Publication of the Wyoming Native Plant Society
May 2007, Volume 26, No. 2

Posted at www.uvvyo.edu/vvyndd/wnps/wnps_home.htm

In this issue:

Soaking up the Rays 1

Casper Mountain Rises from the

Ashes 3

Botanist's Booksheif - Growing
Rocky Mountain Native Piants. ... 4

Wyoming's New Seed Law 6

Russian Oiive Removed from

Nursery Trade 7

Is it Spring Here Yet? 8

Soaking up the Rays

Jeim Mountain is site of the
worid's iargest infrared observatory
and boasts a heat-seeking flora. It
harbors cacti, piants that
photosynthesize at high temperatures
(Crassuiacean Acid Metaboiism.)

By May, Pediocactus simpsonii
(hedgehog cactus; aiso caiied
mountain cactus) puts out an
audacious dispiay of flowers at Jeim
Mountain, even before the frost-free
growing season has started. The
nine-state distribution of hedgehog
cactus is centered on the Rocky
Mountains, and it reaches eievations
of 3500 m as reported in the "Fiora
of North America" (Heii and Porter
2003).. Other species information is
on this page.

Note: The Wyoming Infrared
Observatory (WIRO) is at 9656 ft
(2943 m) near Woods Landing, WY.
For more information about WIRO,
see: www/physics. uwyo.edu/
'^^amonson/wiro/wiro.htmi). BH

Above: /^e<y/^cacte5//77/750/7//(hedgehog cactus). Photo by
Robert and Jane Dorn. From: Dorn and Dorn 2007. (see book
review, p. 4; and the WNPS homepage to see photo in color)

Below: Gardening tips for hedgehog cactus.

( From Dorn and Dorn. 2007).

Pediocactus simpsonii

pea-dee-oh-kack-tus simp-soan-ee-eye

Common Names: Hedgehog Cactus, Simpson Ballcactus

Family: Cactaceae - Cactus

Native Regions: 1 - 7
USDA Zone: 4

Habit: perennial cactus, stems ball shaped, about half the ball
above the soil surface, covered with spines, to 6 inches across
and 4 inches tall, stems single to clustered, slow growing
Leaves: none

Flowers: yellowish-green or pink to light purple with yellow
centers, to 1 inch across, several flowers at top of stem, (April)
May to July

Native Habitat: rocky or gravelly places in plains, basins, and
mountains

Culture: full sun to light shade, dry, well drained soils, not
tolerant of hot summers, usually recedes some into the ground
in winter; cold hardy; good for cactus garden or rock garden
Propagation: seed; small plants are easy to transplant; in
nursery trade

WNPS News

2007 Wyoming Plant Conference is posted!

All PowerPoint presentations given at the 2007
Wyoming Plant Conference, held March 20-21, are
now posted as pdf files at the WNPS homepage:
www.uwyo.edu/wyndd/wnps/wnps_home.htm
(remaining thru June). If you missed the event... or
didn't record everything you needed - take a look!

Thank you to all presenters and every participant.
The Conference and workshops were outstanding,
made all the more so by bringing together about
120 botanists from around the state and region.

Please renew if "06" is written after your name
on the mailing label of this newsletter.

New Members : Please welcome the following new
members to WNPS: Cora Botello, Rock Springs;
Paula Edwards, Estes Park, CO; Emily Levine,
Lincoln, NE; Jan McKee, Cheyenne; Faith Ryan,
Jackson; Chelsea Vollmer, Rapid City, SD.

2007 Scholarship Winners : The 2007 Markow
WNPS Scholarship winners are David Scott
(University of Wyoming), masters candidate who is
completing a floristic inventory of Grand Teton
National Park and Pinyon Peak highlands; and Mark
Lesser (University of Wyoming) doctoral candidate
who is documenting Ponderosa pine colonization
and expansion records, associated genetic
structure, and influence of past climates on species'
range expansions. Both scholars were presented
with the $500 award at the Conference. The merit
(soundness and significance) of all proposals was
outstanding. Thanks go to all who apply ... and to
all in WNPS who support scholarships.

