Plant of the Week: Dutchman's pipe or pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla)

In the movie "Field of Dreams" an Iowa corn farmer hears a voice that commands "if you build it, he will come" and he interprets the vision that he should plow under the corn field and build a baseball diamond for the Chicago Black Sox, which of course he does and we all know the rest of the story.  This plant of the week is one of those, if you plant it, they will come stories.  My first personal narrative came when I planted a sole Dutchman's pipevine in the backyard and on July 4, went out to browse around the garden and low and behold, I found caterpillars, dozens of them, all sizes, eating those large heart-shaped leaves like there was no tomorrow. Those caterpillars were of the pipevine swallowtail that I had observed visiting the garden some weeks before.  What a thrill it was to know that there actually was order in the universe!  What amazed me so much was that native populations of this plant were many, many miles away from my urban landscape in Lexington.  Since that time I am not sure I can remember not visiting yards or nurseries and not seeing caterpillars eating pipevine leaves.  This is not a showy vine in the least and of course it gets its name from the pipe shaped flowers, that are often hidden and inconspicuous, that appear in early summer.  It is a rapid grower, up to 75' in some cases, given some good garden soil (it can't tolerate dry, clay soils) and full to part sun and something to climb on like a trellis, stout tree, or even along the top of a wooden fence.  It is the primary plant that attract pipevine swallowtail butterflies, which consume the leaves and are then somewhat toxic to other predators because of the alkaloids contained within the leaves that the caterpillars consume. One of the really fascinating things about the flower is that the strong scent attracts insects, usually flies or gnats, and get caught in the fine hairs of the tube and are eventually released as the hairs wither, releasing the insects covered in pollen.  There are three species native to Kentucky: A. macrophylla, A. serpentaria, and A. tomentosa and they are members of the birthwort family which was so named because of the medicinal properties related to aiding childbirth.  This is a species that can be grown quite easily from seed.  If you are looking for a fast growing species that can quickly cover a porch, this would be the ideal plant.

Plant of the Week: White Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

Everyone has probably heard about drinking sassafras tea or root beer, elixirs that were historically made from the roots and shoots of the sassafras tree.  However, the primary ingredient in sassafras oil is safrole which has been banned by USDA as a food additive since 1976 when it was discovered to be carcinogenic.  Today the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency monitors safrole and sassafras oil because it is used to make three different psychedelic drugs including "ecstasy".  Hence today root beer gets its unique odor and fragrance from esters found in wintergreen and black birch (methyl salicylate) and the other aroma for food additives are made artifically. Other uses of sassafras include using the dried leaves to make file' for use in Creole and Cajun cooking (most notably gumbo), for aromatherapy, and for fragrance in perfume and soap.  As a landscape tree it is best used where sprouting by new individuals is not a problem because this species has a tendency to root sucker forming a clump of small trees as a result of its shallow root system.  The main stem does have a deep taproot making this a drought tolerant species. This species is adapted to a wide variety of habitats but it must have very well drained soils, usually sandy loam but not heavy clay.  It has outstanding fall color ranging from orange to deep red and the pyramidal shaped tree can be quite stunning when it reaches its maximum height of 60' tall. It has small inconspicuous flowers that appear in March and April followed by small bluish black fruits in September.  The leaf shape of this species is variable and ranges from ovate to mitten-shaped to three-lobed. Young leaves have a soft downy appearance.  The plant does well in full sun but can take some partial shade.  In terms of wildlife use, the berries are eaten by birds and it serves as a host plant for the spicebush swallowtail.

Plant of the Week: Snow Trillium (Trillium nivale)

