Accent on Natural Landscaping

Donna VanBuecken

Poinsettia (Euphorbia marginata)

I’ve always loved the Poinsettia. Because I had a December wedding date, I  had my bridesmaids and maid-of-honor carry Poinsettias in their bouquets, and all around us were plants of all sizes and shapes. Last Friday, December 4th, we celebrated our 55th anniversary!

Poinsettia (Euphorbiai marginata)

The beautiful Poinsettias (genus Euphorbus) we see decorating building interiors this time of the year are not native to the U.S., but rather to Southern Mexico and Central America. But did you know we have a species of native poinsettias here in America as well?

Members of the Spurge (Euphorbiaceae) family, there are a number of native Euphorbus species. The one most like the non-native is the annual Painted Poinsettia (Euphorbia cyathophora). Its bracts turn orange-red, and it is has fiddle-shaped leaves. Sometimes called Fire on the Mountain, it is closely related to Snow on the Mountain (Euphorbia marginata), which has showy, variegated light-green and white leaves.

Fire on the Mountain (Euphorbia cyathophora). In the south, moister, shadier habitat is more typical, where it grow up to three feet tall and can be a weed. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia by Juni from Kyoto, Japan

In the Midwest, Fire on the Mountain seed can be purchased through Prairie Moon Nursery. The plants grow best in full sun or part shade, in drier soil that has not been composted. It is a good reseeder, but excess plants should be able to be pulled out easily because of the rocky, sandy soil conditions in which it prefers to grow.

All have a thick, white sap that can irritate skin and eyes.

None of the native Euphorbus species, however, are as showy as the non-native Euphorbus species.

Interestingly enough, the Poinsettia gets its name from the first American Ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett. In 1828 he sent the first plants back to the U.S. where he propagated and shared the plant with friends and botanical gardens. (Mr. Poinsett is also know as the founder of the Smithsonian Institution.)

The non-native invasive species Bishop's Weed is often called Snow on the Mountain also. Photo courtesy of Plant Conservation Alliance.
The non-native invasive species Bishop’s Weed (Aegopodium podgraria) is often called Snow on the Mountain also. Photo courtesy of Plant Conservation Alliance.

Invasive Non-Native Bishop’s Weed

The native Snow on the Mountain (Euphorbia marginata) is different from the invasive non-native Bishop’s Weed (Aegopodium podgraria) often called by the same name.

Read more about the legends associated with Poinsettia.

 

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Some Recommendations

I want to share with you two resources I am most grateful for. The first one is a Facebook page, and the second is a newsletter.

 


Dave Crawford
August 23 at 10:21 PM ·
You don’t have to visit Africa’s Serengeti to experience predator-prey interactions. This orbweaver (probably genus Araneus) snared a grasshopper using a three-foot-wide web constructed about 6 to 8 feet off the ground.

The Dave Crawford Facebook page

I am intrigued by Dave Crawford’s Facebook page. I have known Dave since 2005 when he was a Wild Ones member. With his great photos and the information he provides, he touches just about everything related to natural landscaping – and nothing seems to escape him. From pollinators to frogs to native plants to what pollen does, he describes it all so well.

Roaming around his land, the Como Park Neighborhood, and in his adventures, Dave snaps photos of intriguing subjects and researches the subjects of his photos to show what he experienced.

To subscribe, like him as a friend.

The Wisconsin Native Pollinators

The Wisconsin Native Pollinators website is a comprehensive resource filled with information on Wisconsin’s native pollinators including bees, butterflies, and birds. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are in decline, and their losses threaten Wisconsin wildflowers, ecosystems, agricultural crops, and natural areas. One purpose of Wisconsin Pollinators is to raise public awareness and concern regarding this issue. We depend on pollinators to transfer pollen and help plants produce fruits and seeds. Many native plants, as well as many food crops, rely on pollinators.

The Wisconsin Pollinators newsletter shares information about pollinators.

The website is dedicated to individuals looking for information on native pollinators as well as information on how to support those pollinators. Even a small yard can make a difference.

To subscribe to the Wisconsin Pollinators newsletter, fill out this form. You will get one or two information-filled newsletters a month. Read the current newsletter. Read about the 7 Ways To Use Fall Leaves, the Ant Quiz, Tips On Fall Leaf Mulching, or How to Provide Shelter for Overwintering Bees & Butterflies.

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Wild Grape Vine & Pollinators

Wild grape vine (Vitis sp) leaves are simple, alternate and toothed, heart-shaped and often lobed. They can be anywhere from two to nine inches in length. People sometimes confuse them with Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), but their leaves are entirely different.

The other day a Monarch butterfly stopped to rest on the wild grape vine which covers the chain link fence which surrounds my in-ground pool. I think that was the first time I’ve ever seen a butterfly alight on the grapevine, so it got me thinking. Do wild grapes support pollinators? [Read more…]

Where Ecology Meets Economy: Season 6

This year’s Where Ecology Meets Economy! hosted by the Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium Inc (SEWISC) and Johnson’s Nursery, Inc™ will be held on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at the Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners, Wisconsin.

It is a forum to bring together Green Industry Professionals (nurseries, landscape architects, arborists, contractors) and Land Management Professionals (restorationists, natural area managers, environmental educators, conservationists) to share and to learn from from each other and forum speakers. The goal is for attendees to develop working relationships which should lead to opportunities to help improve the state of our ecological communities.

Registration is now Open

Where Ecology Meets Economy: Season 6 registration is now open, so please register now and also share the link and the date with anyone you think should attend. Early bird registration is $99 for the entire day (includes meals and garden tours).

Forum Agenda & Speakers

Dr Doug Tallamy is the author of Bringing Nature Home and co-author of The Living Landscape with Rick Darke.

The forum features two presentations by Entomologist Doug Tallamy: Creating Living Landscapes and Treasures Among our Natives. Following his presentations, will be a Panel discussion held by Dan Wilson, Randy Powers, David Wanninger, Ron Gumz, Mike Yanney and yours truly, Donna VanBuecken.

Besides the day’s educational sessions, there will also be vendor booths, a silent auction, Mike Yanny poetry, Boerner Garden Tours, catered lunch and an afternoon social where attendees can mix with Green Industry and Land Management Professionals.

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