NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS N e w s Native Plant Society of Texas, North Central Chapter P Newsletter Vol 32, Number 56 S June 2020 O ncc npsot newsletter logo newsletter ncc npsot © 2018 Troy & Martha Mullens & Martha © 2018 Troy Purple Coneflower — Echinacea sp. T June 11 Meeting Monarchs by Carol Clark Virtual meeting Many, if not all, Normal Meeting Times: 6:00 Social, 6:30 Business Activities and 7:00 Program Volunteer Opportunities Redbud Room are still cancelled. Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center Check with the Fort Worth Botanic Garden co-ordinators. Enjoy the articles O O AND PHOTOGRAPHS Chapter of the Year (2016/17) Chapter Newsletter of the Year (2019/20) Visit us at ncnpsot.org & www.txnativeplants.org Index President's Corner by Gordon Scruggs ..................... p. 3ff Flower of the Month, Heartleaf Skullcap Chapter Leaders by Josephine Keeney ......................................... p. 7f Activities & Volunteering for June 2020 President — Gordon Scruggs by Martha Mullens ....................................... p. 9ff [email protected] Woman Botanist: Catherine (Kate) Furbish of Maine by Martha Mullens .......................................... p. 12f Past President — Karen Harden Button Bush, NICE! Plant of the Season (Summer) Vice President & Programs — by Dr. Becca Dickstein ................................... p. 14 Morgan Chivers Answer to last month’s puzzle and a new puzzle ...... p. 15 Recording Secretary — Debbie Stilson “June Calendar” Page by Troy Mullens ..................... p. 16 Treasurer — Vanessa Wojtas Water for Life...Phytoremediation Hospitality Chair — Corinna Benson, by Erika Choffel ............................................... p. 17ff Best Native Plants for Novices by Bob Kamper ....... p. 21f Traci Middleton Yellow Stonecrop by Martha Mullens ....................... p. 23 Membership Chair — Beth Barber Plant a Tree by Troy Mullens ..................................... p. 24f Events Chair — Chairperson needed June Membership Report by Beth Barber ................. p. 26 NICE! Coordinator — Shelly Borders Hospitality by Corinna Benson .................................. p. 26 Plant Sales Coordinators - Gordon Scruggs New information on Bumblebees & Sandy Fountain & Josephine Keeney by Martha Mullens .......................................... p. 26 Education/Outreach Chair — Open Texas Wildflowers by Leo Meier & Jan Reid Webmaster — Frank Keeney by Martha Mullens .......................................... p. 27ff Field Trips — Eric Johnson NCC Demonstration Gardens Josephine Keeney & Theresa Thomas ........... p. 33ff Speaker’s Bureau — Theresa Thomas Make Your Own Potting Soil by Josephine Kinney ... p. 38 Donations/Grants Chair — Open Parting Shots, News & Views by the Editors ........... p. 39 Parliamentarian — Martha Mullens Volunteer Position Opportunites .............................. p. 39 Facebook Manager — Open State Fall Symposium .................................................. p. 39 Newsletter Editor — Troy Mullens Farmers Calendar by Troy Mullens ........................... p. 40 [email protected] Planting Guide by Troy Mullens ................................ p. 41 Post Oak Grasshoppers by Sharen Arnold ................ p. 42 Assistant Newsletter Editor — Recommended Plants List (Complete) ..................... p. 43f Martha Mullens Pollinator Pledge by the Xerces Society .................... p. 45 Southwest Subcourthouse Garden Leaders Half-Earth Pledge by E.O. Wilson ............................. p. 45 Gailon Hardin & Dawn Hancock This Year's Programs by Morgan Chivers ................. p. 46 Native Plant Gardens at the Southwest June 11 Meeting, Carol Clark, Monarchs .................. p. 47 Regional Library Leaders — Victory Gardens by Martha Mullens ......................... p. 48 Theresa Thomas & Char McMorrow Join NPSOT, Mission Statement, May Meeting ........ p. 49 Newsletter Submission Requirements ...................... p. 49 Molly Hollar Wildscape Garden Leader — Ann Knudsen Fielder House Garden Leaders — Josephine Keeney & Jane Osterhuis News Flash O.S. Gray Natural Area — ******************** Josephine Keeney Are you wearing White Settlement Waystation — your mask Merita Knapp & Sandy Fountain Publicity Chair — Chairperson needed when you go out? & Martha Mullens Troy ©2017 NLCP Classes Coordinator — It's not over ! Merita Knapp The President’s Corner - June 2020 - by Gordon Scruggs The coronavirus continues to impact our community. the toxic milky substance. The caterpillars raised on Your safety and well-being is of the upmost impor- these three species better insure the survivability of tance, so all in-person programs for our organization the Monarch because of the resulting limited preda- continue to be