Summer 2001 Kelseya Volume 14 No. 4 e i n n o B : n Kelseya o i t a r t s Newsletter of the Montana Native Plant Society u l l I are listed among the world's worst MONTANA PLANTS TRAVEL ABROAD agricultural weeds (Holm et al. …...without a passport! 1997). Horseweed (Conyza canaden- By Peter Lesica sis) is a weed of crops from wheat to bananas throughout temperate and tana natives are serious weeds of tropical regions of the world. Both ost of us are adversely natural areas on other continents small spikerush (Eleocharis acicu- M affected by the intro- (Daehler 1998), including tall cone- laris) and seaside bulrush (Scirpus duction of weedy exotic plants; even flower (Rudbeckia laciniata), maritimus) are serious weeds of if it's just the hawkweed (Hieracium Canada goldenrod (Solidago rice in much of Asia. They aurantiacum) in our lawns or the canadensis), Washington lupine have become pervasive pests Norway maple (Acer platanoides) (Lupinus polyphyllus) and in countries such as Japan seedlings in our flower beds. Weeds plains cottonwood (Populus where broad- leaved plants are a lot more than just a nuisance deltoides). Lodgepole pine are now controlled with to farmers fighting whitetop (Pinus contorta) has escaped herbicides. Seaside bulrush is reported to infest 80% of (Cardaria spp) or ranchers struggling cultivation and is spreading n h with leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula). rapidly in many Southern o rice fields in South Korea, J y sometimes causing complete loss It's gotten to the point that some of Hemisphere countries. Thirty b g of crop yield. Floating-leaved our plant communities look more like -nine species of native Mon- n i Europe than North America. What tana plants are common agri- w pondweed (Potamogeton natans) a r few of us realize is that weedy plant cultural weeds introduced on D and Canada waterweed (Elodea introduction is a two-way street; other continents, and many canadensis) are both aquatic many of our native plants have been are considered serious plants that block canals and introduced into Europe or Asia and threats to agriculture in at ditches in western Europe. Can- are causing havoc over there! least one country (Table 1). ada waterweed is a significant prob- More than 150 species of plants More than one- fourth of these are lem in Australia, where it infests endemic to North America have be- in the Aster Family, and Rudbeckia laciniata 5,000 miles of ditches. Ca- come naturalized in Europe, more nearly half are aquatic or nals must be cleaned by than from any other continent wetland plants. hand up to six times each (Weber 1997). Eight species of Mon- Five species of Montana natives (Continued on page 5) elk and the challenges of building an outfitting business Annual Meeting from scratch in the heart of one of America’s wildest Special Guests places, The Bob. They will bring with them copies of By Dennis Nicholls their most recent book, Chocolate Legs, as well as their earlier works, for purchase. BULL RIVER - At our camp on Bull River this summer It would be terrific to hear about some of the more there will be a community campfire, and we’ll gather extraordinary hikes you have been on, so come prepared round it each night for friendly chat and storytelling. to tell your own tales by firelight. We’ll all share in the We’ll be privileged to have Roland and Jane Cheek of laughs and frights of pursuing native plants and animals Columbia Falls as our special guests Friday night, the across Montana’s spectacular landscape. 13th. For more than 20 years Roland and Jane outfitted in It will be a real treat to have our guest of honor on the Bob Marshall Wilderness. They retired and sold the Saturday night, Jack Nisbet of Spokane, Washington. He business several years ago, but their experiences have has visited our area several times to give presentations led to the publication of several books about bears and on David Thompson, and he is an excellent speaker. (Continued on page 5) Kelseya President’s Platform Wayne Phillips OUR OWN WEBSITE sess this role of the Society. lic and commercial plant industry, On the web at www.umt.edu/mnps/ could help take the pressure off of is the Montana Native Plant Society's COMMERCIAL WILDCRAFTING collecting our wild native populations own website. Check it out! Our OF NATIVE SPECIES (see "Growing Echinacea" on our web- website is beautiful and very infor- More of our Montana native species site). The guidelines for collecting mative. Truly something to be proud are showing up as commercial prod- native plants on page 2-3 of our of. A big THANKS! to Marilyn Marler ucts. The latest one to come to our "Source Guide for Native Plants of ([email protected]) for getting attention is pressed plants as framed