This is the second article from theinterview with Dr. Douglas Tallamyafter the WAM conference in March.Here he answers questions about thefunction of a local food web and why itis important to attract native insects toour backyards.

What kind of expertise do people needto understand Bringing Nature Home?

“I wrote the book specifically for peo-ple who don’t have any expertise in nat-ural history. I am trying to stay awayfrom the term ‘native’ these daysbecause it has caused so much confu-sion about what to plant. I prefer to sayto use plants that support your localfood web. Here is how a food webworks.

The basis of all food webs is plants.Plants are what generate food. Insectscan’t eat just any plant. Insects arechemists. They have developed special-ized enzymes that enable them to breakdown the chemical defenses that plantshave. Over thousands and even millionsof years, insects and plants have devel-oped together.

Ninety-six percent of terrestrial birdsmust feed their young insects to get theprotein they need. If you take awayinsects, you lose the birds. Landscapingwith ‘pest free’ plants creates a lifelesslandscape; the insects can’t eat theplants, so they are not there, and thenthe birds don’t have food. Most peopledon’t realize how important insects areand how many animals rely on them.

Once people get this, they can see thata plant from China is a plant our localinsects haven’t adapted to, and thereforeit won’t support the local food web.These are not difficult concepts; peoplejust haven’t heard them before. Insectsare bird food. Seventy million peoplein the U.S.A. feed birds during the win-ter. But they starve them in the summerby having the wrong landscape. If theysimply plant a native bush instead of onefrom China, for example, they will pro-vide summer bird food.

" You talk about using pesticides; Ithought that was a no-no for nativelandscaping.

“The native plant movement seems tobe associated with a no herbicide move-ment. But the United States has over3,400 species of alien invasive plantsthat are destroying our food webs. Whenpeople don’t want to use herbicides tofight these aliens, they usually lose thebattle, become frustrated, and give up.Mechanical removal of alien plants isnot effective if you have something thatregenerates from root stock. Some plantscan regenerate from a root the size ofpinky finger nail. These plants need tobe treated with herbicides.

An example of this happened inAlaska when purple loosestrife firstshowed up. There is a state law againstthe use of herbicides on state land, soofficials refused to allow their use tofight the loosestrife. The purple looses-

By increasingawareness andknowledge, the WildflowerAssociation ofMichigan encourages the preservationand restoration of Michigan’snative plants and native plantcommunities.

Inside this issue. . .Tallamy Interview 1

President’s Note 2

Top 20 Plants for Butterflies 4

Creating A Buzz 5

Glassen Grant Garden 6

WAM Grant Packets 2010 7

Book Review 7

A Student’s View 8

New Scientific Names 8

Wildflower Corner 9

Tent Caterpillars 9

WAM Directors 10

Business & OrganizationMember Directory 11

BRINGING NATURE HOME

Summer 2009 • Volume 14, Number 2

~ Continued on Page 3 ~

2 Wildflowers • Summer 2009

President’s Note…

Michigan’s landscape isgreen and flowering again!The wild columbine, roundleaved ragwort and lupine arein full bloom, and we’ve begunto harvest prairie smoke seedsat our farm. It’s weed n’seedtime, and suddenly there arenot enough hours to completeall the outdoor tasks.

Plans are well underway for the 23rd annual WildflowerConference scheduled for March 7-8, 2010, and I’mexcited to report that William Cullina will be our keynotespeaker. Some of you may remember Bill when he pre-sented at the 2002 WAM conference. Bill is the Plant &Garden Curator for the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.I am impressed by his knowledge of native plants, espe-cially plant propagation and the practical and personalway he conveyed his message. I have recommended hisThe New England Wildflower Society Guide to Growingand Propagating Wildflowers of the United States andCanada to numerous wildflower enthusiasts over the

years and refer to it frequently myself. Native Trees,Shrubs and Vines; Understanding Orchids and NativeFerns; Mosses & Grasses are considered Bill’s nativeplant trilogy. Just released is his book, UnderstandingPerennials: A New Look at an Old Favorite. Full confer-ence information will be provided in the winter issue ofWildflowers.

I introduced you to Kathy Prelesnik and Judy Webber inour last issue. They are hard at work and re-inventingWildflowers by developing a new format with regular fea-tures such as book reviews, native plant articles, and grantproject articles just to name a few. I invite you to contactKathy or Judy with topics that you would like to see fea-tured, as well as topics you would like to learn moreabout. Wildflowers is for YOU, so please take a momentand let them know how this newsletter can better informand inspire you. Contact information for Kathy and Judycan be found below.

I wish you a wonderful summer with many opportuni-ties to experience Michigan’s unique natural heritage.

