 Even for the most experienced Master Gardener, the term keystone plant may be new. Thrown around by ecologists, a keystone plant is one with high ecological value – one that is significant as a food source. In fact, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) states that 96 percent of U.S. terrestrial birds rely on insects supported by keystone plants. Interestingly enough, in Wisconsin, trees top our list of keystone plants.
In a recent article by Jennifer Rude Klett for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, oak trees – to include white, bur, swamp white, chinkapin and black -- stood out on top of the list. According to the NWF’s list of keystone plants by ecoregion, the white oak Quercus alba is listed as the number one keystone plant for most of the state, in part because of its role as a host plant for up to 450 species of caterpillars. Caterpillar diversity is the main reason a tree may be listed as a keystone plant. According to the article, in addition to oaks, other trees that top the list include American plum, black cherry, chokecherry, river birch, sweet birch, bitternut hickory and Eastern white pine. Sugar maple, Wisconsin’s state tree, is another keystone plant that acts as a host plant for well over 200 caterpillar species. Interestingly, silver maple and box elder, also a member of the maple family, along with Eastern cottonwood, are also keystone plants, according to the NWF. Those three, however, are sometimes thought of as “junk” trees to be removed but nonetheless offer high wildlife value. Neil Diboll, a noted Wisconsin expert on keystone plants, stated that “most gardeners do not know about keystone plants because our culture does not focus on the ecology of our gardens and landscapes. You need a diverse mix of trees, shrubs and flowers, along with some grasses and maybe some sedges, to create a complete habitat for pollinators, birds and other wildlife. It’s all about the diversity.” To learn more about keystone plants…and trees, read the complete article.
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We're entering peak season at the Spooner Agriculture Research Station, Teaching & Display Garden, located at 780 Orchard Lane, Spooner. Photos taken this week highlight native plants and All-America Selections Annuals and Vegetables. The garden is open to the public for self-guided tours during daylight hours, seven days a week mid-May through mid-September. Hover over each photo for description.
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Blog and photo credit: Sue Reinardy, Master Gardener Left to right: Large-leaved Aster, False Solomon's Seal, Swamp Milkweed, Wild Bergamot There’s new terminology for letting your garden get a little wild: rewilding. I’ve been doing this for years without putting a name to inattentive gardening, but now it’s in vogue. Love that! This week has been declared Pollinator Week by the University of Wisconsin Horticulture and rewilding the garden fits right into adding more native plants to our gardens. By letting nature do some of the planting we can increase native vegetation that pollinators appreciate. In looking through Heather Holm’s book, Pollinators of Native Plants, many of the plants look familiar. This book is an excellent field guide for pollinator plants. Here’s some that have established in my gardens without much effort on my part.
Blog and Photos by Sue Reinardy, Master Gardener  Wild Perennial Lupine (Lupinus perennis) is a showy native wildflower that blooms in late spring with spikes of blue and bluish-purple flowers. This species prefers sandy soil and full sun. Once established, it will naturalize, attracting bees, birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
While most people know about the relationship between monarch butterflies and milkweed, the Karner Blue butterfly has the same kind of relationship with the wild lupine. The Karner Blue was federally listed as endangered in 1992. This butterfly is most widespread in Wisconsin and the state has implemented a Wisconsin Habitat Conservation Plan. Habitat throughout the range of the Karner Blue butterfly has been lost as a result of land development and lack of natural disturbance, such as wildfire and grazing by large mammals. Such disturbance helps maintain the butterfly’s habitat by setting back encroaching forests, encouraging lupine and flowering plant growth. Submitted by Linda Anderson, Certified Master Gardener
The bright red flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds and are enormously attractive to these birds. Butterflies and bees will also visit the flowers. Because the flowers open from the bottom to the top over a period of several weeks, this plant provides lasting nectar for pollinators. The flowers are followed by capsules containing numerous tiny seeds. It is considered a short-lived perennial because it will die after blooming, although offsets will continue growing to perpetuate the plant. Under the right conditions cardinal flower will readily self-seed.
