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COMMON BLUE VIOLET — A GREAT CONTAINER PLANT FOR WILDLIFE AND BEAUTY

Mar20

       Container gardening for wildlife is gaining popularity across the Peach State.  It offers gardeners the opportunity to bring wildlife onto their decks and patios while at the same time enhancing the beauty of their home landscape.  One plant that does well in such settings is the Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia).

       This Georgia native grows throughout the state. This small beauty grows only 5-7 inches tall.  It produces stunning asymmetrical flowers from late winter into summer that range from dark blue, pink and white. In addition, its heart-shaped leaves remain attractive well after it ceases blooming.

Unfortunately, it is a little-known fact that the plant is a source of pollen and nectar for many pollinators.  In addition, it provides these insects with food in late winter and spring with it is scarce. The insect pollinators that visit the plant range in size from petite syrphid flies (they are especially fond to the violet’s pollen) to butterflies. 

       Violets also serve as host plants for both the Diana and variegated fritillaries. In fact, throughout its range at least 27 other species of moths and butterflies also use this violet as a host.

       After the flowers shrivel and die, several species of birds eat the violet’s seeds.

       I think that if you find a place for the common blue violet in your container garden, you will enjoy it beauty and be amazed at how much wildlife you will attract and enjoy just a few feet outside your backdoor.

       If you would like more information about the Container Gardening For Wildlife for initiative sponsored by the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, The Garden Club of Georgia and The Environmental Resources Network (TERN), contact Melissa Hayes at melissahayes@dnr.ga.gov

 

 

BLOGGER QUESTIONS USE OF BUTTERFLY BUSH

Mar3

      Recently I posted a blog advising that this is a good time to prune butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii). In response a The blogger’s posted a response that simply stated that since butterfly bush has the reputation of sometimes being invasive, gardeners should plant native plants as an alternative to this non-native. I am glad the blogger brought up this important issue.

       Butterfly bush is native to China.  It is one of the many ornamentals that have been brought to North America throughout our history.  Unfortunately, some of these plants have proven to be invasive and usurp habitats populated by native species and cause problems for native wildlife.

       In the case of butterfly bush, several states have placed it on their invasive species list.  However, to date, the Georgia Invasive Plant Council has not done so in the Peach State. This does not mean it is not a problem in some areas in the state. If it has, I am not aware of it.  My wife and I live in Middle Georgia and have planted butterfly bush for years.  To date, we have never found any evidence that butterfly bush has escaped confines of our yard.

    It is true that an exotic such as butterfly bush can occupy a spot where a native plant can grow.  In fact, many Georgia homeowners are converting their property to strictly natives.  I think this is a great idea.  Others, on the other hand, are just beginning to realize the value of native plants and are methodically adding more natives to their yard each year.  In the meantime, they can continue to enjoy the beauty of zinnias, glossy abelia, and non-natives that are not invasive.

       There are a number of native plants that you can crow instead of butterfly bush.  This list includes joe-pye-weed, goldenrod, blazing star, purple coneflower, buttonbush, and Georgia mint.

       If you harbor any concern that butterfly bush is an invasive in your part of the state, contact your County University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office.  They can advise you whether butterfly bush is a problem in your locale. If you find that it is, please let me know.

       I want to thank the blogger that brought up this issue.  Deciding what we plant on our property can have huge implications on our environment.  When it comes to invasive plants, we do not want to be part of the problem.

WHEN SHOULD BUTTERFLY BUSHES BE TRIMMED AND/OR REPLACED?

Feb25

       In Georgia, the best time to prune butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) is either late winter or early spring.  At that time cut them back to a height of a foot or two above the ground.  This will help promote new growth and a bounty of blossoms later in the year. 

       The average life expectancy of a butterfly bush is 10-20 years.  Consequently, once older bushes begin producing fewer flowers, it is time to consider replacing them. 

BEEBALM WAS PLANTED IN THOMAS JEFFERSON’S GARDENS

Feb8

       I am always on the lookout for heirloom plants that have link with our history.  With that in mind, I found that unbeknownst to me, one of the plants that has been growing in my yard for years was grown by Thomas Jefferson.  The name of this plant is beebalm (Monarda didyma). 