Teton Chapter Event

Wednesday, May 16, 7:00 p.m.

Location: Wyoming Game & Fish Office, 420 North
Cache Street in Jackson

Join Jennifer Whipple, Yellowstone National Park
botanist, to learn about wetland plants of
Yellowstone National Park and environs. Hot and
cold waters mingle to create complex and dynamic
wetland systems. This complexity leads to an
interesting array of species, from sundews to spike-
rush.

Wyoming Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 2500
Laramie, WY 82073

WNPS Board - 2006-07
President: Beth Burkhart '07
Bonnie Heidel '06
Vice President: Lynn Moore '07
Sec.-Treasurer: Ann Boelter '07
Board Members: Dave Scott '07
Mike Evans '06
Curtis Haderlie '07

605-673-3159

742-9523

472-3603

745-5487

690-1683

326-8217

690-4381

The Teton Chapter is currently organizing summer
field excursions. For a complete schedule contact
Amy Taylor (ajrtaylor@hotmail.com)

Bighorn Native Plant Society Event

Sunday July 15 8:30 a.m.

Location: Rendezvous at Dayton High School
parking lot just past the town of Dayton on
Highway 14 (8:30 am) or at about 9:30 at the
Burgess Junction Visitor Center.

Leader: Dick Birkholz

Come for high alpine adventure!

Treasurer's Report : Balance as of 4/23/07:

General Fund: $1472.30; Markow Scholarship
Fund: $816.00. Total Funds: $2,288.30 .

(Newly-elected/ re-elected Board members have '07
after their name. The '06 Board members come off in
summer '07.)

Contributors to this issue : Richard Dunne (RD),
Walter Fertig (WF), Bonnie Heidel (BH), Lynn
Moore (LM), Amy Taylor (AT). Please send news
and announcements - the next newsletter deadline
is September 22.

Newsletter Editor: Bonnie Heidel (Laramie;
bheidel@uwyo.edu)

Teton Chapter: PO Box 82, Wilson, WY 83014
(Joan Lucas, Treasurer)

Bighorn Native Plant Society: PO Box 21, Big Horn,
WY 82833 (Jean Daly, Treasurer)

Webmaster: Melanie Arnett (arnett@uwyo.edu)

2

2007 Wyoming Native Plant Society Meeting

Casper Mountain Rises from the Ashes

June 15 and 16 (Friday and Saturday)

Two days of exciting Wyoming Native Riant Society events are in store
for June 15 and 16

Friday. June 15, @ 10:00 a.m.

Biowout Penstemonf\e\(\ trip option. By speciai
arrangements, we wiii visit dunes harboring
biowout penstemon {Penstemon haydeniJ).

Start : Meet aiong the Miracie Miie of the North
Piatte River. Located between Pathfinder and
Seminoe Reservoirs at the BLM parking iot and
picnic area by the Co. Fiwy 351 bridge (crossing the
North Piatte River north of the Kortes Dam). The
parking iot and picnic area is on the west side, the
first turn as you head north from the bridge.
Accessibie from Aicova or Sinciair.

*Bring a iunch, water, and be set for sun, wind and
assorted weather. Fiigh vehicie ciearance is
recommended; carpooiing is encouraged. Requires
extended hiking.

Saturday. June 16. @ 9:30 a.m. Tour of Bates Fioie
and Casper Mountain by George Soehn (BLM) and
George Jones (Wyoming Naturai Diversity
Database). Expiore Casper Mountain! Learn about
the fire history, deciine of the aspen communities,
and forest diseases in the iodgepoie and iimber
pine stands. Expiore the mountain big sage
communities on Muddy Mountain. Tour wiii
inciude discussion of vegetation and geoiogy,
highiight piants known oniy from this area, and the
array of eariy summer fiowers.

