Volume 10, Num- THE TURK’S The Newsletter Of The Dela ware Na tive Plant Society Spring 2007 In This Issue Page 1 Natural Quotes New Members DNPS Vision Page 2 ■ Thoughts From The Edge... ■ Resources and Reviews Page 3 ■ Feature Article ■ Resources and Reviews Page 4 ■ Gardening With Native Plants ■ Resources and Reviews Page 5 ■ Feature Article continued ■ Resources and Reviews ■ Event Highlight Page 6 ^ Booklet Announcement ■ Resources and Reviews Page 7 ■ Upcoming Events Natural Quotes “A feme may come, leaf-green, Whose coming may give revel Beyond revelries of sleep. Yes, and the blackbird spread its tail. So that the sun may speckle. While it creaks hail.” Wallace Stevens A WiLDFLOwER Reaching For The Sun Welcome To Our Newest Members How Can / Get Involved? 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 have completed four refor- estation projects in the Prime Hook area, at Black- bird Creek in New Castle County and Cedar Creek in Sussex County where we have installed tree tubes around newly sprouted seedlings, and are perform- ing annual management of the sites. 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 nursery activities. For more information. E-mail us at dnps@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. January through March Paul & Polly Sierer Ronald Simpson The DNPS Vision T he purpose of the Delaware N ative 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 information and knowledge by various means that includes periodic publications, symposia conferences, workshops, field trips, and a growing statewide membership organized by the DNPS. The Turk’s Cap, Volume 10, Number 1 Thoughts From The Edge Of The Garden Page Plant rescue update The DNPS was contacted by one of our members back in February about a site located in Caroline Co., MD that was going to be converted into a new land- fill. The approximately 70 acre site was mainly upland forest with a small brook flowing through it. We made every effort to access the site as soon as we could, but because of logistics, access permis- sions, and the freezing weather, we could not make it in time. Approximately 5 weeks later, most of the 70 acres had been clear cut. The first joint trip between the MNPS and DNPS to the site to do actual digging of plants was on April 14th, 2007. Unfortunately, no representatives from the DNPS could make it. But, there is good news; the nursery manager has permis- sion to access the site until fall of 2007. We are hoping to be able to schedule several full volunteer trips to this site during the spring and summer as var- ying species appear, but these plans are currently on hold as legal issues among the land owners and the county are worked out. WeTl keep you informed. We have also been contacted by a representative of the DE Div. of Parks and Recreation who is also a Society member about a proposed water park at Trap Pond State Park. The water park is slated to destroy approximately 5-10 acres of forested land. We are hoping to be able to access this site at least once pri- or to construction activities, but hopefully more than that. We will inform everyone as soon as we hear more details about this. Society intern As many of you know, each year we bring on an “intern” to work in the nursery. This years intern is Andrew Kluge. Andrew is a Delaware native and currently lives in Magnolia. He is an 18-year old senior at Polytech High School who will be getting his diploma in Environmental Science and is also in the Future Farmers of America program. Andrew has competed in the state and national Envuothon competitions with impressive results. He will be helping the DNPS out by working in the nursery planting seeds, repotting, and doing general nursery chores. He will also be doing reptile, amphibian, and fish surveys at our adopt-a-wetland site at Big Oak County Park. Nursery update The nursery is up and running for the season! During March the nursery manager and one Society volun- teer completely overhauled the greenhouse by re- leveling it, adding new gravel, redoing the wire frame supports on the PVC pipes, installing a new plastic covering, and adding some wooden supports to the existing PVC pipe benches. The greenhouse looks great right now! Our intern has been busy fill- ing the greenhouse with flats of newly planted seeds and is currently busy with repotting a lot of seedlings from last years inventory. Many of the plants (about half) that we acquired from the plant rescue at Killens Pond State Park in December 2006 did not make it, but the survivors are starting to leaf out and will make a good addition to our inventory. Looking for an events coordinator Quentin Schlieder, who has been our Events/Program Coordinator for many years now is taking a sabbati- cal for awhile and we are looking for a replacement. The person in this position would have the important job of scheduling speakers for our bi-monthly meet- ings, scheduling field trips and field trip leaders, scheduling