The smallest and earliest flowering of all the Trillum or Wake Robins, the snow trillium, is considered rare throughout much of its range.  It is a diminutive little gem that can be challenging to find in the nursery trade, but it is available from several specialty nurseries and it can be expensive.  This species loves limestone soils and reaches a total height of 2 - 4" tall.  It typically flowers in March in Kentucky and is one of the early, showy spring ephemeral wildflowers.  It reproduces from seed, but most often via underground rhizomes.  Thus when you typically find this species in the wild it is often observed in a large colony.  The seeds are dispersed by ants and it takes up to 4 years to grow this from seed (which is why it is so expensive in the trade). This is a long lived species and individual plants can live for more than 8 years, and usually much, much longer giving rise to large colonies.  Unlike other shade or woodland garden plants, this species does not like heavy leaf mulch and so in the garden it should be planted in good loamy, fertile limestone soil where it gets filtered sunlight but where the leaf litter doesn't accumulate. Another unique feature is that this species doesn't appear to like competition and hence it should be planted in an area that will not be over-taken by other woodland species like wood poppies, bluebells, asters, etc.   This is an easy trillium to identify because it flowers earlier than all the other trilliums, is small growing to 4" in height, has a single stem that produces a single flower with 2" long petals and sepals and is usually white to off-white in coloration and the leaves often have a grayish tint to them.  Like other trilliums, deer love these plants and they should be protected if you have deer present in the surrounding area.  Because this plant is so uncommon in nature and is endangered in Kentucky, do not dig plants from the wild and purchase only nursery propagated, not nursery grown, plants from reputable nurseries.  Even though this species doesn't like competition, you can put some companion plants next to areas where your colonies develop and a couple of these are quite showy as well and include hepatica and rue anenome.

Plant of the Week: American Snowbell (Styrax americanus)

I will never forget the first time I encountered this beautiful deciduous shrub in the wild.  I was working on the rare wildflower book and was out at Land Between the Lakes looking for Trepocarpus (not a very showy plant at all).  As I was walking along the shore next to the woods I saw a beautiful shrub that at first glance looked like a honeysuckle because it was covered in dainty white flowers and it smelled fantastic.  As I approached I realized it wasn't a honeysuckle at all, rather the American snowbell. This shrub does very well in the landscape because it is a wetland species that likes moist soil and partial shade, although it will grow in full sun.  It has a preference for acidic soils but does just fine in the limestone soils of central Kentucky.  While it can reach heights of 10 to 15' tall, I rarely see it get over 6 to 8' tall and it has a very open canopy form with simple, alternate elliptical shaped leaves that are smooth below and slightly hairy above. While the bark is generally a gray color on the main stem, individual branches can vary in color from reddish to brownish to greenish and as they age the go from slightly hairy to smooth.  The showy flowers are quite fragrant and are pollinated by bees and this is a primary host plant for promethea moth (Callosamia promethea). This is a relatively fast growing shrub and it is easily propagated from softwood cuttings.  A number of nurseries sell this species and some even carry large balled and burlap specimens.  This is a wonderful addition to a woodland garden and would work nicely with Carolina Silverbell and Flowering Dogwood as understory species because it flowers in April.

Making a Mountain out of a Mole Hill

All this warm weather seems to be getting life busy and into the fast lane. One of the creatures that is now beginning to show signs of activity is the eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus) and the tell tale signs, hills and tunnels, are beginning to appear on the landscape.  I am curious of people's fascination with moles and how the minimal damage they do can create such hubris.  I mean really, people go crazy, putting chewing gum, razor blades, broken glass, diesel fuel, lye, Drano, pickle juice, red pepper, bleach, moth balls, rose branches, human hair balls, soil vibrators, ultrasonic contraptions,  gasoline and explosives down holes to drive them away.  Just as crazy is using poison peanuts or trying to fumigate an entire burrow system.  I understand people wanting a nice lawn, but the reason a mole lives in that lawn is because it has an abundant food supply, either insect grubs (not a good thing) or earthworms (a good thing) and the soil texture and moisture is to their liking.  Moles are quite beneficial in that they aerate soil and they break-up and condition soil through their burrowing activities.  One thing is for certain, there have been no advances in mole control for about 80 years and the old standby of trapping is still the best control method available.  Oh you can put down one of those castor oil based repellents and it may work for a month but you will then need to reapply and this can be expensive over the long run.  You can also control the grubs in the lawn so check out this great publication for help:

 http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ent10.asp

Perhaps you can get a dog that loves to dig and burrow and go after them when they are active early morning or late afternoon.  Or you can hire a professional to take care of the problem. But in the end you will come to the conclusion that trapping is the most effective, long term solution.  So why don't people trap moles?  Mostly because it takes skill and patience to be successful and most humans want a quick fix.  Before I go further into discussing why trapping often fails, I recommend you read and re-read the mole control publication from the University of Kentucky:

http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestryextension/Publications/FOR_FORFS/FOR42.pdf