Start : BLM Casper Fieid Office, iocated at 2987
Prospector Drive on the west end of town. Head
West on Highway 220 (CY Avenue), pass Wyoming
Bouievard, turn right on Prospector (CY True Vaiue
Hardware/Timberiine Sports) and foiiow Prospector
aii the way to the river, the Casper Fieid Office is at
the end of the road.

*Bring a iunch and water. The tour wiii end iate in
the afternoon at the Lodgepoie Campground on
Muddy Mountain. The caravan wiii make numerous
stops.

Above: Saturday tour map with fire boundaries mapped;
enlarged copies will be provided

Saturday Evening. No-host potiuck at Lodgepoie
Campground (Muddy Mountain). Following dinner,
a short meeting of the WNPS will take place at the
campground, and a campfire is likely.

Camping Information : Call Lynn Moore (307-472-
3603) or email at Lmflora@alluretech.net for a
Friday or a Saturday campsite reservation. The
camping fee is $5.00 (pay when you come).
Lodgepoie Campground is about nine miles south
on Wyoming Highway 251 to the top of Casper
Mountain, 251 ends but continues on as County
Road 505. Continue on CR 505 for approximately
three miles until the pavement ends, then continue
an additional three miles to the intersection with
Circle Drive. Follow the BLM gravel road to the
Campground. LM

Lodging Information : Information is available from
the Casper Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau,
http://www.casperwyoming.info/ ;
or call 1-800-852-1889.

Remember: Sunday, June 17 is Father's Day!

3

Botanist's Bookshelf

Growing Native Piants of the Rocky Mountain
Area. By Robert D. Dorn and Jane L. Dorn. 2007.
252 pages. Book version: $82.94 plus postage,
available at www. lulu, com/content/768231. CD-
rom version: $7.50 plus postage, available at
wwwJulu.com/content/787924.

Review by Walter Fertig

Perhaps unique among all animals, humans
have an innate need to garden. The earliest
gardeners (dating back 14,000 years) were driven
primarily by a need for food and fiber. Besides
cereal grains, some of the earliest edible crops
grown by people included showy flowers such as
dahlias, sacred lotus, violets, and primroses. These
latter species eventually fell out of favor as new
edible species were brought into cultivation, yet
they continued to be grown into modern times.
Though we may never know if our Neolithic
ancestors had an aesthetic sense, is it so far-
fetched to assume that they didn't also enjoy the
beauty of the crop flowers that they grew?

Nearly as ingrained as the need to garden is the
desire to grow new and unusual plant species.

Since the 15^^ Century, European explorers and
traders have scoured the Earth for previously
unknown plants to name, categorize, and Introduce
into horticulture. While many introduced species
have been beneficial, others have escaped to
become serious pests, disrupting natural habitats,
displacing vulnerable native plants, and competing
with more desirable crop species for space and
nutrients.

The invasive species crisis has contributed to a
renewed interest in native plants as an alternative
for use in gardens and public landscaping. Natives
are increasing in popularity due to their adaptability
to local soils and climates, and because they
usually require less water and less care once
established. Gardeners are also increasingly
learning that native species are just as attractive as
introduced species. With rising demand, natives
are becoming more readily available commercially.

The surge in popularity of native plants is
reflected in the growing number of books devoted
to native plant cultivation and garden design. A

new entry into this field is Growing Native Piants of
the Rocky Mountain Area, self-published by Robert
and Jane Dorn. The Dorns are no strangers to
members of the Wyoming Native Plant Society -
Bob is author of Vascuiar Plants of Wyoming (the
state's most current and comprehensive plant
identification manual), and Jane and Bob have
written a guide to Wyoming birds and birding
areas. This foray into horticulture may seem like a
new direction, but actually the Dorns have been
long-time amateur native plant gardeners in
eastern Wyoming. Their 30 plus years of
experience growing Rocky Mountain native plants,
coupled with their intimate knowledge of the
regional flora, is captured in this new book.