       The gardens that Thomas Jefferson designed and built on his plantation known as Monticello are recognized as botanic showpieces.  While Jefferson is known to have experimented with plants from around the world, roughly 80 percent of the plants grown in his gardens were native to North America.  Some say beebalm was planted to attract hummingbirds.

       Although winter has Georgia in its icy grip, it is not too early to plan on what you will be adding to your gardens this spring.  With that in mind, beebalm is a plant you should consider introducing into your home landscape.  This native perennial is beautiful and is a bee. butterfly and hummingbird favorite.

       Now that I realize it is a plant that adorned the gardens at Monticello, when I point it out to visitors to my home, and talk about its value as a wildlife plant, I can tell them it is a plant that was grown by Thomas Jefferson.  In my mind, that makes it extra special. 

 

MEALYCUP SAGE IS A GREAT WILDLIFE PLANT FOR CONTAINERS AND TRADITIONAL GARDENS

Dec10

     One of the many traits I like about gardeners is their willingness to share information with others.  A good example of that is this past week during a conversation with Jean O’Shields (she and Terry Waith coordinate the Community Wildlife Project for the Garden Club of Georgia). During our call, Jean told me about a plant that was still blooming in her Ft. Valley garden long after a recent freeze killed many of her flowering plants.  The plant is mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea).  She was impressed with the plant’s hardiness, beauty, as well as the fact that it attracts loads of pollinators long after most plants were dead or not producing pollen or nectar.

       I must admit that I had never heard of the mealycup sage. After doing a little research on the mealycup sage, I now wish that I had made an acquaintance with it years ago.

       Don’t be put off by the plant’s unattractive name.  Its name stems from the fact that the plant bears cup-shaped flowers covered with a dust-like substance.

       While mealycup sage is not a Georgia native, it is a native of North America.  Its range includes parts of Mexico, Texas and nearby states.  Horticulturalists have developed several cultivars that enable gardeners to choose plants that display flowers ranging from white, blue, dark purple, to two-tone blue and white blossoms.

       The plant blooms from late spring until fall.  Georgia gardeners will be pleased to know the plant is rabbit and deer resistant.  It also tolerates drought, is low maintenance, will grow in a broad range of soil conditions ranging from well-drained soils ranging from alkaline to acidic.  It will even grow is clay soil types.  The plant will grow in full sun to partial shade.

       Mealycup sage is an ideal addition to traditional gardens, borders, xeriscapes as well as containers.  If planted in containers, they do best in three-gallon or larger containers.

       Since the plant will attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies, it is an ideal candidate for inclusion in wildlife-friendly container gardens.  Here it can be combined with other plants such as coneflowers and zinnias that are also attractive to wildlife.

       If you create a container garden for wildlife and would like to earn certification in the Community Wildlife Project’s Container Gardening for Wildlife Category, download an application found on the Garden Club of Georgia’s website (gardenclubofgeorgia.org).  When you visit the website, look at all of the other ways in which you can create a beautiful, wildlife friendly, backyard.

       The Community Wildlife Project is a conservation initiative sponsored by The Garden Club of Georgia, The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and The Environmental Resources Network (TERN).

A RAINBOW, BUTTERFLIES & AN ENCORE AZALEA MADE A BIRTHDAY EXTRA SPECIAL

Nov29

      This year my wife, Donna, celebrated her birthday on the day after Thanksgiving.  This birthday was very special because we were able to celebrate it with our daughter and granddaughter and two very unusual natural events.

       The day began with light rain falling from the sky.  However, by the time we ventured outside for the first time, the sky was clearing and a beautiful rainbow stretched across the heavens.  We all commented that this was truly a sign that this birthday was going to be special. As beautiful as the rainbow was, it would pale in comparison to what we would see later on.

       Later in the afternoon as my wife and I drove down our driveway I just happened to notice a large cloudless sulphur nectaring at the blossoms of an encore azalea growing alongside the driveway.  As we drove past, I suggested that we park the car and return to take a closer look at flowering shrub.

