native – LandRemedy Blog

New Plant Order

Just placed an order for more baby plants: 10 spicebushes (Lindera benzoin) and 10 buttonbushes (Cephalanthus occidentalis).

We’ve never tried spicebushes here, however, it seems that they might be right at home in the woods and rocky soil next to the pond. That area has been populated mainly by pine, alder and willow, with one area of dogwood. We’ll see if they can create more diversity in the shrub layer and provide more cover for wildlife. Great for birds and butterflies, they’re said to be a superior and fragrant alternative to non-native forsythia.

The one buttonbush we have has been so beautiful and happy in the wet soil beyond the pond, it’ll be nice to have a grouping. Ducks and water birds eat their seeds, and they’re also good for butterflies, bees and insects.

Angelica atropurpurea

This plant was a volunteer here. First there was one, and now there are a few. It’s been coming back for a few years, yet it doesn’t seem to be taking over. There are many different species of angelica. I’ve read that wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris) can be invasive in parts of Canada. This one appears to be Angelica atropurpurea, because of its purple stems, and because it hasn’t grown much taller than 5 feet or so. I hope it is, because if it is, it’s a friendly native that supports many insects. Bees do love it!

Pond Path

Looking west, we maintain a path that winds along next to the pond, so we can monitor what’s growing there. Alders are easily pruned and bacteria around their roots fix nitrogen in the soil, so they’re generally encouraged. Other fantastic plants that love this area are clethra, joe pye and sweetgale (also a nitrogen fixer). This area was formerly full of invasive phragmites, loosestrife, buckthorn and bittersweet.

Purple Asters

These asters volunteered to spring up in between the branches of alder. Glad they made the cut when I brought the weed whacker through this area. When they’re little they can be difficult to pick out and identify, along with everything else that grows next to the pond.

Bottlebrush Buckeye

A young Aesculus parviflora – think I planted this one a year or two ago and it’s finally starting to grow a bit.

Winterberry?

A branch of a small (about 12′ tall) tree, a volunteer on the north (rocky) side of the pond. We think it may be a winterberry holly.

Other Natives Join Milkweeds

Over on the other end of the pond, a bunch of existing dogwood shrubs needed dividing, so we transplanted them here, to back up the milkweeds. In front of the milkweeds are little bluestem, big bluestem, aster and fern divisions. A young Princeton elm anchors the far end of the “river.”

Milkweed Seeds

Seeds collected from Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) and Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) are almost as beautiful as the plant itself! These were immediately scattered all along the Milkweed River.

Collecting Seeds

Native milkweed, goldenrod and rudbeckia seeds were gathered and used to start the new “Milkweed River.”

Shrubs in East Corridor

This is still in the “east” corridor, slightly west of the last photo, below. Some of the shrubs here include Cornus amomum (silky dogwood), Hammamelis virginiana (witch hazel), Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood) and Cephalanthus occidentalis (button bush). We also propagated some willows, dogwoods and alders that were already growing on the property. Just about everything is native, except for the purple smokebush.