Lantana

Day 238: Although some species of Lantana are considered invasive in the warmer climates of the southern states, they do not survive the winters of the northern regions and are popular raised as annuals in the summer garden. There are many cultivars on the market, in just about every colour of the rainbow. This one is trademarked as "Hot-Blooded Red." The umbels often exhibit several shades in their specific colour range, the flowers changing hue with age. While most animals avoid eating them, it should be noted that they are poisonous to dogs, cats and ruminants. However, butterflies and other insects are drawn to them, and birds enjoy the small fruits when they are mature. This solitary plant has been given a task. I am growing it in a pot adjacent to my hardy kiwi vines in the hopes of drawing pollinators to the hundreds of kiwi flowers almost ready to burst open.

Hummers' Delight

Day 201: The planting hummingbird and pollinator gardens has achieved great popularity in recent years. Who wouldn't want to help the birds and bees? However, there is a factor which receives very little discussion proportionately, and that is that by selecting non-native plants, we actually may be doing more harm than good. Y'see, native species of things kinda go hand-in-hand. A certain type of bee is drawn to a certain type of plant for a reason. Perhaps the plant has developed a unique structure which only that bee can reach. The plant benefits because the bee pollinates it. The bee benefits because the plant provides a nutritional source. The plant is dependent upon the specific bee, although the bee is not so restricted. Given another more easily accessible means of obtaining nectar, the bee may forgo visiting the plant which is dependent on it. Non-native species can be (and often are) stronger attractors of insects. By drawing the pollinators to them, the native species go neglected, and therefore cannot reproduce. A notorious example of a strong attractor would be Buddleia, commonly called Butterfly Bush. The name says it all. Its scent draws butterflies from far and wide, pulling them away from the native plants they should be visiting. Likewise, Elephant-head Pedicularis is buzz-pollinated by specific bee species whose wings vibrate at exactly the right frequency to initiate pollen release. If non-native plants make up the bulk of your landscaping, you're creating the equivalent of wall-to-wall fast-food joints for pollinators. Give them some healthier options with natives. Rufous Hummingbirds love our Red-flowering Currants here in the Pacific Northwest.

Summer Blues

Day 267: I get the blues when it rains. Or rather, I get the rain when it blues. When the delphinium spikes open fully, it seldom fails to either rain or blow or do both at once. At four or more feet in height, the inflorescences are particularly vulnerable to inclement weather even when staked. I keep mine in tomato cages, sometimes tied to the rings to prevent them from being toppled. Although it's not easily visible in the photo, each flower has a spur similar to that of a nasturtium in which the nectar accumulates. The hummingbirds love them, hovering at each individual "bee" (the white center) and working their way from bottom to top as they sip the nectar. Bumblebees are drawn to the flowers as well, so that there is often a bee in the bee, buzzing happily as it gathers pollen. Delphiniums do not re-seed easily and thus are easy to maintain in their appointed spots. Mine are right outside my window where I can watch the hummers and buzzers in comfort even if it blows or rains.

Origanum Vulgare, Wild Marjoram

Day 314: As much as I appreciate being able to botanize in my own back yard, I do wish that my finds would be native species as opposed to introduced ones. While Origanum vulgare (Wild Marjoram) is not considered a serious invasive, it is nevertheless a weed, an escapee from cultivation and therefore undesirable. You might wonder why non-native species are problematic when they don't threaten to take over the world by monoculture. A major issue is that they draw pollinators which should be working elsewhere to keep native populations viable. Bees, bugs and birds are like humans. They will most likely choose a tasty food over a healthful one if the healthful one is less appealing. I mean, who can fault a child who prefers ice cream to spinach? Pollinators are no different, and although we may not fully understand their tastes or what makes one food source more attractive than another, they do exhibit preferences. Not all non-native species carry the same drawing power, and thus are less likely to become serious pests. However, weeds are often stronger or more resilient than native species and may still crowd them out over time. In any case, non-native species are the junk food of the pollinator's world, and while the B's (bugs, bees and birds) are visiting them and helping them to proliferate, native species are being neglected.

Pollinator At Work

Day 314: This year as last, I will owe a debt of gratitude to the dozens of Anna's Hummingbirds who are busily pollinating my Heritage raspberries. They seem to prefer them to any other plant in the yard, even the Hardy Fuchsias which are one of their favourites. They flit from perches in the contorted filbert and mountain-ash, navigating through the tangle of leaves and vines with ease, reaching even the blossoms in the middle of the raspberry jungle. They are pure joy to watch at their industry, and I will remember their labours long into the winter months when I pull raspberries from my freezer.

