Damn Good Plants - Centranthus ruber, Jupiter's Beard

I love those moments when someone raves about a plant that you hadn't previously heard of. Maybe its just new to you or one you've come across in the past but forgotten about.  But, when I first heard the name 'Jupiter's Beard', it didn't conjure up any illusions of grandeur.  Fortunately, Jupiters Beard, or Centranthus ruber also goes by some other more inspiring names like Red Valerian, Scarlet Lightning, or Keys of Heaven.  I think you'd agree, the latter have a slightly more thrilling edge to their names than some an old stinky beard! 

Flickr.com - Captain Mish

White and Pink forms
Flickr.com - Francis Foley

For whatever reason, Centranthus isn't a perennial plant that makes it on too many peoples top ten list.  I suspect the reason is similar to mine, where it lurks in obscurity among other better known plants.   However, this Mediterranean plant is favorite in Europe, embraced as a staple in grand estate gardens to cottage styled gardens.  It's non-stop bloom-fest starts in June as rich carmine-red to pink flowers erupt on 2-3 ft stalks, continuing freely until late summer. There are also white forms available for those looking for a more subtle color to work with. Couple this trait with fragrance and you begin to realize what you've been missing out on.  But for me, the fact that it lures in butterflies who swarm to its nectar rich blooms, made it an easy choice for my garden.

Flowers aside, the foliage has substance, providing a contrasting grey-green bushy backdrop to accompany the bloom.  The leaves are said to flavorful when eaten in a salad, but unless it gives you untold energy or makes hair grow back on head ( a wish of mine! ), I don't understand why you would eat it in the first place.  Compared with other more fussy perennial cousins, Centranthus will flourish without any extra attention.  Even when it comes to pests and diseases, nothing noticeable is known to afflict it, not even deer!  So easy going is its habit, it excels in most soil types and doesn't miss a beat when drought conditions stress both plant and gardener alike.

Flickr.com - henrye72

To get the best from this perennial, site it in full sun and keep the soil pH a little high by adding some lime.  It often naturalizes itself along old walls and close to the foundations of a house where the leaching of lime from concrete keeps the soil sweet.  Don't feel tempted to overly enrich the soil or use a heavy hand with fertilizer.  This is a plant prefers the 'treat it mean, keep it keen' approach.  Flowering may slow to a stop in the heat of summer. If so, pruning it halfway back to stimulate another round of blooms to appear.

Centranthus is known to have a habit of popping up around the garden.  The seeds have little parachutes similar to the seeds of a dandelion, that will catch the wind and carry them to new areas to colonizes.  To reduce this propensity, a bi-weekly deadheading will not only cut back on its colonization but encourage more flowers to appear.

Why more hasn't been done to promote this plant to new homeowners looking for high impact plants with low impact needs is a mystery to me.  It's a perfect winning plant for someone new to gardening, that will build their confidence as it grows from strength to strength. So now when you're asked what your top ten list of perennials would be, you might consider including this easy going perennial.

Flickr.com - Mollivan Jon

Sith-Cada, Return of the Broodii

Just when you thought it was safe to start gardening again, Mother Nature has a surprise in store for us.  If the wild temperature swings we've seen this year wasn't enough, the ground is beginning to rumble to life.  The earthquake I'm talking about comes from a swarm of biblical proportions as Brood II makes it appearance from deep within our soil after its 17 year slumber.

Cicada's are nothing new to Virginians.  Every year annual cicadas appear, making themselves known as they sit in our trees producing a whirling call to attract a mate.  If surprised, the clumsy bugs take flight, buzzing loudly as they motor off to safety.  However, this 17 year Cicada, or technically called 'Magicicada' species is different because of the sheer amount that emerge from our ground in the next few weeks.  Some put the number around 30 billion, but a researcher at the Smithsonian Institute puts that number close to 1 trillion over its entire range.

Brood Emergence Timeline

When I first moved to Virginia, I got to experience Brood X (the biggest swarm) first hand.  Although many expected the damage to be immense, the trees still had leaves on branches and gardens remained the same as the brood retreated.  Of course, the sound of these horny critters searching for their soul mates drove you nuts, the next worst thing was smell of the deceased bugs as they littered the ground.  Birds had a good time snacking on these protein rich flying bug bars, after a while they even seemed to of had enough of a one sided diet.

