Volume 8, Number 1 e Tutk^s C9i The newsletter Of The Delaware native plant Society Spring 2005 In This Issue A Call For Articles Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 A Call for Articles New Members Letter From the President Letter From the Editor Native Plant Treks Letter From the President continued Feature Article Event Highlight Feature Article continued Gardening With Native Plants Gardening With Native Plants cont. Native Plant Highlight Resources and Reviews Native Plant Scde Announcement Resources and Reviews cont. Thoughts from the edge... How Can / Get Involved? If you would like to write an article for The Turk’s Cap, we would love to print it. With like minded individuals as an audience. The Turk’s Cap is a great venue for plant or habitat oriented writings. We’ll take just about anything from gardening tips to book reviews to poetry. Of course, it has to be about native plants, or issues related to native plants; Just a minor constraint. Your imagination is the real key. Contact Eric Zuelke (ezuelke@juno.com), or Bill McAvoy at 302.376.5416 for more information. A Sweet Sugar Maple Sap Welcome To Our Newest Members January through March The Delaware Native Plant Society is open to everyone ranging from the novice gardener to the professional botanist. One of the primary goals of the society is to involve as many individuals as possible. The DNPS is working on some significant projects at this time. We are undertaking reforesta- tion projects at Prime Hook National Wildlife Ref- uge, at Blackbird Creek in New Castle County and Cedar Creek in Sussex County where we have in- stalled tree tubes around newly sprouted seedlings. Help is also needed at our native plant nursery at the St. Jones Reserve with the monitoring and watering of plants along with many other nurseiy activities. For more information, E-mail us at dnps(o)delawarenativeplants.org. Or visit our web- site at www.delawarenativeplants. org. Our website will have all of the past issues of The Turk ’s Cap along with a large section on native plants, as well as links to other environmental and plant related organizations. Eleanor Swink & Will Fox Frances & James Bazzoli Mel & Ncmcy Brown Joseph Dennan Chris Edginton John Harrod Elizabeth & John Kramarck Michael & Lisa Lasher S. Joseph Lesley Jim McClemets Robert Robinson Deb Schultz Gloria Walls Ashley Ward Letter From The President The winter months are usually slow for the DNPS, but we did have some productive busi- ness meetings and we purchased a laptop computer for DNPS business and labeling in the nursery. Now that spring has arrived, the DNPS is gearing up for a full season of activities. We have our annual meeting on May 7, which should be a fun day of field trips, presentations, and an oppor- tunity to meet members. We also have several oth- er events and field trips scheduled which are listed here in the newsletter. We will be continuing our work in the nursery where our efforts are in preparation for our Continued on page 2 The DNPS Vision T he purpose of the Delaware Native Plant Society (DNPS) is to participate in and encourage the preservation, conservation, restoration, and propagation of Delaware’s native plants and plant communities. The Society provides information to government officials, business people, educators, and the general public on the protection, management, and restoration of native plant ecosystems. The DNPS encourages the use of native plants in the landscape by homeowners, businesses, and local and state governments through an on-going distribution of infomiation and knowledge by various means that includes periodic publications, symposia, conferences, workshops, field trips, and a growing statewide membership organized by the DNPS. The Tui ' k's Qp, Volume 8 , Numbei ' 1 Letter From The Editor Look up, there’s life in them there hills! Exciting things are happening outside right now! The spring peepers, chorus frogs, and pine warblers are singing, the spring ephemerals are poking their heads out of the ground, and the sugar maple sap is flowing. There’s also exciting things happening with the DNPS. One of the most exciting is the ap- poinmient of two interns in our nursery for the spring and summer. Angel Babb and Lauren Lyles, two students in the FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience program at Polytech High School, will be working in the nurseiy this season. They will be assuredly working through April, but we hope to have them all summer. They’ll be taking on tasks like planting seeds and hardwood cuttings, repotting seedlings from community pots, helping with the design and installation of a watering sys- tem and another shade house, and compil ing a propagation guide for the greenhouse. Another exciting thing that happened was the success of our frost blanket winter protection system. We had a workday on March 12 and we uncovered the plants