Esther Durnwald

~ ASSOCIATION NEWS ~

Executive Board Esther Durnwald, PresidentRobert Krueger,1st Vice-President/Grant ChairmanChad Hughson, 2nd Vice-President/Website CoordinatorSusan Baldyga-Grubb, SecretaryJean Weirich, Treasurer/Membership

Board of DirectorsSusie Knoll, Website CoordinatorRay Rustem, Education CoordinatorCheryl Tolley, Conference ChairmanMaryann Whitman, Grant CoordinatorNancy Cuthburt-Small, Member at largeTrish Hacker-Hennig, Member at largeDarwyn Heme, Member at large

Conference Exhibit/Vendor CommitteeMarvin CooleyJoyce JanickiKathryn Lund Johnson

Past PresidentCheryl S. Tolley

Wildflowers is the newsletter published quarterly by theWildflower Association of Michigan. All views are theopinion of the authors and may not be the expressed posi-tion of WAM. Newsletter content may be reproduced foreducational purposes as long as the source is credited.Artwork may only be reproduced as part of a specific arti-cle. Articles, photos or artwork that carry an individualcopyright are the property of the authors and may not bereproduced without their permission. Please contact theeditors if in doubt about use rights. Manuscripts, artwork,and photos are welcome; however, unsolicited work maynot be used. WAM does not pay for articles or photos.Contact the editors for submission guidelines. Submissiondeadlines: Spring-March 1st, Summer-June 1st, Fall-Sept1st, Winter-Nov 15th. WAM is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)organization. A portion of your membership pays for yoursubscription. Donations to WAM are tax deductible asallowed by law. Please send change of address to JeanWeirich, 3947 St. Joseph Hwy, Grand Ledge, MI 48837.

Layout and design: J-Ad Graphics, Hastings, MI Copyright 2009

WAM Editors:Kathy Prelesnik: bottletreegirl@yahoo.com Judy Webber: jlwebber8117@charter.net

www.wildflowersmich.org

~ BRINGING NATURE HOME (continued) ~

3Wildflowers • Summer 2009

trife got out of hand and is now every-where. There are just some invasiveplants that can only be controlled withherbicides. Of course, you must useherbicides properly.”

I know people who are afraid ofinsects. What do you say to people whohave a fear of insects?

“This is a problem. However, fear islearned. Most of us have learned fearfrom our parents or other adults whenwe were kids. Often it’s not just a fearof insects, but a fear of all of nature.Even our media have painted nature asa dangerous thing that we have to con-trol.

A landscaper friend told me thisstory. She had gone to interview a ladyabout working on her garden. Whilethey were talking, the woman’s daugh-ter picked up a worm crawling acrossthe driveway. The mother yelled at her,‘You put that down, that’s terrible,that’s dirty, you put that down, that’shorrible, don’t you ever touch thatagain, get in the house!’ What a nega-tive experience for a child who was try-ing to have some experience withnature. Seeing fear in a mother’s faceteaches fear; it is not based on reality.When a child hears that kind ofresponse from an adult, it’s very diffi-cult to change.

I can say this because I’m afraid ofspiders. I don’t like spiders. When Iwas little, I had a friend who used tothrow them at me. And it created this… gut reaction! I don‘t want a spideron me! I know I don’t want a spider onme, but I don’t kill them. At home we

have little ‘spider removal kits’ that weuse to move spiders outside. I don’thave to play with spiders to accept themas part of the natural order. I thinkother people can get to this point too.

You don’t have to like insects or han-dle them. Most of the time you aren’teven going to see them in your yard.You have to go out and look for mostinsects to find them. Because youknow they are around, you can behappy when a bird comes and eats one.I’ll bet most people who hate insects dolike birds. Even if they are not activebirders, they like to look at pretty birds.

We can know insects are in our yards.Even learn what they are. Insects sitstill compared to birds. Turn over a leafand find a caterpillar. Enjoy the thrill ofthe hunt, stalk them, and observe them.In the early morning bugs are slower;sit outside on a chair and be still. Theywill come around after they becomeacclimated to your presence. Don’t beafraid to enjoy the diversity of insectsthat feed your birds.”

As you say, most people like birds,how else can they get them into theiryards?

“Set up things that make them comein. I have a dogwood next to bathroomwindow. The birds come in to eatberries. I have seen 10 different speciesof birds on that tree. I can sit there andwatch them. People pay big bucks togo on birding trips. I just have to go tothe bathroom! But I created that situa-tion by planting a tree there. If I wantto see cedar waxwings, I plant service-berry. Birds are hard to sneak up on;they see you first. The house is a greatbird blind; they can’t see you inside, butyou can see them. With a little bit ofplanning you can create situations thatbring nature close to you.”

Can you give us some tips on educat-ing others, especially plant growersand master gardeners?

“That’s why I wrote the book, soeveryone can hear the story they are nothearing in their training programs.Master gardeners are receptive to theidea of improving the food web. It issimply a matter of education. They aretrained by horticulturists. Horticultureis an artistic industry, not an ecological

one. It asks the question, ‘how do wepaint the landscape with beautifulplants?’ So, that’s what they teach mas-ter gardeners.

Horticulturists typically use alienplants because they offer a broaderpalate of colors than the small set ofplants in our local food webs. Plus it’s‘neater’ to show off a plant from some-where else in your yard. A plant fromAsia has more status than a plant fromyour back yard. Some people think it’snot ‘landscaping’ if you only use plantsthat used to be there. Horticulturalistsare now beginning to think about thefunction of landscapes and the ecologi-cal role of the plants in our landscapes.This should make a big difference inthe future.”

So there you have it. With this“enlightenment” from Dr. Tallamy wecan begin to educate ourselves and oth-ers on the need for a healthy local foodweb. Next time you share plants with afriend, make them native plants. Go outin the garden with a child and explorenature. Plant some bird food. Make adifference!

