Dear Avant Gardener

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Free Plant Databases

Heather Evans

Finding the perfect species for YOUR yard

Easy, exquisite natives by season, clockwise from top left: blue flag iris (Iris genus), wild bergamot (Monarda), smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum), showy goldenrod (Solidago), swamp milkweed (Asclepias), and golden Alexander (Zizia)

Dear Avant Gardener, I’m starting a flower garden and need ideas for planting so I can have constant color throughout the spring, summer, and fall. — Getting Started in Silverwood, MI

Great question! You can look up bloom times in plant databases, but they can be misleading in terms of bloom month, which is what you really need to have flowers for five-plus months in northeast Michigan.

Your question spurred me to ask Joe Marcus, program coordinator of the largest national native plant database, ​Native Plants of North America​ (Wildflower.org), how they determine bloom time. For example, is it based on one location or any location?

It’s a mixed bag. For the most part, the data is decidedly Texas-centric for native Texas species, even those with ranges that reach far outside the state. Phenological data for other species is catch-as-catch-can and is derived from numerous sources. In general, though, we try to be as inclusive as possible. So, if a Florida reference gave a flowering period as March-April, and an Illinois reference listed April-May for the same species, we would publish that as March-May. — Joe Marcus

In other words, caveat emptor. My advice is to use local information sources to identify your initial plant selections, then fill in over time as you observe gaps in your own garden. Actual bloom times will vary based on soil characteristics, sun vs. shade, plant genetics and maturity, and that year’s weather, as well as your general location. In my yard right now, the sneezeweed in sunnier spots has been blooming for a week, while others are still just buds.

Great Michigan resources for native plant information include ​The Midwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden​, ​East Michigan Natives​ (nursery), and ​Michigan Wildflower Farm​ (seeds). I recommend using a three-by-three grid to identify three blooms for each part of the growing season — early, mid and late; see details in ​5 Steps to Order Your Plants​). [Other readers, find your up-to-date regional native plant primer at ​Timber Press​ and regional databases below.]

In case you were looking for a less technical answer, see the examples in the image above, all available from East Michigan Natives.

Dear Avant Gardener, One of my neighbors has a beautiful tree in their yard with striking pink puffball flowers. I think it’s called a mimosa. Do you recommend planting one in my yard? — Smitten in Rhode Island

Noooooooooooo! That gorgeous mimosa (Albizia julibrissin), also called silk tree, is native to Asia and was introduced to the United States in 1745 for use as an ornamental plant. According to the Bugwood Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health,

Silk tree grows vigorously and displaces native trees and shrubs, spreading by seed and vegetative means. Once established, silk tree is difficult to remove due to its long-lived seeds and its ability to re-sprout vigorously. — ​Invasive.org​

Silk tree is a listed invasive in southern states and has been observed in wild areas as far north as Massachusetts. I recommend choosing instead a beautiful flowering native, like redbud (Cercis canadensis) or dogwood (Cornus florida). It’ll look fabulous and you’ll be helping avert the insect apocalypse.

Invasive mimosa or silk tree (left) has been observed in the wild as far north as Massachusetts (source: Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States)

Dear Avant Gardener, Thank you, thank you for standing up for the creatures with whom we share our planet. I’m proud to admit I saved a spider recently that was inside by coaxing it onto a piece of paper and carefully maneuvering through the locked front and screened doors and setting it free! I was afraid of spiders much of my life. Today, you’ve got me excited about planting trees! We’ve got a small backyard with a palm tree in the corner and grass in the middle. Thinking about planting two trees in the center of the yard and would like your salt, wind, heat resistant suggestions. — Need More Shade in Cedar Key, FL

With hurricane Debby Downer inundating Cedar Key last month, less than a year after Idalia brought a 12-foot surge, it’s wise to plan for occasional inundation; even if your property is not inundated, surges and sea rise may damage tree roots through saltwater intrusion into the groundwater. The good news is that Florida has one the country’s best regional native plant databases (​fnps.org/plants​) — and the only one I’m aware of that lets you search by salt tolerance. The bad news is only three trees native to Levy county tolerate both inundation and dry conditions: Eastern red cedar, live oak, and buttonwood. A smaller tree with showy fruits and interesting foliage, buttonwood may support more insect diversity because it’s rarer in Cedar Key. As always, I recommend planting under your trees to create soft landings for Lepidoptera pupae; coontie or palmetto is my top choice (see image below). I'll present more recommendations for salt tolerant plants at Cedar Key Audubon on January 27. Hope to see you there!

— The Avant Gardener

Buttonwood tree — Conocarpus erectus (photo: Shirley Denton, ​Florida Native Plant Society​)

Why, How, Wow!

Why?

I confess, I’m bummed. Insects, as well as rabbits and a groundhog, have decimated the hundreds of plugs I planted this spring. I've seen many invasive Japanese beetles, but I imagine some of the damage must be from native species. So I've had to remind myself that — as regular readers know — the No. 1 reason I grow and encourage you to grow native plants is to nurture native insects. The alternative is an insect apocalypse. That sounds extreme, but with a 40 percent global decrease in insects over a recent 10-year period, what else can we call it? Remember, without insects, we will have no birds, without birds …, etc. I’m devising strategies to ensure my yard transformation continues apace next year (more soon). In the meantime, I’m enjoying the beauty of flowers that are thriving and the life-affirming sounds of native crickets and bumble bees.

Source: Collapse News

How

Fortunately, there are many online databases to help you transform your yard from mostly turf grass and other exotics (you can assume most plants available at nurseries are exotic) to native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, etc. that support native insects that evolved with them. In addition, many large, all-native nurseries and seed companies — both local and national — have excellent online plant information.

Here are comprehensive national and regional native plant databases with excellent combination search functionality:

National Native Plant Databases

Comprehensive State and Regional Native Plant Databases

Other Valuable Databases

Wow!

Spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata), native to much of the eastern two thirds of the United States, is one of the big successes in my Rhode Island yard this year. In October, I cast their seeds onto an area of turf that had been covered with plastic for six weeks. And voila! By August, the area is filled with Dr. Seuss-like flowers, usually covered in native bees.

Spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata) 10 months after direct sowing in fall (photo: Heather Evans)

Gorgeous Native Gardens

Salt-tolerant Florida native grasses and shrubs — mostly common palmettos — are far more attractive than turf grass would be at this inundation-prone property on the Gulf of Mexico in Panama City, Florida. As the recent sales listing ($2.8 million) says,

Upon initial approach to the private island, you are welcomed by natural native landscaping and the soothing sounds of the Bay. — ​Corcoran

Source: Corcoran

Encouraging Ecological News