Heterotheca Pollinators

Day 301: Whatever they are, they would appear to be a primary pollinator for Heterotheca oregona. These little beetles are roughly 1-1.5 mm long, and they were abundantly present on every open flower when Joe and I examined the Heterotheca patch on Tuesday. Our actual mission was not to find beetles, but to explore for other occurrences of Mount Rainier National Park's "newest" Damn Yellow Daisy by wading the river and searching the gravel bars on the opposite side. We were successful, but the results were not as revelatory as we would have liked. We found only two more specimens, both located directly across from the east-side patch, although while we were searching, we turned up another "non-Biek" location for Sibbaldia procumbens with a single specimen. As for the beetles pollinating Heterotheca, we're still trying to identify them.

Chasing Phantoms

Day 270: Putting this in perspective, the three people who make up the core of Team Biota are three of only six or seven individuals who have ever observed Phantom Orchids (Cephalanthera austiniae) in Mount Rainier National Park. Two others are Park colleages, and the sixth is a former Park employee and friend of Arnie's. The seventh observation was made before the Park was established in 1899 and only describes the location as in the "upper Nisqually Valley," a broad term which could refer to anything above the former town of Alder. That first sighting was of a single stem, as was the one made by Arnie's friend. Even Joe and Sharon have not seen as many stems as I have: a total now of 23 (14 in 2017 and 9 this year). You can't blame me for being a bit jazzed!

Yesterday, we found three stems in two new spots, although still within the 100' circle we feel represents the mycorrhizal network. One of the older plants was broken (possibly trampled by a certain young fawn of our acquaintance), another had the terminal buds nipped off. The specimen I dubbed "Bitten" last year has emerged this year whole and healthy, proving that its root system and mycorrhizal connections were undamaged. The lower flowers on several of the stems are beginning to open, and if you look closely at the image, you may spot a tiny aphid in the center of the lowest bloom. Are these what pollinate Cephalanthera? If so, I say hurray for aphids!

Bee-Wear

Day 103: The United States is on the fast track for achieving the unenviable status as the world's most environmentally insensitive country, and that's a shameful drop from being one of the leaders in environmental technologies and protections. You can thank the current administration for the decline. Stupid, wrong-headed and greedy, the Trumpskyites and their chief are out to grab money with no mind to the fact that they and their children are not going to have air to breathe or food on their tables if they continue on their current course. It's going to be up to us, the little people, to save the world. To that end, I beg you to support the environmental causes nearest to your heart whether they're on behalf of birds, bats, bees or bison. DO something! If you can't find it in your budget to contribute financially, give them some of your time by volunteering.

"Bee-wear" (the next installment in my Joppa Flats Hats Project) has been designed to promote pollinator awareness. Many of our pollinators are in decline, but none quite so dramatically as bees. Native bees need native plants in order to survive and be healthy. Find out what native species your local bees need and plan your landscaping accordingly.

Sphinx Moth Pupa

Day 248: I have to thank my partners in Team Biota for putting me on the right track to identify this pupa, dug up from the ground when I was attempting to secure an earthworm for a photographic project. My knowledge in the field of entomology is very limited. Joe is a "bug guy," so I referred the critter to him. He suggested that it was probably a Sphinx Moth pupa. I did some further checking to confirm it, and although I can't say with certainty that it is the pupa of Hyles lineata, the White-Lined Sphinx is the only Sphinx I have seen in this area (the adult is huge and beautiful). It surprised me to learn that the larvae of these moths burrow into soil and remain there for at least 2-3 weeks before emerging as adults. Many overwinter, as I am sure was the case here.

This further suggests that my "pollinator plantings" are working! The caterpillar hosts for this moth include grape, tomato and fuchsia, all of which I have in my garden. The adults nectar on columbine, larkspur, petunias, honeysuckle and lilac, again all species which I cultivate in varying degrees. Here is the proof that if you give them habitat, they will come!

Dreams Of Blueberries

Day 207: When I put in my blueberry bushes, I selected "mid-season" varieties using the logic that the pollinators would not be around at this altitude for early-season types. Now I am beginning to wonder if I should have bought late-season plants instead. Last year, I got enough berries for snacking, far short of what I envision as the eventual yield. The bushes are still young...or rather they are new to the "blueberry pen" outside my kitchen door. One was a sickly plant which had been shaded out in another location after losing its partner to similar circumstances. I moved it two years ago and added a second variety beside it for cross-pollination. It has perked up amazingly well, and both plants are covered with buds. A third bush is dwarf and self-fertile; it bore a handful of large, sweet berries last year (its first year in my garden).