Tallamy’s book, Bringing NatureHome: How Native Plants SustainWildlife in Our Gardens, is now out inpaperback. He will be back at MSU inMarch of 2010 for Garden Days.

Kathy Prelesnik

~ Continued from Page 1 ~

We are looking for artistswho would be willing to doan occasional cartoon or a

sketch of a plant. Is that you?

Please contact Kathy or Judyfor more information.

4 Wildflowers • Summer 2009

~ TOP 20 PLANTS FOR BUTTERFLIES ~

20 most valuable woody and perennial native plant genera in terms of supporting

biodiversity in the mid-Atlantic region

Woody Plants Perennials

Plant Genus Common

Name

# of Lepidoptera Plant Genus Common Name # of Lepidoptera

species supported species supported

Quercus oak 534 Solidago goldenrod 115

Prunus black cherry 456 Aster asters 112

Salix willow 455 Helianthus sunflower 73

Betula birch 413 Eupatorium Joe Pye, boneset 42

Populus poplar 368 Ipomoea morning glory 39

Malus crabapple 311 Carex sedges 36

Vaccinium blueberry 288 Lonicera honeysuckle 36

Acer maple 285 Lupinus lupine 33

Ulmus elm 213 Viola violets 29

Pinus pine 203 Geranium geraniums 23

Carya hickory 200 Rudbeckia black-eyed

Susan

17

Crataegus hawthorn 159 Iris iris 17

Picea spruce 156 Oenothera evening

primrose

16

Alnus alder 156 Asclepias milkweed 12

Tilia basswood 150 Verbena verbena 11

Fraxinus ash 150 Penstemon beardtongue 8

Rosa rose 139 Phlox phlox 8

Corylus filbert 131 Monarda bee balm 7

Juglans walnut 130 Veronica veronica 6

Fagus beech 126 Schizachyrium little bluestem 6

Castanea chestnut 125 Lobelia cardinal flower 4

© Tallamy Used with permission.

Although these plants are designated as being native to the mid-Atlantic States, local Michigan native plant growers sell

local varieties. For more information go to: http:// bringingnaturehome.net/

What seems deadAnd what seems dyingmakes for butterflies to be

Eveline Beumkes

5Wildflowers • Summer 2009

~ CREATING A BUZZ ~ You say you don’t like bees, but you do like broccoli, apples

and cherries! Well, you can’t have one without the other. Wemay not all live in farm country, but we do all add to thenative insect populations when we use plants that are partof our local food webs. The following excerpt from MSUToday explains why it is important to plant those nativetrees, shrubs, and forbs that bees and other pollinatorsneed.

It’s estimated that one of every three bites of foodconsumed in the world is made possible by pollina-tors. But in recent years, honeybees – the power-houses of agricultural pollination – have been disap-pearing at alarming rates, leaving beekeepers and scientistsperplexed.

With as much as 80 percent of Earth’s crops at stake, MSUentomologists in the College of Natural Science are seeking rap-idly deployable solutions for protecting honeybees from colonycollapse disorder (CCD), the complex disease that is character-ized by the disappearance of all adult honeybees in a hive, whilealso finding new ways to attract other pollinators to help ensurecrop survival.

The decimation of honeybee populations throughout the nationbecame a widespread problem for beekeepers in 2006, and by 2007the entire agriculture industry was aware of the crisis. The wingedworkers are the main pollinators for hundreds of crops grown in theUnited States, including almonds, blueberries, apples, avocados,cherries and broccoli. The value of honeybees as commercial pol-linators is estimated at about $15 billion nationally, in Michiganalone about $455 million worth of crops each year depend on beesfor pollination.

…(I)n the effort to ensure the survival of crops that rely on pol-lination, MSU entomologists Rufus Isaacs and Doug Landis and ateam of graduate students are working to make Michigan land-scapes more attractive to other pollinators that can pick up wherehoneybees leave off.

In 2003 – before pollinator decline hit the headlines – Isaacs andLandis received a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant and beganto attract natural enemies of insects that attack crops. These ene-mies, including lady beetles and parasitic wasps, allow growers tocontrol pest insects without chemicals that are harmful to honey-

bees. The team received a second round of funding toexpand the project and determine which plants are

most attractive to various species of pollina-tors. They chose to test native prairie and

savanna plants that, although once abundant,are now quite rare. Currently, the researchers

are conducting field trials over a several-yearperiod to determine whether more natural ene-

mies and pollinators are attracted to crops that arebordered by these native plants. MSU pollinator studies have been influenced by

research on bio-fuel crops that Landis is conductingwith the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, a

national center funded by the U.S. Department ofEnergy in which MSU is a partner.

“As we grow mixed biofuel crops in Michigan, we are findingthat we’re attracting the beneficial insects at the same time, so it’sa win-win,” says Landis. “The more diverse the biofuel crops(switchgrass, mixed prairie grass and woody biomass) we growhere, the greater the number of beneficial insects and pollinators.”

In a study targeting Michigan’s blueberry farms, Isaacs and agraduate student found that more than 60 percent of the yieldfrom Michigan’s $165 million blueberry crop is made possible bybees. Most of that value comes from honeybees, although nativebees can be abundant in some fields.

