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Holiday Plants: A Horticultural View

January 20, 2022 sgn32

By Madelene Knaggs, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

The holiday season has come and gone, but let’s take a minute to look back at some of the plants that played such a prominent role in our festivities. Whether we observed Christmas, Chanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, trees, herbs and plants were most likely a part of the celebration. Much has been written about the cultural aspects and origins of the plant life used as part of our celebration and seasonal decoration. This article will focus on the geographic origins, growing environment, and propagation of our holiday flora.

Evergreens

Photo: Close up of needles on a pine tree — Pine needles

Christmas and Winter Solstice celebrations throughout the world use evergreens for both decorative and symbolic reasons. The “Yule” or “Christmas” tree is generally a decorated evergreen conifer tree, such as a pine, fir, cedar, juniper, or spruce. The tradition began with ancient civilizations in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. The modern custom developed in 16^th century Germany and became popular in other European nations and North America during the 19^th century. The tree’s decorations and lights symbolized stellar objects, spirits of the dead, religious events, important figures, and sometimes provided edible treats.

Photo: A field of short conical shaped white pine trees — Christmas tree farm

An evergreen is a plant which has green foliage throughout the year and in most colloquial references it applies to coniferous evergreens such as pine, spruce, and fir. Although many characteristics can be used to distinguish one coniferous evergreen from another, let’s concentrate on the needles. Pine trees are easy to distinguish as their needles are bundled in sheaths of two, three, or five needles. If the tree has single needles along the branch, it’s a good chance that it is a fir or a spruce. Fir needles are flat and do not roll between your fingers while spruce needles have four sides and rolls easily between your fingers.

Although some people may go into the woods to find and cut a tree for their celebration, most trees are commercially grown. According to the National Christmas Tree Association it can take anywhere between 4 and 15 years to grow the typical 6-7 foot tree, but the average is 7 years. Spruce and fir are the most popular because of their shape, needle retention, and fragrance. Trees are harvested in the fall when temperatures begin to drop and trees are full hydrated. With proper “watering” a cut tree can last up to month or more indoors and provide festive beauty for the early winter season. So it is possible that you are still enjoying your Christmas tree now.

Holly

Holly (Ilex spp.) provides deep green and rich red color for the winter season. There are many species of holly including our native American holly (Ilex opaca) and common holly (llex aquifolium) which is native to parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. In ancient cultures, the holly tree symbolized the waning sun which leads to the winter solstice. Holly was used to create wreathes to decorate homes. Placing a ring of holly on doors originated in Ireland. Holly decorations were believed to bring protection and good luck to the home’s residents in the coming year.

Hollies have simple leaves that are arranged alternately on the branches. Most hollies have leaves with wavy margins tipped with spines. Although most hollies are evergreens, some species like the native deciduous holly (Ilex decidua) lose their leaves in the fall. Hollies have small white or green flowers that are often overlooked, but their bright red berries provide beautiful winter color and are an important source of food for many bird species.

A large 20 foot conical shaped holly tree — Holly tree

Most holly species are dioecious meaning that they have separate male and female plants. In order to produce seeds, you’ll need one of each. And if you want to have red berries, make sure you get a female plant. Hollies can be a great addition to your home garden. They do best when grown in full sun to part shade and prefer moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil.

Poinsettias

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) add color and brightness to our winter décor. The colorful ‘petals’ of the poinsettia are actually not petals at all, but modified leaves known as bracts. Poinsettias are natives of Mexico and Central America where they are called ‘Flor de Nochebuena’ or the Christmas Eve Flower. Here in the United States, they are known as poinsettias after Joel Roberts Poinsett, a diplomat and amateur botanist, who introduced the plant into the country in 1828.

Poinsettias grow in temperate coastal climates and will suffer damage if exposed to temperatures below 50°F. The ideal indoor growing temperature for your poinsettias is between 65°F and 70°F and they should be placed in a south, east, or west facing window that receives bright daylight.

Bright red 'leaves' of poinsettias Poinsettias are an attractive green plant most of the year and come late spring they can be brought outside and either kept in containers or transplanted into a part-sun garden that gets four to five hours of sun a day. Getting your green poinsettia to change color for the holiday season is an onerous task and requires excluding light from the plant for period of time while still keeping the plant healthy. Click here for a complete guide to year-round poinsettia care. Good luck if you decide to try and get your poinsettias to re-bloom this coming winter!

Mistletoe

Photo: Large tree barren of leaves but covered with sevral large green balls of mistletoe Mistletoe has long been associated with winter holiday traditions and is the common name for several families of poisonous, evergreen parasitic plants. In nature mistletoe can been found attached to and penetrating the branches of trees and shrubs alike. According to Norse legends, couples who met under hanging mistletoe were obliged to kiss. Here in North America mistletoe is commonly used as a Christmas decoration and is generally a plant from the genus Phoradendron.

Mistletoe (Phoradendron spp.) produces small berries that are a favorite wintertime snack for birds. The seeds then pass through the bird and are excreted high up in the trees where the birds roost. Its seeds are sticky to keep them from falling to the ground, where they would be unable to sprout and develop into mature plants.

Christmas Cactus

Photo: Bright pink flower of a Christmas catcus The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) is a hybrid bred from plants native to the coastal mountains of Brazil. This popular holiday plant has beautiful blooms in early winter. Although full sunlight is beneficial during fall and winter, bright sun during the summer months can make plants look pale and yellow. Christmas cacti depend upon shorter day lengths and cooler temperatures to set their flower buds. Once flower buds are set do not let temperatures rise above 90°F or the buds will drop. The holiday cacti are tolerant of dry, slightly under-watered conditions and tend to thrive when pot bound. When properly tended, this blooming succulent can live for a 100 years!

Salvia

The salvia plant (Salvia fruticosa) also known as Greek sage is native to the eastern Mediterranean. Its structure resembles the description of the menorah found in the book of Exodus and is likely the floral candidate after which the menorah was modeled. Salvias are members of the mint family and have square stems and are usually strongly aromatic with leaves rich in essential oils.

If you want to add a salvia plant to your garden, there are many species to choose from. There are both annuals and perennials and come in a wide range of sizes and colors. Ornamental salvias produce beautiful flower spikes that attract a variety of pollinators with their sweet fragrance and colorful blooms.

