Defining terms used for native planting.

[Gloria]

Nurse species, pioneer plants, early succession,site specific.

I have been taking stock of what is growing in the garden and trying to figure out what's next.

I found this information about The Wild Ones Handbook made public at an EPA website.

Greenacres: Landscaping with Native Plants | Great Lakes | US EPA

Two to three nurse species -- Good cover choices are annual flax, annual rye (be careful not to get perennial),
oats and, for fall seeding, winter wheat.
Two to six pioneers -- that is, speedy colonizers of disturbed spots that help stabilize the soil
and are compatible with the future perennials.
They also preempt the non-native, super-successful weeds such as Queen Anne's Lace and Canada Thistle.
Typical pioneer plants for wet to mesic sites are native Wild Rye, Black-eyed Susan, and Evening Primrose.
Six to 10 early-succession forbs or grasses -- Yellow Prairie Coneflower, Bee Balm, Stiff Goldenrod, New England Aster,
Thimbleweed are among the good competitors that fill your newly rescued space with color and enthusiasm.
Twenty to 30 site-specific grasses and forbs

Interesting and I love that they gave examples. But how do you go about finding out what constitutes a nurse species or pioneer plants etc. for a specific site?
What I need is a good book or website that goes into a more complete explantion.
Any suggestions?

[Equilibrium]

For where you garden, your site would have probably been a swamp. They drained all the wetlands in the name of progress. Try a book by Greenberg titled A Natural History of the Chicago Region and another book (feel bad suggesting it since it is out of print and goes for big bucks if you can even find it) that would help would be Swink and Wilhelm's Plants of the Chicago Region. Wild Ones is an excellent organization. If you join they send you the handbook.

[Gloria]

Funny that you should mention the swamp. The back is shaped like a bowl with the house and edges higher and a very low spot near the back that often sits with water after a heavy rain or several days of rain. I have been contemplating what to do with the spot.
Do you think a librarian could get a copy of the Swink and Wilhelm book?

[hazelnut]

I love those old plant inventories. There is a new edition of Swink & Wilhelm at Prairie Moon Nursery for about half the price of Amazon.

Plants of the Chicago Region <font color=ff0000> NEW!</font>

[Gloria]

I could not get that link but googled prairie moon swink wilhelm and got this
Prairie Moon Nursery - Native Prairie Seeds

This does sound like a book to own. There was a link to a Chicago Wilderness Magazine article about the book.
About "Plants of the Chicago Region"

After each plant name was a secondary list of "associated species"–those that grew near the species in question. These Latin lists were to change from academic curiosities to tools for conservation and restoration in later years when the plight of our vanishing ecological communities would be recognized

One of the most significant parts of the book is those lists of associates. Some species have different associates whether they’re found in a prairie, a fen, or an oak woods. Certain species have four or five different sets of associates. This is the kind of information needed to restore and track the health of plant species in natural ecosystems. For this, and for his boundless good humor, Floyd inspires us. He is an elder in the community of conservation

Just what I'm looking for!

[hazelnut]

There was another article link at prariemoon: This one is by one of the authors, Wilhelm. 10 pp. pdf.

http://www.plantsofconcern.org/news/...Prospectus.pdf

Plants of the Chicago Region:

A Memoir and Prospectus

Gerould Wilhelm

Director of Research
Conservation Research Institute
375 W. First Street

Elmhurst, Illinois 60126

[TheLorax]

“Vascular Flora of the Chicago Region: a taxonomic and ecological synthesis.”

Ewwwwwwww, the new publication won't be available until 2019? It will be dated off the press by then. How sad.

[hazelnut]

That's Planning Ahead! 2019?

[Staff]

I think if any of us can afford to buy the reprints Prairie Moon has we better do it while they have them. The other editions are out of print. People steal them from libraries by not returning them. Doesn't look like it is a good idea holding out to buy Wilhelm's next book. Thanks for finding that link with the projected release date.

[hazelnut]

Maybe its a typo?