Tracking Down An ID

I love unraveling puzzling plant identifications. It would be great if there was always a straightforward way to go about it, but there isn’t always. If I’m lucky, the plant is in one of the references that gives you a logical way to go about figuring out the puzzle. I like to use Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, The Tree Identification Book and the Shrub Identification Book by George W.D.Symonds, and Key to Common Woody Landscape Plants in the Midwest by Benton M. Stidd and Robert D. Henry.

To use any of these, you need to have a lot of information about the plant. A stem with leaves really helps but sometimes, especially with wildflowers and perennials, you need flowers and/or fruit or information about where the plant is growing.

I used almost all of these to identify a small flowering shrub I saw in Brown County State Park in southern Indiana. The Symonds books are great because you can use the plant part you have and match it to the photos in the book. Then, you can check that the other plant parts match. So, I looked for leaves that matched – alternate, simple, entire – and then checked each to see if the flowers matched.

I kept coming up with blueberry, which quite surprised me. Blueberries need acid soil and I wasn’t sure the soil in Brown County was acidic. We are very fortunate that Soil Surveys are now on-line (see http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/WebSoilSurvey.aspx). I was able to determine the exact soil type in which the plant was growing. Unfortunately, pH of the soil wasn’t listed, but I have a list of all soil types in Indiana that told me that the soil in that area of Brown County was indeed acidic.


But which blueberry was it? Symonds book suggested it was Vaccinium stamineum or deerberry. The flowers are flared open unlike other blueberries and there are small leaves close to the flowers. I was fortunate to find this plant on the Missouri Plants webpage (an excellent resource) and confirmed it with a colleague at Purdue.

So, using a good reference which gave details of both leaves and flowers, double-checking site conditions, and verifying with experts led me to the ID. Believe it or not, this is an example of a do-able ID. When the plant is not in any of your references or when you have to resort to looking through photos to see if you can find a match, then you’re in trouble!

Plants Change Color

It’s not unusual for fresh new growth to be a different color than older leaves. You can easily see the contrast on yew, whose new leaves are light green compared to darker mature leaves. The new leaves of honey locust will often start out yellow-green then mature to a darker green.

These color changes are normal. There are some other color changes, however, to which you should pay attention. If your plant is a variety with colored foliage – yellow, purple, black, variegated – instead of plain green, check it periodically for reversions. These types of plants will sometimes produce a stem that has plain green leaves. That stem has “reverted” or changed back to the normal color for the plant. These stems will often be more robust than those with colored leaves and may overgrow the rest of the plant. After a year or two your once highly colored and attractive plant is just plain green.

If you find a stem that has reverted, the cure is simple - just cut it out. There is no way to prevent reversions from happening. Some plants with colored foliage never produce a reverted stem. In some species and varieties, it happens frequently. If you do find a reversion, make a note to inspect the plant a couple of times a year. You need to remove stems that have reverted as soon as possible. The photo is Physocarpus Diabolo®, a black-leaved cultivar with a branch that has reverted to all-green leaves.

Back from Arizona!

IndyGardening Blog is back with my return from a long vacation in Arizona. What a difference from last May! I didn’t expect to see tulips, redbuds and dogwoods in full bloom in early May. What a cool spring it’s been!

There are lots of things blooming this time of year, so identifying plants can be a challenge. Here’s one I was asked to ID recently. No photos, just a word description. Do you know what it is?

- Three leaves something like a rose leaf with very fine serrations)
- Trunk is 2-3 inches in diameter and 6-8 feet tall.
- Growing along but not in a waterway with some direct sunlight but woods on the back side.
- Flowers are white and remain bell shaped, do not open up as many flowers do.
- Seed pods from last year are three sided. The shape is something like a filbert nut.

The real key here is the leaf with three leaflets. There aren’t that many plants with this type of leaf (called trifoliate). A quick look through George W.D. Symonds Tree and Shrub Identification books gave a couple of options and the “flowers that don’t open” and 3-sided fruit nailed it down.

This is a fairly good description of American bladdernut, Staphylea trifolia. It is native to much of the eastern US, growing as a tall suckering
shrub rather than a tree. The leaves are opposite with three finely-toothed leaflets. The flowers are small white bells that appear in clusters from April into May. By September you’ll find a papery, inflated, balloon-like, three-sided fruit.

You can grow this native in moist, well-drained soils in sun but also in fairly deep shade. It won’t knock your socks off but can be a nice effect in a naturalized area.
You can find it at both the IMA and the Indianapolis Zoo.

Spring is here!

Spring must be here. I’ve seen the first daffodils and there are even a few squill. Gardeners all over Indianapolis are planting pansies to brighten up still-dreary landscapes. One innovative gardener even mixed lettuce in with the pansies for added interest.

