What's Blooming Now? 2012

[Cirsium]

Share the blooms of all your native plants with everyone!
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[Gloria]

While we have had some very unusually warm weather these past few days, it is still January in Chicago...but those of you in the south west or Florida might have something to tell us about.

[benj1]

No pictures, but it's been so warm I have dandelions, Purple Deadnettle and Small-flowered Bitter Cress (a native!) blooming. Creeping Phlox was blooming in the outdoor bed at a local nursery.

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by benj1

No pictures, but it's been so warm I have dandelions, Purple Deadnettle and Small-flowered Bitter Cress (a native!) blooming. Creeping Phlox was blooming in the outdoor bed at a local nursery.

I had several things blooming, out of season, during December...including the non-native dandelion and forsythia (which I've yet to remove--there must still be close to half a dozen left...but not for long). It wouldn't surprise me if I find something else blooming with temps expected in the 40s again. I had some creeping phlox blooming last month--it is one I inherited (and kept) from the previous owners flowerbed. I assume it is a domesticated form of the native...it is white flowered, so could it just be a named variety instead of a hybrid?

benj, thanks for mentioning that "small flowered bitter cress" is native...I immediately pictured the plant--although I never recall having a name for it, so I did an image search and was surprised to see that I had pictured the correct plant. However, I'm embarrassed to say that I've been trying to weed it out--I never even checked on its native status...perhaps I was trained to weed it out when I was a kid, not sure. Luckily it is not easy to eradicate, so I should have plenty left come spring...and less work to do as well!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by dapjwy

benj, thanks for mentioning that "small flowered bitter cress" is native...I immediately pictured the plant--although I never recall having a name for it, so I did an image search and was surprised to see that I had pictured the correct plant.

Actually, after doing a bit more research, it looks like the one I'm picturing, Cardamine hirsuta, is non-native and invasive especially in disturbed areas. Another good reason for me to establish an appropriate mix of natives and let them do their thing--without disturbing an area it seems less likely to be invaded.

[benj1]

Dab, I'm glad you followed up on Cardamine. Neither Peterson's nor Newcomb's includes hirsuta, so I assumed it was parviflora. It may well be hirsuta, and I will follow up on that tomorrow.

[linrose]

Cardamine hirsuta, Hairy Bittercress, is one of the peskiest Eurasian weeds we have here. It's a winter annual that shoots its seeds when touched if they are ripe. It's virtually impossible to get rid of it because of the copious amount of seed they produce. Luckily they are easy to pull if the ground isn't frozen, best to get them before seed set. It's definitely the most abundant bittercress of the 8 species that grow in Kentucky.

dap, you're right about it growing in disturbed places. Of course a garden is really a disturbed place unless it's very densely planted and left uncultivated for a long time after establishing. Once you get a good cover of natives it'll be less likely to take over.

This just reminded me to get a head start on weeding winter annuals while it's still warm out, the chickweed and henbit is abundant!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by benj1

Dab (sic), I'm glad you followed up on Cardamine. Neither Peterson's nor Newcomb's includes hirsuta, so I assumed it was parviflora. It may well be hirsuta, and I will follow up on that tomorrow.

Here is hoping you have one of the natives. How tall does yours get? (I think that was what clued me in during my research...one of the native ones was described as being much larger than the C.hisuta. (Later I did another image search until I found that one...then I found the botanical name with the image.)

Originally Posted by linrose

dap, you're right about it growing in disturbed places. Of course a garden is really a disturbed place unless it's very densely planted and left uncultivated for a long time after establishing. Once you get a good cover of natives it'll be less likely to take over.

Well, maybe I'm fooling myself, but I like to think that once I get something established I won't be puttering with it much. I think what I'm doing will be more of a restoration than a garden--well, depending on where on the property, I guess it is a combination of the two. Either way, I'm hoping to eventually have a lot less weeding to do--somebody please tell me that it will get easier! (I still haven't made a big enough dent in the garlic mustard population to think it will be gone in less than two years or so...we'll see.)

Originally Posted by linrose

This just reminded me to get a head start on weeding winter annuals while it's still warm out, the chickweed and henbit is abundant!

Get out there!

I really wish I'd get up off my backside and do something more outside. I'm really shocked that I haven't yet. In the past 3 winters, I've been out in January removing Japanese honeysuckle and stuff. This year, with the mild weather, I've done way too little!

I do hope to tackle more of the herbaceous invasives as soon as the ground thaws enough (not really sure it is very frozen to begin with...but I gotta be able to get the roots). The garlic mustard and a few Dame's rocket are clearly visible (green) this time of year as well as early spring. This year, I've got to get an earlier start on them.

[Equilibrium]

What's blooming now>>>? Nothing for me! Not even any orchids inside my house!

[linrose]

Soon I'm going to have one little bloom on my new Vernal Witchhazel!!! Hopefully it will happen this month, I'd like to have one native plant blooming every month of the year.

For now a few hellebores (non-native) in pots by the doorway brighten my day.