       Upon walking back to the azalea, we began snapping pictures of the cloudless sulphur feeding among the gorgeous azaleas blossoms.  Almost immediately, we noticed there was not one butterfly present—there were five different species feeding at the large azalea blossoms.  In addition to the cloudless sulphur, we also spotted a painted lady, ocola, common buckeye, and long-tailed skipper.  It appeared that two species of bumblebees were also visiting the flowers.

       It is hard to believe that so butterflies were visiting a single flowering plant in Middle Georgia in late November.  This is because butterfly gardeners in this neck of the woods know nectar is extremely difficult for pollinators to find nectar at this time of the year.  I have known for years that this long-blooming azalea hybrid attracts butterflies late in autumn.  However, never before have I ever seen so many different species of butterflies visiting a nectar plant this late in the year.  This year our encore azalea has produced more blooms than ever before. The stunning flowers coupled with the butterflies left us with the impression it was a living birthday card.

       It is just amazing how a rainbow, butterflies and an encore azalea helped make my wife’s birthday one she will never forget.

     Can find the 3 species of butterflies in the photo?

MOST OF THE PLANTS GROWING IN OUR YARD AND NOT NATIVE

Oct29

       One of the fastest growing backyard gardening trends in Georgia is gardening with native plants. One reason why this movement is so popular among backyard wildlife watchers is that, as a general rule, the greater the number and diversity of native plants growing in a yard, the more and varied are the wildlife species living there.

       When you consider the fact that 80 percent of the plants growing in our yards are non-native, there a lot of things we can do to make our yards more wildlife friendly.  One of the easiest ways to begin is when it comes time to remove a non-native replace it with a native plant.

       You can find a growing list of blogs dealing with plants that benefit wildlife in by checking out the search engine in this blog.

Nectar plant/HEAL-ALL

IT’S GEORGIA MINT’S TIME TO BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Oct22

       One of the things I really enjoy about gardening for wildlife is that it has made me more attuned to the parade of plants that bloom and are replaced by others that begin flowering somewhat later during the course of a year.  Currently, in my yard it is the time for Georgia mint (Clinopodium georgianum) to be in the spotlight.

       Georgia mint (also called Georgia savory) is a sub-shrub that grows in clumps 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide.  The plant features upright stems. In addition, when you crush the leaves, they give off a pleasing peppermint-like scent.  Each plant produces scores of small pinkish white blossoms.

       Georgia mint requires little, if any, maintenance.  In addition, it does well with little water and grows in direct sunlight.       Throughout most of the year, you would hardly notice it.  However, when it comes time for it to bloom, scores of blooms seemingly magically appear. 

      The Georgia mint that is growing alongside a section of my driveway is now in full bloom.  While I do have a number of other plants that are also blooming, the sheer number of pollinators they are attracting pales in comparison to those visiting the Georgia mint.  By far the most common visitors are small bumblebees.  However, carpenter bees are also present.  Butterflies such as gulf fritillaries, ocolas, fiery and long-tailed skippers, cabbage whites, and cloudless sulphurs are visiting the floral show.  In past years, I have also seen monarchs nectar at the tiny blooms.

       If you are looking for an attractive, native plant that is a great source of food for pollinators at this time of the year, Georgia mint might prove to be a great addition to your yard.

MOUNTAIN-MINT—A SUMMER POLLINATOR FAVORITE

Aug20

        Throughout this summer’s unprecedented heart wave, many of the plants my wife and I have planted for pollinators are requiring regular watering.  Such has not been the case with a native plant named mountain-mint (Pycnanthemum ssp.).  We have not watered our three patches of mountain mint a single time.  In spite of this, the plants in all three spots have flourished and are attracting more pollenators than other plant growing in our yard.

       This was dramatically illustrated week when we participated in the Great Southeast Pollinator Count.  We selected the two plants (mountain-mint and butterfly bush to survey.  During the 15-minute count at the mountain mint plants, 39 individual pollinators were recorded.  This list included bumblebee – 1, carpenter bee – 2, small bees – 2, wasps – 8, flies – 7, butterflies – 18, and ant -1.