It’s time to start thinking about fertilizing your bulbs. The roots of bulbs absorb the most nutrients as the leaves emerge from the soil, so now is the time to fertilize. Apply 1-2 pounds of 10-10-10 or equivalent for every 100 square feet. To estimate the volume of 1 pound of fertilizer, assume one liquid ounce is equivalent to one dry ounce, so 1 pounds of fertilizer is 16 dry ounces, equivalent to 16 liquid ounces or two cups. A little math will then tell you that 1 pound fertilizer for 100 square feet is about the same as 1 teaspoon for 1 square foot.

Unfortunately, I’m going to miss this year’s bulb show. I’ll be out of town.

Fortunately, I’m going to be in Arizona. I’ll do my best to give you a view of gardening in Arizona, so check this blog frequently.

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One of my favorite daffodils is a variety called Tete-a-Tete. It's only about 6 inches and is one of the earliest daffodils to bloom. It's unusual because there are often two flowers on a single flower stem.

Time to start the lawnmowers?

Our wet, cold March is slowly creeping by. Already the cool season lawn grasses common in Indiana – Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue – have begun to grow. Though mowing now is likely to leave ruts in the wet soil, it’s time to think about that first time around the yard.

I recently attended a seminar by one of Purdue’s turf experts, Dr. Zac Reicher. He made some interesting points:
- In spring, grass grows quickly and should be mown often. The first mowing can make the grass shorter than 3 inches, but for all future mowings, set the lawnmower height at 3-4”.
- Wet grass may tempt you to wait a few days to mow. Don’t! If you have to choose between two evils – mowing wet grass and letting the grass get really tall before you mow – choose to mow wet grass.
- If you’ve already applied a crabgrass prevention product, great! It will stay active for the next couple of months and keep crabgrass from germinating in your yard. If you haven’t, make sure to get the product on your lawn by the middle of April. Look closely at the product label and choose the brand with the least amount of nitrogen fertilizer. If it has no fertilizer in it at all, that’s even better. April is not the time to apply lawn fertilizer. It will only make your grass grow and increase your mowing. For information on how to calculate the amount of nitrogen, see http://www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/tips/2008/3_17preemergence.html.- The best time to treat broadleaf weeds in your lawn is autumn. If you still have a few dandelions popping up, wait until they are blooming, then spot treat just the dandelions. They will be more susceptible to the herbicide at that time.

Time to Prune?

Many people know that late winter/early spring is a great time to prune many trees and shrubs. So, grab your pruners and rush right out – NO, wait!

It’s important to remember that not all plants need to be pruned in spring. Some plants, many viburnums for example, don’t need annual pruning. Always remember why you are pruning. There are several good reasons to prune in early spring:
- To remove broken or dead branches. These will be easy to see early in the season but can also be pruned out any time you notice them.
- To remove branches that cross (see photo to right) or branches that are growing inward or straight up. Such branches will crowd the major scaffolding branches of the plant, reducing light penetration. The plant will not grow as well as be as healthy unless some of the excess is removed.
- To improve plant structure. Especially on a young tree, you may find you need to remove a double leader (see photo to left) or cut off branches growing from a narrow crotch angle or that are crowded on one side of the trunk.

It’s also important to remember that not all trees and shrubs should be pruned in late winter/early spring. If the plant is grown mainly for summer foliage, now is the time to prune. However, if the plant is grown for spring flowers – forsythia, lilac, spirea, crabapples, hawthorns, and dogwoods, to name a few – don’t prune now. These shrubs and trees should be pruned after flowering.

Itching to Garden?

It continues to be cold and snowy in Indianapolis. Mother Nature is taking her time this year. The past three winters gave us winter aconite and other early spring flowers by mid-February. Not this year!

If you want to get out into the garden, maybe it’s time to think about your tall German iris (also called bearded iris). If you haven’t yet, cut back and remove last year’s leaves and any surrounding plant debris. This will help you control two different iris pests.

Iris borers are the larval, or caterpillar, stage of a moth. The adult lays eggs in the iris leaves and debris in late summer. In spring, the eggs hatch. The caterpillar climbs onto new iris leaves, burrows into them, and moves down into the iris rhizome, where it feeds. Eliminating the eggs by gathering and discarding all the old plant debris will go a long way toward controlling this pest. For more information on iris borers see http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/e122irisborer.html.

Another pest that attacks iris is iris leaf spot. This is a fungal disease that infects new leaves and causes spots on the leaves and lack of vigor. Again, you can avoid chemicals by simply cleaning up and discarding the old iris leaves. For more information on iris leaf spot see http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/plantdiseasefs/450-600/450-600.html.

Of course, you can always change the plant. Siberian iris are resistant to both of these pests.

Don't Worry - your bulbs are fine

It continues to be cold and snowy in Indiana. Most of the bulbs are still dormant, keeping their leaves and flowers safely below the snow. If a few leaves of your daffodils or crocus have ventured above-ground, don’t worry. This happens almost every year. As the weather warms you may see the tips of the leaves turn brown or white. The leaves underground are still fine and will emerge green and healthy, soon followed by the flowers.

Still worried? Take heart from these photos from 2005. The first is from mid-January. The second, with the dead leaf tips, is from February 3, 2005. The last shows the daffodils in full flower – complete with dead leaf tips – on March 18, 2005.