from their winter sleep only to find tliem in great shape. Many of the plants were still moist and green, but I’m hopeful for the few that looked dead and dry. This may not seem like a big deal, but in comparison to the dismal losses we’ve had in previous winters, I’m very happy with this system! I’m also very happy with this issue of our newsletter. As usual, we have our great columns on native plants and plant propagation, plus an analysis on why to go native, and a terrific review on a very interesting book by member Sandra Dennison- James. There is also a review on a new book of the native plants of the Northeast U.S. And speaking of new books, the DNPS is working on a Second Edition of our booklet! Well, if you’re anything like me, you’re itching to get outside and start designing new flower beds, fixing up rock borders, and laying down a fresh layer of mulch. Have a great spring and happy gardening! oooo Eric Zuelke, Editor o o o o o o Native Plant Treks Lums pond state park Hiking, camping, horseback riding, canoeing, and fish- ing are just a handful of the activities that you can immerse yourself into at Lums Pond State Park (LPSP). This 1790-acre park was established in 1963 in New Castle County, just north of the Chesapeake-Delaware Canal, The pond was created in the early 1800’s when St. Georges Creek was dammed during the construction the canal, and is now the largest freshwater pond in the state. One of the highlights of this park is the camping. The park boasts four horse camping sites in which riders do not have to trailer their horses, two yurts, and a total of 68 family sites. Then of course, there is the hiking. With a trail that extends around the entire circumference of the 200-acre pond, you can spend a good part of a day exploring on foot. And while you’re exploring you may run across a few very interest- ing plants. Though there are no populations of rare plants in LPSP, you will see some very nice stands of oak-hickory forest P3ge2 along the shores of the pond, as well as maple/oak/tuliptree forest. It’s been a long time since any extensive logging activity has occumed in the area where the park is, so the forests have had time to grow and mature over the yeai s. If you’re looking for a good place to find some spring ephemerals, this park has nice habitats for them. If aquatic vegetation is your game, there are some nice marshy areas along the edges of the pond in areas where humans don’t traverse very often and the diversity of submerged, and semi-aquatic vegetation is suiprising. If you’re looking for a peaceful, quiet camping experi- ence with some easy hiking trails, then LPSP should be one of your destinations. For more information, go to http:// www.destatepai'ks.com/lpsp/ Ipsp.asp. oooo Eric Zuelke, Editor Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 2: 37, Courtesy of Kentucky Native Plant Society, and tlie USDA Plants Database. o o o o o o Letter From The President Continued from page 1 fall plant sale. Our new nursery manager has prepared an out- line of proposed activities for the 2005 growing season, and they are really going to help the nursery reach the kind of productivity that we have been hoping for. We are also excited to announce a new partnership with Polytech High School in Kent Co., in the creation of an internship for students to work and gain experience in our na- tive plant nursery. The students are part of the Supervised Agri- cultural Experience program, and their “school-to-career” train- ing will be invaluable for them. This opportunity for young students should help to instill an appreciation for Delaware’s native flora. Many thanks to Eric Zuelke for all his efforts in coordinating and supervising this internship. Enjoy the spring and coming summer and I hope to see you at our annual meeting on May 7, and at some of our nursery workdays. Your help is invaluable, and greatly appreci- ated. Sincerely, William McAvoy The Turk's Qp, Volume 8, Number 1 P^ge5 s Oi Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 2: 37. Courtesy of Kentucky Native Plant Society, and the USDA Plants Database. o o o o o o Event Highught Propagating native plants from seed workshop On 12 March 2005 our own Quentin Schlieder hosted this seed propagation workshop at the St. Jones Reserve. With 1 8 people in attendance, we had plenty of dirty hands by the end of the day. And that was the point, to give everyone a buck- et of dirt, some styrofoam cups, Tupperware containers, a bunch of seeds, and let them have fun. But it wasn’t all fun and games. Quentin offered detailed explanations about how to successfully germinate the seeds of many different species of plants through stratification, scarification, proper soil mixes, proper lightmg, and proper watering techniques. We learned that there are many different requirements just within tlie realm of temperature sti'atification alone! Mother nature knows best, but in our human oriented desire to speed things up a little, we also learned about all the different ways to scarify hai'd coated seeds and how to remove fleshy coverings to make the natural processes happen a little quicker. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing; who wants to wait 2 years for a seed to germinate? A sense of accomplishment and satisfaction is sometimes the key to successfully germinating seeds. Growing plants from seeds is an extremely rewarding endeavor and can even rouse feelings of parental wonder as you watch all your little “children” grow from seedlings to fully grown adults, Feature Article PONDERINGS ON NATIVE PLANTS There are a lot of people who do not think there is much difference between native and non-native plants and then- use in home landscapes, or worse yet, they just don’t have any concern for the potential hann non-natives can bring about. The differences are as clear as night and day, and we all should be concerned about tlie use of non-natives. What is a native? The first point to ponder is what exactly is a native plant? Native species are those that evolve over geologic time in response to physical and biotic processes characteristic of a region; the climate, soils, timing of rainfall, drought, and frost; and interactions with the other species inhabiting the local com- munity. Thus native plants possess certain traits that make them uniquely adapted to local conditions, providing a practical and ecologically valuable alternative to non-natives and they can match the finest cultivated plants in beauty, while often surpas- sing non-natives in ruggedness and resistance to drought, in- sects and disease. In North America, plant species are generally described as native if they occuned here prior to European settlement. This distinction is made because of the large-scale changes that have occurred since the anival of the European settlers, and this is the definition that the DE Native Plant Soci- ety (DNPS) has adopted. All plants are native to some region and it is only when a species is "out of place" that we become concerned. But even more importantly, there is also the concept of regional nativity. These are plants that are adapted to the climate, soils, and climatic features of specific regions of the country. For example, green ash {Fmxinus pennsylvanica) is a native deciduous tree in North America, but a green ash in Minnesota will have different growing requirements than one on the piedmont of Delawai'e. The problems with non-natives Due to a lack of natural controls such as insect pests and competitors, some non-native plants can easily become established in new areas. Once established, non-native plant species can out-compete and displace the native plant species, disrupting ecological processes and significantly degrading entire plant communities. Such plants are said to be invasive. Many invasive plants spread quickly and grow so densely that other species cannot get established in areas infested by these non-native plant species. A good example of this is the interac- tion of the non-native species of Phragniites in Delaware’s wet- land The Tui'k's Qp, Volume 8, Numbei' 1 communities. There are two different species of Phragmites growing in Delaware, a native and a non-native. The native species is smaller and will tend to restrict it’s growing habits to small areas, whereas it’s European counterpart will overcome an entire marsh if allowed, and will grow into such a dense monoculture, that no other species will have the chance to glow. Common native plants can also be crowded out, or their populations threatened due to hybridization with escaped orna- mentals. Endangered species may be driven from tlien last hab- itats by invasive non-native plant species. Aquatic invasive species can clog waterways, disrupt groundwater flows, degrade water quality, and lead to dramatic changes in plant and animal communities. Other non-native plants are unable to thiive without extra effort such as additional watering and fertilizer. Also, tlie natural defenses plants evolve in their original habitats may not protect them in a new environment, requiring the application of pesticides to aid their growth. Regional non-nativity is also a factor with non-natives. Although the majority of non-native species come from other countries, they may also be introduced from a different region of the same country. The benefits of natives The benefit of growing plants within the region they evolved is they are more likely to thrive under the local condi- tions while being less likely to invade new habitats. Native plants are well adapted to local environmental conditions, maintain or improve soil fertility, reduce erosion, and often require less fertilizer and pesticides than many non-native plants. These characteristics save time and money and reduce the amount of harmful run-off that could