As of this writing, all three bushes are lavishly adorned with pink buds, but there is a distressing absence of pollinators, and I can hardly give each blueberry flower the same reproductive assistance I'm providing to the Akebias. Transferring pollen from one flower to another on the tip of an artist's paintbrush is time-consuming! That said, we have a few warm days on the roster and the blueberry buds are not yet open. Perhaps all the elements necessary to provide a good yield will still manage to come together at the proper moment.

Dissection And Discovery

Day 350: After a phenomenal 10-day blooming run, the points of Huernia zebrina's star-shaped inflorescence folded in on themselves, hiding the raised red "donut" in its center (refer to my September 15 post to see the open bloom). Now it was time for some science.

I've been curious about what purpose the "donut" might serve, so I removed it carefully from its point of attachment and made a transverse slice just above the sepals which also removed the reproductive structures. These were not examined. I then sectioned the "star," removing two of the points in order to have a clear view of the tissue of the "donut." I was somewhat surprised to find that it was simply thicker but otherwise appeared to be identical to the tissue of the points. Based on this discovery, I believe that the "donut" serves to restrict access to the reproductive structures to specific pollinators, i.e., those small enough to enter the chamber or those with long tongues (butterflies, bats, humingbirds). To date, I have not noticed any fragrance in the flowers which might draw nectar-feeders, but given the apparent limitations imposed by the "donut," I am inclined to believe that "Lifesaver Plant" is pollinated by nectar-feeding species.

Pink Elephants

Day 310: I thought I was going to have to buy a gallon of cheap wine in order to see pink elephants this year, but thanks to my botany partners Joe and Sharon, I found where they were hiding. Yes, this is the Elephant-head Pedicularis I mentioned a few days ago. It tends to bloom earlier than most of the other Pedicularis species. Take a close look at the individual flowers on the spike. The elephants' trunks are obvious, but do you see the floppy ears as well?

Interestingly enough, these plants are uniquely adapted to pollination by bumblebees, but not in the manner you might expect. The reproductive structures of this Pedicularis are hidden too deeply for a fat bumblebee to reach. In lieu of picking up pollen grains by contact, the bees hover near the flower and the vibrations of their wings causes the pollen to dislodge. Presumably, it is deposited by a similar mechanism as the bees progress from flower to flower.

Spiranthes Romanzoffiana, Hooded Ladies' Tresses

Day 301: In the opinion of this observer, the spire-like inflorescence of Hooded Ladies' Tresses (Spiranthes romanzoffiana) is one of the most esthetically pleasing among the Orchidaceae. The common name derives from the braided appearance created by flowers ranked by threes in a twist along the stem, each bloom facing at an angle and all pointing in the same direction. This gives rise to a question: does the spiral always go the same way on every plant in the species? The answer is no, but what influences one to turn clockwise and another to turn counter-clockwise is unknown (at least to your narrator). What we do know is that the spiral arrangement creates a "stepladder" for pollinators which helps to ensure that each single, sweetly scented flower is visited in turn as bees and other insects ascend the spiral staircase.

Delphinium Glareosum, Rockslide Larkspur

Day 277: No rarity here, just a blue that'll knock your socks off! Rivalling Gentian and Monkshood for intensity of colour, Rockslide Larkspur (Delphinium glareosum) puts on a rather weedy but spectacular show, its flowers loosely arranged in an open inflorescence rising up to 30 inches above fan-shaped, mostly basal leaves. A cousin to "garden-variety" Delphiniums, this Larkspur's central "bee" provides our botany lesson for today.

As a generalization, flowers are comprised of four whorls: the calyx, the petals, the stamens (filament and anther) and the stigma/style/ovary. Not all flowers contain all these elements, and when one is lacking, they are referred to as "incomplete." In the case of Larkspur, its petals are white (the second whorl) and its sepals (segments of the calyx) are blue (the outer whorl). Its reproductive parts are concealed by the petals, a factor which limits the types of insect which can pollinate the plant. Only bugs of a specific size/shape or the deft tongue of a hummingbird can penetrate its "inner sanctum" to ensure future generations of this blue beauty.

Tofieldia Glutinosa And Friend

Day 241: Tofieldia glutinosa (Western False Asphodel) is a member of the lily family, the flower stalk rising above a tuft of iris-like leaves which can easily be mistaken for a grass on first glance. The upper portion of the stem is covered with minuscule sticky, reddish glands which assist in cross-pollination. As insects crawl on the plant, pollen adheres to traces of the glutinous substance gathered on their feet and wings, allowing transfer to another specimen. Tofieldia is a moisture-lover, and grows where mosquitoes and flies serve as pollinators. Bees aren't the only bugs doing the job!

