Not Insignificant

[scarecrowsdrm]

Originally Posted by NEWisc

Just a guess really, but have a look at these to see if one of them might be your plant:
**** ********BEDSTRAW: UW-Stevens Point Freckmann Herbarium: Plant Details Page
.

Hey New, it could be one of the bedstraws, but there are quite a few to plow through in Texas and so far the leaf structure in my mystery plant doesn't match up. But I am not through looking yet at the possibilities. Thanks for giving me something to start with!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by amelanchier

Yeah... I'm inclined to agree, but... if your goal is providing a home for rare native plants to help them get back on their feet, they may not be able to deal with the competition from a total laissez-faire approach, esp. in the short run when garden soil is typically quite disturbed and prone to weedy takeover. But def. think these "weeds" need to be rehabilitated in the public mind.

I guess I'm thinking that they will fill in the disturbed soil for a season or two while getting other natives established. If they end up hindering the growth of rare ntives, that would be a different story...I guess without specifics it is all speculation...too many variables at play.

So, we agree on that.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by papercarver

Dap, I just found this thread and I think it's a BRILLIANT idea for a new thread (hell, I think it's a brilliant idea for a new native plant/biodiversity gardening book - a hitherto entirely ignored topic).

The thread is only a day old... ~smile~. ...but it has been on my mind for a while now.

Thank you for your kind words. You may be right, but I usually find my ideas are not as original as they seem...someone out there is bound to beat me to them.

[papercarver]

Originally Posted by dapjwy

The thread is only a day old... ~smile~. ...but it has been on my mind for a while now.

Thank you for your kind words. You may be right, but I usually find my ideas are not as original as they seem...someone out there is bound to beat me to them.

I'm not sure if it matters if they're original - as long as they're GOOD. The more knowledge we have the better we can be, right? But I still don't think I've *ever* come across a book or website that focuses on all the "between the cracks" and filler plants (and I'm a librarian!).

I also don't know of any (relatively definitive) cross-reference-able source that lists plants and the particular animals that use them that's readily available to laypeople (as opposed to biologists) that is more recent than "American Wildlife and Plants: A Guide To Wildlife Food Habits" by Alexander Martin et. al. and THAT was written in 1951!

Doug Tallamy's and others' lists of "top-ten" best plants for wildlife value, etc. are certainly useful, but a current comprehensive resource that ranked plant values would be awfully helpful, don't you think?

If anyone else out there KNOWS of such a resource, I'd love to know what it is.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by papercarver

I'm not sure if it matters if they're original - as long as they're GOOD. The more knowledge we have the better we can be, right? But I still don't think I've *ever* come across a book or website that focuses on all the "between the cracks" and filler plants (and I'm a librarian!).

~smile~. Thanks.

Well, being a librarian, I guess you'd be in the know.

Originally Posted by papercarver

I also don't know of any (relatively definitive) cross-reference-able source that lists plants and the particular animals that use them that's readily available to laypeople (as opposed to biologists) that is more recent than "American Wildlife and Plants: A Guide To Wildlife Food Habits" by Alexander Martin et. al. and THAT was written in 1951!

Doug Tallamy's and others' lists of "top-ten" best plants for wildlife value, etc. are certainly useful, but a current comprehensive resource that ranked plant values would be awfully helpful, don't you think?

If anyone else out there KNOWS of such a resource, I'd love to know what it is.

I think your right, a book like that sure could fill in some gaps.

With today's technology, I'd love to see something that cross references by bloom time, color, size, annual/perennial, and critters benefitting from it (among others anyone wants to add). I guess I imagine that cross reference-able program for all natives not specifically for the more inconspicuous ones. Is there an app for that?

On a smaller scale, if I ever get around to it (we all know not to hold our breaths, right?), I'd like to do that with what ever I have growing here...then use the "sort by" feature to search by category. The closest I've come so far is to label pictures/posts on my blog with month, season, common name, and sometimes botanical name. That way, in time, I can sort through years of posts to see what blooms when and such (not that I don't have a pretty good idea of bloom times on some things already).

Too bad I'm not more knowledgeable...or at least more motivated; if I were I'd write it myself.

[dapjwy]

Actually, this site Flower-Visiting Insects was what led me to realize that the erigeron provided for a host of pollinators. Perhaps this site already has what you are looking for...I've yet to explore it in depth.

[dapjwy]

Just yesterday I went for a longer walk than usual, and I saw some yellow geum, Geum aleppicum, growing on the side of the road. I just looked them up to be sure, and they are native. Hopefully some will make it to my yard...I may go back and look for seeds (I hate to think of them getting mowed down or paved over and losing a locally native genotype.)

I think they'd look nice growing together (the white and the yellow), but from what I read, I'm wondering if the yellow needs more moist conditions than the white.

I think part of the beauty of a wildflower meadow comes from the simplicity of some of the flowers as well as the variety of shapes and colors.