According to Isaacs, blueberry fields with natural areas nearby,along with flowers for bees to feed on during the rest of the year,have higher native bee populations. These insects may act as‘insurance’ if the honeybees are unable to provide sufficient pol-lination. By providing the right resources around their farms,growers can make their land more suitable for native bees andreap the benefit of free pollination. Testing which native bees aremost suitable as an alternative to honeybees is similar to testingthe viability of alternative energy sources to power cars.

“You’ve got a resource everyone relies on, and it’s becomingmore scarce,” says Isaacs. “That’s why we need to look at thesealternative bees to ensure we can pollinate crops in the future.”

MSU Today, Spring 2009 (Used with permission)

Let the bee be and the bee will let you be.

Unknown

6 Wildflowers • Summer 2009

~ GLASSEN GRANT GARDEN ~

Sometimes our lives are changed byhappenchance, and so was the case with acasual introduction to a woman one day.At the time, three of my children wereattending Hugger Elementary School inRochester, MI. As a parent volunteer, Ihad developed a comfortable workingrelationship with the principal of theschool. My focus was the environmentand related projects which all operatedunder the title H.O.M.E. (Helping OurMother Earth). But, I yearned for a“green” space for our students. The con-cept was to create an alternate to the tra-ditional classroom. Ideas were simple atthe time, perhaps a mammoth sunflowergarden with paths and sunflower houses.Enter… Maryann Whitman, WAM boardmember, editor of The Wild Ones Journaland advocate for green space preservationand education.

Maryann was interested in my ideasand ended our first, short conversation by

saying, “We have money that can helpyou.” Call it serendipity if you like, buttiming is everything, and her timing wasperfect. The offer of money was by wayof the Glassen/WAM Grant.

Over the months following our intro-duction, Maryann and I met to discussplans. We walked the 22 acres of schoolproperty and identified the ideal location,a barren L-shaped space against theschool building with three Norwaymaples. Having no background in botanyor horticulture, our meetings proved veryeducational. Maryann explored concepts

of native plants and their historical signif-icance as well as the plight of our nativeplants due to invasive species. A land-scape design was produced and my sim-ple idea of a few sunflowers evolved intoan “outdoor classroom” with a waterfalland pond. Students further inspired ourdesign by submitting ideas on scrap bitsof paper to the “idea jug”. With adminis-trative support and Maryann’s expertise,we moved forward and submitted thegrant proposal for a sun/shade nativeplanting.

Our proposal was accepted, and inMarch 2005, I proudly received the grantfor our project and took up the pen again.The Glassen/WAM Grant would coverour native plants, but other funding wasneeded. I became aware of a programcalled “Ponds for Kids” and wrote a grantthrough our school district to coverexpenses. Electrical modifications werecovered by a grant from our PTA.Creative financing for fencing materialswas covered by bottle drives, paper recy-cling and selling of recycled juice pouchpurses fabricated by Hugger moms.Community donations of skills and mate-rials lessened our financial burden andexpanded our potential. Together wecompleted the transformation. The onceignored plot of land took on a new identi-ty, the outdoor classroom!

Our outdoor classroom continues tomature and is truly magical. This springwe will measure the emerging milkweedand look for returning monarchs, perhapsthe offspring of the tagged butterflies ourstudents released in the fall. The whiteflowers of wild strawberries signal thekindergarteners that we may soon foragefor the fruit. And let’s not forget to watchfor the fairies that sleep in the Jack-in-the-pulpit and live in the old stump by thepond…it really is enchanted.

We teach our children to “stop, lookand listen” before they cross the street, alesson applicable to our walk through life.This small “green” space also imparts alife lesson. It slows one’s gait with theinvitation to stop, look, and listen. To stopand remember the once barren plot ofearth next to our school that now thriveswith native plant types which onceswayed on the plains with the buffalo; tolook closer and witness the unfurling offerns and tendrils grasping trellises; to lis-

ten to the water as it dances over the fallsonly to rest in the pool below. Our stu-dents are learning to do this.

This vision has been shared by manybut not all. Our biggest obstacle has beencaused by those who never learned this…we have come to know them as vandals.But, our success is rooted in our students;their ideas inspired the outdoor class-room, their work established it, and theirenthusiasm carries it forward from year toyear.

Surprisingly, this project has been asmuch about human nature as it has beenabout nature. If ever I feel discouraged, Ilook into the eyes of 70 first graderseagerly perched on the fence. As the gatelatch opens and children enter the outdoorclassroom, we all begin to walk a littleslower and gaze a little longer, a practicethat will serve us well through life. It ismy hope that as our students become bet-ter observers of nature, they will grow upto become stewards of our planet.

Kim Zajac

Photos by Kim Zajac

This is YOUR newsletter and we appreciate YOUR input. Do you have

something to say about your experiencewith native plants? Are you able to

supply information for or write an arti-cle for Wildflowers? Is there something

you would like to see covered inWildflowers? Do you have questions

you’d like answered in this newsletter?

If so, email Kathy at bottletreegirl@yahoo.com

or Judy at jlwebber8117@charter.net

Where the Fairies Live

7Wildflowers • Summer 2009

With the generous monetary support of the Harold andJean Glassen Memorial Foundation, WAM is pleased toannounce a 2009 grant cycle. Each applicant may request upto $500 in support. The application deadline is December 15,2009. All applicants will be notified if they are or are notrecipients of an award no later than January 30, 2010.Awardees will receive their funds at the WAM annual confer-ence. These grants are meant primarily for educational proj-ects involving the planting of native wildflowers, shrubs, andtrees. The committee looks kindly at applications thatinvolve schools, children and the public, have an educationcomponent, and offer a sustainable garden for all to enjoy.