Unlike many other native gardening books on
the market. Growing Native Plants of the Rocky
Mountain Area is geared specifically for the
demanding growing conditions of the Rocky
Mountain states (defined by the Dorns as all of
Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado, the
NE corner of Nevada, northern New Mexico, and
the western quarter of the Dakotas and Nebraska).
Dorn and Dorn have recognized that the
conventional USDA hardiness zone criteria (based
on the average lowest winter temperature of an
area) are inadequate in predicting how well many
native and non-native plants will adjust to the
Rocky Mountain climate where temperature
extremes (as great as 140 degrees F between
summer highs to winter lows) truly dictate which
plants will persist. In place of the familiar USDA
system, the Dorns have developed a more
appropriate, ecologically-based system for
classifying the 9 major plant regions of the Rocky
Mountains. Each plant region has a characteristic
flora shaped by differences in soils, topography,
and the timing and quantity of precipitation. By
recognizing the needs of a particular species
according to its plant region preferences, the home
gardener has a better chance of identifying plants
that will be suited for their particular garden.
Homeowners can also make better decisions about
what specific microsites are best suited for a
particular plant (such as warm, south-facing slopes
for drought-hardy species), or whether they will
need to ameliorate their growing conditions
through seasonal irrigation or soil treatments. For
example. New Mexico locust {Robinia
neomexicana), a common flowering shrub from the
Southern Mountains Region of south-central

4

Colorado, the Utah High Plateaus, and northern
New Mexico, is adapted to the high summer
precipitation of this region, and thus may not thrive
in otherwise similar mountainous areas that lack a
monsoon unless supplemental moisture is provided.
This kind of Rocky Mountain-specific gardening
information is often lacking in other guides that are
geared for more general, widespread audiences, or
assume everyone has great loamy soil, adequate
water, and plenty of frost free days (ok for
California maybe, but not perhaps for Laramie, or
Rock Springs, or where you actually live).

The introductory chapters describe specific
environmental factors affecting plant distribution
and survival (such as soils, moisture availability,
topography, light, temperature, and snow cover),
how these factors affect how a garden should be
laid out to mimic natural habitats, how to treat
weeds, plant pests, and how to attract birds.
Scattered among these chapters are seven
"principles" that pithily summarize the take-home
lessons of gardening with native plants in the
Rockies. These principles all seem straight-forward
(e.g. principle 5: "the major enemies of plant
seedlings are not enough water, too much water,
molds, animal consumers, and competition from
other plants"), but all provide a succinct summary
of the typical errors novice gardeners make when
trying to grow new plants. There are books that go
into greater detail on all of these topics, but the
Dorns have done a nice job of condensing these
concepts into one easy to comprehend reference
appropriate to our local conditions.

Most of Growing Native Piants is devoted to a
full color section describing over 400 native tree,
shrub, grass, and wildflower species suited for
garden use in the Rocky Mountain region. The
species accounts include information on which of
the nine regions of the Rockies the plant is best
suited for, along with a brief description of its
growth habit and appearance, habitat, cultivation,
and means for propagation. The photos
accompanying the descriptions are of high quality
and large size (one of my pet peeves with many
horticulture books is how tiny and grainy the
photos are) and show just how beautiful our native
plants can be. For those who are not swayed by
appeals to reduce global homogenization, save
water, or reduce demands for fertilizer, the photos
alone are perhaps the best promotion for going
native.

Plant descriptions are arranged alphabetically
by scientific name. This may prove a challenge for
those who are squeamish about taxonomic names
(especially since the nomenclature follows more
recent treatments and use some unfamiliar names
for asters, ricegrass, and others). Fortunately the
index is cross-referenced by widely used common
names and taxonomic synonyms. Besides, if a
gardener can learn to recognize "common" names
like Chrysanthemum, Forsythia, and Geranium (all
Latin genus names too), they can expand their
vocabulary with a few more native scientific names!
The book concludes with several appendices
depicting sample precipitation tables, examples of
designing plant beds, and tables comparing various
attributes of the species described previously.

