Help From Friends

Native plants are afforded some measure of protection by laws that prohibit their harvest from State Land.  With the permission of a property owner, they can be harvested.  We had the good fortune to be granted access to a tremendous wealth of several varieties of native plants.  The light bright green leaves pictured above are new growth on a transplanted Wintergreen plant.  If new growth is visible, then where is the old growth?  The dark green leaves at the left edge of the photo may well be Wintergreen.  Never before have we seen anything like these new leaves on Wintergreen.

One of the problems has been just how this plant grows.  Long stems at or just below the surface connect with roots that may be some distance away.  One author described a method to transplant in view of this unusual placement of critical plant parts.  He suggested finding the stem on either side of the leaves and cutting it while leaving the plant where it was.  Returning one year later to a carefully marked plant will reveal if the severed plant responded with new root growth.  If the plant was still alive, it might then be successfully moved.  That seemed like way too much trouble.  On one rare occasion, a small scrap of a plant was successfully moved.  It showed signs of life for three years, then disappeared completely.  A protective wire cage was not supplied.

These plants were hastily dug on the day before Steve and Elaine moved away.  Wintergreen is visible at the top edge of the picture but the new growth appears to come from dark striped leaves that are somewhat different from those in the first photo.  The small leaves with a center white stripe belong to Partridge Berry.  There are several pink buds visible that illustrate a unique feature of this plant.  The base of the buds almost come together connecting with what will be a berry with two belly buttons.  Apparently Wintergreen and Partridge Berry are frequently seen growing together.  We are more than a little pleased having been permitted to dig these plants.  They do seem happy here.

This is another view of the plant shown in the first picture.  The plant in the lower right corner is a weed and will be removed.  Moving toward the center, dark green leaves are seen and may be the origin of the new growth.  Our resident authority thinks that the leaves in the upper left corner are violets.  There are hundreds of varieties of violets so we are hopeful that these will prove special.

 

This is the up to the moment condition of our Bloodroot patch. Supervised weeding protected as many as eight young plants.  We did briefly see flowers on tiny plants earlier but no seed pods were evident.  We have kept a careful watch on the woods across the valley but no seeds were seen there either.  The red flowers are on Columbine.  They are allowed to stay and spread since they were a favored plant of John Burroughs and none of these plants naturally grow without neighbors.

Finally Wintergreen Flowers

These are the first Wintergreen flowers that we have ever seen.  It is not uncommon for us to find the bright red berries that remain on the plant as snow melts but flowers have proven to be elusive.  A factor in never before having seen them is the timing of the flowering.  With so much to be done at this time of year, one simply is drawn away from this lowly ground cover.  As we discovered today flowers remain attached to the plant for merely moments.

When these two blossoms were discovered, one had been pulled free of the plant and was on the ground directly under the plant.  To get a closer look the flower cup was wiggled away from the plant and placed inverted on the moss.  Old eyes did not see the load of yellow pollen at the base of the blossom cup.  The photograph clearly displayed the pollen.  Based on our experience with Arbutus flowers where we saw bees pull the flowers apart to gain exit from their pollen gathering activity we suspect that is how this flower ended up on the ground.

Wintergreen has been a puzzle for us for decades.  A stem growing just below the surface sends up a stalk that sports a few leaves with limited roots underground.  Somehow nutrients travel through the buried stem from distance growth having a larger root system.  Attempts to transplant Wintergreen usually end in failure.  We have read about a method that is supposed to provide transplants that will grow.  The buried stem is exposed on both sides of the plant.  Two cuts are made one on either side of the leaf growth with the location marked.  A year or two later the severed plant might have grown more roots capable of supporting the plant.  If it is still green and growing, transplantation might be successful.

The two stems in the photo were moved the day that they were unearthed.  Both remain green and growing but they do not look like much considering the years that have passed since they were moved.  They have yet to produce flowers or new leaf growth.  Apparently there is some secret to moving this plant that remains unknown to us.