So what can a gardener expect?  Fortunately, Cicada's have no functioning mouth parts capable of chewing a plant to pieces it does feed like an aphid on a plants sap. We don't need to think of them as a swarm of locust that will blot out the sun and lay crops to waste. These clumsy flying machines are only concerned with finding a mate, having sex and laying eggs. The last stage of laying eggs is where we can expect the most damage as the female splits the bark of small branches and lays anywhere from 600 to 800 eggs in the wound before she dies. Once the eggs mature, the nymphs hatch and fall back to the ground, disappearing for another 17 years. Although trees with significant damage from the egg laying process will invariably loose tips from branches, one shouldn't despair as trees quickly recover. It's nothing more than the Cicada's Barbers shop for trees, just taking a little off the back and sides.

So what benefit can come from all these Cicada's waking at the same time?  After all, events like this don't happen in nature without some kind of reason.  As it turns out, a researcher who studied the 2004 Brood X emergence found some positive repercussion following that outbreak.

It was discovered in the years following the 2004 outbreak, that there was an increase in plant growth stimulated from damage that had occurred by the Cicada's.  Also, as the larvae tunneled through the soil, it helped aerate the soil around the plants roots.  This tunneling reduced compaction of the soil and allowed moisture from rain or sprinklers to penetrated deeper into the soil.  Lastly,  the dying bodies of Cicada's actually became a great source of fertilizer.  As their bodies decay, it provided a valuable source of nitrogen and other nutrients that plants re-absorb.    

Scientist refer to this occurrence as a 'Resource Pulse'.  It is a term given to a large magnitude, but short interval and infrequent event where an resource availability was increased.  The study showed that plants given a diet of decaying Cicada's produced seed 9% larger than non-insect fed plants.  It's possible that a single acre of forest can yield up to 1 1/2 tons of nutrient rich dead bug carcass.  Those nutrients end up pouring back down the millions of finger sized holes in the ground from where they emerged.  In someways they return back to where they came from.

The whole ordeal is only expected to last 4 to 6 weeks before they all die after finding there one true love.  Its very Shakespearean to see a bunch of bugs sacrifice themselves so their species can keep on existing.  But one thing the press has failed to mention is when a species population explodes, so do the things that feed on them.  Ever heard of Cicada Killers?  Now there's a swarm of apocalyptic proportions!

Cicada Killer in action
Flickr.com - Dendroica cerulea

Damn Good Plants - Aesculus pavia, Red Buckeye

One of my favorite trees growing up in England was the Horse-chestnut tree, Aesculus hippocastanum.  It made a large stately tree, often reaching heights of 100 ft, and very spring it puts on a show of upright panicle white flowers with blotches of red and yellow at the base of each flower.  But, as a boy I didn't care much for the flowers or even the size of the tree, it was the conkers I treasured the most.

The Mother Load!
Flickr.com - Rainerschuetz

Conkers I hear you say?  Simply put,  a conker is the large mahogany brown seed encased within the leathery, slightly spiny covering.  This seed was hunted by almost every school boy as they dropped from its tree.  I was no stranger to this harvest, often filling my pockets and school bag with fallen seeds that had broken free from its covering on impact with the ground.  Hours would be giving to select what we believed was the strongest seed to be entered in the school yard tournament of conkers!

Take aim, FIRE!

The game pitted two people, each with a seed (or conker) dangling from a string.  One opponent would swing his conker at the others, which dangled in front of him, in hopes his would crack and destroy it.  Each person would take turns until a champion emerged.  It was a modern day Gladiator battle, flailing a ball on a chain until you conquered your opponent, but this version allowed you to return to classes without blood loss!

The European Horse-chestnut trees of my childhood are rarity in the Mid-atlantic.  Our summers don't favor it delicate complexities too well.  However, North America has a few of its own native Horse-chestnuts, although here they are commonly referred to as Buckeyes (for the chestnut brown eyes of a male deer or 'buck').  Red Buckeyes, Aesculus pavia are by far one of my favorites and takes pride of place in my backyard.  At this time of year it explodes with bright red blooms, that has earn it an alternative common name, the 'Firecracker Plant'.  So vibrant is the color, it draws in Ruby throated Hummingbirds that feed from the flowers after its migration from the warmer southern states.  