Guidelines and applications can be found at…

www.wildflowersmich.org

Electronic submission (email) is encouraged. Please donot fax your application. Thank you for your interest inWAM's Glassen Educational Grant Program and good luck.

Maryann Whitman2271 Rochester Road • Oakland, MI 48363

mwhitman@comcast.net

~ WAM GRANT PACKETS AVAILABLE FOR 2010 GRANT CYCLE ~

The Wildlife Gardener’s Guide by Janet Marinelli (2008) is atidy, little 119 page reference for the gardener who may be newto using native plants. It is full of wonderful photos and helpfullists.

The Wildlife Gardener’s Guide provides basic information onten garden projects: bird gardens, stopover gardens for migratingsongbirds, evergreen refuges, container gardens, flower bordersfor wildlife, hummingbird and butterfly gardens, water forwildlife, food for beneficial insects, and housing projects forbirds, bats, and bees.

Marinelli talks about why native plants are necessary for ahealthy environment. She describes ten steps to building a birdgarden and the types of natural foods they should contain.

A chapter on bird feeders answers such practical questions as“Do bird feeders help or harm birds?” or “How can I keep hawksand other predators from picking off my backyard birds?”Helpful information on birdbaths and other sources of water suchas mud puddles, water misters, and stone puddles are presentedas a bird’s point of view.

An aspect of bird life often overlooked is providing food formigrating birds. Michigan is in a migrating songbird flyway.Some of the birds that pass through our area come from as faraway as Central America. They need to feed and find shelter allthe way through the country until they reach their northern nest-ing sites. We can help these birds be successful as they come andgo, by providing what they need along their way.

The importance of trees, especially conifers is another topiccovered. Conifers provide birds with nesting sites and food aswell being a refuge from storms and predators. Borders of nativeflowers, grasses and shrubs are also important to birds. Marinelliprovides planting schemes for several types of borders.

This book has something for everyone. If you need to gardenin containers, Marinelli suggests several ways to use them aswildlife feeders. She points out why predator insects are impor-tant in a garden and what blossoms attract beneficial insects.Finally, a table of nest box dimensions will help anyone with ahammer and a few nails put together a home for their favorite“house loving” birds or for bats or bees.

My only criticism of this delightful book is that Marinelli doesnot include plant lists specifically for the mid-west region.

However, I did find, that by considering the northeast and plainslistings, I could come up with the information I need for my localMichigan food web. The wonderful photos in this book morethan make up for this minor transgression. At ten bucks TheWildlife Gardener’s Guide is a great deal.

Marinelli is the former director of publications at the BrooklynBotanical Gardens, Brooklyn, NY. She now works as a freelancewriter and consultant on sustainable garden design. Visit her web-site at: http://janetmarinelli.com/

Veronica Lake, Staff writer

~BOOK REVIEW ~

To renew the forests, to care for the plants,to protect the creatures, we join with theearth and with each other.

U.N. Environmental Sabbath Program

8 Wildflowers • Summer 2009

~ ANOTHER GENERATION OF NATIVE PLANT ENTHUSIASTS ~Although the annual conference of the Wildflower Association

of Michigan isn’t the prime spring break destination for a 22year-old college student at Michigan State University, it was infact on my agenda this year. Cozumel is overrated anyway.

If you had asked me in my high school years what the likeli-hood was of my attending any sort of botanical conference, Iwould have probably told you slim to none. At that time I pic-tured botanists (with no real evidence) to be an oddbreed of biologists, eyes glued to compoundmicroscopes in a lab somewhere, preferring toassociate with plants rather than people. I didaspire to become some type of biologist however.

I first stumbled into birding, and before long Iwas hooked. Birding required a large chunk of mytime in the field, and soon I couldn’t help but beactively intrigued by the Michigan flora thatserved as the stage for my beloved new hobby. Ihad seriously underestimated and overlooked thesame subtle beauty and the colorful diversity inplants that lured me to birding. Newcomb’sacclaimed Wildflower Guide soon sat next to myPeterson’s Field Guide to Birds inside my pack,and in the absence of birds in the field, I turned into an amateurbotanist.

Fast forward a few years, hundreds of dollars earned in thelocal native plant industry, a summer of work on a wildflowerfarm, and a couple of butterfly gardens later, I felt more comfort-able rubbing shoulders with “botanists” at the 2009 annual WAMconference than I did with many of my college peers. I was com-pletely impressed, entertained, and stimulated with the diversityof presentations and lectures available at the conference. I

expected lectures of a somewhat narrow scope, covering particu-lar plant species and/or plant communities. I never expected tolearn about photography techniques, predatory nematodes, andcertainly not spider mating rituals.

The way that I thought about landscaping, ecology, restoration,and the use of native plants in general, was fundamentally chal-lenged by Doug Tallamy’s talks. Dr. Tallamy’s pioneering

research doesn’t take place in a pristine ecologicalsetting, but in a highly altered suburban scenario.This makes his work very accessible and useful tomore of the community than scientific researchtypically does. Dr. Tallamy’s work caused me tothink of nature from the ground up, focusing onthe little things that are often overlooked, yet arevital in sustaining higher organisms such as our-selves.

