Latin for Gardeners: June

Latin for Gardeners

June’s Native Maryland Plant

Liatris spicata (L.) Willd.

(LY-uh-tris spi-KAY-tuh)

Common Name: Blazing Star, Gayfeather

The genus name Liatris is of unknown origin. Specific epithet spicata, is a Latin word meaning ‘with spikes’, and refers to its flower form.

June is National Pollinator Month, a time to celebrate and raise awareness of the benefit and need to protect and support pollinators – wherever you live. While there are many appealing native plant options to add to a pollinator garden, choosing ones that supply both pollen and nectar, have a long bloom period, are host plants for both butterflies, moths, and bees while also attracting other beneficial insects, should be top considerations in your selection – especially if you have only a small garden.

Liatris spicata is a standout native as a valuable pollinator plant; it provides both pollen and nectar, is host to numerous butterflies and two specialist bees¹ , its blooms (small florets) open over a period of multiple weeks, and in the fall and winter, its seeds (achenes) provide food for birds - especially chickadees and goldfinches.

Liatris sp. can also be considered a four-season interest, ornamental plant - its tall stems covered in leaves resembling a feather duster provide an interesting textural element well before the vibrant- colored blooms appear; the dry flower stalks are attractive in a winter garden.

Liatris spicata, providing pollinator habitat while adding vibrant color to a parking lot island.
Note: surrounded by ‘Gro-low’ sumac (Rhus aromatica)

Liatris are in the Asteraceae family of plants, but unlike most asters that feature daisy-like flowers, this plant has flowers that appear as star-like blossoms, hence its common name – Blazing Star. This species is unusual in that it blooms from the top down - its flower heads, full of clusters of small, individual florets are especially attractive to native bees and butterflies.

There are numerous species of Liatris native to Maryland – Liatris spicata is the one most widely cultivated and readily sold. This perennial grows best in full sun, it tolerates poor soils that are well-drained, and due to its tall, flowering spikes, it takes up just a small space in a garden. Another advantage of this plant: Liatris spicata roots are bulb-like corms, they help this plant withstand summer drought conditions. The corms increase in size each year and can eventually be divided – usually after 4-5 years, yielding many more plants and supporting even more pollinators! Celebrate pollinators while making your garden stand out – plant Liatris spicata, a truly standout pollinator plant.

¹ Melissodes coloradensis and Melissodes vernoniae (Johnson and Colla, 2023).

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013

Watershed Steward Class 7/CBLP

aligmilligan@gmail.com

Latin for Gardeners: May

Latin for Gardeners

May’s Native Maryland Plant

Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (L.) C.Presl

(os-mun-DAS-trum sin-uh-MOH-mee-um)

Common Name: Cinnamon Fern

Ferns may not be the first plant that comes to mind when designing a native garden; they’re not a food source for pollinators or other fauna, they generally grow in shade and offer little color, and most of them are deciduous. However, as a long-lived groundcover, to add texture and to provide protection for ground foraging birds and amphibians (especially toads and frogs), you can’t go wrong with ferns. In addition, ferns are one plant that deer are known to avoid which may be one of the best reasons to plant them.

Osmundastrum cinnamomeum is an exceptional fern for several reasons. This fern has two visually distinctive kinds of fronds aka dimorphic fronds, which are used in its identification. The fertile fronds (leaves with packets of spores known as sporangia) and sterile fronds (leaves without sporangia) add to its overall attractiveness. In spring its sterile woolly fiddleheads emerge and quickly grow to cover a large area, up to 5’ tall and wide; in April the fertile fronds emerge in the center of the clump of sterile fronds. As the spores on the frond mature, they are released from the sporangia and the reproductive frond becomes a bare, brittle stalk that withers and decomposes; the remainder of the plant will turn yellow in the fall and remain until early winter before dying back and going dormant.

This is a very versatile fern, able to tolerate full sun to full shade, the former if planted where it’s provided consistent moisture, in shade it can be quite drought tolerant. Cinnamon ferns are found on poorly-drained sites in swamps, marshes, and wet forests – they’ll do especially well in yards with reliable moisture, often at the bottom of slopes.

Interestingly, this plant has been identified in the geologic record as far back as 75 million years ago – it is considered a living fossil. If you have moist areas in your landscape, consider using this fern as a companion to native perennials like Cranesbill (Geranium maculatum) or Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) as shown above left. Cinnamon ferns can slowly form colonies in undisturbed moist sites.

NOTE: Scientific names of plants may change based on genetic and morphological findings. This plant was previously classified as Osmunda cinnamomea but was recently reclassified as Osmundastrum cinnamomeum; it is the only living species in the genus. The newer categorization has been adopted by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System that provides information on the taxonomy of biological species.

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013

Watershed Steward Class 7/CBLP

aligmilligan@gmail.com

Save Our Trees Native Plant Oasis Project

We are delighted to announce that the students of Annapolis High School (AHS) have completed a native plant oasis project in Quiet Waters Park!