Corn

Photo: Multi-colored corn Corn is one of the seven symbols used during Kwanzaa celebrations. Muhindi (moo-heen’-dee) means corn and represents children and the future. Corn was first domesticated by peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago and it is believed to have been derived from a wild grass known as teosinte (Zea mays parviglumis).

When most people think of corn they think of sweet corn, but most corn grown in the United States is actually field corn which unlike sweet corn, is harvested when the kernels are hard and dry. Field corn is used as livestock feed and used to make corn starch, whiskey, oils, margarines, and bio-fuels. The United States is the largest corn producer in the world and it is grown in most parts of the country including Alaska and Hawaii. Corn does best with warm, sunny growing weather (75–86°F) and moderate rains.

As you can see, plants play an important part in holiday celebrations and have very diverse horticultural origins and applications. As you continue to enjoy this winter season, think about planting or propagating these symbols as a way to personalize your holiday celebration next winter!

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Book Reviews

December 22, 2021 sgn32

Photo: Person with long brown hair, wearing comfy socks and sweat pants, sitting on the floor in front of a blazing fire place reading a book as a black and white cat rests its head on their leg Winter has arrived! While there isn’t much to be doing outside in our gardens, the winter is a great opportunity to spend time learning more about gardening. So grab one of these books recommended by our Master Gardener Volunteers, sit by the fire, and spend time cultivating your mind this winter.

Book List

Freedom’s Gardener: James F. Brown, Horticulture, and the Hudson Valley in Antebellum America by Myra Beth Young Armstead

Garden Alchemy: 80 Recipes and Concoctions for Organic Fertilizers, Plant Elixirs, Potting Mixes, Pest Deterrents, and More by Stephanie Rose

Good Garden Bugs by Mary M. Gardiner, Ph. D.

The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden by Roy Diblik

Natural Companions: The Garden Lover’s Guide to Plant Combinations by Ken Druse

Square Foot Gardening with Kids by Mel Bartholomew

The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardner’s Handbook by Ron and Jennifer Kujawski

The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve Month Guide to Self-Sufficiency by Anna Hess

The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature by Sue Stuart-Smith

A Year at Brandywine Cottage by David L. Culp

Your Wellbeing Garden: How to Make Your Garden Good for You – Science, Design, Function by D.K. Publishing

Freedom’s Gardener: James F. Brown, Horticulture, and the Hudson Valley in Antebellum America

by Myra Beth Young Armstead

Reviewed by Madelene Knaggs, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

Freedom’s Gardener is impeccably researched and full of detail. It is the kind of book that grabs the attention of readers interested in gardening, local history, Black history, and the concept of freedom. Armstead, a professor of history at Bard College, extracts small details from the diary of James F. Brown to compose a story illustrating the concept of freedom as it developed in the United States in the decades following the Revolutionary War.

James F. Brown was born a slave in 1793 and died a free man in 1868. He escaped slavery in Maryland to the Hudson Valley of New York State, where he was employed as a gardener by the wealthy Verplanck family in Beacon, NY (on what is presently the Mount Gulian Historic Site).

Brown kept a detailed diary over 39 years, with entries covering weather, gardening, and steamboat schedules, as well as domestic matters. James began his career with the Verplancks as a waiter and a laborer, but eventually assumed the duties as the Verplanck Estate’s master gardener. He managed and supervised garden, farm, and nursery workers. He was also responsible for making major purchases for the Verplanck house and garden. He frequently interacted in Newburgh with Andrew Jackson Downing, the famed lAmerican landscape designer and editor of The Horticulturist magazine (1846–1852). Brown attended the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Show in Philadelphia as well as the New York Horticultural Society Exhibition.

This book has been recommended by the Library Journal to historians of antebellum America and the social aspects of horticulture, as well as those interested in historical diaries. Armstead’s well-researched study of Brown’s work greatly expands our understanding of the Hudson Valley and the people and plants that have shaped it.

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Garden Alchemy: 80 Recipes and Concoctions for Organic Fertilizers, Plant Elixirs, Potting Mixes, Pest Deterrents, and More

by Stephanie Rose

Reviewed by Mary Presutti, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

As a newly minted Master Gardener Volunteer, I frequently turn to my class notes for advice in the garden. Now I have another, more portable source. In this one handy, slim volume, Canadian Master Gardener Stephanie Rose has compiled a nifty hands-on guide with useful recipes to get everyone’s garden in top shape.

The book is loaded with step-by-step instructions beginning with homemade methods to test your soil, then on to recipes for soil amendment, custom mulch, compost boosters, fertilizers, garden teas, potting soils, and even a method to produce your own worm castings. The ingredients are common items available in your home.

Even wildlife has not been left out. There are techniques for encouraging as well as discouraging nature in the garden. Some of my plants go outdoors in the summer months. They invariably bring fungus gnats back indoors in the fall. She has a fix to keep them away. She also includes a bottle trap for flies, wasps, and stinkbugs—all with their own individual bait recipes.

As a plus, Ms. Rose has included some fun activities to keep gardeners occupied while their plants are sleeping this winter season. You can make seed bombs, suet holders, butterfly puddlers, and more.

Garden Alchemy is chock full of beautiful, interesting photographs and diagrams that complement the easy to understand, straight to the point text. I recommend it for all gardeners.

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Good Garden Bugs

by Mary M. Gardiner, Ph.D.

Review by Donna Beyer, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

All gardeners must deal with bugs — good bugs, bad bugs — but some of us aren’t sure which is which. Good Garden Bugs is directed to the home gardener who might not know the difference. As gardeners, we invest time and effort into making our gardens the most beautiful and productive they can be, yet bugs can present challenges to our efforts. Most of us understand the need for good bugs, but sometimes find it difficult to live in harmony with them.

The book begins by providing information on the classification, anatomy, and the life cycle of garden bugs. The information helps the gardener understand how each stage of a bug’s development has different enemies and threats, and is presented in a way that non-academics can understand. How bugs overwinter and mature provides the gardener with valuable insight into promoting good garden bugs.

The chapter that discusses controls we use to regulate bug populations can help gardeners understand how their actions affect them. This section also stresses the need for native plants to promote healthy habitats that support good bug populations.

The chapters that follow are the core of the book. Each subsequent chapter is dedicated to an order of bug that describes the unique attributes and common examples of bugs that fall into that order. The book also includes large color photos with descriptions of each.