I hope to go into conservation and/or plantrestoration as a career soon. The conference andDr. Tallamy’s book and presentation have causedme to question what those things actually mean.Is conserving an undisturbed woodlot more anact of conservation/ restoration than convincing

your neighbors to plant sugar maples rather than Norwaymaples? In the U.S. our parks are dwarfed by the amount ofKentucky bluegrass grown as lawns. Does this mean landscap-ing businesses are in a better position to carry out conservationactivities than conservation land managers? Although I am stillunsure how I will spend my working career in the field, I knowthat I will be taking the concepts I gained from the conferencewith me.

Mitch Lettow

~ NEW SCIENTIFIC NAMES FOR NATIVE PLANTS ~The Latin names of several native plants have been changed. You may encounter these name changes when you shop.

Here are just a few of them. Watch for more in future issues of Wildflowers.

OLD NAME COMMON NAME NEW NAME

Aster laevis Smooth Aster Symphyotrichum laeveAster novae-angliae New England Aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliaeAster pilosus Hairy Aster Symphyotrichum pilosumAster puniceus Swamp Aster Symphyotrichum puniceumAster umbellatus Flat Top Aster Doellingeria umbellataEupatorium maculatum Joe Pye Weed Eupatoriadelphus maculatusEupatorium rugosum Snakeroot Ageratina altissimaGentiana crinita Fringed Gentian Gentianopsis crinitaGnaphalium obtusifolium Catsfoot Pseudognaphalium obtusifoliumHystrix patula Bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrixKuhnia eupatorioides False Boneset Brickellia eupatorioides Petalostemum purpureum Purple Praire Clover Dalea purpureaScenecio obovatus Round-leaved Ragwort Packera obovataSolidago riddellii Riddell's Goldenrod Oligoneuron riddelliiSolidago rigida Stiff Goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum

Courtesy of Michigan Wildflower Farm

9Wildflowers • Summer 2009

~ WILDFLOWER CORNER ~ROUGH BLAZING STAR IS A STAR

IN YOUR GARDENThe perennial questions (no

pun intended) that many gar-deners ask are, “What can bedone to make my garden bet-ter?” “What interesting plantscan be added to it to providemore interest?” “Will wildlifebe attracted to it?” This is agood time for such analysissince our gardens have reachedtheir full summer maturity.

A most interesting flowerfor any type of garden is denseblazing-star (Liatris spicata),one of 34 species of blazingstar in eastern North America

and one of seven in Michigan. This member of the compositefamily has simple, erect stems, growing from a height of one tofive feet, with simple, narrow grass-like leaves arranged alternate-ly on the stem. It is the lavender, thistle-like flowers that providethe show with blooms from July-September. The many flowerheads are located at the ends of the stems and are usually sessile(having no stalks), with each head containing five to nine florets.There are few bracts which are long and blunt at the ends andmay be purple in color. White flowers are rare, but according toPart III of Michigan Flora, they have been seen on St. Harsen’sIsland in St. Clair County.

Dense blazing star grows in moist sandy plains, marshy areas,swamps, roadsides, and fields. There are not huge numbers of it

though. However, according to Bill Schneider of WildtypeDesign, it is not protected or endangered. I had good luck with itin sandy soil in my garden in Benzie County, so with good water-ing, it should do well in most places (the jury is still out on how itwill do in my garden in Livingston County with its heavy claysoil). Dense blazing star’s unique spike shape makes it a goodaddition to the household garden because it contrasts well withother flowers, and it is a natural for the prairie garden. Plant it ingroups of three to five to give the best effect. Since the leaves arenot distinctive, put rough blazing star behind or among plants thathave more substance.

Butterflies are attracted to it because of its nectar, which isanother reason to plant it. To see additional photos of dense blaz-ing star, go to the DNR’s website: www.michigan.gov/dnr thenclick on wildlife & habitat -> plant species-> wildflowers-> denseblazing star. The plants are listed alphabetically according to theircommon names rather than their scientific ones, with the scientif-ic names following.

This flower should not be confused with prairie blazing-star(L.pycnostachya). According to Part III of Michigan Flora, L.pycnostachya is found in the wild only in Ottawa County. L. spi-cata is quite wide-spread throughout the lower third of the lowerpeninsula and around Saginaw Bay. It is not generally found inthe wild in other parts of the state.

Do put this interesting flower in your garden; it is easy to care forand will reward you for many years to come. As an added bonus,you will get new plants from the originals. Happy gardening!

Judy Webber

Photo Courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesUsed with permission

There has been a huge outbreak of tent caterpillars seen this sum-mer in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. Duke Elsnerexplains this phenomenon.

What trees specifically are affected, and what caused them to die?Eastern tent caterpillar (ETC) prefers to feed on various

species of wild and domesticated cherry, plum and apple. Treedeath is actually rare, unless individual trees are completely defo-liated for several years in a row. Other stresses, such as drought,heat, diseases and other insects will also influence survival oftrees defoliated by ETC.

Forest tent caterpillar (FTC) feeds on a wide variety ofbroadleaved trees and shrubs, but tends to prefer sugar maple andaspen in northern Michigan. It rarely kills trees, with the sameexceptions as for the ETC.