Growing Native Piants of the Rocky Mountain
Area is currently available in printed form for
conventional bibliophiles, or as a cd-rom using
Microsoft Word for the techno-savvy or bargain-
hunter, requiring Adobe Acrobat to read. Me, Til
stick with the printed version and read it in the
comfort of a hammock and enjoy the solitude of
being away from the computer while Tm planning
for my native garden-in-progress. WF

Note: Fora iimited time, individuais interested in
purchasing the book version of Growing Natives
can do so directiy from the Dorns for $50 (postage
inciuded) through Mountain West Environmentai
Services (contact Bob Dorn at
iingiebird@yahoo.com for detaiis).

5

Wyoming's New Seed Law

By Richard Dunne

Significant changes in our seed law were
passed by the Wyoming legislature this year
(HB123), which address weeds, the seed lab, and
regulatory process. Recognizing the need for a
more dynamic and species-flexible law, the Society
of Range Management, Wyoming Crop
Improvement Association, Weed and Pest Council
and Department of Agriculture undertook a revision
of existing law.

Before the new law, all noxious weeds
were set by statute into three categories:
"prohibited noxious" (zero tolerance), "restricted
noxious" (45 seeds per pound) and "other weeds"
(2%). Technically, each species had to be voted
onto the weed list by the legislature, though the
Department of Agriculture had found a round-about
way to add weeds. Now, new weeds will be added
to the list through a review process utilizing the
Dept, of Agriculture, the State Seed Analyst and
the Seed Lab Advisory Group through regulation
rather than statute.

Arising out of the desire to control the
unintentional planting of cheat grass, {Bromus
tectorum), we have added a new category:
"Regulated Weeds". Before this law, cheat grass
was allowed at 2%, which roughly translates to
4800 seeds per pound as a contaminant in all seed
sold in Wyoming. Recognizing that existing
categories were either too lenient to slow the
spread of cheat grass or too strict beyond the
capability of the seed industry, the legislature
created a fourth category labeled as "Regulated
Weeds" in which specific tolerance can be set for
individual problem species. The current consensus
is that all of the weedy annual bromes will be listed
as "Regulated Weeds" and capped at 1200 seeds
per pound (0.5%), which is a fourfold reduction
compared to the previous law. As seed production
technology advances we hope to lower this limit.

Other changes that may affect land
managers are the increase of secondary noxious
weed caps from 45 to 50 seeds per pound. This
was done because just one seed found in a lab
sample could quarantine a seed lot, where now it

will take at least two seeds in a sample.

In addition,
the use of a
tetrazolium test (TZ)
is now legally used in
species for which no
germination rules
have been established
by the Association of
Seed Analysts. TZs
for species in which
rules of germination
have been established
may be still be used
with consent between
buyer and seller. TZs
have been common in
Wyoming where time
does not allow for a
slow germination.

This law now
recognizes for the
first time the
legitimate use of TZs.

Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase).

1950. Manual of the Grasses of the United States.

USDA Misc. Publ. No. 200. Washington, DC. 1950. as
posted electronically on the USDA-NRCS PLANTS
Database..

As with all good laws, the devil is in the
details and regulatory rules are now being drawn
for the Department of Agriculture to administer. So
far the process has been professional and
comprehensive.

Expect a large number of new weeds to
show up as Prohibited Noxious Weeds in the near
future. Our philosophy is to head off problems by
aggressively listing weeds that have proven
themselves very troublesome in surrounding states.
Criteria for designation will include such qualities as
competitiveness against natives, economic loss to
crops or livestock, difficulty of control, allelopathic
or competitive attributes and others. We must be
very careful to establish reasonable and compelling
criteria for inclusion of weeds onto these lists lest
they become a political football.

A full copy of the new law may be viewed at
the website of the Wyoming State Legislature:
http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2007/bills.htm RD

6

Russian Olive Removed from Wyoming Nursery Trade

/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v/v

On February 12, 2007, Russian olive
{Elaeagnus angustifoUa) was added to the state
designated weed list on February 12, 2007 (posted
at: //www.wyoweed.org/docs/designated_weeds_
pests.html). The Wyoming Board of Agriculture
unanimously approved the resolution initiated by
the Wyoming Weed and Pest Council. By adding
Russian olive to the list, it restricts the sale,
distribution and transporation of the tree into the
state.