The plants shown in this photo are wild plants that have been given no interference by the hand of man.  Wintergreen is frequently described as a ground cover but in this instance a great deal of forest floor is visible with the Wintergreen growth sparse at best.  We would love to have a more traditional ground cover growth habit but this seems to be the best that can be found here.  Notice that there are no blossoms on any of these plants.  The flowering plant is closer to the river while these plants are on much higher ground.  We will check back looking for flowers.  We do find the red berries here so these plants must flower at least some years.

It may have been the Little House On The Prairie books that contained a description of a gathering of  women to quilt that included sampling Wintergreen wine.  That sounds delicious and the description in the book described the imbibers cheery mood.   I have never seen a wild occurrence of this plant that would have supplied enough leaves to make wine.  I can only imagine what the forest at that time must have looked like in its largely undisturbed natural state.

Our woods contained an impressive number of Wintergreen plants when we first walked this land but they are presently under attack from another native plant.  Canada Mayflower is relentless in its slow march across our woodland.  It is an attractive plant with white flowers contrasted by dark green glossy leaves but the final outcome is certain.  Only it will remain.  For the moment we have a few Wintergreen plants growing under our watchful eyes but their fate is already determined as is mine.  Nothing lasts forever.

Goodbye Good Friends

Earlier this week Elaine placed a phone call to us.  Her house had been sold and if we wanted to dig any more plants there, we had to get a move on.  All of our Arbutus plants were dug from her front lawn.  We thought about asking for more next spring so that we could have this wonderful plant in our new shade garden.  With the sale of their home we had to move now.  As has been our habit, we took a large patch of soil to lessen the transplanting shock.  Appropriate soil from under a white pine tree was taken since that has always resulted in a successful move.  We hope that this last chance ever will give us another Arbutus patch located where visitors can easily see it.

We knew absolutely nothing about this plant that grew at the end of Steve and Elaine's road.  Recent generous rainfall had pushed this Slime mold to sent up its fruiting bodies.  Contact with other bloggers indicated that this was a Slime mold.  We cannot say no to an interesting looking new to us plant.  We need to find a suitable location for this bizarre new arrival.  When the morning trip down the hill was made to water our new plants, this one looked quite sad.  It quickly responded to some water and puffed up its pink fruiting bodies.

Wintergreen has not been successfully moved here in the past.  Our last attempt is still alive but has not grown any new leaves.  We do not usually transplant this late in the year but it was now or never.  If the new plants do not survive their move, we will still have a chance for plants from seed.  Evergreen ground covers are frequently eaten as winter ends.  These plants have been placed under a hastily placed wire cage to protect against raids by hungry rabbits, deer or woodchucks.

All of these plants grow in acid soil.  These white pine needles will provide an appropriate acid mulch for all of these new arrivals.  They will be watered frequently until the ground freezes.  We do expect that not all of these plants will survive here but at least we tried.  Both Steve and Elaine have helped us on many occasions and we already have many of their plants growing here.  We will do our best to help these plants survive here.  This special couple will be missed and we wish them well at their new location.  Thanks to both of you for all that you have done for our family.

A Gift Of Plants

Several decades ago when we began our serious gardening efforts, some female gardeners of age took us under their wings and supported our efforts with gifts of their plants.  Many of those ladies are now gone but their plants live on in our gardens.  We remember those caring people with sweet memories whenever we work among their plants.  The gift of plants is a tradition worth preserving and today we continue the practice.

These two arbutus plants were dug with the owners' permission today.  Located at the top of a north facing ridge, these plants were still covered with snow two days ago.  As we move toward summer and the sun climbs higher in the sky, these plants will exist in full sunlight.  Their response to this harsh environment is to keep their leaves small and reproduce freely.  They sense that they may soon die because of their poor for them location and desperately work to create the next generation.