Over half the chapters are dedicated to wasps, beetles, and spiders. These bugs are the most plentiful and can be difficult to identify. These orders can do serious damage to plants and humans alike, so being able to identify these “good” bugs is especially important. Gardeners want to promote good bugs that fall into these orders, but also want to protect themselves and their gardens.

Currently, in the age of the internet, having a resource you can carry to the garden that will assist with pest identification is invaluable. This book is slim but does not skimp on content and is a valuable addition to a home gardener’s library.

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The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden

by Roy Diblik

Reviewed by Cecille Jones, Monroe Master Gardener Volunteer

If the title of this book doesn’t hook you, perhaps the words on the cover will. In red ink, it loudly declares knowing your plants means less work. Or perhaps you’ve heard of Roy Diblik, the renowned plantsman behind the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park in Chicago.

Diblik’s approach to gardening stresses harmony with how plants grow and interact with each other. He advocates knowing your plants so you can plant them in self-sustaining communities. By doing so, you will spend less time maintaining them and more time enjoying them.

The author focuses on perennials because he believes they are the foundation of durable, diverse and beautiful gardens. According to Diblik, once you’re familiar with perennials, then you will recognize how and when to add annuals, vegetables, herbs, shrubs and trees.

Diblik believes that traditional gardening has become so culturally defined over the last 50 years that it is now a source of frustration and defeat for most gardeners.

In the first four chapters, he covers the basics – from understanding plant growth to soil, light, site preparation, and more. Chapter 5 covers 74 key perennials selected for their dependability, suitability to the northern half of the U.S., adaptability to soil & seasonal changes, and durability.

The true treasure is saved for Chapter 6 and beyond, where Diblik provides more than 60 garden plans, each designed to cover a 10 – 14’ rectangle, categorized by plans for growing in sun or shade, and complete with notes on care and maintenance. Assuming you are diligent about care and maintenance, Diblik claims that each plan should take about 3 to 4 hours of work per week.

Diblik’s approach will put you on a path to a style of gardening that stresses harmony, simplicity and enjoyment.

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Natural Companions: The Garden Lover’s Guide to Plant Combinations

by Ken Druse

Reviewed by Gerda Krogslund, Middletown Senior Master Gardener Volunteer

For this book, author Ken Druse worked in conjunction with artist Ellen Hoverkamp who provided the beautiful botanical photographs throughout. Each chapter explores plants in a different light looking at season, family, form, function, color, spirit of place, or theme.

Take a journey through the seasons starting with signs of spring and continuing through the year concluding with winter and new awakenings. Learn about different plant families and delve into the numerous varieties found in each. Form follows function – examine the many different shapes, textures, structures and growth habit of flowers and other plants. Be inspired by pictures of flowers with both similar colors and exciting color combinations. Consider the spirit of place and think about what you can plant in woodlands, meadows, wetlands, rain gardens, and rock gardens. Explore themed gardens grown for fragrance, roses, pollinators, birds, cutting, edible plants, herbs, medicinal plants, and toxic plants.

This is not a “how-to” manual but a book that suggests possible plant combinations for your consideration. It gives you lots of ideas in which you can take your reliable basic plants and add others to make your garden even more spectacular. Ken Druse knows that gardening is very personable and suggests that while you read through the book, you make lists of combinations that appeal to you.

A garden is never really complete but more a work in progress as we continually experiment with new plants and new plant arrangements. I’ve spent hours going through this book and I know I’ll come back again and again.

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Square Foot Gardening with Kids

by Mel Bartholomew

Reviewed by Brooke Moore, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

Getting children interested in growing food and learning more about the natural world is an admirable goal. And one that does not have to be boring or pedantic.

This lovely book by the master of Square Foot Gardening, provides kids from toddlers to teens with all the tools they need to build, manage, grow and harvest a vegetable garden. It encourages starting small and building more as confidence and experience lead one to wanting a larger planting area.

With a format that provides age-appropriate tasks and goals at every step, this book also works for the whole family. I loved that there are clues to help parents not be overly involved but rather encourage the children to figure out how to do things themselves. It covers building raised beds, making soil mixes, how to make a grid system, water issues, protecting plants from predators, best growing practices, and much more.

Teachers and classroom projects are also a part of the book, and these can be used by anyone. Math, science, art, and history are all related to gardening, and the book provides simple and interesting activities to bring these skills into the garden and to use the garden to develop entirely new ones. Measuring, weighing, keeping a planting journal are all well described and encouraged. There are good photos and illustrations for each step and lots of handy tips and “how to” suggestions.

This is a book with “kids” in the title, but it truly is a book for anyone and everyone interested in exploring how to use this simple system to have a successful garden harvest.

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The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardner’s Handbook

by Ron and Jennifer Kujawski

Reviewed by Kimberly Marshall, Washingtonville Master Gardener Volunteer

If there were only one vegetable gardening book I could use throughout the gardening year, it would be The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook by Ron and Jennifer Kujawski. This dynamic father-and-daughter gardening duo have made an indispensable resource that should grace the bookshelves of vegetable gardeners everywhere.

It provides week-by-week vegetable gardening how-to’s that coincide with each planting season. A chart at the beginning of the book helps you identify where you are in your own area’s growing season, using your first and last frost dates as a guide. For example, if your last frost date is mid-May, as it is for many of us here in Orange County, you enter that date in the calendar’s “Week 1,” which starts your weekly to-do’s (first week, two weeks out, three weeks out, etc.).

Based on these dates, the book explains which week to start seeds indoors, plant cover crops, look for pests, harvest your crops, and fertilize each and every vegetable you can think of, with plenty of gardening tips and tricks along the way. There are even steps for gardening in the winter, with instructions for planning gardens and ordering seeds, so you can work on or think about your garden all year long.

The book also includes space for journaling your thoughts and experiences. There is ample room for notes in each section to remind yourself of what you planted and any issues you might have experienced, helping you to avoid making the same mistakes the following year.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step vegetable gardening book that tells you exactly what to do and when to do it, give this one a try—especially if you find the idea of vegetable gardening a bit overwhelming, like I do. It breaks everything down into easy steps, making even the scariest parts of gardening seem effortless while helping you realize what’s truly possible for your garden along the way.