Red Buckeyes become handsome flowering trees in the home landscape, typically growing between 10 to 20 ft tall.  They prefer moist sites, but appreciate some shade from the fierce afternoon sun.  Past flowering, Buckeye's present an interesting texture in the landscape.  The dark green palmately compound leaves give an almost tropical feel, but without feeling out of place.

Apart from its obvious attraction in the landscape, it holds other properties worth mentioning.  Early European settlers were rumored to make soap from the roots and the bark was believed to have medicinal properties.  Native Americans were known to also crush the branches to exude sap for use it fishing.  It is said to 'dope' the fish making them much easier to catch.  However, it should not confuse with edible chestnuts, (Castanea sativa), though it does share a name similarity.  Seeds from Buckeyes contain a toxin called 'Saponin', common in many plants.  Fortunately, it is not easily absorbed by us humans, but will make you feel very sorry for yourself.

At the end of the day, it's highly unlikely that I'll ever be making soap or doping fish with my tree, but at least I know where to go if needed.  Instead, my enjoyment comes from watching my daughter discover the joys of finding the dark brown seeds that have fallen from its canopy. To see her hoard the bounty as if it was treasure, reminds me of my youth.  In years to come, I hope my children will experience the same fun I had playing conkers. First though, they'll have to learn my killer swing, often dubbed the 'Woodman Technique'  by those I conquered in the tournament of Conkers!

Headache Hollies - The Crenata Conundrum!

It can't be denied, one of our most returned plants at the garden center happens to come from a group of Hollies commonly referred to as Japanese Hollies, or Ilex crenata.  The majority of the time we caulk up their death to improper watering, either too much or in most cases too little.  However, my suspicions have lead me to believe that something more sinister may be lurking in our soil leading to the masses of garden deaths being reported yearly.

Dubbed the 'Poor Mans Boxwood' due to the low cost of purchase, Japanese hollies share similar characteristics to their more expensive lookalikes. Small, dark green leaves and compact growing nature give little clues that they are in fact different to Boxwoods. One feature that suggests you have a Japanese Holly is the presence of small reminiscent spines along the leaf edge, barely noticeable unless you run your finger on the sides of the leaf. Many cultivars exist such as Soft touch, Helleri, Compacta, Skypencil and Steeds to name just a few, and are popular with gardeners and landscapers alike. However, Japanese hollies have becoming one of the most disease prone landscape plants around.

Though my investigation I have learned that the top issue plaguing Japanese Hollies is a disease called Black Root Rot, Thielaviopsis basicloa. It is a soil borne fungal disease occurring frequently in high soil moisture areas coupled with seasonal low temperatures that attack the plants root systems. First discovered on nursery stock in North Carolina in 1977, this pathogen has made its home in the Mid-Atlantic states. What makes Black Root Rot more troubling is that it can persist in the soil for many years, even without the presents of a host. To the unsuspecting homeowner who plants anyone of these Japanese Hollies, there is no way to detect if this pathogen is lying in wait ready to strike.

Tell-tale signs include stunted terminal growth, yellowing foliage, reduced vigor followed by die-back then death. Infected roots turn black from the tips, progressing further into the remaining root system as it spreads, choking out the ability of the plant to suck up moisture. Diseased plants decline over several months, frequently dying after periods of drought as the compromised roots cannot sustain the demand of the plant any longer.

Providing your hollies with the best possible drainage and practicing good hygiene by cleaning your garden tools will greatly improve your chances of survival and reducing its spread. Also, keeping your plants happy and well watered is just as essential as drainage. Hollies that become stressed from drought can easily contract the disease as there immune system becomes compromised. As yet there is no effective chemical control to help combat this pathogen.

The good news is that there are many plants that have shown some resistance to the pathogen. Nandina's, Chinese Hollies and Boxwoods (though not English Boxwood) will all grow well in areas known to be contaminated. The irony in this Japanese Holly story is that many of us switched from using Boxwoods for the cheaper lookalikes to save a few dollars, only now to spend more in replacing them as they fall to this black death of root rot.

Need more info, follow these link to learn more:

Black Root Rot of Japanese Holly, Virginia Coorerative Extention

Holly Diseases and Their Control in the Landscape, North Carolina State University

Damn Good Plants - Sorbaria sorbifolia 'Sem'

There are so many wonders to be found in Spring, its hard to keep up with what's going on around the garden.  Flowers explode from every corner of the yard and perennials push up from their winter slumber, readying themselves for their moment to shine.  However, one shrub manages to jumps out from the pack with its vivid display of foliage color that rivals any spring flowering display.  This shrub is Sorbaria sorbifolia 'Sem', or otherwise known as the Ural False Spirea.