threaten the aquatic resources of our streams, rivers, and estuaries. Most native plants are perennial and have extensive root systems that hold soil and slow runoff. Persistent stems, leaves, and flower parts remain throughout the winter which can also reduce runoff, especially in the spring. In addition, functionally healtliy and established natural communities are better able to resist inva- sions by non-native plant species. So the use of native plants can help prevent the spread of non-native species afready pre- sent in a region and help avert future introductions. Native plants ai e self-sustaining and provide familiar sources of food and shelter for wildlife, such as beneficial insects, mammals, and native birds. As natural habitats are replaced by urban and suburban development, the use of native plants in landscaping can provide essential shelter for displaced wildlife. Land managers can use native plants to maintain and restore wildlife habitat. Native wildlife species comprise a majority of the game and non-game animals we manage habitat for, and they evolved with native plant species. Although non- native species are often promoted for their value as wildlife food plants, there is no evidence that non-native plant materials are superior to native plants. For instance, on land managed for upland game animals, native warm season grasses (big and little bluestem, switch grass, Indian grass, coastal panic grass, gama grass, etc.), and other native forbs (butterfly weed, ironweed, Joe Pye weed, etc.) offer good sources of nutrition without the ecologictd threats associated with non-native forage plants. Dramatic increases in nesting success of both game birds and songbfrds have been observed in fields planted with native grasses, which also offer superior winter cover. P^ge 4 contributes to the overall health of natural communities. Dis- turbances of intact ecosystems that open and ifagment habitat, such as land clearing activities, increase the potential of inva- sion by alien species. Native plants provide important alteraa- tives to alien species for conservation and restoration projects in these disturbed areas. They can fill many land management needs cun'ently occupied by nonnative species, and often with lower costs and maintenance requirements. As you go about designing your backyai'd landscape, and otlier natural area plantings, make a concerted effort to seek out native alternatives to tlie typical non-natives that so many people just accept as the norm. The difference will be worth the effort and you will rest comfortably in your backyard habitat knowing that your choices will benefit not only you, your back- yard wildlife, but the earth as a whole. oooo Efic Zuelke, Editor o o o o o o Gardening With Native Plants Shadbush (amelanchier arborea) NATURAL HISTORY It’s spring and as winter tries to hold its icy grip there are subtle hints that the forest is again coming alive. Long before the bright green leaves of most woodland shrubs and trees signal the beginning of another growing season, the showy flowers of the shadbush unfold at the edge and in the understoiy of Dela- ware’s forests. The shadbush inhabits moist soils of hardwood forest east from the Mississippi River basin and south from southern Canada to northwest Florida. The flowers of tlie shad- bush are pure white, fragrant, and borne in 2-4" long pendulous racemes in mid to late April, These extremely showy 1 inch flowers last only 4 to 7 days, but are an important source of nectar for the eailiest small bees of spring, which serve as the primary pollinator. But the true wonder of this woodland native is in its fruit. Often overlooked, the reddish-purple fruit is a 1/4" - 1/3" edible pome that emerges in June. Edible berries resem- ble blueberries in size and color and are often used in jams, jellies and pies, but don’t delay in harvesting this woodland delight for at least 22-bird species relish the sweet nourishing fruit. Prominent feeders include veeries, hermit thiaishes, gray catbfrds, cedar waxwings and northern orioles, and if that’s not enough there aie 1 1 or more mammal species that feed on the fruit bark and twigs of this natural pantry. The shad- bush is a small tree often 15 to 25 feet tall with a tmiik 4 to 6 inches in diameter, but may reach heights of 40 feet. It’s bril- liant fall colors of orange to yellow to red are but one of many reasons to make space in your landscape for this wondrous shrub or small tree. WHERE TO GROW In general, the flowers and fall color of the shadbush show best against dark backgrounds or in dark comers. This species is ideal for naturalization, on building corners, or in small groves when space is plentiful. Shadbush appears to do best in sunny and dry sites, but will persist as tlte forest grows in around them. They are also found in smaller numbers in a wide variety of habitats, including wetter sites. Shadbush