Montana" provide excellent advice us into the cyberworld! Marilyn is art. Beargrass leaves are in demand for plant collecting for any purpose. asking for photos from around the worldwide in the florist industry, and Because of the potential volume of state to further show off Montana's are heavily collected in Washington, plant material collected in commer- floral beauty on the website. Send Oregon and Idaho. After Echinacea, cial harvest, I wonder if these guide- your photos to her at 1750 S 8th St which of our Montana native plant lines go far enough. It is my personal W., Missoula, MT 59801. species will be targeted for mass col- opinion that the only "ethical" com- lecting by the multi-million dollar mercial harvest of our native plant CONSERVATON ISSUES international herb industry?..Oregon species is from cultivation. For that Our Society has become more active grape (Berberis/Mahonia species)?, reason, I will not purchase in conservation issues in the last few fern-leaved desert-parsley "wildcrafted" herbs of our native spe- years, supporting the control of com- (Lomatium dissectum)?, arrow-leaved cies. mercial wildcrafting of Echinacea and balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata)? THANKS certain other native medicinal herbs, Our Society is dedicated to preserv- Serving the last four years as your urging restraint in the breaking of ing and conserving native plants and President has been an honor and native prairie for cropping, etc. plant communities. What can we do privilege. Recent knee and back sur- Given the diversity of opinion of our as a Society to insure viable popula- gery will keep me from attending the membership, how active of a role in tions of our native species and plant annual meeting in Bull River, which I conservation issues do you think is communities in the face of mass greatly regret. Vice President Betty appropriate? Do we need guidelines commercial collecting (see Betty’s Kuropat will preside over the meet- or procedures to ensure that the comments on page 3)? Our vigilance ing in my absence. The Board of Di- opinions expressed in writing by the and active concern in these matters, rectors of the Montana Native Plant Board, Board members, or the Con- I believe, will be important chal- Society is the most dedicated and servation Committee, truly reflect lenges, with the long-term future of competent group of volunteers that I the majority opinion of the Society our native species and native habi- have ever been privileged to associ- membership? The Board would like tats hanging in the balance. Many of ate with. Although I will miss seeing to hear from the membership about us have found that growing native you all at this meeting, I look for- their comfort zone in conservation plant species from seed is quite prac- ward to the next opportunity to activism. Please express your opin- tical and a lot of fun. Accumulating study Montana's native flora with you ion to your Board representative and information on successful germina- and all of my friends from MNPS. discuss it openly in chapter meetings tion and cultivation methods for our These comments are my last words and Board meetings in the next few natives, and making this information to you as President. Thanks for the months as the Board attempts to as- readily available to the general pub- opportunity to serve you. Wayne can be reached at 2601 Third Ave. North, Great Falls, MT 59401 (406) 453-0648 e-mail: [email protected] MEMBERS… Jerry Long time MNPS member and author of Bitter- root, Jerry DeSanto is recovering from a long illness. His Wayne Our President, Wayne Phillips, is recovering companion, Karen Feather, reports that Jerry is now in from spinal surgery at his home in Great Falls. We all the Montana Veteran’s Home in Columbia Falls. He know Wayne as a tireless and active ambassador for Mon- would welcome your visits and letters. He can be tana’s flora and can only imagine how hard it must be for reached at P.O. Box 250, Columbia Falls, MT 59912 or by him to slow down. A program of physical therapy has calling 892-3256. For more information contact Karen at been initiated and Wayne’s spirits are good. Wayne 387-4266. would welcome your calls and visits at the above ad- Welcome to all new and renewing members dress. of MNPS! 2 Kelseya Summer 2001 Conservation Wildcrafting in Montana like to join this group or would like to-date through the foundation’s SB 197 was passed by the Montana to volunteer other times during the newsletter, Nutcracker Notes, dis- legislature this year and was effec- summer, please contact Linda Wal- tributed several times a year. WPEF tive immediately when the Governor lace at 994-0422 or by e-mail to also sponsors annual meetings that signed it into law on April 20.