Originating from the harsh and inhospitable Ural Mountains of Russia into Kazakhstan and other regions further west through Siberia and into Northern Asia, 'Sem's' parents come from tough stock.  The straight species is too large and unruly to be considered garden worthy until the work of a clever Dutchman brought us 'Sem' from two unnamed Sorbaria selections.  It's appearance is much shorter and greatly more compact with new growth showing bronzed highlights that is very common when compared to its parents.  Its cold tolerances, coming from such a harsh region allows us to grow it in locations as low as Zone 2.  In fact, America seem balmy in comparison.

The best way to describe a Sorbaria 'Sem' is to say that it looks like a mix of Spirea, Astilbe and Mountain Ash, but wrapped up in a nice little package.   The delicate fern like foliage unfurls in spring, displaying a brilliant show of bright pinkish-red hues that persists on the shrub for weeks after.  As the seasons progress into summer, the color gradually changes to chartreuse-green with brighter tips that still show hints of red.   Creamy white flowers erupted like the plumes of an Astilbe during midsummer, set off by the now darker green foliage.

Though this shrub is a marked improvement over its parents it still has a wondering habit as it sends up suckering growth from its roots.  If you intend to let it spread and colonize, then this trait wouldn't be a problem but if you intend to shoehorn it into an already crowded boarder then be aware.  However, just like training a puppy, correcting it when it begins to misbehave and spread will lead to a desirable specimen.  Don't be afraid to hack it back in early spring to control its height or attack the suckers with a shovel.  Chopping around the shrub will manage its spread with no ill side effects.

Flickr.com - Kerry D Woods

With such a stubborn attitude to grow in the most challenging environment, its amazing not more of us flock to the garden center to buy one.  Still its lack of use in the landscape only increases it exclusivity for the true horticultural connoisseur.

Bee Kind

Many have debated if Albert Einstein really once said: "if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man." Regardless of who coined the quote, the plight of our honey bees is clearly in a decline. Mites, colony disease and even cell phones have had the finger of suspicion pointed at them, but a new alarm raise may point the figure at us gardeners.

'The Garden' magazine, published by the Royal Horticultural Society reported; 'that research done by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has identified three neonicotinoids (of which there are seven in the group) - clothianidin, imidacloprid and Dinotefuran as representing an 'unacceptable danger' to bees'. Many of these chemicals have been used widely in agricultural applications, however imidacloprid is found in many garden related chemicals produced by Bayer, while Dinotefuran is used in some of Scotts products.

I've often heard people in the garden center refer to these products containing imidacloprid as 'miracle cures' against a vast array of pest problems. In fact, so good is the product that you virtually don't even need to know what the pest is anymore to be able to kill it. Homeowners freely admit to using the chemicals routinely as a yearly precaution, regardless of whether theirs a pest or not (a practice not recommended until the pest becomes present). Such has become the mindset that even the manufacturers have included fertilizer to further encourage it's sometimes unnecessary routine use.

So what's all the fuss, after all its just a bee, right? Well, bee's are responsible for pollinating about a third of our dietary needs. One estimate puts their worth at around $224 billion for the crops they produce worldwide. If that little yellow and black buzzing machine disappeared the price of food would immediately go up.  Similar to the price of oil, jeopardising food production threatens the domestic security of any country.

Flickr.com - Antie Schulte

One company has even gone as far to develop a vibrating probe, similar to electric toothbrush that comes with a plastic spoon, to help replace the diminishing bee population. 'Vegibee' comes in either battery or in the environmentally friendly, 5 speed rechargeable option for you Prius driving folks out there. It works by placing the vibrating head of your probe against the flowers most sensitive spot, thus making the flower unload its pollen onto a plastic spoon that comes with the kit. Once you have enough of this sweet pollen powder to go around, you can then offer it up to other flowers to score a hit.  It's all very Sex and Drugs, but without the rock and roll.  To think someone actual went to all the trouble to create a honey bee alternative.  Its a shame they couldn't applied the same thought to protect natures original pollinators.  Forgive me, I'm not a capitalist, just a gardener!