Jane is one of the gardeners that has made  many gifts of plants to us.  Now well into her ninth decade we wanted to make it possible for her to once again enjoy the scent of open arbutus flowers.  We selected these two plants with the plan that they be planted out as soon as the flowers are finished.  Each of these small plants  are at least two years old.  A new plant from seed grows only three leaves during its first year.  The second year sees stem growth and additional leaves.  The flowers buds form at the end of the new stem growth.  Because these plants are small, they will very likely survive transplantation after their short time in the pots.  Jane will be able to raise the pots near her nose rather than going to the ground to catch a sniff of these unbelievable sweet flowers.

We have made countless attempts to grow bluets.  These plants grow like weeds in wet lawns.  They slowly fail for us because of our mostly dry ground.  This time around, we are placing this gift of plants at the base of the hill leading up to our home.  This is the wettest area that we have available to us.  Individual plants are either male or female.  We planted three in the hope that both genders are present.  Natural plant propagation is the goal.  Not only do we want them to live, we want them to prosper.

These four plants were left together because of their closeness to each other.  Dividing them might have increased the stress of the move.  Our rural mailbox is close by so a sprinkling can of water can make the trip down the hill to get the mail on rainless days.

Elaine was kind enough to allow us to take all of these plants from her home site.  Wintergreen grows abundantly there and she offered us a sample.  We have made numerous unsuccessful attempts to bring wintergreen under cultivation.  The growth habit of this plant makes moving it difficult.  An underground stem connects each of these clusters of three leaves.  A small amount of roots form at the point where the leaf stem leaves the underground stem.  Generally, this root mass is insufficient to sustain the part of the plant that has been separated from the crown.  We placed this wintergreen close by an arbutus planting.  Since we continue to bring water to the transplanted arbutus when rainfall is scant, we will remember to water the wintergreen.  The muddy plop is the remains of the soil that was moved today.  Nearby white pine needles were pulled in to cover the soil.  Now these plants look like they are growing in a wild natural location.

End of November Green

On occasion our gardening blunders can be attributed to ignorance.  In this instance, the choice to cultivate an invasive nonnative was made with full understanding of both the plants history and nature.  Sweet Rocket is a common roadside weed in our area.  It grew here prior to our ownership of this land and it will continue to call here home long after we are gone.  Its pleasantly scented flowers are also frequently colored an attractive purple.  Color and scent make this plant a sure winner.  It is easy to understand why early European settlers brought seeds of this attractive plant with them.

A biennial habit and a stout tap root present problems when trying to transplant Dame's Rocket.  These three plants were moved early in the year while they were still small.  Their color is unknown but we would like to see purple and perhaps a single white.  If these plants please us and if we cut them back after they flower, a second year of flowers might happen.  Cutting the immature seeds heads is prudent in one wishes to avoid weeding out many deeply rooted seedlings.

This area is our spearmint patch.  Three clove currants were also planted here.  Since the roots of the clove currants run deep and mint's roots hold the upper ground, we planted them together.  A couple of Dame's Rocket transplants were thrown in for good measure.  They dropped a carpet of seed so we will be weeding here.  Five minutes of timely pruning would have saved us much difficult weeding.

The low meadow in the back has been given over to goldenrod and milkweed.  Our considerate neighbors have two horses and little land that is suitable for grazing.  Last season some mowing was done here to discourage the weeds and favor the grass.  The first step in the process is to slowly drive my truck across the area searching out mower killing rocks and leg breaking woodchuck dens.  Next spring we will mow here with the blades set high.  When the growth is more suitable to the horses taste perhaps they can keep the grass short and the weeds gone.

Becky spotted this wintergreen berry from the truck.  It looks like there were several fruits on a single stem earlier in the year.  Neither of us recall seeing multiple fruits.  That will give us something to look for next year.  When there are more berries, we have been known to eat a few.  We are both  old Teaberry gum fans.  The reddish pink new spring growth is tasty as well, but we do not harvest them unless the patch is well established.