is easily grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade and is tolerant of a somewhat wide range of soils. Shadbush may be pruned to maintain a single tmnk for a specimen tree or P^ge 5 The Tui'k's Qp, Volume 8, Numbei' 1 allowed to bush out for a lower growing shrub. Root suckers are common, and if not removed, will result in a shrubby growth habit, which may be suitable for naturalizing along edg- es. PROPAGATION AND CARE Propagation of shadbush may be accomplished either by seed or rooted cuttings although difficulty in rooting cuttings has been noted. To propagate from seed, the seeds should be har- vested as soon as the fruit is ripe in mid-summer. A cold strati- fication of 4 months at 40 degrees Fahi'enlieit is required for germination. Once seeds sprout in the spring, they should be kept evenly moist and protected from full sun by either a shade cloth or growing in a lightly shaded ai'ea. Once 4 leaves have developed, seedlings should be transplanted into individual pots and grown on for another year before planting in the landscape. Care should be taken to keep the seedlings well watered during the growing season until well established. They will continue to benefit from occasional watering during periods of drought. LORE Few plants have the variety of common names as Amelanchier arborea has. The name shadbush, or shadblow, was given be- cause the blossoms appear about the time when the first shad begin their spawning runs up the rivers of the east Coast. The name serviceberry stems from a time when the ground was so frozen that corpses were held unburied until the ground thawed sufficiently for digging. That was about the time when the shadbush blossoms appeared, and then the service could be held - hence the name serviceberry. Finally the name Juneberry de- notes the time of year the berries appear on the plant. Regard- less of the namt Amelanchier arborea, is a great choice for your landscape! oooo^^jj DNPS Member o o o o o o Na tive Plant Highlight Claytonia virginica (spring beauty) I know spring has anived when I see Claytonia virgin- ica, the spring beauty in flower. This is one of our first native wildflowers to bloom in the spring, usually in late March and early April. Spring beauty is in the Purslane Family (Portulacaceae) and is a perennial herb that inhabits moist woodland soils of both the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of Delaware. The habitat preference is dappled sunlight during the spring, moist to slightly diy conditions, and a rich loamy soil with abundant organic matter. This plant will adapt to semi- shaded areas of lawns if mowing is delayed during the spring. Habitats include moist to dry deciduous woodlands, savannas, thinly wooded bluffs, city parks, old cemeteries, and lawns (pai'ticulai'ly near trees). Each flower is up to Vi" across when fully open, consisting of 5 petals, 2 green sepals, 5 stamens with pink anthers, and a pistil with a tripartite style. The petals are white with fine pink stripes; these stripes vary from pale pink to bright pink. The flowers open up on warm sunny days, and close during cloudy weather or at night. They are more or less erect while open, but nod downward while closed. The long, narrow leaves ai'e grass-like with a single central vein along the length of the leaf, and the flowers of this spring ephemeral bloom for about two weeks and then soon disappear. The root system consists of a small round conn and secondary roots, and this species is also known as fairy-spuds, refening to the species undergi'ound edible tuber’s, which resemble minia- ture potatoes. The name Cktytonia is in honor of John Clayton (1693-1779), an early colonial botanist from Virginia. The spe- cific name, virginica, refers to tlie Colony of Virginia. Spring beauty is native to the eastern U.S. and parts of Canada. oooo miiiidfYi McAvoy, Acting President U Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the north- ern states and Canada. Vol. 2; 37. Courtesy of Kentucky Native Plant Society, and the USDA Plants Database. o o o o o o Resources And Reviews American azaleas^ by l. clarence towe Reading A merican A zaleas is like joining a plant- hunting expedition with the author, a retired teacher known for introducing new forms of these increasingly popular species. Meander with him as he tells tales of his collecting adventures in the Appalachians and offers tips for growing - and propagat- ing - native azaleas yourself. Towe points out natives in the wild and in a few gar- dens by way of a generous selection of photos, many apparently taken by the author himself. He juxtaposes photos of natural variants of die same species and of crosses that emphasize the range of possibilities. While Towe does address the basics of gardening with native azaleas, this is not a book aimed at people with no knowledge of native plants or at least of azaleas, native or non- native. He