So, can we blame these chemicals for Colony collapse? Its not the sole reason for honey bee decline, but the findings from the EFSA study shows enough of a smoking gun to make you thing otherwise. Some garden centers and retail chains in England have already began voluntarily pulling any products containing imidacloprid from it's shelves. Though, the amount removed is nothing more than a drop in the ocean, many feel its a small price to pay. As more publicity arises, many more green industry companies may be forced to reconsider carrying such products in the face of rising concern.

Flickr - jypsygen

If you're like me, your probably holding your head in their hands out of frustration. Yet another chemical is on the verge of being pulled because of its harmful effect on our environment. But, a solution may be at hand. Bayer, the company that brought you imidacloprid also manufactures Aspirin.   Not only will it help you with your pounding headache but studies have shown that giving Aspirin water to your plants boosts their immune systems. One report I read suggests that its like 'giving your plant Echinacea so they don't get a cold', unless of course it's another Echinacea!

So before you reach for that blue bottle of chemical, consider if your plant just needs an Aspirin instead. You'll be replacing one harmful chemical of another lesser one, but at least the flowers can't complain of having a headache when it comes time to fornicating with some help from the bees!

Grass does make you high!

Once again, its my time to present another seminar at work and as always I'm working until the last minute to get ready for it.  This time my talk's about using native plants in the garden, a talk I've done a few times already.  I've always approached these seminars as a story telling presentation rather than a class, as more people tend to remember the key points if you wrap them up in an interesting journey.  This time I've stumbled upon some fascinating studies that gave me a great story to tell regarding America's obsession with grass (meaning the lawn)!

My first discovery helps back up the many reasons why we should including native plants in our gardens.  In a census done on 1st January 2012 it put the population of the United States of America at 312,780,968!  A pretty big number, but now compare that with how many square mile are in the United States,  3,794,083.  Divide these two numbers together and that leaves you with 82.5 people per square mile.  With such a high  demand on our shrinking land, our gardens may end up being a safe haven to protect our native plants  protection.

If the pressure of land wasn't already so great, the next piece of brow raising information comes from the Golf Course Superintendents of America group.  They estimated that golf courses in the US now take up 3,507 square miles.  If you take the equation from above, it only displaces 289,327.5 people from their allocated square mile so a few can hit a small white ball into an even smaller hole in the ground.  By the way, the 3,507 square miles of golf courses is equivalent in size to two Rhode Islands and the state of Delaware.  Now add in all the water, fertilizer and pesticides they consume to keep the grass green its no wonder there's growing concern over the environmental impact they cause.

But lets not forget the all the other 'greens'.  Its estimated that 80% of homes across the country have lawns surrounding it.  Our obsession with grass has fueled a $40 billion dollar a year business that requires 90 million pounds of fertilizer and 78 million pounds of pesticides just to keep our lawns green and bug free.  Some clever person even figured out that we spend 3 billion hours a year pushing or riding a gas powered mower around to keep our grass at the perfect shag pile carpet height.  Just one gas powered mower can give off the equivalent of 11 cars worth of emissions!

However, what does any of this have to do with the title of the post?  Well, Australian Scientist have discovered the the smell of fresh cut grass reduces stress and provides a positive reaction in people. To skim over all the details of the study, a senior lecturer from University of Queensland's bio-medical school discovered that the hippo-campus (the part of our brain that in involved in emotions, learning and memory), remain healthier if exposed to the aroma of fresh cut grass, thus improving long-term memory.  So maybe, our desire to play golf or just to cut the grass every weekend is part of our unconscious desire to giving our brain 'a fix'!

But wait, there's more;  a German study looking to understand this fragrance discovered that it is actually a chemical compound released from distressed plants and to alert others of their attack.  Yep, plants do actually communicate with each other!  Those clever scientists discovered this while studying wild tobacco, which they noticed accelerated amounts volatile organic compounds released when a plant was under attack from caterpillars.  The compound actually worked like a pheromone, which attracted predatory 'Big Eyed Bugs' who regularly feed on the caterpillars.  So in reality, that smell of cut grass that we all love is literally a gas released before it hits the fan!

So, in summing up all of these findings we can draw the conclusion that humans get off on the smell of vegetative trauma.  So great is our need to get a high, we've sacrificed our land to grow even more of the sweet smelling stuff to aid our addiction.  Fortunately, because of our exposure to this secondhand gas, our long term memory has improved so much that we can reminisce about all the native plants that used to grow around us.

Now that's some good S#*t!