"Weed and Pest districts have become
increasingly aware of the impacts Russian olive
presents along riparian corridors" stated Doug
Vickery, president of the Wyoming Weed and Pest
Council. "The Weed and Pest Council's intent is not
to start cutting down desired windbreaks,
shelterbelts or ornamental trees, but to focus our
attention on areas where it has escaped cultivation"
he added. The concerted efforts to control salt
{Tamarisk chinensii) and the overlapping
invasions of salt cedar and Russian olive in the
Bighorn Basin are also factors in the decision to
include the latter.

Designation of Russian olive on the state
weed list culminates a long-standing debate among
Wyoming biologists. "Stop the Russian Olive
Invasion!" the CastiHejahedidXxne ran in 1995 (Vol.
14, No. 4), reprinting a Colorado brochure that was
getting attention across the West. In the following
issue, Robert Dorn, author of "Vascular Plants of
Wyoming" and co-author of "Wyoming Birds"
addressed the appropriateness, effectiveness and
potential impacts of large-scale Russian olive
control efforts in the state (Vol. 15, No. 1),
suggesting that time, money and philosophical
debate could be far better spent.

Russian olive is a non-native tree of
southern Europe, central and eastern Asia that can
out-compete native vegetation, interfere with
natural plant succession by forming dense, self-
replicating stands, interfere with nutrient cycling by
fixing nitrogen and producing nitrogen-rich litter,
and tax water reserves, similar to the problems
presented by salt cedar (Tamarisk chinensi^. The
addition of Russian olive to the Wyoming

designated weed list restricts the sale,
distribution and transportation of this tree
into the state, according to the Wyoming
Department of Agriculture Press Release.

For further reading, the most recent
literature review on Russian olive is
presented in: Katz, G.L. and P.B. Shafroth.
2003. Biology, ecology and management of
Eiaeagn us angustifoUa L. (Russian olive) in
western North America. Wetlands
23(4): 763-777. BH

Left: Distribution of Eieagnus angustifoUa, from
"Atlas of the Vascular Flora of Wyoming",
Hartman and Nelson 1998. © 1998, University of
Wyoming, Rocky Mountain Herbarium. Posted
electronically at: http://www.rmh.uwvo.edu/

7

Is Spring Here Yet?

This spring, peopie across the country wiii
join in coiiecting vaiuabie data on the timing of
ieafing and fiowering of trees and other piants
through Project BudBurst^! This national citizen
science field campaign targets native tree and
flower species across the country. By recording the
timing of the leaf emergence and flowering of
native species each year, scientists can learn about
the prevailing climatic characteristics in a region
over time. With your help, valuable environmental
information can be compared to historical records
to evaluate climate conditions.

Project BudBurst is ideal for teachers and
students, families interested in participating in a
science project, scouts and 4-H groups, gardening
clubs, ... anyone with an interest in contributing to
this study. If you already do bird counts, you know
the idea! You'll find all the information you need to
participate in Project BudBurst at
www.budburst.org. (Project Budburst is a
collaborative effort of the Chicago Botanic Garden,
ESRI, National Science Foundation, National
Phenology Network, and universities.)

The Wyoming Native Plant Society is a non-
profit organization established in 1981, dedicated
to encouraging the appreciation and conservation
of the native flora and plant communities of
Wyoming. The Society promotes education and
research on native plants of the state through its
newsletter, field trips, and annual student
scholarship award. Membership is open to
individuals, families, or organizations. To join or
renew, return this form to:

Wyoming Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 2500, Laramie, WY 82073

Name:

Address:

Email:

$7.50 Regular Membership

$15.00 Scholarship Supporting Member

($7.50 goes to the Markow Scholarship Fund)

Check one:

New member

Renewing member

Renewing members, check here if this is an address change,

Wyoming Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 2500
Laramie, WY 82073

8