–3.) when it dies. Girdling may cause stem the tunnel ends are visible as series of death only distal to the point of attack, parallel dark spots on either side of the A massive die-off but in the two prairie rose species the cut. One larva will kill a stem, but in the of prairie roses most usual situation is for the entire current infestation stems with multiple (Rosa acicularis stem to die back to ground level. Adult larvae are frequently observed. Figures and R. woodsii) beetles are present on roses in June 1 to 4 show the adult beetle, a larva and has continued and early July, which is presumably its tunnels, prematurely red infested unabated across the period of egg laying. However, rose, and larval tunnels exposed by southwestern whittling a strip of bark off the stem. Saskatchewan and southern Alberta It is also possible to determine if a dead since 2000 (Larson stem was killed by RSG. If the bark 2003, 2009). The is still on the stem, gently stripping it causative agent off will reveal the tunnel. Even if the David Larson David of this die-off bark has flaked off, tunnels are usually Figure 1. Adult rose is a buprestid lightly engraved into the sapwood so stem girdler. beetle, the rose remain recognizable. Dead rose stems stem girdler break down quickly, but generally (RSG) (Agrilus cuprescens Ménétriés) evidence of stem mortality caused by (Coleoptera: Buprestidae, also the RSG is evident as long as the stem commonly called Jewel Beetles). is intact. The RSG is an invasive species, first introduced into North America in New Jersey in 1923 (Bright 1987). Since that time the species has expanded its North American range to now occur from at least Virginia to southern Ontario and Quebec, and west to Utah and Idaho. The first record of RSG from the Canadian Prairies was 2001 based on Larson David adult and larval collections in the Maple Figure 2. Rose stem with bark peeled away to show spiral larval tunnel and larva at end of Creek, SK, area, although damage to tunnel. Larson David roses was first noted in 2000 (Larson 2003). the effect of the larvae is usually Figure 3. Rose plants showing the premature only noticed in mid- to late August reddening of leaves characteristic of stems The RSG is generally regarded as a and September when the leaves of killed by the rose stem girdler. minor pest of roses and to a lesser infested, dying stems turn prematurely extent raspberry (Rubus) and currant coppery or red. Infected roses are There are many internet references (Ribes). Damage is done by the larvae, easily identified before the healthy to the RSG, generally in the area of which tunnel in the cambium layer of roses develop their fall colours as well horticulture and its effect on cultivated the stems. The adult lays an egg into as during winter for the prematurely roses and other canes. There is little a hole in the bark and on hatching killed leaves become brown and are written on its effect on native plants, the larva tunnels beneath the bark, held on the stem over winter. The and in fact over much of its range, both moving up the stem in a tight spiral. presence of a RSG larva in a stem can native as well as historically invaded This tunnelling girdles the stem and be easily confirmed by stripping a areas, the beetle may have little effect. severs the phloem, killing the stem narrow slice of bark from the length of However, in at least southwestern beyond the point of attack. The stem the stem. A tunnel is dark in colour and Saskatchewan and adjacent Alberta, may become enlarged and gall-like in contrasts with the pale exposed wood See Rose Stem Girdler, page 4 www.anpc.ab.ca 3 Iris ♦ The Alberta Native Plant Council Newsletter ♦ No. 82 May 2019 Rose Stem Girdler, from page 3 the presence of the RSG has been a catastrophe to the two principal rose species (the stems of the third native species of the area, R.