gives a cursory review to azalea pests and diseases but leaves his readers to find solutions on their own (and no discussion of my own biggest pests, rabbits and deer!). He re- views possible companion plants, many of which are familiar to native plant fans (and unfortunately from my point of view, he doesn’t discuss which plants he has spotted growing with azal- eas in the wild). The most useful sections of the book for me were the detailed descriptions of the 15 native species and their available cultivars, along with recommendations for landscaping with them. His meticulous planting and growing instructions will help assure success with these shrubs so needy of airy, acid soil (particularly useful information to those of us in clay-bound northern Delaware). For those involved in rescuing plants from The Tui'k's Qp, Volume 8, Numbei' 1 Upcoming Event P3ge6 sites about to be developed - and for those, like me, who have a bad habit of moving plants around like furniture - he gives careful directions for transplanting. He even suggests how much to thin trees on a wooded site to accommodate azaleas in the understory. I was dismayed to learn that liriodendron tuli- pifera (tulip poplar) dindfagus grandifolia (American beech) trees have invasive roots (oh great, and I was trying to foster the liriodendron seedlings from a neighbor’s trees to augment or eventually replace the choking red maples already in my yard). Towe closes with instructions for propagating azaleas, either from cuttings or seedlings, including through hand polli- nation. Like some other portions of the book, this section is clear enough for a novice to follow but probably of most interest to azalea or propagating aficionados. American Azaleas is particularly enjoyable for enthu- siasts and well worth consulting by those fairly new to the pleasures of this group. °°°° Sandra Dennison- James, DNPS Member American AZALEASy by don ald j. Leopold No other single volume on native plants has such comprehen- sive horticultural coverage. Nearly seven hundred species of native trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, grasses, and wildflowers from the northeastern quarter of the United States and all of eastern Canada are included. Of course, the natural ranges of many of the plants extend beyond this area, and the book is an essential resource for everyone interested in gardening with native plants of all kinds, as well as those who need the information provided here for habitat restoration and enhancement of biodiversity for the sake of conservation. Natural plant communities of eastern North America are described, providing a foundation for the choice of plants for different areas and climates — or a variety of sites in the garden — as well as for restoration of native plant habitats. Illustrated throughout with color photographs, the en- cyclopedic portion of the book includes practical advice on cultivation and propagation in addition to descriptions, ranges, and information on hardiness. An appendix recommends partic- ular plants for difficult situations and for attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. Written from the unique perspective of an author who has professional credentials in horticulture, botany, forestry, and ecology as well as hands-on practical experience, this book is the most trustworthy single source for all who wish to cultivate native plants. o o o o o o Thoughts From The Edge Of The Garden DNPS NURSERY UPDATE The nursery is looking good right now. We have hun- dreds of plants germinating from seed in the greenhouse and we are trying something new this year. We have never done hard- wood cuttings, so one of our interns and the nursery manager went and collected some cutting of southern arrowwood {Viburnum dentatum), and we’re hoping they will root. We will be having a volunteer work day later this month at the nursery where we will be installing a watering/misting system on two beds, and doing some more repotting. We will also be working on a big project to organize all the pots and tree tubes we have. We hope to see you all there! soouAmlfMiiij Dela ware Na tive Plant Society's 7th Annual Meeting: Hydrogeology Of The Dela ware coastal Plain: Flat Is A Relative Term Where: Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, 2591 Whitehall Neck Road, Smyrna, DE. For more information about this wildlife refuge, go to: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/ bombayhook. When: Saturday, 07 May 2005, 10 AM to 2 PM (with op- tional field trips at 2:30). Schedule: 10:00: Opening remarks. Bill McAvoy, President, Delaware Native Plant Society 10:15-11:00: Lecture & Keynote Speaker: "Hydrogeology of the Delaware Coastal Plain: Flat is a relative term." Presented by Judy Denver, USGS State Representative. 