Latin for Gardeners: November 2024

Latin for Gardeners

November’s Native Maryland Plant

Osmunda spectabilis Willd.

(os-MUN-duh speck-TAB-ih-liss)

Common Name: Royal Fern, Flowering Fern

Osmunda spectabilis, is a large fern that can be used to great effect in a moist to wet area of a garden. Its leaves emerge in early April, and given time, a mature plant can appear more like a shrub than a fern. This plant stores food in its rhizomatous underground stems allowing it to survive in often difficult conditions such as the over 30-day drought that Maryland is currently experiencing; it can also thrive in full sun if provided enough moisture. Its vertical, above ground root stalk is thick, and overtime it will be wrapped in a tuft of fibrous roots – you may recognize these, as they are often used as a potting medium for orchids.

Royal ferns are dimorphic, they have two distinct fronds: one fertile and the other infertile. The fertile chlorophyll-bearing fronds first appear as dark green. As they mature and split to release their spores, they turn a rusty brown. The infertile fronds are numerous and provide excellent cover for many amphibians and other wildlife. In winter, both fronds will die back and disappear, leaving only a small number of hollow, stiff stalks protruding from a raised clump – if you’re not careful you can easily trip over them!

The royal fern is an excellent companion for many other wet-loving native plants like Soft Rush (Juncus effusus) or Wild hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) – see below. Its bold-textured leaves and flowering fronds add interest and color to a green woodland garden.

Osmunda spectabilis is a member of the royal fern family, Osmundaceae. Like the familiar Cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) O. spectabilis has recently undergone a name change based on genetic studies. Previously known as Osmunda regalis or Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis, this fern has been recategorized and is now its own species. O. regalis is restricted to Asia, Africa, and Europe.

NOTE: iNaturalist has made this name change but not all nurseries have recognized the reclassification on their websites or other media.

Royal fern, once established, is a tough plant that can survive prolonged drought. Birds, however, need our help during these long dry spells. Providing a clean water source during fall and winter attracts them to your garden and improves their survival. You’ll find them seeking shade under Osmunda spectabilis in the spring.

Alison Milligan - MG/MN 2013
Watershed Steward Class 7/CBLP
aligmilligan@gmail.com

Latin for Gardeners: December 2021

December’s Native Maryland Plant

All of them!

Hello Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists and Master Watershed Stewards!

The pandemic has kept us apart, but I hope you’ve enjoyed spending time in your garden, getting online with friends, and reading some good books. I’ve learned a lot this year as a Tree Trooper for Anne Arundel County, watching some fantastic webinars, and reading Doug Tallamy’s latest book, ‘The Nature of Oaks’.  

For those of you who have been reading Latin for Gardeners it’s now time to test your knowledge of the scientific names of the eight native plants we’ve discussed this year.  It’s always best to use the Latin names of plants when you recommend them to friends and the public – there’s only one Latin name for a plant so it avoids confusion and ensures people select the right plant when shopping at nurseries.

The first group of photos shows the plants in their bloom period. The second group shows them in their winter dress. Can you still recognize them?  I’ve given you a few hints but don’t feel bad if you can’t place them all – Latin is not an easy language.  Good luck, or as they say in Latin, “Fortuna!”

Match the letter of each plant to the number of its photo in winter dress.

 ~ Alison Milligan – Mstr. Gardener/Mstr. Naturalist/Mstr. Watershed Steward

Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)

aligmilligan@gmail.com

Latin for Gardeners: November 2021

November’s Native Maryland Plant
Itea virginica L.
(eye-TEE-ah ver-JIN-ih-kah)
Common Name: Virginia Sweetspire

Most of Maryland’s native shrubs work hard during the seasons, many of them going almost unnoticed as they provide habitat, shade, and erosion control - and then there’s Itea virginica.  There are few shrubs that provide such year-round interest as this adaptable native plant that is most commonly sold as a cultivar.   

Itea’s leaves appear in early spring, followed by draping racemes of star-shaped flowers that bloom in June, attracting a diversity of pollinators. In fall the leaves turn a maroon or bright red that contrast well with the many fall yellows or evergreen plants in a landscape. Its flower heads dry on the shrub and persist through the fall and winter – continuing to provide textural interest. The attractive structure and the numerous height cultivars available make it suitable for a natural landscape or a more formal one. 

In my garden I use Itea spp. as mulch along a dry riverbed, under a Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), and as a tall hedge in the back of a moist shady area - the more sun it’s provided the more brilliant the fall color. Its dense, spreading habit provides significant weed suppression and erosion control and it’s very low maintenance.

As you’re out enjoying the cooler weather and walks in your community, look for Virginia Sweetspire, it’s a staple garden plant for many good reasons. If you haven’t planted one yet, maybe now is the time!

~ Alison Milligan – Mstr. Gardener/Mstr. Naturalist/Mstr. Watershed Steward

Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)

aligmilligan@gmail.com

Latin for Gardeners: October 2021

October’s Native Maryland Plant
Salix nigra Marsh.
(SAY-liks NY-grah)
Common Name: Black Willow

The Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council (CCLC) has designated October as the first annual ‘Riparian Buffer’ month¹; the month to raise awareness and promote the sustainable practice of riparian buffers – it could not have come at a better time.  Forested riparian buffers are one of the best ways to protect our waterways; they prevent erosion, reduce flooding, provide habitat for wildlife, create recreational opportunities, and filter pollutants. The last two ‘State of the Bay’ report cards² graded the Bay a D+ and in 2022 we’ll have our next report.  I for one am anxious that it may dip into failing grade status, it’s hard coming back from an F, and even harder to imagine what it will mean for life in the Bay.  It will take everyone’s effort to prevent this, but as Master Gardeners and Watershed Stewards, we know how to do it!  Riparian buffers will play a major role.

My plan is to engage with my community, to plant a Salix nigra and other trees, along the shores of the river closest to my home, the Severn River. I’m aware that this tree is often used in riparian buffers, ‘areas of vegetation near a stream, usually forested, that shade and protect that stream from the impact of adjacent land use.’ Salix nigra are excellent at stabilizing embankments, they provide valuable habitat and are an early pollen source for pollinators. I’ve often seen them along the Baltimore-Annapolis trail where I ride my bike, it’s nice to stop and observe the wildlife that lives there. Planting trees in the fall is a wonderful way to spend a morning and planting a keystone³ species makes it even more rewarding. 

If you’re not able to plant a riparian buffer perhaps you’ll still be able to plant a tree at home or in your community? Hopefully a canopy tree that can provide shade over an impervious surface, maybe even a keystone species that supports biodiversity in a big way.  Whichever you choose, don’t let this October go by without being a part of the solution. So much life depends on it!

’ - https://www.chesapeakelandscape.org/riparian-buffer-month/

² - https://www.cbf.org/about-the-bay/state-of-the-bay-report/index.html

³ - A genera that ‘form the backbone of local ecosystems’ – Doug Tallamy, Nature’s Best Hope

~ Alison Milligan – Mstr. Gardener/Mstr. Naturalist/Mstr. Watershed Steward

Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)

aligmilligan@gmail.com