Cardinal flower is easily grown in moist soils in full sun to partial shade. It has few pests and is not favored by deer or rabbits. Use cardinal flower in borders, rain gardens, and native gardens, especially on the edges of streams or ponds. They will naturalize in moist meadows and can be grown in a shallow water garden or in containers. Submitted by: Linda Anderson, Certified Master Gardener  North Country Master Gardener Volunteer’s perennial garden is located at Spooner Ag Research
Teaching and Display Garden. It was completely redesigned and replanted with pollinator friendly and native plants completed in spring 2016. We saw the perennial garden as an ideal space for creating a Monarch and Pollinator Sanctuary (MAPS). We undertook this project as we learned more about the loss of pollinator habitats. Habitat loss is a result of disease, parasites, environmental contaminants and development of pristine land. Habitat loss contributes to the decline of many species of pollinators. The well-known and celebrated annual Monarch Butterfly migration south for winter and back north in Spring is a huge natural phenomenon, but has faced diminishing numbers of butterflies. Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants depend on pollinators to reproduce. Most fruit, vegetable, seed crops - and other plants that provide fiber, medicine and fuel are pollinated by animals. A significant portion of the food we eat exists because of animal pollinators such as bees, butterflies and moths, birds and bats, beetles and other insects. Bees are the main pollinators for fruits and vegetables. They nest underground, in twigs and dead trees. There are over 250 species of bees native to North America. Bees are often considered pollinator superheroes, having adaptations which allow them to collect and transport pollen and nectar. They have the unique ability to “buzz pollinate” plant species with pollen but no nectar, such as tomatoes, cranberries, apples, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, alfalfa, red clover, snapdragons and foxglove. Butterflies seek nectar in the daytime, moths at night. Monarch caterpillars need milkweeds to grow and develop – common milkweed is most important although a variety is recommended. Monarchs need nectar to provide energy to breed, to sustain their migratory flights and to build reserve for w nter. Butterflies can see red, and love colorful flowers in warm colors. Hummingbirds are the most common avian pollinators in the US, and they love the color red. Two species of bat are major pollinators in the desert Southwest. Beetles and other insects are common flower visitors and pollinators. My personal favorite is the Midge fly, the only animal small enough to pollinate the cocoa flower, giving us billions of pounds of chocolate annually! MAPS provides habitat for pollinators to help them thrive. Measures incorporated into the garden include: • pollinator friendly plants, shrubs and trees • mix of plants with various colors and bloom times • no insecticide use • bee nesting boxes • natural compost for fertilization • removal of invasive species • thinning and mulching plant beds • trees, shrubs and vines as well as fruits and flowers Our Monarch and Pollinator Sanctuary continues to thrive, and is a designated Monarch Way Station. You are welcome to visit – we are always open! Author: Janet Mangold, Master Gardener Volunteer  WISCONSIN CELEBRATES POLLINATOR WEEK
June is designated National Pollinator Month to bring attention to what we can do to support habitat for pollinators. There are several programs throughout the month showing how we can help pollinators in our backyards. The North Country Master Gardener Volunteers invite you to join them on June 23, 2022, between the hours of 4:00 and 7:00 p.m., to tour the Monarch and Pollinator Sanctuary Garden at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station’s Teaching and Display Gardens. Volunteers will be on-hand to give guided tours, answer gardening questions and showcase the dozens of different pollinator species established in the gardens. The Teaching & Display Garden is open to the public for self-guided tours during the growing season and is located 1 ½ mile east of Spooner on Orchard Road, off Highway 70. Wisconsin Celebrates Pollinator Week, June 20-26, 2022, raising awareness through statewide and local activities and events. By increasing knowledge and adopting pollinator friendly practices, we can improve pollinator health and habitats. National Pollinator Month is an annual event managed by the Pollinator Partnership to help spread the word about what we can do to protect pollinators. Pollinator Week Webinars hosted by UW-Extension/Horticulture. Webinars are free, but registration is required for each one. Webinars will be recorded for later viewing. For more information and links to register, go to https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/pollinator-week/ *June 20 - Pollinator Gardens: Plant Selection and Garden Care *June 21 - Join in Community Science with the Wisconsin Wild Bee App *June 22 - Wisconsin’s Busy Bees: Getting to Know the Bees in Your Area *June 23 - 10 Things to Consider for Weed Management When Establishing Pollinator Plantings *June 24 - How Do Pesticides Affect Pollinators and Songbirds in Your Yard  June is designated National Pollinator Month to bring attention to what we can do to support habitat for pollinators. There are a number of programs throughout the month showing how we can help pollinators in our backyards.