       We saw two juniper hairstreaks and 16 red-banded hairstreaks.  To put this in perspective, the day before I surveyed butterflies on the Annual Fall Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge/Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area Butterfly Count.  In spite of the fact that the team I was assigned to spent 7.5 hours in the field and walked some 2.2 while visiting a number of sites scattered across much of the eastern side of Monroe County and a small piece of Jasper County, we spotted only three red-banded hairstreaks.

       The value of mountain-mint to wild pollinators has been long recognized.  For example, Penn State conducted a research project to determine the value of a number of pollinator plants o wild pollinators found mountain-mint to be the plant most attractive to these special insects.  In addition, it tied with stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida) for the top spot for its ability to attract the greatest diversity of pollinators.

       This fragrant plant grows up to six feet tall.  The plants blooms appear in clusters of small white to lavender tubular-shaped flowers arranged on a button-like base.  Each flower cluster is surrounded by a cluster of bracts (modified leaves) that appeared to be covered with flour or powdered sugar. In addition, it blooms for weeks during the summer.

       Mountain-mint is easy to grow. Like most folks that have it growing in their yards, a friend gave me, a handful of plants several years ago.  They did not produce any flowers the first year they were in the ground but have bloomed ever since.

       Keep in mind that the plant spreads rapidly, so place put it in a spot where it has room to spread.  If they do venture into areas where you don’t want them, they can be easily controlled.

       Like so many plants, they seem to attract more pollinators when planted in large groupings.  This is in partly because a large number of plants are more easily seen by pollinators.  In addition, larger patches of plants such as mountain-mint produce scents that can be more easily detected by potential visitors.  This appears to be particularly true in urban areas suffering from air pollution.

       If you do not have a friend or two that is willing to give you a few mountain-mint plants, I am sure that a nursery that deals in native plants can provide you with all that you need.

CAROLINA WILD PETUNIA- GREAT FOR CONTAINERS

Jun18

      Container gardening for wildlife is rapidly gaining popularity throughout the Peach State.  This novel approach to gardening allows folks to combine their love for wildlife and gardening by planting a combination of native and ornamental plants in containers to create mini wildlife habitats that are beneficial to wildlife and enhance the beauty of their yards.  The Carolina wild petunia (Ruellia carolinensis) is a Georgia native plant that does well in containers.

       Although you may not have heard of the Carolina wild petunia, there is a chance that you have seen it.  This is due to the fact this attractive native perennial wildflower grows in natural settings as well as in our yards. However, since it sometimes pops up in lawns, some consider it a weed.

CAROLINA WILD PETUNIA//PHOTO CREDIT: Angela Dupree

      This plant is definitely far from being a weed.  Although the blooms of this plant look much like the blossoms found on the ornamental petunias we commonly raise in our gardens, the only thing the two plants have in common is the similarity of their flowers. 

       While Carolina wild petunia grows in dry soils, it much prefers to sink its roots in moist loam. It will also grow in soils containing clay.   The plant grows in spots ranging from full shade to sun. As such, it will grow in most garden situations.  Consequently, this plant can be a great addition to practically any container garden.

       The plant grows in areas ranging from full shade to full sun.

       Georgia gardeners should appreciate the fact that it blooms all the way from spring into fall. 

       In addition to being beautiful, Carolina wild petunia also yields pollen and nectar for many pollinators including the ruby-throated hummingbird, and a wide range of butterflies, bees and wasps. 

       It is also a host plant for the common buckeye butterfly.

       Gardeners are successful growing Carolina wild petunia from transplants, stem cuttings, and seeds.  Plants can also be obtained from nurseries that deal in Georgia native plants.

       The Georgia Wildlife Conservation Section and the Garden Club of Georgia are jointly promoting container gardening for wildlife. For a list of the many other wildlife-friendly ornamentals and native plants that can grow in containers to create small habitats that are both beautiful and beneficial to wildlife, email Abbie Young at abbie.young@dnr.ga.gov  You will also receive a copy of an application you can use to apply to have your container garden certified in the Community Wildlife Project’s Container Gardening for Wildlife category.