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The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve Month Guide to Self-Sufficiency

by Anna Hess

Reviewed by Robin Portelli, Cornwall Master Gardener Volunteer

As I was perusing through gardening books on the Libby App from my local library, the book title, The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve-Month Guide to Self Sufficiency by Anna Hess caught my attention. I was envisioning a book with information that would inspire me to become a self-sufficient gardener without feeling overwhelmed or pressured that I needed to go off the grid or never buy grocery produce again. I was not disappointed.

In her introduction, Anna Hess immediately connects with the novice homesteader. She understands that the dream of full-time homesteading can be daunting for most people. “Weekend Homesteader is full of short projects that you can use to dip your toes into the vast ocean of homesteading without becoming overwhelmed,” she writes. So, I began to read.

The book is divided by months beginning in the month of April or October if you live down under. Each month introduces you to topics that are important factors in growing a successful garden and maintaining a small homestead. Some homesteading basics covered that are more familiar to most of us include budgeting skills and record keeping (ugh!), healthy soil, garden rotation, and how to build a chicken coop. Anna Hess also touches upon less well-known details and tips such as how to find space to plant if you live in the city, how to stay warm without electricity for longer periods of time, and how to extend the gardening season by making your own garden hoops. Recipes, canning, cooking, and details of food/seed storing options are among some of the other multitude of topics.

Overall, I would give this book 4.5/5 stars.

Pros: It was well organized and gave many tips that only an experienced homesteader would know. It could help a novice homesteader avoid rookie mistakes. This book was published in 2012, but the topics and information are still very practical and relevant.

Cons: It covers the basics so an already experienced homesteader may not reap much benefit by reading it. Also, it is missing a chapter specific to urban gardening topics.

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The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature

by Sue Stuart-Smith

Reviewed by Sharon Lunden, Goshen Master Gardener Volunteer

In The Well-Gardened Mind, Stuart-Smith, a British psychiatrist and psychotherapist, delves into the therapeutic aspects of immersing yourself in a garden. This is not a how-to garden book but instead outlines the well-researched benefits to the human body, mind, and soul to be found in the natural world around us.

Our brain cells are like branching trees, requiring pruning, weeding, and room to grow. Experience and pain can be “composted” into something beneficial. Gardens reflect our lives, periods of yield and beauty, loss and rest. Our minds as gardens seek light, cultivation, seeding, nourishment, watering, and replenishment. Souls and bodies begin to heal and thrive in the peace, safety, and beauty of the confines of a flower or vegetable garden. We need the earth as much as the earth needs us to care for and cherish it, a full circle. By learning to care for a garden, we better learn to care for ourselves and others.

This is a fascinating book which I recommend to you, as it can prove helpful and comforting in the midst of the stress of these difficult times.

If we put energy into cultivating the earth, we are given something back. There is magic in it and there is hard work in it, but the fruits and flowers of the earth are a form of goodness that is real; they are worth believing in and are not out of reach. When we sow a seed, we plant a narrative of future possibility. It is an action of hope. Not all the seeds we sow will germinate, but there is a sense of security that comes from knowing you have seeds in the ground. (pp. 65–66)

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A Year at Brandywine Cottage

by David L. Culp

Reviewed by Madelene Knaggs, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

A Year at Brandywine Cottage leads us on a journey through an exquisite garden that represents a lifetime of hard work, passion, successes and disappointments, experience and knowledge. Engaging prose and beautiful photography take the armchair gardener on a virtual tour through each season as the author informs us of the Latin genus and species and the botanical and historical facts about each plant.

Author and gardener David Culp states, “By looking closely at my garden over a period of time, and allowing it to speak to me, I find that the garden at Brandywine Cottage wants six seasons. As you will see, this book chronicles what happens in my garden over the course of those seasons.”

Culp demonstrates his deep knowledge of plants season by season with such tips and techniques for a successful layered garden as adding pots of tropicals (he has 400 pots) into the beds to boost a tired August garden, or clipping distracting dead leaves off hellebores before they bloom. He also weaves in family and local recipes using ingredients from his own beautiful vegetable garden.

Beginning in February (in the chapter “Early Spring”), he shows us the sleepy phase in the garden when most people are oblivious to any plant life. He proves that there is much to behold—the emerging bulbs of crocus, dwarf iris, glory-of-the-snow, winter aconite, witch hazels, and the author’s large collection of snowdrops. As the season progresses into March, daffodils and hellebores take center stage. He continues to show the progression and overlapping from season to season and from outdoors to inside the home.

This book will inspire readers with ideas for their own gardens, and will encourage plans in anticipation of the upcoming season.

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Your Wellbeing Garden: How to Make Your Garden Good for You – Science, Design, Function

by D.K. Publishing

Review by Patricia Henighan, Walden Master Gardener Volunteer

If you have been gardening for a while, you probably don’t need to be convinced that your garden is good for you. Nevertheless, this delightfully designed and easy to digest book uses scientific research drawn together by a team of scientists from the Royal Horticultural Society to present the whys and hows of creating an outdoor space that nourishes both the mind and the body, and is good for the planet. Each section encapsulates the latest research on topics such as how to fight air pollution, reduce noise pollution, help pollinators, address climate change, and provide fodder for your brain.

The authors use diagrams and illustrations to explain concepts such as how different types of leaves trap air pollutants and why vegetation is a better at reducing noise pollution than a fence or a wall. They explore topics such as Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS) which rates plants from 1 to 10 for allergenicity using eye-catching illustrations that show why certain flower and tree species are better choices if you are looking to avoid flying pollen.

Many people spend time outside to find peace and tranquility in a chaotic world. Research has found that when seeking “natural restoration”, we respond best to natural features that are moderately complex – not too smooth and not too busy. A grassy area with openings and some trees provides the highest rewards for inducing tranquility. Fractals or repeating branching patterns, which occur frequently in nature, can be added to a garden to ensure the landscape provides release for the brain from stress and anxiety. The authors encourage you to design a mindfulness corner with a comfortable seat in an area cushioned from street noise with a soothing sound of water or bees buzzing. Who said gardens must be all work?

Gardening can be a solitary pursuit or a communal activity. It can benefit people from all walks of life. Children and adults with special needs can benefit from the experience of growing flowers and food crops. Horticultural therapy is a way in which gardening is used to help people suffering from trauma and illness. For immigrants, growing crops from their home country can help to allay homesickness. And when it comes to children and gardening, psychologists have found that children can cultivate character by taking care of their own individual garden plots. It is also thought that by handling dirt at an early age, children increase their exposure to beneficial microbes, which may boost the immune system.