workshops and workshop leaders, plan- ning the annual meeting (with the help of all of the Continued on page 5 Resources & Reviews Spring Wildflowers of New England Authored by Marilyn J. Dwelley. With hundreds of entries and nearly 500 illustrations. Spring Wildflowers of New England is a unique and indispensable guide. Each listing includes thorough text descriptions of the leaf and flower, as well as information on range, habitat, and growth habits. Latin names, common names, and family are also included. Best of all, each entry is complemented by Marilyn Dwelley's elegantly detailed watercolors. The Turk’s Cap, Volume 10, Number 1 Page Resources & Reviews Spring Wildflowers of West Virginia Authored by Earl Lemley Core. Originally published in 1948, this is the seminal text on nearly 250 species of spring wild flowers found in West Virginia. Common or English names and scientific or Eatin names are given for each species. The descriptions are in two sections: the first description includes the meaning of the name of the flower, uses, habitats, and ranges in West Virginia. Sec- ondly, the plant itself is described in deep detail to help in identification. Each description is accompanied by a facing page detailed line drawing. This book is a must have for those interested in the beauty and science of West Virginia’s spring flora. Feature Article Native edible and medicinal plants Numerous native plants are edible or have been uti- lized for their medicinal properties, and among these are attrac- tive plants that can be grown in appropriate habitats in Dela- ware. A native wildflower, great blue lobelia {Lobelia siphiliti- ca), has a raceme of beautiM blue-lavender flowers. The spe- cific epithet ''siphiliticd' indicates one former medicinal use of this plant. Native Americans used it as a root tea to treat syphi- lis; and also made a leaf tea for colds, fevers and worms. Poul- tices of leaves were used to treat headaches and to heal sores. This perennial wildflower grows one to two feet tall in moist soil and on stream banks. A related species. Lobelia cardinalis, is called cardinal flower for its striking scarlet flow- ers. It was used medicinally by Native Americans in a similar fashion to L siphilitica, including use as a treatment for syphilis. Cardinal flower is a plant of wet habitats, growing to two to three feet in height. Both of these Lobelia species are potentially toxic. Cattails, Typha angustifolia and T. latifolia, are “possibly one of the best and certainly the most versatile of our native edible plants”, according to Peterson’s Eield Guide to Edible Wild Plants (1977). The young shoots and stalks can be peeled and eaten raw. The immature flower spikes (just before they emerge from their leaf sheaths) can be boiled and eaten like corn on the cob. Dried pollen can be added to flour for use in baking. Pollen is harvested by shaking the male inflorescence into a bag (the male flower cluster grows above the familiar brown, sausage-like female flower cluster). Elour can be pre- pared from the underground parts. Cattails grow in shallow water and marshes. Spicebush {Lindera benzoin) is a dioecious shrub (separate male and female plants) of moist woods. With tiny yellow flowers, spicebush is not a showy ornamental, but it has wonderful spicy-scented leaves, flowers and twigs. A fragrant tea can be prepared from the young leaves, twigs and bark, by placing these in hot water for approximately 15 minutes. The berries have been used as an all-spice substitute. Native Ameri- cans and settlers also used teas made from the berries, twigs or bark to treat ailments such as cough, fever and colds. A beverage can be prepared from the red- fruited sumac species: winged sumac {Rhus copallinum), staghorn su- mac {R. typhina), and smooth sumac {R. glabra). These shrubs, usually found in sunny open or edge habitats, have dense clus- ters of small red fruits covered with acidic red hairs. These fruit clusters are harvested when they ripen (before rain washes out the acid), rubbed gently, and soaked in cold water for approxi- mately 15 minutes. The resulting pink “lemonade” is strained through cheese cloth and sweetened with sugar. A related species, poison sumac {Toxicodendron vemix), can cause severe dermatitis, but it is easily distinguished by its white (not red) fruits and it is uncommon in Delaware. Black willow {Salix nigra) is a native tree of wet soils. A tea made from the bark was used by Native Americans for headaches, fever and diarrhea; and poultices of the bark were used externally for sprains, bruises and sores. We now know that the bark contains salicin, which has a similar action in the human body to the closely related acetyl- salicylic acid (aspirin), widely-used today to reduce fever, pain and inflammation. It must be emphasized that plants should be carefully identified before ingestion. Some plants are toxic, or have some parts that are edible while other parts are toxic, or need special preparation to remove toxic ingredients. Some poisonous spe- cies closely resemble edible ones. There are numerous refer- ences on edible and medicinal wild plants, two of which are listed below. € References Peterson, Eee Allen. 