Footnote: the taxonomists strike again. Tofieldia has been reclassified to the point of having an entirely new designation: Triantha occidentalis.

Singin' The Blues

Day 230: I was singin' the blues because the steady stream of Rufous Hummingbirds at the feeders seemed to have dwindled over the last week, but then I discovered why. They're going to the Columbine, the Honeysuckle and the Delphiniums instead! It's good to see my clientele turning to a more natural diet, and after all, that's what my garden is about: hummers and pollinators. Most of the plants I've added over the last several years have been chosen with them in mind.

While Delphiniums draw bees as well as hummingbirds, they come with a built-in "bee," the term arising from the central structure's resemblance to the insect. More than once, I've bent over next to a Delphinium only to find that a real bee was nestled into the flower's "bee," gathering pollen. Seen side on, the blossom "bee" is even fuzzy!

With birds and bees humming happily in my garden, I'm joyfully singin' the blues: Delphinium blues!

Are You My Mummy?

Day 325: Look what followed me home! As much as I would like to provide pollinators with their favourite foods, the tall sedum in the strawberry jar just outside my kitchen door was creating a scenario for a medical emergency with the number of honeybees it was attracting. I'm allergic, and more severely so to honeybees than any other species of stinger. I was courting disaster every time I went out to pick tomatoes, my backside to the bees only a foot or so distant. I knew it would only be a matter of time before I got stung if I didn't remove it, so on a cool morning a few days ago before the sun had risen, I cut the stalks back to the soil. Today, I dug out the roots and replaced them with this beautiful purple chrysanthemum.

Over the years, I've had mums winter over. It doesn't often happen that way, but on one notable occasion, I kept a dark red one for several years with no exceptional care. This year, I have a number of new plants which will require mulching, so I may just toss a handful of straw over Mummy if I have some left over.

How Doth The Little Busy Bee

Day 302: I was too close for someone who is seriously allergic to their stings, but the Honey Bees had more important things on their minds than an interloper with a camera. Nevertheless, I get a little nervous when I step out on the back porch and these critters are working the sedum over. Still, with the Honey Bee population in decline, it makes me glad to see them in numbers and at their industry.

Years ago, my next-door neighbor had a hive in one of his exterior house walls. If you stood at a safe distance, you could see hundreds of them flying in and out, entering through a narrow gap between the boards under the eaves. He advised me to stay clear: "They get mad sometimes when I mow." I don't know that he ever destroyed the hive, so it's possible that my abundant population of bees comes from his house. In any event, if he ever tears that wall down, I want to be around for the honey.

Fuzzy-Wuzzy Was A Phacelia

Day 293: We've all had an experience where we saw someone we were sure we recognized, but couldn't remember where we might have seen them. It happens quite frequently when that person normally wears a uniform and we encounter them in street clothes. They're out of context, effectively disguised as a civilian.

A few days ago, a Parkie friend stopped by to drop off some salad greens she'd grown, and I took advantage of the occasion to show her my garden which, incidentally, isn't at its best right now, thanks to another round of 90° temperatures. As we reached the kitchen end of the east bed, I pointed to the plant in the photo and said, "Don't ask me what that is. It was the only thing which sprouted out of a packet of 'bee flower' seeds."

She looked at it thoughtfully and replied, "It looks kinda like Phacelia."

I said, "Yeah, I thought so, too."

Well, d'uh! I know Phacelia. It's a common plant in our subalpine meadows. Ours are either blue or white, and are easily recognized by the long stamens. That said, they are not something I think of as a "garden plant," and therefore it never occurred to me that my "bee flower" (a favourite with the Bumbles) could be a tame variety of the Phacelias I see in the Park. Indeed, the leaf of this particular one is definitive. It is Phacelia tanacetifolia, the "Phacelia with tansy-like foliage." It just looked different out of uniform.

A Taste For Cilantro

Day 292: Of all the things they have to choose from in my garden, the Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and several species of tiny non-aggressive wasps and flies seem to be particularly attracted to the cilantro (coriander). On the other hand, the Bumblebees are drawn to Phacelia, the only plant to grow from a mixed packet of "bee flower" seeds I was given by a friend. I had let one batch of cilantro bolt accidentally, but when I realized it was drawing pollinators, I allowed the rest of it to run its course. As a bonus, it looks like I'm going to have lots of coriander seeds, both for cooking and for saving over to plant again next year.