Are there more tent caterpillars this year than usual?Yes, far more, by the millions. ETC is in the second year of a

very large outbreak, and FTC is present in astronomical numbersfor the first time in almost two decades.

Are there not as many birds that eatthem? If so, why not? What birds doeat them?

Very few birds like to eat tent caterpil-lars, due to their hairy bodies. Thrashers,cuckoos and starlings are the only birds Ihave heard to be significant predators.Their impact on populations during out-break years is probably negligible.

What are the long-term effects of this phenomenon?Typically, very few. The wild cherries are widespread and pro-

lific, it will take more than the ETC to reduce their presence innorthern Michigan. FTC outbreaks usually subside in 2-3 years,resulting in the loss of relatively few trees in a forest stand that isotherwise healthy.

Duke Elsner, Ph.D.MSU Extension Agricultural Educator, Grand Traverse

County

Tent Caterpillars

10 Wildflowers • Summer 2009

~ WAM OF DIRECTORS ~

Esther Durnwald, the current WAM president has been aWAM board member for twelve years, serving as secretary, 2ndand 1st vice presidents. She and her husband Bill own and oper-ate Michigan Wildflower Farm, a native plant seed farm, inPortland, where she resides.

Bob Kreuger, PhD., of Big Rapids has been a WAM membersince the mid 1990’s and currently serves as 1st vice-presidentand Glassen Grant chairman. He is the director of the K.K.Kazerovskis Medicinal Greenhouse and Gardens at Ferris StateUniversity. He does consulting, writing, and presentations onnative plants.

Chad Hughson of Kalamazoo serves as WAM’s 2nd vice-pres-ident and web-site coordinator . His life-long love of nativeflora and fauna led to the establishment of Hidden SavannaNursery near Kalamazoo.

Susan Baldyga-Grubb of Portland has been a member ofWAM for five years, serving most of that time as secretary. Sheis a master gardener and studied horticulture at Michigan StateUniversity. She works as a field specialist at MichiganWildflower Farm.

Jean Weirich has been a member of WAM since the mid1990’s and currently serves as its treasurer and membershipchair. She has been involved with numerous environmentalgroups for several years. She owns and operates Gaia Grass,which specializes in Michigan genotype native prairie grasses.She lives in Grand Ledge.

Trish Hacker-Henning is a resident of Ortonville and has beena WAM member since 1996 and a board member since 2008.She is an advanced master gardener and a member of WildOnes. She has also served on a variety of boards and commit-tees in her community that pertain to native plants.

Darwyne Heme of Lansing works in MDOT’s wildflower pro-gram. His work involves the development of wildflower sites,from the bidding process for seeds to the establishment andmonitoring of the actual sites. He has been a member of WAMfor eight years and has been on the board for five years.

Cheryl Tolley is a charter member of WAM and past president.She is currently the WAM conference chairwoman. Cheryl ownsand operates Sandhill Farm, a native plant nursery specializingin woodland species. She lives in Rockford.

Suzie Knoll has been in WAM for six years and on the boardfor three. She has served on the conference committee and web-site management. She works as a restoration biologist forNative Connections, a firm in Three Rivers committed toimproving the environment by managing land for biodiversity.She lives in Kalamazoo.

Ray Rustem of Mason has been a WAM member for over tenyears and a board member for six years. He is a program leaderfor the Michigan DNR in the Natural Heritage Unit, whichworks extensively with rare plants and systems. This unit alsoworks to promote natural plantings in home and school sites.

Nancy Small is a retired Western Michigan University profes-sor and now devotes her time and energy to the restoration ofurban, suburban, and rural landscapes. She also educates peo-ple on the importance of native plants and has written extensive-ly on native plants and the environment. She and her husbandTom are co-founders of Wild Ones in Kalamazoo, where sheresides.

Maryann Whitman of Oakland has been a plant enthusiastsince childhood. She is an ardent promoter of the use of localnative plants and our dependence on them. She is active in othergroups which promote the use of native plants. She has been amember of WAM since 1990 and has served on the board since2000. She is currently coordinator of Glassen Grants andWAM’s spring conference.

New Wildflowers Editors

Kathy Prelesnik is a free-lance writer and advanced mastergardener. She was editor of the Plant-It-Wild newsletter. PIW isa Benzie/Manistee County wildflower group she helped estab-lish in 2002. Along with her husband, Gene, she works to pro-mote the use of native plants in backyards and public places.

Judy Webber is a retired teacher who has been interested innative plants for many years. She was a charter member ofPlant-It-Wild in Benzie/Manistee County and was instrumentalin the development of native plant gardens in Benzie County.She also served on the board of the Benzie CountyConservation District.