1977. A Eield Guide to Edible Wild Plants, of Eastern and Central North America . Peterson Eield Guide series. Houghton Mifflin. Eoster, Steven and James A. Duke. 2000. A Eield Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs, of Eastern and Central North America . Peterson Eield Guide series. Houghton Mifflin. Susan Yost, DNPS Member. Illustration of Lobelia siphilitica by Katie Yost. The Turk’s Cap, Volume 10, Number 1 Page Gardening With Native Plants Smooth black-haw (Viburnum prunifolium) NATURAL HISTORY It’s early spring and most nature lover’s eyes are trained on Delaware’s forests and fields for the earliest signs that Mother Nature is loosening her winter grip upon the land. Soon a walk through Delaware’s open woodlands, hedgerows, and forest edges will delight us all with the bright white floral bouquet of Viburnum prunifolium or black-haw (a perfect place to see black-haw is adjacent to the DNPS Nursery at the St. Jones Preserve and in surrounding woodlands!). Black-haw is native from Connecticut down the eastern seaboard to Florida and across to Texas. It typically blooms in Delaware during the month of May and provides a bounty of nectar in its 2 to 4.5 inch clusters of flowers. Numerous bees, butterflies and other insects are important pollinators of black-haw. It occurs as a small, bushy tree or large shrub, growing between 10 and 25 feet tall, with a short trunk that has a diameter of about 6 inches and is conspicuous with its alligator hide pattern similar to the flowering dogwood. In the fall, numerous clusters of shiny, bluish-black fruits appear on bright red stalks to the delight of numerous songbirds, game birds, deer, small mammals and humans (fruits are edible and may be eaten off the bush when ripe or used in jams and preserves). Over 20 bird species including robins, bluebirds, woodpeckers, quail, pheasant, orioles, catbirds, mocking birds and thrushes relish the fruits for their fat rich content. Black-haw is clearly a plant for all sea- sons. In summer this handsome plant has dense foliage that attracts numerous nesting birds and glossy green leaves that turn to shades of red and purple in fall. WHERE TO GROW Black haw is used widely as an ornamental because it possesses year-round qualities similar to those of flowering dogwood and is the perfect shrub or small tree for most any landscape. The flowers and berries are attractive, the tree is small and nicely shaped, and its bark adds exceptional winter interest. Black Haw will grow in a range of conditions from moist to dry con- ditions, is drought tolerant, will perform well in light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in nutri- tionally poor soils with a Ph ranging from acid to neutral to alkaline. The flowers are hermaphrodite (having both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. However, the plant is not self-fertile so an additional planting is required of a genetically distinct plant in the same species in order to produce fruit and fertile seed. The uses for black-haw are as varied as its flexibility. It can be grown singularly as a tree, trimmed to maintain a dense shrub, sheared to make a formal screen, grown along woodland edges as a colorful backdrop and planted in a open woodland setting where it will still perform exceptionally well. Any pruning should occur immediately after flowering since flower buds form in mid- summer for the following year. PROPAGATION AND CARE Propagation may be accomplished either by planting seed or by cuttings of soft wood in early summer. For propagation from seed, fruits should be harvested as soon as ripe, macerated to remove the pulp and sown in a cold frame in a community pot or flat containing a sterile potting soil. Germination is slow taking up to 18 months so seeds sewn in the fall should germi- nate in spring following their second winter. Prick out the seed- lings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame or greenhouse. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer of the following year. Propagation may also be accomplished by tak- ing cuttings of soft wood in early summer, treated with a root- ing hormone and set in a peatmoss/perlite medium in a green- house or cold frame protected from direct sun and kept humid. Once rooted, pot up the cuttings into individual pots and contin- ue to grow in greenhouse or cold frame and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. LORE Simply typing in black-haw in any search engine will yield a wealth of information on the value of this plant both past and present. Native Americans used the bark of the stems and roots of black-haw to brew a medicinal tea primarily as a pregnancy and childbirth aid and to treat menstrual difficulties. Others used black-haw to