Verbascum Blattaria, Moth Mullein

Day 304: Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria) is a non-native species and in some states (notably Colorado) is listed as an invasive. In my limited experience with it, it has not been difficult to eradicate and in fact, if growing in an area where taller grasses abound, it will "shade out" (die off from lack of light) before it becomes a problem. It was introduced to the North American continent from Eurasia and has been reported in every state with the exceptions of Minnesota and Wyoming. It is a biennial, flowering in the second year from seed. Quoting Wikipedia, "In a famous long-term experiment, Dr. William James Beal, then a professor of botany at Michigan Agriculture College, selected seeds of 21 different plant species (including V. blattaria) and placed seeds of each in 20 separate bottles filled with sand. The bottles, left uncorked, were buried mouth down (so as not to allow moisture to reach the seeds) in a sandy knoll in 1879. The purpose of this experiment was to determine how long the seeds could be buried dormant in the soil, and yet germinate in the future when planted. In 2000, one of these bottles was dug up, and 23 seeds of V. blattaria were planted in favorable conditions, yielding a 50% germination rate."

Cichorium Intybus, Chicory

Day 289: As non-native plants go, Chicory (Cichorium intybus) definitely has redeeming merits. Although well within the range of "pastel," its flowers are intensely blue, striking when erupting on its stiff, wiry stems. It grows in waste places, in vacant lots where hard-packed, dry soil supports little else but invasives. Its thick roots can be ground and used as a substitute for coffee, although when used as the sole ingredient, the resultant beverage is rather too bitter for most tastes. The roots are also used to flavour certain ales and stouts. Subspecies also provide edible buds and leaves. That said, as a non-native species, this cheerful, colourful flower is considered a pest in western Washington. May the gods of botany forgive me, I wouldn't mind it "pestering" the Barren Wasteland at all, but my attempts to transplant it have been futile.

Nuisance (Non)-Native

Day 204: May the gods of botany strike me where I stand, this represents one native plant genus I would not miss if it died out entirely. Its various species and subspecies can all be lumped under the common names of Bedstraw or Cleavers, and the latter is particularly descriptive of the obnoxious, sticky, amazingly persistent burrs it produces. Walk through a patch of Galium and you'll spend the next half hour de-seeding your socks and pantlegs. You might even find a tick or two because they love hiding out in the stuff (I learned the hard way). This particular species grows in the woods at the edge of my yard where I can keep it contained by mowing, but given half a chance, it would spread until it had subsumed the dandelions, crushed the hawkweed, suffocated the moss and crept in through my bedroom window to strangle me as I slept. Resistant to all methods I've employed to eradicate it, it's just waiting for its moment to take over the world.

Update: Confirmed that this is Galium odoratum, a non-native Bedstraw.

Pristiphora Geniculata

Day 323: The identity of this critter may come as a surprise. Despite appearances, it is NOT a caterpillar. True caterpillars are the immature stage of butterflies and moths. These larvae are in fact those of the Mountain-ash Sawfly (Pristiphora geniculara), a species of wasp and currently the bane of my garden. I should have investigated more closely when I first noticed leaves disappearing from the smaller twigs, but I assumed that the tree was heat-stressed or suffering in response to a pesky Sapsucker's drilling. When a second Mountain-ash (different species) began exhibiting the same symptoms, I took a closer look. Pulling a branch down to eye level, I was surprised when a little yellow "caterpillar" assumed an uncharacteristically defensive stance. Then I noticed its cousins hard at work on one of the remaining leaves.

Mountain-ash Sawfly was first noticed in Washington in the summer of 2009, apparently a European immigrant. At that time, it was confined to Snohomish County, but it has since spread to much of the western portion of the state. There are two remedies for this pest. I will only resort to chemicals as a last resort, preferring to go with my father's tried-and-true method: removal and burning of each infected twig or branch showing evidence of the insects or their egg cases. The trees will have to be monitored again next spring because I'm bound to miss a few.

Stellaria Graminea, Lesser Starwort

Day 313: Somewhere in the world, every weed is a wildflower. It is only when they escape their habitats and the predators which normally keep them in check that they come to be regarded as pests, or when the predators die off and the plants are free to grow rampantly.

Weeds can be divided roughly into two vague categories: invasive and non-invasive. Invasives are the enemy. In the absence of predators or diseases which would otherwise limit their spread, they are capable of establishing monocultures where little else grows (examples in the Pacific Northwest would include Scotch Broom, the Knotweeds, Himalayan Blackberry). We fight a never-ending war with invasives, but they are not the subject of this essay.

Stellaria graminea (aka Lesser Starwort, Grassleaf Starwort) is a member of the Chickweed family. It is a small plant, rather leggy and wiry, and tangles itself among grasses to go unnoticed until its tiny white flowers appear. It will not take over your lawn or pasture, nor will it poison your livestock or your children. The only bad thing you can say about it is that it may entice pollinators to its blossoms when they should be visiting native species instead, but it does not seem to do so to the extent that natives go unpollinated. Its five deeply divided petals (yes, five!) bring a small moment of beauty to the eye where it is found; non-native, non-invasive, a weed by definition, but a lovely one.