Since climate change is an ongoing challenge for everyone, the last section covers many aspects of creating a sustainable garden. There are suggestions on how to change barren, water-gobbling lawns into more resilient spaces and the latest recommendations on how to care for your soil, avoid impermeable surfaces, capture run-off, and design rain gardens. Obviously, it is a win-win situation as making your garden better for you will also make it better for the environment.

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The Acorn Story

November 17, 2021 sgn32

By Claudine Sullivan, Walden Master Gardener Volunteer

Several acorns hanging in an oak tree wich has leaves that have started to turn brown One of the most recognizable symbols of fall is a branch of oak leaves and a couple of acorns. Oak trees (Quercus spp.) have been around for approximately 55 million years old, with the oldest North American specimen being 44 million years old. Long before pumpkins and corn stalks came to symbolize harvest and bounty, people depended on the humble acorn and majestic oak tree for sustenance and shelter. Today we think of oak trees in terms of shade, firewood, and sturdy furniture, but as acorns can be stored for long periods of time and the flour made from them is quite nutritious for thousands of years acorns were the main food staple for people in balanocultures.

A photo looking up at the top of a massive oak tree — Black oak

Oak trees are a dominant plant in many forest ecosystems and currently there are about 500 species of oaks growing in temperate and tropical climates throughout the world. There are about 90 species of oak trees native to the United States including eleven here in New York.

All oak trees produce acorns, this is the fruit and contains a nutrient rich seed. It can be hard to imagine that a single acorn can become a 200-year-old tree cable of producing millions of other acorns. Acorn production does not begin until an oak tree is about 20 years old, with peak production when the tree is between 50 to 80 years old. After that acorn production tapers off, although some trees will produce acorns well into their second century and beyond.

A photo of the rounded-lobed leaves of a white oak tree. — White oak leaves

Oaks in North American are divided into two groups: White Oaks and Red (Black) Oaks. Each group has distinct leaf shape and acorn production strategy. White or annual oaks have rounded-lobed leaves, flower later in the spring than red oaks, and have sweet tasting acorns that mature in one season. The acorns of the white oaks can start to germinate as soon as they hit the ground in the fall.

A photo of the pointed-lobed leaves of a norther red oak. — Northern red oak leaves

Red or biennial oaks have pointed-lobed leaves, flower earlier in the spring than white oaks, and have bitter tasting acorns that take two years to mature. Because their acorns take two years to mature, it is possible to have two seasons of acorns on each twig. The acorns of the red oaks need a period of cold stratification that lasts 6-8 weeks in order to germinate.

Oaks Native to New York State

White / Annual Oaks	Red / Biennial Oaks
Bear Oak Quercus ilicifolia	Chestnut Oak Quercus montana
Chinkapin Oak Quercus muehlenbergii	Black Oak Quercus velutina
Dwarf Chinkapin Oak Quercus prinoides	Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra
Post Oak Quercus stellata	Pin Oak Quercus palustris
Swamp White Oak Quercus bicolor	Scarlet oak Quercus coccin
White Oak Quercus alba

Photo: Clump of long cascading catkins covered with tiny flowers — Pin oak catkins

Both white and red oaks are monoecious meaning they have separate male and female flowers found on the same plant. Flowering begins in early spring, just before the leaves start to emerge. The male flowers are produced on long catkins and are the first to bloom. After about two weeks, the inconspicuous female flowers will open. Female flowers are sometimes mistaken for leaf buds and can be found on both upper branches and new twigs, just at the base of new leaves. They can only truly be appreciated with a magnifying glass.

Photo: Tiny red flowers located on the stem at the base of a leaf. — Northern red oak female flowers

The male flowers shed their pollen and the wind carries it to the female flowers of neighboring trees. If the male flowers were above the female, the tree would more likely self-pollinate, so to ensure cross-pollination female flowers are located high in the tree, above the male flowers. Weather can affect acorn production. A rainy, damp spring will suppress pollination as the pollen will be washed to the ground. A cold snap can also kill the female flowers. Once fertilization occurs, a dry spell or other stressors can cause the tree to abort the acorns to conserve the trees resources.

When all environmental factors work together, oak trees can produce an overabundance of acorns in what scientists call a “mast year.” The term mast comes from Old English word meaning “fat” or “food” and can be traced back to the same word origin that gave us “meat”. Perhaps that’s why the insides of nuts is called “the meat”. In a mast year, one mature oak tree can produce 10,000 acorns. Not every year is a mast year and not all trees have them in the same year. In fact, the exact cause of a “mast year” is still not completely understood. Scientists hypothesize that factors including weather and evolutionary adaptation play a part in this natural phenomenon.

Photo: Two acorns on the ground, one is slightly cracked and has begun to sprout. — Germinating acorn

When it comes to acorn production scientist have observed a two to five year production cycle that includes a mast crop year, a few average years, and a poor year. Why have oaks (and other nut trees) developed this interesting quirk? One hypothesis is that it is a survival strategy. Oak trees depend on small mammals such as chipmunks and squirrels, and birds such as blue jays and woodpeckers for seed dispersal. When there is an overabundance of acorns produced not all of them will be eaten, ensuring that some of them will be able to germinate and grow into trees.

Gray squirrel eating something in its hands — Gray squirrel

The acorn production cycle also has huge effects on the forest food web. Just under 100 species depend on the acorn as a primary source of food including birds, black bears, chipmunks, deer, mice, and squirrels. When the forest floor is full of acorns, the species that depend on the acorns for food have an easier winter. This results in an increase in the animal population the following year. Mast years use a lot of the tree’s resources, so they are often followed by a few years of lean or average acorn production. In years when there are fewer acorns, fewer animals survive, keeping the population in balance.

Blacklegged tick crawling on a piece of cloth — Blacklegged tick

An interesting study conducted in southeastern New York shows that mast years not only effect the animal population that eat acorns, but it also effects tick populations that feed on the acorn eaters. After a mast year, populations of chipmunks, squirrels, and white-footed mice increase. These small mammals are key to the life cycle of the blacklegged or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), the only vector for Lyme disease in the northeastern United States.