calm muscle spasms, promote sweating, treat fever and smallpox, and as a wash for sore mouths. European settlers adopted black-haw for many of the same treatments, black-haw was also considered helpful in treating asthma, bleeding, nervous irritation, and muscle spasms in any part of the body. One of black-haw’s other common names is Cramp Bark derived from the folk use of bark preparations as a remedy for muscle cramps. Today, this shrub is still used in herbal med- icine for its antispasmodic and astringent properties. People eat the fruits, often called haws, and they are locally used in mak- ing jams, preserves, sauces and drinks. Bob Edelen, DNPS Member Resources & Reviews Appalachian Wildflowers Authored by Thomas E. Hemmerly. This informative field guide covers the wildflowers of the entire Appalachian region. Using this book, readers will learn to identify this region's wildflowers by shape, color, family, and habitat. Contains 378 color plates. Photo: Robert H. Mohlenbrock. USDA SCS. 1989. Midwest wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. Midwest National Technical Center, Lincoln, NE. Courte- sy of USDA NRCS Wetland Science Institute. The Turk’s Cap, Volume 10, Number 1 Page Resources & Reviews The Wildflower Gardener^s Guide: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, and Eastern Canada Edition Authored by Henry Warren Art. A new arrangement of the 32 most easily grown speeies native to northeast- ern North Ameriea organized by habitat (woodland, wetland, or meadow) and flowering season will aid gar- den planning. Ineludes eolor photographs and more adviee on using wildflowers in a garden. Thoughts From The Edge Of The Garden Continued from page 2 Offieers of eourse) and writing up announeements for all these events to be sent to Erie to be emailed out to the membership. The position has some flexi- bility as to just how many aetivities will be sehed- uled. The bi-monthly speakers are very important, but field trips and workshops are more open. We like to do at least one field trip and one workshop per year, but if you are ambitious and want to sehedule more, then you have that flexibility. Time spent on planning aetivities and speakers would only be a few hours per month, and the ealendar of events is nor- mally set up for a whole year in advanee. If you are interested, please eontaet Bill MeAvoy at 302.653.2880, or william.meavoy@state.de.us, or eontaet Erie Zuelke at 302.735.8918, or ezuel- ke@juno.eom. days to do non-native speeies eradieation. We will keep everyone up-to-date as the management and monitoring plans progress. 10 YEARS OF COMPOSITION If you look in the upper right-hand eorner of the eov- er page of this newsletter, you will notiee that it says Volume 10, Number 1. That’s right, we are entering our 10th year of the Turk’s Cap newsletter. Amazing how the time goes by! As your Editor, I would like to thank all those that have eontributed your time, effort, and intelleet to this newsletter. If everyone stieks with me, I think the future of our little newsletter will be just as bright as the past has been. ^ Event Highught Adopt-a-wetland update Seed propagation workshop Our adopt-a-wetland site at the new Big Oak County Park is looking great so far. The site aetually eonsists of 3 wetlands that are somewhat separate from eaeh other on the surfaee, but more or less hydrologieally eonneeted underground. The first site is a eomplex of 3 artifieially ereated ponds, the seeond site is a flood- plain forest eorridor with a small stream flowing through it, and the third site is a small wet meadow. One of our first tasks was to write a management/ monitoring plan for all these sites whieh we are eur- rently in the midst of. The animal surveys have be- gun and we have diseovered 5 speeies of Anurans (frogs and toads) so far. The bird surveys will begin in May, with reptile and fish surveys in May as well. The flora of the park will be surveyed throughout the spring and summer, and full plant eommunity elassi- fieations for eaeh habitat will be determined as well. We may also be seheduling some volunteer work This was a reprise of our popular seed propagation workshop in Eebruary 2005. The event was held at the Meeting House in Smyrna, and our 19 partiei- pants learned about teehniques like searifieation, stratifieation and proper propagation methods for many speeies. Quentin Sehlieder hosted the event and gave a leeture on seed propagation first, then handed out materials to everyone. Seeds were plant- ed in small pots with a speeial mix of soil that Quentin put together. The speeies that we planted during the workshop were, Aquilegia canadensis (wild coXxxmb'mQ), A risaema triphyllum (jaek-in-the- pulpit), Asclepia tuberosa (butterfly weed). Lobelia cardinalis (eardinal flower), and Maianthemum rac- emosum (false Solomons seal). The partieipants then learned how to properly water new seeds, and they took them home to grow and keep for their home gardens. C The