11:15 to Noon: "Beauty, Birds and Butterflies" by Society member Bob Edelen Noon to 1 : Funch 1 PM to 1:30: Informational meeting of current Society endeav- ors and events 1:30 to 2:30: The Bombay Hook Garden Keepers and the Native Plant Garden lecture 2:30 p.m. - Optional Auto Tour on your own to experience the natural beauty of Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, or a field trip to the "Woodland Beach Rich Wood." 10 minutes north of the Refuge, a unique coastal plain habitat supporting a diverse flora that is typically found in the piedmont region of DE, many spring wildflowers can be observed here. For more information and to register: email us at dnps (a) delawarenativeplants.org, or ezuelke(o)juno.com. The Tufk's Qp, Volume 8, Numbei-I P^geZ 1 Saturday, 16 April 2005 - Field trip to Dover area sites oe botanical interest. This eield trip WILL VISIT THREE SITES. 1) THE GARDEN OF DR. JAMES McCLEMENTS, 2) CLAUDE E. PHILLIPS HERBARIUM AT DE State University, and 3) DE State University’s woodland trail. This trip offers something for EVERYONE FROM A BEAUTIFUL AND DIVERSE PRIVATE GARDEN TO ONE OF THE NATION'S GREATEST HERBARI- UMS. Directions and additional information will be sent on request by e-mail at QCSJR@COMCAST.NET OR BY PHONE AT 302.653.6449. Saturday, 23 April 2005 - Annual Christiana River cleanup day. From 8 AM to noon. Contact Thomas Moran at 302.836.2555 for more information. Saturday, 30 April 2005 - Field trip to Knights Island. DNPS members Jack Holt and Janet Ebert INVITE MEMBERS TO JOIN THEM AND MEMBERS OF THE PHILADELPHIA BOTANICAL CLUB ON A FIELD TRIP TO Knights Island, Cecil Co., MD. Knights Island is actually a narrow mostly-wooded peninsula on THE Sassafras River in extreme southeast Cecil County. We will be seeing mostly spring ephemer- ALS, BUT THERE ARE ALSO STEEP DRY BLUFFS, SANDY SHORES, AND FRESHWATER MARSHES WE WILL BE EX- PLORING. Participation is limited and by reservation ONLY! If you wish to participate please con- tact Jack holt by email at Jack@mobilelifts.com. Saturday, 20 may 2005 ^ Creating native landscapes by design garden symposium. To be held FROM 8:30 AM TO 3 PM AT THE Chesapeake college todd performing arts center in Wye Mills and AT Adkins arboretum, and hosted by Adkins arboretum. Call 410.634.2847, or on the web at WWW.ADKINSARBORETUM.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION. Saturday, 28 may 2005 - Second annual horseshoe crab and shorebird festival from 10 AM to 4 PM. The festival will be held at the Milton memorial park in the town of Milton, and at Prime HOOK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE BOOTHS, FILMS, AND FOOD IN MiLTON, AND CANOE TRIPS AND BIRD WALKS IN THE REFUGE. CALL 302.684.8419 FOR MORE INFORMATION. Tuesday, 19 July 2005 - A guided tour of the St. Jones National Estuarine Research Reserve. You’ve been there many times, but just how much do you know about the St. Jones Reserve? Join us to discover all the surprises at this wonderful educational facility. We’ll be giving you the HISTORY OF THE RESEARCH RESERVE, EXPLAINING HOW ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE THE BUILDINGS ARE, AND GIVING A TOUR OF THE DNPS NURSERY. THIS TOUR WILL BE THE PROGRAM FOR THIS BI-MONTHLY DNPS MEETING. After the tour, we will have a short informational meeting about current Society ENDEAVORS. 2-4 June 2005 - Native Plant Conference at Millersville University. Call 717.872.3030, or on the WEB AT WWW.MILLERSVILLENATIVEPLANTS.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION. DNPS Bi-monthly meetings for 2005 - are currently scheduled the 3rd Tuesday of every other MONTH. Our next meetings will be: Annual meeting on 7 May, 19 July, 20 September, and 15 Novem- ber. Meetings will take place (unless otherwise notified) at 7 PM at the St. Jones Reserve, 818 Kitts Hummock Rd. About 1 mile east of the rt. 9/1 13/Kitts Hummock Road interchange just at THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF DOVER AlR FORCE BASE. WE PLAN TO HAVE GUEST SPEAKERS AT EACH MEETING (SPEAKERS AND THEIR TOPICS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT LATER DATES). CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS, OR EMAIL US AT DNPS@DELAWARENATIVEPLANTS.ORG. The Turk's Qp, Volume 8, Number 1 P^geS I Mernbep-sbip Application I K., «. «. «. «. «. , Member Information I Delaware native Plant Society , I Name: Business Name or Organization: Address: City and Zip Code: Telephone (home/ work): E-mail address: " Full-time Student $10.00 "Individual $15.00 " Family or Household $18.00 " Contributing $50.00 " Business $100.00 " Lifetime $500.00 " Donations are also welcome $. Membership benefits include: * The DNPS quarterly newsletter. The Turk’s Cap * Native plant gardening and landscaping information * Speakers, field trips, native plant nursery and sales Total Amount Enclosed: $ Make check payable to: DE Native Plant Society P.O. Box 369, Dover, DE 19903 Delaware Native Plant Society P.O. Box 369 Dover, Delaware 19903 Complimentary Copy