A diagram of the lifecycle of a black-legged tick: Eggs hatch in the spring. In the summer the larvae feed on small animals such as birds and mice. The following spring nymphs feed on larger animals such as deer, fox, squirrels, and humans. Risk of human infection greatest in late spring and summer. In the fall adults feed on large animals such as deer, fox and humans. The adults lay eggs the following spring. — Lifecycle of the black-legged tick

When tick eggs hatch in spring, the emerging larvae are not infected with Lyme disease. Their first host is usually a small mammal. If their first host is a carrier of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, the ticks become infected. After feeding, the larval ticks drop-off their hosts and molt into nymphs. The following spring the nymphs, which now may carry Lyme disease, search for new hosts, and this time they are more likely to chose a large animal such as a deer or a human. As a result it has been observed that two years after an acorn mast year, Lyme disease cases see an uptick.

So next time you step on an acorn or hear one go THUNK! on your car or shed roof, remember that it is much more that just a fall decoration.

Photo: a single acorn lying on the ground near some moss

Out in the Garden

Fall Bulbs – Plant Now For Spring Delights

October 13, 2021 sgn32

By Brooke Moore, New Windsor Senior Master Gardener Volunteer

Cluster of daffodils yellow with orange centers — Daffodils

When doing a cost-benefit analysis, there is nothing in gardening that has a greater benefit that planting bulbs in the fall. For minimal cost and labor now, you can have a garden filled with blossoms bursting with color, texture, and fragrance in the spring. All it takes is a little planning, a bit of digging, and some patience to transform your spring garden experience.

The varieties of bulbs that thrive in our region is almost endless and includes something for every color palette, growing condition, and size requirement. Spend a few hours looking through some catalogs, and you will find a good selection of options that will work for your environment.

Bulb Selection

Where to Plant

How to Plant

Bulb Care

Types of Spring Flowering Bulbs

Bulb Selection

Single deep magenta tulips Spring flowering bulbs are usually classified by four basic characteristics: bloom time (early, mid, and late spring), height, bloom form, and color. Depending on your garden aesthetic, one or more of these characteristics will help determine what bulbs are right for you.

Catalogs list the growing requirements needed for ideal bloom of every bulb; these include amount of sun, soil type, and planting depth. Keep in mind that areas of your garden that are in partial shade during the summertime may be in full or mostly full sun in the springtime when many plants are still emerging and/or have not yet leafed out. This means that bulbs can be the ultimate companion plant, providing early season interest before being hidden by established perennial plants.

Bulb growers offer mixes based on color, bloom time, and compatible forms. You can also create your own mix by ordering a selection of bulbs and mixing them together. Mixes are often an economical way to have both a variety, and a mix of more expensive bulbs and more common ones. If you have never had any bulbs this is a good way to get started and feel confident in your abilities to grow bulbs.

Purchasing spring blooming bulbs in advance is the best way to get a good price, but even in the fall there are deals to be found. Most mail order bulbs are imported from Holland; the quality from these well-established retailers is very good. There are also a few USA based bulb producers; if that is important to you, they are worth the search. You can also get unusual colors and forms from specialty growers. Mass marketed bulbs, like those from big box stores, may be smaller but will still bloom and perform well in the garden. Just make sure that the bulbs are not dried out before you buy them.

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Where to Plant

Raised flower bed with pastel pink and yellow tulips and grape hyacinth — Tulips and grape hyacinth

Look at your garden and consider if a large intense planting will suit your needs or a more random insertion of bulbs into existing planting is more of an option. Consider expanding the edges of your garden to incorporate bulbs or dividing some of your perennials to open up some space for bulbs. Planting into lawns is another wonderful way to introduce bulbs. Sighting locations from inside your house is a great idea as you want to be able to see your blooming bulbs in the early spring when it may be too cool to be sitting outside.

If you are starting fresh with a larger area that has nothing planted, then a bulb mix will provide the largest number of bulbs for your investment. Most mixes will indicate the approximate space that they will fill. Keep in mind that over time your bulbs will multiply and fill in even more. Most will need some dividing every 4-5 years although some will be shorter lived and will need to be replaced.

Magenta tulip against a blurry sea of grape hyacinth flowers in bloom Bulbs can be included as part of a cutting garden as well. Consider using a portion of a flower bed or veggie bed as a way of having lots of spring blooms to bring inside. Sale bags of tulips are a good bet for this, since you will be removing or lifting the bulbs after they bloom.

Most home gardeners keep their bulbs in the ground from year to year, but many public gardens lift the bulbs after blooming and discard them to provide space to plant annuals. This is an option for home gardeners as well, but it will increase cost and labor as you will need to replant every year. You can plant annuals around your bulbs but be aware that the water needs of annuals may impact the health of the bulbs which do not like nearly as much water as most annuals require.

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How to Plant

Bulbs will produce best when planted in direct contact with the soil. If you are doing a large planting, dig the whole area removing the soil, place the bulbs with the tips up and fill around and over them. When digging individual holes be sure that the bottom is wide enough to accommodate the bulb with the base in contact with the soil.

Disturbed ground will attract animals who love to snack on bulbs so placing some chicken wire just below the soil surface can deter digging by small animals.

An informal planting looks most natural so casting the bulbs onto the ground so that there is a random pattern looks better than rigid rows of plants. Bulbs with staggered bloom times can be planted in layers and groupings at the same time—daffodils deepest followed by tulips with crocuses and other small bulbs near the top.

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Bulb Care

Most bulbs require very little care. Try and resist cutting back foliage too soon; let it die back naturally so the maximum amount of nutrition will be available for next year’s bloom. A light fertilizing is fine but if you have healthy soil and maintain it over the season you do not need to do anything else. Avoid over-watering them once they have stopped growing.

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Types of Spring Flowering Bulbs

The basic spring bulbs, crocuses, daffodils, and tulips, are a great starting place but there are so many other options to consider as well. Each type of plant has several species and hundreds if not thousands of varieties and cultivars to choose from. So let’s look at some of the options that are easy to find and cost effective to introduce to your garden.

Crocuses

Common crocuses range in size from less than half an inch to over four inches with solid and stripped colors in white, purples, yellows and oranges. Over time they can change in color as they naturalize. Crocuses are an easy bulb to put into lawns; using a mix of bloom times will ensure that your lawn is colorful for weeks.