Silene Vulgaris, Bladder Campion

Day 275: What defines a weed? Most people think of weeds in terms of a plant which takes over gardens and lawns, out-competing the things we want to have in their place. By this definition, both White Lawn Clover (Trifolium repens, non-native) and Pineapple weed (Matricaria discoidea, native to the PNW) are "weeds," despite the fact that what they may be displacing are cultivars not otherwise known in North America. To a naturalist, a weed is any introduced species, a definition which excludes Pineapple weed despite its tendency to take over disturbed areas, and one which could be extended to include your prize marigolds. Location is often a factor in defining "weed" species, e.g., horsetails (Equisetum arvense) are native in the PNW, considered an invasive of the first order in other areas of the US.

This brings us to the debatable status of Silene vulgaris, Bladder Campion. It is an introduced species, but it is not invasive. In fact, it is generally rather short-lived when it does appear and does not out-compete natives. It occurs most frequently on disturbed soils (roadsides, trail margins), but seldom extends into the thicker growth of meadows. Unlike our native Campions, Silene vulgaris is the only one which bears male and female organs in the same flower. You'd think that would give it an advantage, but apparently it does not. However, like our native Silenes, it has a strong point working in its favour: it's pretty (of course, that's the same logic which brought us dandelions), but since it poses no significant threat, I'm not too inclined to yank it out when I find it.

Trachemys Scripta, Pond Slider

Day 234: On a previous trip to Lake St. Clair, I spotted three turtles basking on adjacent logs in the southeast arm of the lake near the shore of a small island. They were rather shy, and it was only with great difficulty that I was able to maneuver close enough to them to get a photo showing enough detail for an identification. The red marking on the head told me that they were Pond Sliders (Trachemys scripta), an introduced species. In searching for more information about them, I discovered that they are not considered invasive, due to the fact that before their numbers reach a stage where they out-compete natives, large die-offs keep the population in check. It has been suggested that the species is not suited to Washington's climate. At this time, there is no plan in place to remove them from Washington waters; however, WDFW requests reports of any sightings (particularly of nesting females) so that they can monitor any issues which may arise. Two days ago, I again spotted all three in the same location, making me wonder if they were "pets" released from captivity by someone living on the near shore.

A Three Turtle Day

Day 202: I'm going to be quoting a lot from the Washington Herp Atlas here because I know little or nothing about herps. Initially, I was excited about having seen turtles while I was out in the kayak today, but in researching the exact species, I discovered that this is a non-native Pond Slider (Trachemys scripta), easily identified by the red patch just behind the eye. The males have long claws, and in fact of the three specimens I photographed, two were male. I believe the one in this photo is female.

Native to the eastern part of the country, Pond Sliders probably got their toehold in Washington when someone released pet turtles into the wild or they escaped captivity. They were commonly available in pet stores until 1975 when concern over children contracting salmonella stopped their sale. That said, the Herp Atlas database says that the species may be unsuited to our climate because notable die-offs involving large numbers of Trachemys have occurred in some areas. Although these turtles do compete with native species, there is no plan in place currently to remove them from Washington waters.

I think I need to get up on the other side of the bed. I seem to be on a binge of finding things I wish I hadn't found.

Penny Perspectives: Shepherd's Purse

Day 11: Here's another plant most everyone will recognize, although if asked to name it, they would scratch their heads and say, "I don't think I've ever heard what it's called." It's Shepherd's Purse, so named for the heart-shaped, mildly peppery seed pods which many of us ate as children. In fact, it makes a pleasant garnish for a green salad. A member of the Mustard family, it carries a hefty chunk of Latin for all of its diminutive size: Capsella bursa-pastoris, and its distribution is almost world-wide, giving it a reputation as a "weed," if not a particularly invasive one. You will find it growing on disturbed land (this specimen is in my driveway).

Squirrel!

Makeup Day 10: As a rural homeowner, there is no fondness in my heart for Sciurus carolinensis. Cute though he may be when he comes bouncing along to mooch peanuts and popcorn in city parks, he is a holy terror if he gets into your attic where his passion for chewing on coated electrical wires quickly becomes apparent. Too, this immigrant from the east coast has displaced the native Western Grey Squirrel to the point that it is believed to be extirpated in many locations on the Pacific Coast. If you see a grey-colored squirrel in western Washington, it is almost certainly an Eastern Grey.

Our meeting today was in an open campus-like environment where squirrel-feeding humans are abundant. So brazen was this little demon that he mounted the stairs to meet me at the top, and for a moment, I thought he was going to continue his ascent up my leg. It was obvious that he thought the camera contained food of some sort. After all, it was in my hands, so what else could it be but a bag of treats? He was supremely offended when I stamped my foot, but he only retreated to a low crotch in a nearby tree, there to glare at me as I captured his portrait.