suspended. We encourage each of you tion due to their milkweed taste. In my article last to stay informed and practice safe measures to protect month I describe my “accidental gardening” tech- yourself, your loved ones, and others. We are work- nique that led me to growing milkweed. In summary, ing on having virtual meetings and hopefully that will each milkweed is flagged for location for about the happen soon. first two or three years until it is well established. I continuously limit the growth of plants around each In this article I thought I would discuss how my pur- milkweed to ensure full sun and minimize leaf litter. pose for gardening has evolved since I joined the Na- Otherwise, the milkweed plants are left to nature. tive Plant Society of Texas. Before joining, my over- all objective was to keep the gardens aesthetically My second goal of cultivating a variety of native pleasing. Of course this objective was met by using plants is important for several reasons. Trees and the old English standards of a perfectly edged and bushes are needed for mammals, birds, reptiles, and mowed St. Augustine lawn with gardens full of eye insects to have as homes and for shelter. Many are also catching flowers purchased from the local box store host plants for butterflies. A variety of wildflowers are and neatly trimmed trees with contoured shrubbery. needed to insure plants are blooming year round to Since becoming a member, the purpose has evolved provide seeds and nectar for birds and insects. Differ- to having a native micro-ecosystem in my yard; that ent butterflies have different host plants, so a variety is an urbanized environment where native plants and of plants enables many different species of butterflies animals interact and flourish. to reproduce in the yard. Another reason variety is important to me is that I can introduce the joy of na- To meet my new gardening objective, I have adopted tive wildflowers to my grandchildren when they come three goals. The goals are (1) cultivate milkweed, (2) to visit without having to take time to go to the park. maintain a variety of native plants, and (3) enhance They not only get to see the variety of wildflowers, the natural aesthetics. They are listed by importance butterflies, other pollinators, and predators, but also and level of effort. My gardening consists of no pes- many caterpillars. ticides and only irrigate to breakup extended dry pe- riods. Outside of the tasks for my goals and weeding, For variety I have different types of gardens based on every plant competes with the other plants to survive the physical conditions. I have four gardens that have so it can pass its genes to the next generation. Next I partial sun, one that has only dappled sun, and three will explain each goal and how to implement it. gardens that have full sun. My largest garden is my backyard and it is about 600 square feet with full sun. Cultivating milkweed became a major goal when I I have segmented it in to three areas by placing tall first learned of its importance as the host plant for plants (greater than about 42-inches) along the fence the Monarch butterfly. Without milkweed, the mon- line. The rest of it is split into two areas, the north side archs will disappear. It worked its way to the top of with short plants (less than about 18-inches) and the the list of goals simply because it has been so difficult south side with medium plants (about 18- to 42-inch- for me to achieve. Yes, I have been successful at cul- es). The first year I planted the entire area with all siz- tivating Butterfly milkweed / Asclepias tuberosa, but es of plants mixed. The tall plants dominated most of this species does not have the milky substance that the area and forced the small plants to be limited only Monarch caterpillars ingest to make the caterpillar to the periphery. and butterfly less palatable to birds and reptiles. The three milkweeds I have focused on growing, Antelope horns milkweed / A. asperula, Common milkweed /­­ Continued on Page 4 A. syriaca, and Green milkweed / A. viridis, all have June 2020 NPSOT News North Central Chapter Page 3 The President’s Corner - June 2020 - by Gordon Scruggs Continued from Page 3 Correcting this problem has required removal of wildflowers. The backyard has been converted to na- some of the taller plants from the area for short plants tive wildflower gardens. Most of the plants I trim back and seeding / planting each of the areas with plants of after they have died back and gone to seed. Texas this- the desired height. With the short and medium plant tle grows along the back fence and if you have been areas, I am now expanding the variety of plants in the around it you know how it turns pale and looks sickly yard to include many more short plants like Mead- when it starts