Daffodils

Daffodils are a great group of bulbs to begin with. They come in a range of colors from the bright cheery yellow we all know, to soft pinks, stripes, vibrant oranges, greens, and brilliant whites. Large outward facing blossoms are a standard but there are small clusters with contrasting petals and double blossoms as well. In choosing plants think about what other shapes and textures will be a part of the garden. Finding a mix of colors, blossom forms and heights will allow you to mimic other plants in your design and compliment hardscapes. Daffodils will also naturalize well especially in partly shady areas.

Daffodils can be used as deer training plants to protect tender more deer loved plants from browsing. As deer do not like them once they find them at the edge of a bed they move on and leave the lilies and tulips alone.

Tulips

Tulips are probably the best loved bulb worldwide. Loved by deer, these cheerful and graceful plants come in many sizes, colors and heights. From tiny tulips that grow low to the ground to giant Darwin tulips that can tower over other plantings, the colors range from sweet pale pastels to vibrant neons. Large color block plantings are often seen but choosing a color range from light to dark is another dramatic way of using the variety to great design benefit. Again, there are many pre-packaged groupings to get you started.

Blossom form for tulips ranges from classic large to fringed, to doubles, to more petite. Select what works with the other plants around them. An example of this is putting double bloom or parrot tulips amongst peonies, the two flower shapes are similar and so the experience is linked from season to season. The height is also a factor and tulips can range from 8-10 inches to upwards of 24 inches! Read the descriptions carefully and think about what the final result will be. When you are inserting bulbs into existing plantings consider what the other plants will be like at the peak bloom time. You don’t want something to cover up your bulbs when they are in bloom.

Other bulbs to consider

Large purple allium bloom - a spherical ball of tiny purple flowers — Allium

Alliums – a punch of shape and a feast for pollinators

Anemone blanda – sweet, cottagey blooms in pastel colors

Brodiaea spp. – late bloomers that can help bridge to summer perennial blooms, unusual flower forms in blue and purple tones

A single six-petaled white flower — Glory-of-the-Snow

Glory-of-the-Snow (Chionodoxa luciliae) – earliest bloomers, work great in deep shade under trees

Dutch Iris (Iris hollandica) – delicate form and early bloom time makes these a delight in the garden, multi-colored, great addition to a border or a rock garden

A downward facing cup-shaped deep purple flower with a light checkered pattern — Fritillaria meleagris

Fritillaria spp. – with the caveat that they are a host for Lilly Leaf Beetles, very diverse group of plants that are dramatic in shape and size

Grape Hyacinth (Muscari spp.) – range of colors, blues, pinks and whites with a few yellows, great edge plants

Grape Hyacinth - cones of tightly packed purple flowers — Grape hyacinth

Hyacinth (Hyacinthus spp.) – not just for potted planting!, huge range of size, color, and fragrance

Lilies – another group of bulbs that should planted in the fall but they deserve their own blog post!

Scilla spp. – early bloomers with white, pink, or purple blooms, deer and rodent resistant, naturalize well

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The truth about spring blooming fall planted bulbs is that there are options galore and the only issue is how many you feel you can plant!

Pollinators

Growing a Bat Friendly Garden

October 8, 2021 sgn32

By Cecille Jones, Monroe Master Gardener Volunteer

This article appeared in the July 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County.

Cluster of bats hanging upside down from a ciment ceiling — Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus)

My informal poll on bats confirmed my suspicion: people either like them or hate them. There’s no in-between. I don’t mean to preach to the converted. But if you shudder at the thought of inviting these flying nocturnal mammals into your property, it’s time to talk facts about bats.

First, let’s bust some myths. People often use the phrase “blind as a bat,” but there are no bats that are actually blind. Additionally, bats are not flying rats. They belong to the order Chiroptera, not Rodentia. And not all bats have rabies, either. In fact, bats contract rabies much less frequently than other mammals. Moreover, bats do not suck people’s blood; nor do they get tangled in people’s hair.

A little brown bat on the ground with its mouth open, showing its teeth — Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus)

Ignore their bad reputation. It’s unwarranted. Instead, focus on creating an inviting space for bats to visit your yard so you can enjoy the many benefits these fuzzy creatures have to offer.

Like birds, bees and butterflies, bats are important pollinators – only they cover the night shift. According to the U.S. Forest Service, bats pollinate and disperse seeds for more than 700 plants. Without bats, you can forget avocados, bananas, dates, peaches, figs, mangoes and other commercially valuable crops. Bats are the only pollinator of the agave plant used to make tequila. Without them, you can kiss your margarita goodbye.

Bats are also excellent eradicators of pesky insects like mosquitoes, caterpillars, moths, gnats and flying beetles. They have been documented to eat bugs that attack pecans, almonds, corn, coffee, tomatoes, cucumbers and beans. A single bat can devour up to 1,200 mosquito-sized insects every hour. That makes bats your friendly provider of free nontoxic pesticide. Scientists estimate that bats in the United States save us billions of dollars in pest control services every year. That’s good reason to love, not loathe, bats.

Because bats feed on insects, they suffer when there are problems with insect populations or when habitats are destroyed or poorly managed. Hence, bats are good indicators of biodiversity.

To attract bats to your garden, plant flowers that are late-day blooming or night-scented. Here are some suggestions:

Mock orange shrub (Philadelphus virginalis): This late-blooming deciduous plant provides a stunning citrus fragrance and can be used in groups as screening or as a stand-alone specimen. They also make excellent cut flowers indoors. It’s not a true orange, and its name supposedly derives from the fragrant white flowers which in some varieties resemble that of orange blossoms.

Phlox (Phlox paniculata): This native American wildflower is also known as garden phlox and summer phlox. They are sun-loving perennials with a long flowering season. Phlox are tall-eye-catching plants with large clusters of pink, lavender or white flowers, called panicles. They bloom for several weeks in summer and make excellent cut flowers.

Goldenrods (Solidago spp.): A native to the United States, goldenrods have more than a hundred varieties, with one suitable for every climate. They are clump-forming perennial wildflowers that are topped with plumes of fluffy yellow flowers. Goldenrods provide nectar for pollinators and when planted near vegetables, can draw bad bugs away. They are thought to cause summer allergies, which is a misconception since the pollen from allergy-creating ragweed is present when the goldenrod blooms.

Small rosemary bush with lots of small blue-purple flowers — Rosemary

Herbs can attract bats as well. You can plant rosemary, thyme, chives, lemon balm and marjoram to attract bats to your garden. Just stay away from cinnamon, eucalyptus and peppermint. Bats are repelled by their scent.