The plan for this fantastic accomplishment began last June when Save Our Trees met with the IB Program Staff at AHS to discuss the possibility of educating students on the threat of invasives and the importance of native plants.

Last Fall, Save Our Trees made several class and assembly presentations that were followed by three field trips to Quiet Waters Park during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd marking periods. Between 15 and 20 students participated in each trip clearing invasives and planting native shrubs and plants donated by The Friends of Quiet Waters.

The students also took part in a “hike and learn” to the South River Overlook with Quiet Waters’ Park Ranger, Liz Schiller and Horticulturalist and Watershed Steward, Matt Pruett who spoke on invasive plants and animals.

The creation of the oasis will showcase the threat of invasives and importance of native plants as well as the students’ very important contribution to the restoration of the natural environment.

A big thank you goes to the Quiet Waters team - Ranger Liz  Schilder and Horticulturalist Matt Pruett for all the time they spent working with the students and helping coordinate the field trips and to The Friends of Quiet Waters for their generous donation of shrubs and plants.

To visit the “AHS Oasis”, follow the signs to the dog park and look for it to the right of the rest station.

Thank you Annapolis High School!!! 

Save Our Trees Team

Mulch Matters – A Tiny Success Story

Mulch Matters – A Tiny Success Story

By: Nina Fisher

In the early 2000’s, the Naval Academy enhanced the perimeter of its 80-acre stadium property by installing a meandering 1.25-mile multi-use trail lined with native trees and shrubs. I was ecstatic! I live a few blocks from the stadium and was looking forward to a shady place to walk or run without worries of car traffic.

It seemed like a promising start. Landscapers planted the trees and shrubs, installed raingardens and mulched it all. But like many ambitious projects, it lacked a key element: proper planting and mulching.

My blood pressure rose precipitously as I walked the newly planted area. With knowledge and experience thanks to my educational background and my tenure as a Watershed Steward , I saw far too many problems. The trees were planted way too high; their root balls were sitting well above soil level, and were topped with 8 to 10 inches of mulch piled directly against the tree trunks. It was a recipe for disaster. When trees are planted too high and engulfed with excess mulch, they develop collaring roots that encircle the trunk.

Excess mulch also:

• makes trees much more prone to desiccation (when the root ball dries out ultimately causing leaf wilt and drop);

• creates an environment prime for rot and disease; and

• prevents rainwater from reaching the roots.

I contacted the head of the Naval Academy Athletic Association, and he walked the trail with me. I pointed out the assorted problems and told him that they were going to lose a lot of these trees and shrubs. He agreed with my assessment and vowed to do it right going forward. They didn’t.

Over the years, I estimate that at least a third of the original plantings died, and many others are compromised. Last fall, I walked the path with the new Navy landscape contractor and we talked about planting and mulching practices. They had just planted 35 new 10 – 12-foot trees and I pointed out the poor planting. The next day he had his guys replant all the trees properly. A small victory!

This spring, when the Navy landscapers usually swoop in to pile excessive mulch around the trunks, they didn’t! They distributed a couple of inches of mulch around each tree and none of it touched the trunks. My blood pressure stabilized—another triumph!

Mulch can be an appropriate and attractive top dressing for your garden and tree beds, but the adage of more is better certainly does not apply here. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Have you ever noticed that trees have a natural flare just above the soil level. That flare should remain exposed; your tree should not look like a telephone pole planted in the ground.

• Spread the mulch outward rather than up. It should extend away from the tree out to the drip line, the area defined by the outermost circumference of a tree canopy where water drips from the tree leaves and onto the ground of the tree.

• The mulch layer should be only 2 to 3 inches thick, which is thick enough to suppress some weeds, mitigate temperature swings, leach nutrients slowly into the soil and ultimately add organic matter that will enhance soil quality and health.

• Any organic matter can serve as mulch, not just the stuff in bags at the big-box stores. Ground-up leaves, pine fines, shredded barks, wood chips from an arborist’s grinding machine all work. 

• If you do buy mulch, select a type that is not dyed as the coloring chemicals are unnecessary and can leach into the soil.

One more thing—you could be making mulch ado about nothing! If you have a large, planted area with trees, shrubs and perennials with leaves that are left to degrade in place each fall, you can just leave the bed alone. You’ve created your own little functional ecosystem! After all, no one mulches the forest.

Nina Fisher

Watershed Steward Class 5

WSA Board member and Tree Trooper

Co-founder of Save our Trees

Watershed Steward Annie Hilary, In partnership with the Master Gardeners, has a campaign to stop volcano mulching in our communities. In addition to presentations, Annie has created outreach materials in English and Spanish. Visit aawsa.org/seasons and print the proper mulching flier and share it with your neighbors and local landscapers.