Now why does mole trapping often fail?  Biggest reason: not locating the active runs which are long and straight (see photo below of long, straight run).  Reason two: not enough traps.  If you have three active runs in a lawn, use three traps. Reason three: traps are not placed deep enough so the mole can squeeze past the trigger. Reason four: lack of patience.  If you haven't captured a critter in a couple of days, move the trap.  A few other pointers not covered in the mole publication.  When attempting to control moles keep the turf mowed close so you can see new mole burrowing activity and place traps in the appropriate position.  If a trap has been triggered, dig on either side to see if you have captured the animal because sometimes you think you haven't captured the suspect when in fact you have. Trap tunnels not holes (i.e. mounds of dirt) and when trapping tunnels don't trap the ends, trap the center section. While the new mole earthworm baits have been promoted as being effective, there is little independent research to verify these claims but it makes sense that to be successful the key to their success would be to getting those baits into the same tunnels you would trap.  Good luck because in all likelihood, you will need it.

Plant of the Week: Gaywings or Fringed Polygala (Polygala paucifolia)

This is an easy woodland wildflower to overlook but it is a delight whenever you stumble across it because of its brightly-colored flowers and diminutive size.  It is often mistaken for an orchid but in reality it is a member of the milkwort family which, when eaten by mammals supposedly stimulates milk production.  Hence the name polygala is derived from the Latin "poly" meaning many and "gala" meaning milk. The species normally occurs throughout the eastern United States in coniferous forests, typically on moist acidic sites. Emerging from creeping slightly underground stems, a smallish 2 - 3" tall plant arises with 3/4" long unique flowers that resemble an airplane with two wings and a propeller The actual flowers are made up of five sepals and three petals. There are three smaller sepals and two larger expanded sepals that appear like the wings on the plane. Two of the three petals are fused to form a tubular structure that resembles the fuselage of the plane and the third petal forms a koosh ball type structure and when a bug lands on this it pushes the other petals down and allows for the flower to be pollinated. This plant also has underground flowers that self-fertilize without opening.  In the appropriate habitat, this species can form large colonies and with the deep magenta colored flowers can be quite showy in the garden, if used appropriately.  This is a worthy garden species but it takes considerable time to build up a population as it is slow to reproduce.   Try this soil mixture for growing it in the garden: 1/3 topsoil or organic humus (leaf litter), 1/3 peat, 1/3 sand and if you can find it throw in some good ground pine needles or mulch.  Throw in a bit of mycorrhizal fungi inoculation for good measure.  Be sure it is a shady site as well. Good companion plants would include false rue anenome, Canada mayflower, wintergreen, and maybe a wood lily for some height.  There is only one nursery I know of that sells this species and it is Enchanter's Garden in Hinton, WV.  This species may need to be pampered, but it is well worth the effort when those beautiful flowers show up in April!

Plant of the Week: Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

Yesterday I was in Hart County on an adventure to photograph one of the most photogenic waterfalls in Kentucky.  As we wandered below the sandstone cliffline getting every closer to the portion of the gorge where the waterfall occurs I noticed the leaves of Dutchman's breeches.  First just a few leaves coming out but as I looked further, there were large masses of leaves, fully open, dew covered, and with some warm weather, ready to burst out into flower.  This is one of springs early bloomers and it typically flowers in March to early April, so late January is a bit on the early side.  I love this beautiful, dainty member of the Fumitory family (relatives like squirrel corn and corydalis) not only for the unique pantaloon style flowers, but also for the fine textured leaves that seem to collect dew quite easily.  This species grows in rich, moist, organic woodlands and reaches heights of 4 - 8" tall. The leaves are triple compounded with 3 primary leaflets and 3 secondary leaflets on each primary leaflet.  The stems are often a brownish to reddish color.  Sitting atop the smooth leaves the flowering stalk supports 2 -8 upside down hanging flowers with two white outer petals and two yellow inner flowers.  The two outer petals fuse and form a nectar spur which provides the sweet elixir for long-tongued bees mostly bumblebees, Mason bees, Miner bees, Anthophorid bees and Giant Bee Fly. The seeds are covered with an oily substance and are therefore dispersed by ants.  The foliage is toxic to mammals.  This is a very easy to grow species in the garden as long as you have dappled shade and rich, organic soil. It can tolerate some clay soils but can't tolerate wet soils in the winter. Because the plants go dormant in late spring to early summer, you must interplant with later flowering species or woodland ferns unless you want a big brown dirt patch in the garden.