Wisconsin Celebrates Pollinator Week, June 20-26, 2022, raising awareness through statewide and local activities and events. By increasing knowledge and adopting pollinator friendly practices, we can improve pollinator health and habitats. National Pollinator Month is an annual event managed by the Pollinator Partnership to help spread the word about what we can do to protect pollinators. Pollinator Week Webinars hosted by UW-Extension/Horticulture. Webinars are free, but registration is required for each one. Webinars will be recorded for later viewing. Click here for more information on each program and links to register. *June 20 - Pollinator Gardens: Plant Selection and Garden Care *June 21 - Join in Community Science with the Wisconsin Wild Bee App *June 22 - Wisconsin’s Busy Bees: Getting to Know the Bees in Your Area *June 23 - 10 Things to Consider for Weed Management When Establishing Pollinator Plantings *June 24 - How Do Pesticides Affect Pollinators and Songbirds in Your Yard
Pollinators love verbena! Hummingbirds, butterflies, and moths are all frequent visitors. Bees of all types love verbena, too. Known for withstanding the pressure of hot, dry conditions, Verbena is a member of the Verbenaceae family, which is comprised of 800 species in 32 genera, many of them native to the Americas and Asia. This family is characterized by clumps or spikes of flowers on heat-loving herbs, shrubs, trees, or vines. There are many varied types and habits, including upright and tall, as well as mounded and trailing. Some verbena make great ground covers as well.
Hybrid varieties generally have larger flowers, brighter and more saturated colors, and larger, more weather-tolerant leaves than their species relatives. bred to be more heat, water-stress, and disease tolerant (especially powdery mildew). Leaves and foliage are often dense and, in many species, “hairy.” Its flowers are small with five petals, arranged in dense clusters. Typical colors include shades of blue and purple, but they can also be found in white and pink shades. Others are bred to withstand heat and humidity with flowers and bulky growth non-stop through the growing season. While verbena seed is available, many of the newer varieties that have the desirable traits are vegetatively propagated and can be found as young plants at your local garden retailer in the spring. Verbena looks their best when their soil is kept moist, but not wet as they do not like soggy feet. If the growing medium dries down too much, it can cause flushing, commonly known as cycling-out-of-color where the plant loses blooms but remains green and leafy. Verbena plants should be placed in sunny locations, aiming for 6+ hours of direct light. Most species perform well in the ground, landscape, hanging baskets and patio containers. For the compact-growing verbena, those work best in pots and do not have the root vigor for garden bed applications. For prolonged flowering, deadhead verbena by removing spent flower heads. Powdery Mildew (PM) is an unfortunate occurrence on some verbena. The best practice is to look for newer varieties that have a built-in resistance. If PM does appear (it will present as white patches of fluffy fungus on leaves or stem) treat with a neem spray or your favorite fungicide. Catching PM early is the best solution, as this disease can spread quickly, and its fungus blocks sunlight to the plant’s nutrition system, making the plant unable to produce food, which will ultimately cause the plant to perish. Gardening with verbenas can elevate your landscape design and add texture and color to your patio containers. You’ll appreciate their colorful branches and how well they play with other flowers in your garden. Credit to https://ngb.org/year-of-the-verbena/ Contributed by: Vicki Gee-Treft, Master Gardener Volunteer |
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