Snow in Summer

What’s interesting right now? Snow in summer (or was that winter?). If you have full sun and good drainage, this plant is an excellent choice. Cerastium tomentosum (snow in summer) leaves are silvery and tomentose, or woolly, even in the middle of winter. This is a low plant that is great for growing over or through a rock wall.

In May you’ll be rewarded with snow – white flowers that completely cover the plant. If you provide excellent drainage and don’t live in the South, snow in summer will serve as a groundcover the rest of the year. If drainage is poor, it will probably rot and die. In warm summers (usually warmer than those in Indianapolis) the center of the plant will “melt out” – lose its leaves and look terrible. There’s not much you can do if this happens. Cut it back and hope the weather cools. If it happens repeatedly, then snow in summer is not a good plant for your area.

The pictures were taken in May 17, 2006 and mid-January, 2008. This plant is hardy in zones 2-7.

Some of My Favorite Winter Plants

Winter gardening articles are often about the future – planning the garden, new species and cultivars, the best summer vegetables. Let’s break out of the mold and talk about things that are exciting in the garden right now.

One of my favorite winter plant combinations is Italian arum (Arum italicum) and Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis) (foliage of both shown to left). Italian arum has a life cycle that differs from most other plants. The leaves come up in October and look nice all winter. It doesn’t matter how cold it is or how much snow we get, as soon as the weather warms a bit, the leaves look great. The flowers leave a bit to be desired but give rise to a tall stalk of ornamental bright red-orange berries in late summer. As the flowers appear in May, the leaves die to the ground. If there were no fruit stalk, you wouldn’t even know the plant was there for most of the summer (note lack of leaves in photo below. The leaves you see belong to Lenten rose). In October, the cycle repeats itself. Lenten rose has more normal behavior, if you consider flowering in January to be normal. I’ve only seen that happen once. Usually the rose-like flowers are at their best in March, during Lent. The leaves are large, dark green and leather. They’re evergreen and in winter look great against the arrow-shaped leaves of Italian arum. As the new growth begins in early spring, the old leaves will turn brown and fall over. A quick clean-up will let you appreciate the flowers all the more.

Where do Plants Spend the Winter?

We’re all familiar with animal adaptations to winter. Many birds leave town all together to avoid cold weather. Some snakes hibernate, going underground. Other animals add a layer of fat or change the color of their fur, adaptations for survival in snowy terrain.

So, where do plants spend the winter? The simplistic answer is: the same place they spent the summer.

But, that doesn’t mean plants are the same in winter and summer. You may be surprised that plant adaptations are remarkable similar to those of animals. Annuals “leave” town for the winter, dying with the first cold. Their seeds go traveling, courtesy of animals and wind, and will “return” as new plants in spring.

Perennials go underground, storing food and nutrients in roots and underground stems. The tulips you have just planted and the potatoes and sweet potatoes you enjoyed with your holiday meals are examples of plants that create special structures to accomplish this task.

Trees and shrubs don’t add a layer of fat but add sugar instead. This creates a natural antifreeze within each cell that prevents freezing, even if temperatures fall below zero. We take advantage of this antifreeze and harvest the sap of the sugar maple in spring.

Some plants, like the arctic animals, change their look in winter. Trees shed leaves, an adaptation that prevents excessive water loss. The absence of leaves also prevents breakage that might occur with the weight of a heavy winter snow. In contrast, evergreens look the same all year long and, on a warm winter day, can function as in summer, converting sunlight and carbon dioxide into usable food.

The landscape can be a wonder in winter – a chance to admire the many ways animals and plants survive even the coldest days.

Picking Plants for your Garden

January and February in the garden? In Indiana, it’s usually January and February in the garden catalogs. Most serious gardeners – and even those who just want to add a few new plants to their yard – will be busy planning and researching, trying to decide which plants to choose. Here are some trusted on-line resources that can help your research:

The Kemper Center for Home Gardening at Missouri Botanical Garden has lots of information on the web. Go to http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/alpha.asp to find a list of plants by their scientific name. You can browse by common names, too. Just click on “Common Names” in the ribbon at the top of the page. This website provides information on individual plants, including on a number of specific cultivars. The St. Louis climate is somewhat similar to that of Indianapolis, so a lot of the information is directly applicable.

If you’re looking for information on trees and shrubs, try the University of Connecticut Plant Database http://www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants/. You can select plants by their common or scientific names. The information appears to the left. Just click on one of the picture thumbnails, and it will be enlarged into the center panel.

Once you’ve decided which plants you want, where can you buy them? Many will be available in local garden centers. If you’re looking for something unusual, you may find a source on this website https://plantinfo.umn.edu/arboretum/default.asp, sponsored by the University of Minnesota Libraries. You’ll have the best results if you search for the scientific name (spelled correctly of course). I’ve used this site to find lots of unusual plants including tropicals, houseplants, and landscaping plants.