Judy Webber & Kathy Prelesnik

11Wildflowers • Summer 2009

~ WAM BUSINESS & ORGANIZATION MEMBER DIRECTORY ~

American RootsTrish Hacker-Hennig1958 Hidden Lake TrailOrtonville, MI 48462Ph. 248- 627-8525Email: americanrootsnat@aol.com

Art & The GrasshopperGreg Kindig4758 Joyfield RdFrankfort, MI 49635Ph. 231 383-3152

Ann Arbor Parks, NAP Div.Dave Borneman1831 Traver Rd.Ann Arbor, MI 48105Ph. 734 996-3266Email: dborneman@ci.annarbor.mi.us

Better FindsLynnette Fouch-Bugenske2749 Schemm St.Saginaw, MI 48602Ph. 989 980-6228Email: miwildflowers@charter.net

David Borneman LLC123 Mixtwood St.Ann Arbor, MI 48103Ph. 734 994-3475Email: davidborneman@yahoo.comwww.restoringnaturewithfire.com

Designs by NatureVern Stevens9874 Chadwick Rd.Laingsburg, MI 48848Ph. 517 651-6502Email: designsbynature@hotmail.com

Edison Environmental Science AcademyJulia Kirkwood924 Russell St.Kalamazoo, MI 49001Ph. 269 337-0550Email: kirkpap@yahoo.com

Flushing Township Nature Park6524 N. Seymour Rd.Flushing, MI 48433Ph. 810 639-6161Email: ftnp@usol.com

Geum Services, Inc.Steve AllenP.O. Box 035Richland, MI 49083Ph. 269 370—0150Email: stevea@prairiesmoke.com

Good Earth Landscape Institute, LLCMichael A. Saint6126 SnowappleClarkston, MI 48346Ph. 248 620-7188Email:michaelsaint@Goodearthlandscapellc.comwww.goodearthlandscapellc.com

Hidden Savanna NurseryChad Hughson18 N. Van KalKalamazoo, MI 49009Ph. 269 352-3876Email: info@hiddensavanna.comwww.hiddensavanna.com

Huron-Manistee National ForestPat Ruta-McGhanBox D, 650 North Michigan Ave.Baldwin, MI 49304Ph. 231 745-4631Email: pruta@fs.fed.us

JFNew & AssociatesDave Nicholson11181 Marwill Ave.West Olive, MI 49460Ph. 616 847-1680Email: dnicholson@jfnew.comwww.jfnew.com

Kalamazoo Nature CenterSarah Reding700 N. WestnedgeKalamazoo, MI 49009Ph. 269 381-1574Email: sreding@naturecenter.orgwww.naturecenter.org

Mary Ann’s Michigan Trees & ShrubsMary Ann Menck28092 M-40 Hwy.Paw Paw, MI 49079Ph. 269 628-2474Email: mamenck@mei.netwww.maryannstrees.com

MCC Gardening AssociationRebecca Gale-Gonzalez1401 East Court St.Flint, MI 48503Ph. 810 762-0455Email: Rebecca.gale@mcc.edu

Michigan Wildflower FarmEsther Durnwald11770 Cutler Rd.Portland, MI 48875Ph. 517 647-6010Email: wildflowers@voyager.netwww.michiganwildflowerfarm.com

Native ConnectionsJerry Stewart17080 Hoshel Rd.Three Rivers, MI 49093Ph. 269 580-4765Email: jerry@nativeconnections.netwww.nativeconnections.com

Michigan Nature AssociationNatalie Kent326 E. Grand River Ave.Williamston, MI 48895Ph. 517 655-5655

Nature & Nurture, LLCErica Kempter & Mike Levine144 8th St.Ann Arbor, MI 48103Ph. 734 929-0802Email: info@natureandnurture.orgwww.natureandnurture.org

Oakland Wildflower FarmRuth Vrbensky & Richard Dobies520 North Hurd Rd.Ortonville, MI 48462Ph. 248 969-6904Email: oaklandwildflowerfarm@gmail.comwww.oaklandwildflowerfarm.com

R. Vix Kennedy, Inc.Robert Kennedy mdrvki@ismi.net

Sandhill FarmCheryl S. Tolley11250 10 Mile Rd.Rockford, MI 49341Ph. 616 691-8214Email: cherylt@iserv.net

Wetlands NurseryJewel RichardsonP.O. Box 14553Saginaw, MI 48601Ph. 989 752-3492Email: jewel-richardson@peoplepc.com

WildtypeBill Schneider900 N. Every Rd.Mason, MI 48854Ph. 517 244-1140Email: wildtype@msu.eduwww.wildtypeplants.com

We thank these businesses and organizations for supporting WAM with their business level membership. Business membership does not imply WAM endorsement of an individual business.

12 Wildflowers • Summer 2009

c/o Jean Weirich, Treasurer • 3947 E. St. Joseph • Grand Ledge, MI 48837

Your WAM membership expires on the date aboveyour name. This is the only notice you

will receive. IF IT IS TIME, PLEASE RENEW.

Summer 2009 • Volume 14, Number 2

BIKERS AND HIKERS!Wildflower Association of MichiganA nonprofit organization founded in 1986, Lansing, MI

Membership Form ______ New ______ Renew

Category: Household $ 15.00 _____Business or Organization 60.00 _____Life Member (household) 400.00 _____

Name _____________________________________

Address___________________________________

City ______________________________________

State ________________________ Zip__________

E-mail ____________________________________

Phone (day)_______________(eve)_____________

Would you prefer to receive the newsletter by email?

_____Yes _____No

Please make check or money order payable to WAMAnd mail with this form to:

Wildflower Association of Michiganc/o Jean Weirich, Treasurer

3947 E. St. Joseph • Grand Ledge, MI 48837jeanweirich@gmail.com

Remember to

always check

your bike tires,

shoes and clothes

for seeds picked

up in other areas

before entering a

forest or other

hiking/biking

trail.

Stop the spread of invasive alien plants.