Besides food, bats also need water and shelter. If you don’t live near a pond or stream, a birdbath will help attract them. And what could be more welcoming than giving bats a home of their own? You can buy a bat house online or make your own. The internet is brimming with DIY bat house plans, along with instructions on where to hang them.

Despite their bad reputation, bats actually do more good than bad. So give them a warm welcome and grow a bat friendly garden.

Bat Resources

Bat Conservation International

Bat Pollination – US Forest Service

Bats of New York – NYS DEC

Indiana Bat

Little Brown Bat

Northern Long-eared Bat

White-Nose Syndrome Threatens New York’s Bats

Bats – NYS Integrated Pest Management

Bats – Oregon State Extension

Grow plants for bats! – University of Minnesota Extension

Wildlife Management: Bats – Cornell University

Gardener's Checklist, October

Gardener’s Checklist

October 6, 2021 sgn32

October 2021

Garden Maintenance

Put down your pruners and leave a messy garden for overwintering beneficial insects.

Protect overwintering butterflies, beetles, bees, moths and more beneficial insects by leaving the leaves!

Make more plants!

Webinar: Make More Plants! Fall Propagation of Native Perennials – CCE Tompkins County

Dig up tender bulbs and tubers (i.e. cannas, dahlias, elephant ears, caladiums, etc.) and store them for the winter in a cool dry place.

Storing Tender “Bulbs” for Winter – University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension

Tulip bulbs

Plant spring-flowering bulbs.

VIDEO: Planting spring bulbs is easy! – University of Minnesota Extension

There is still time to plant trees and shrubs.

Remember to water newly planted trees and shrubs until the ground freezes.

Pest Watch

Spotted lanternfly adults and eggs

Learn more about the Spotted Lanternfly.

VIDEO: Spotted Lanternfly: A New Invasive Pest – NYS IPM

Help keep spotted lanternfly from spreading! This invasive insect can lay its eggs in any surface, so make sure you check your car and any items that have been outside when traveling, especially in areas of know infestation like NJ and PA.

Confirmed Spotted Lanternfly Locations – NYS IPM

Checklist for Residents – Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

Report any sightings of Spotted Lanternfly in New York.

Spotted Lanternfly Public Report

Do a daily tick check whenever you spend any time outside!

Got ticks? Get them tested for free!

Learn how to keep mice, stinkbugs, and other unwanted pests out of your home this fall.

VIDEO: Keeping Pests Out of Your Home this Fall -NYS IPM

Vegetable Gardening

Row cover

Remove and dispose any diseased plants. Do NOT put them in you compost pile.

Webinar: Winterize your Veggie Garden – Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County

Use row cover to extend the season.

Plant garlic!

Take some time to learn more about your soil and then get it ready for spring planting.

Webinar: Understanding and Preparing Your Garden Soil – CCE Tompkins County

Happy Gardening!

Wheel Bug - Large Insect with what looks like have of a gear on its back — The wheel bug (Arilus cristatus), a predatory bug that is commonly seen in the fall.

Plant of the Month

Plant of the Month: Goldenrod

August 16, 2021 sgn32

By Linda Gayton, Highland Mills Master Gardener Volunteer

This article appeared in the August 2021 Issue of Gardening in Orange County.

Goldrod being visited by afly — Canada Goldrod (Solidago canadensis) being visited by a fly

A bee visiting the yellow flowers of an Alpine Goldenrod plant — Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima)

Close-up of small yellow flowers of alpine glodenrod. — Alpine Goldenrod (Solidago leiocarpa)

Goldenrods are members of the aster family (Asteraceae) and most are of the genus Solidago. There are over two dozen species of goldenrod native to New York State varying in height from the 14 inch tall Alpine Goldenrod (Solidago leiocarpa) to the 4-6 foot Tall Goldenrod (Solidago altissima). Most of New York’s goldenrods are late bloomers putting out flowers in late summer and fall. As one of the few groups of wildflowers in peak bloom at this time, many insects depend on these plants for food. Goldenrods also provide food for birds and small mammals through their prolific seed production. On sunny days goldenrod patches are a good place to watch for butterflies including painted ladies, monarchs, and viceroys. In addition to butterflies, many species of bees, wasps, and beetles can also be seen collecting pollen and nectar from the hundreds of tiny flowers that make up a goldenrod’s inflorescence or flower head.

Brifht yellow flowers on a tall goldenrod — Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)

This hardy perennial thrives in a variety of habitats including roadsides, fields, wet and dry prairies, sandy banks, swampy bogs, and forest openings. Some species will even thrive in sand dunes by the ocean or on rocky summits. On the east seaboard, Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) grows in abundance stabilizing sand dunes and providing a vast food supply for monarch butterflies on their long migration south.

No matter your garden aesthetic, there is goldenrod for you. Gardeners who prefer tidy borders can choose clump forming varieties, whereas gardeners desiring a more naturalistic look may be able to accommodate the self-seeding or rhizomatous types. Most goldenrods are very hardy and vigorous with few diseases or insect problems. The spiky, fleecy, or sometimes flat-topped yellow flowers are versatile accents to the strong purples and pinks of aster, sedum, and joe-pye weed. They also complement dainty flowers of native grasses and lobelias.

A large group of flowering ragweed — Common Rageweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) in bloom

For gardeners concerned about goldenrod’s alleged allergy inducing pollen, please note that goldenrod produces a sticky pollen meant to attract and adhere to insect pollinators not allergy inducing wind-borne pollen. One of the main culprits of late summer /early fall allergizes is ragweed, a common garden weed that blooms at the same time and often alongside goldenrod. Ragweed goes unnoticed in the landscape because of its drab green flowers, which generates an unusual amount of wind-borne pollen much to the chagrin of allergy sufferers. Goldenrod pollen will only affect an allergy sufferer if they stick their nose into a flower and take a big sniff.

Large golden candle shapped infloresence of showy goldenrod — Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

Understanding this misconception between ragweed and goldenrod is important, as the goldenrods comprise a diverse genus with tremendous horticultural potential. Goldenrod is one of the absolute best native perennials for biodiversity. Add it to your pollinator gardens and let people know it is a friend, not a foe.

August, Gardener's Checklist

Gardener’s Checklist

August 11, 2021 sgn32