Turk’s Cap, Volume 10, Number 1 Page DELAWARE NATIVE PLANTS FOR LANDSCAPING AND RESTORATION Recommended Species for the Property Owner and Land Steward Second Edition You may have heard the rumors, you may have read the teases in The Turk’s Cap eluding to a new homeowner native plant booklet, you may have even purehased one already, but regardless of all that, it’s here! ! ! ! The Second Edition of the DE Native Plant Society’s Delaware Native Plants for Landscaping and Restoration is now available! With an additional 2 pages of information, and an additional 44 new species, and one whole new section on ground covers, this new booklet is a veritable cornucopia of information. It even has a new color scheme! It’s still only $5.00, and we have plenty of them to go around. It’s a great resource for anyone venturing into native gardening-or for those with established gardens, a good source of inspiration for new species to add. We’ve had many people order them as gifts too. Resources & Reviews Wild Orchids of the Northeast: New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey Authored by Paul Martin Brown. This forthcoming publication is a complete revision and expansion on his previous work. The author incorporates 10 years of additional research and field work into this book. The guide provides quick access to information such as species checklists, conservation information, and regional flowering time charts. The Turk’s Cap, Volume 10, Number 1 Page Upcoming Events Saturday, 5 May 2007 — Spring ephemeral walk near Greensboro, MD. From 10:30 AM to 12 noon. Led by Nick and Margaret Carter on their own property. The Carters have tended their forest — ^ FOR MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS ENCOURAGING THE NATIVE SPRING WILDFLOWERS TO GROW IN ABUNDANCE. THE ~ PINE WOODS HAVE A HUGE STAND OF PINK LADY’S SLIPPER ORCHIDS. NiCK AND MARGARET HAVE TAUGHT MANY ECOLOGY CLASSES TO ALL AGES AND ARE A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE LOCAL FLORA AND FAUNA AND THE HISTORY OF THE LAND. CALL 410.634.2847 FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR ON THE WEB AT WWW.MDFLORA.ORG/EVENTS. — - __ Saturday, 5 May 2007 — Spring native plant sale. From 9 AM to 2 PM at the James farm ecological PRESERVE, Center for the inland bays. Call 302.226.8105 for more information. - — 5-6 May 2007 — Delaware Nature Society annual spring native plant sale. Takes place at the Cov- — ^ ERDALE Farm near Greenville, DE. Hundreds of trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, and aquatics are _ AVAILABLE. CALL 302.239.2334 FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR ON THE WEB AT _ WWW.DELAWARENATURESOCIETY.ORG. Saturday, 12 May 2007 — Adkins Arboretum annual spring native plant sale. The sale features a — _ WIDE RANGE OF TREES, SHRUBS, GRASSES, AND PERENNIAL HERBACEOUS PLANTS, MOSTLY NATIVE TO THE CHES- APEAKE Bay Watershed. Master gardeners are on hand to answer questions and members RECEIVE A 10% discount ON ALL PLANTS. CALL 410.634.2847 FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR ON THE WEB AT “ ~ WWW.ADKINSARBORETUM.ORG. “ 2 June 2007 — DE Native Plant Society annual meeting. This years annual meeting is still in the PLANNING STAGES, SO WE DO NOT HAVE ANY DETAILS YET. THE LOCATION, TIMES, EVENTS, AND SPEAKERS WILL ™ BE ANNOUNCED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 7-9 June 2007 — Native plants in the landscape conference at Millersville University. The 17th _ ANNUAL CONFERENCE AT MILLERSVILLE WILL HAVE RiCK DARKE, DOUGLAS TALLAMY, MARCUS DE LA FLEUR, Pliny Fisk 111, and Jim McCormac as featured speakers. Lectures, field trips, and workshops along ” WITH A NATIVE PLANT SALE AND BOOK SALE MAKE THIS A GREAT CONFERENCE EVERY YEAR. REGISTER BY MAY “ 23 AT WWW.MILLERSVILLENATIVEPLANTS.ORG, OR CALL THEM AT 7 17.872.3030. — - _ 18-21 July 2007 — The annual Cullowhee conference on Native plants in the landscape. To be held AT Western North Carolina University. Topics range from residential to commercial landscapes, FROM SPECIES SPECIFIC DETAILS TO OVERALL PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS, FROM BACKYARDS TO HIGHWAY “ — RIGHT-OF-WAYS, HOW TO START A NATIVE PLANT NURSERY TO HOW TO ESTABLISH A NATIVE MEADOW. THERE „ WILL ALSO BE NATIVE PLANT VENDORS EXHIBITING PLANTS, MANY BOOKS FOR SALE, AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPOR- ^ TUNITIES FOR STUDENTS. CALL 800.928.4968 FOR MORE INFORMATION. ™ DNPS Bi-monthly meetings for 2007 — are currently scheduled for 16 January, 20 March, 2 June — - (annual meeting-more details to come), 17 July, 18 September, 3 November (not a meeting, but the — annual plant sale) and 20 November. All meetings are on the third Tuesday of every other month AT THE St. Jones Reserve at 7 PM, unless otherwise noted. The Turk’s Cap, Volume 10, Number 1 Page Membership Application I K., , Member Information Delaware native Plant Society 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