All of our attempts to cultivate wintergreen have failed.  Clearing the briers away from a wild patch made it easy for the deer to graze the plants into oblivion.  I throw light brush over the wintergreen to make it difficult for the deer to eat here.  The neighbor's dogs also help to protect these plants.  The wisest course of action would be to enjoy wintergreen as a naturally wild plant.

Red Berries

My many recent trips up the lane revealed a new treasure.  The bush has clearly been in this location for several years but it has never before been seen in this stage.  Having absolutely no idea as to the shrub's identity, I asked the resident expert for help.  With several of her books in hand, she soon had the name of this plant.  Winterberry or Black Alder, Ilex verticillata, is a member of the holly family.  It occurs as either male or female typical of members of this family.

I have in the past noticed this plant in bloom.  Its tiny white flowers never drew me down over the bank for a closer look.  These bright red berries are certainly an attention getter but it still took several days before I remembered the camera.  This generous set of fruit, female behavior, suggests that there may be a male nearby.  A large wet area adjacent to the road may be home to more of these plants.  We will need to take a closer look.

The identity of these red berries remains unknown to us.  Two withered leaves can be seen still attached to the stem that carries the berries.  This mystery plant grows among the wintergreen plants.  I remember seeing a plant growing with the wintergreen but I made no attempt to identify it.  Now there is the choice of searching for earlier photos of this area or waiting until Spring when the green growth is visible.

A simpler choice is to search the blog for the post when this area was first discovered.  The picture suggests that the unknown plant may be False Solomon's Seal.  We will still have to return next year to try to see this plant in flower.  The plant's fragrant white flowers should make identification more certain.

Despite the rather large size of this wintergreen patch, a long search revealed this solitary berry.  The berries are eaten by numerous wild creatures but the neighbor's three dogs live very close to these plants.  I would expect that the canine presence would keep the wild animals away.  For some reason the flowers were few in number this year so the berries would necessarily be scarce.  Resisting temptation, I chewed on neither berry nor leaf.  Some of those leaves look wet and there has been no recent rain.  It was not just a moral judgement to let the plant parts remain unpicked.

Elusive Wintergreen Flowers

Wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens has proven completely resistant to cultivation for us.  When we were initially exploring our new land, wintergreen was discovered growing on a steep slope that had never seen the farmer's plow.  Wild blackberry plants seemed to be overpowering the wintergreen so they were removed.  That amount of soil disturbance sent the wintergreen into decline.

Just recently a sizable patch of wintergreen was discovered adjacent to the lane.  Hiding in plain sight, its existence there had escaped us for years.  This location is again on a slope where the bedrock lies just below the surface.  The farmer never tried to plow this area.  We will make no attempt to alter conditions here.  This wintergreen will remain wild and free.

When I first spotted these waxy white flowers, I thought that they were only buds.  On a second visit a bumble bee flew away from under the bud so a closer look followed.  Growing near to the ground, these tiny lanterns are indeed fully open flowers.  Wintergreen leaves are themselves aromatic so it would be impossible to separate the scent of the flowers, if any exists, from the flagrance of the leaves.  Even if I retained any youthful flexibility, it would be some trick to get the nose that close to the ground.

Full sunlight brings both the flower and the leaves to their best appearance.  The young blackberry plant in the lower right corner will remain as I have sworn to leave this area alone.

The twin berries show that I nearly missed finding flowers this year.  Next year I will begin to look here in early July to get a better idea when the flowers first appear.  These pictures were taken on July 21st.

Found Treasure

We have an interesting history with wintergreen, Gaultheria procumbens.  Early exploration of our newly purchased land revealed a large patch of this plant.  It was growing on a steep north facing slope.  Too steep to plow, the land had been used as pasture for dairy cows many decades ago.  Now wild berry briers made the area difficult to access.  Trying to do right by this native wildflower, I cleared the briers.  That winter hungry deer easily walked my newly cleared wild garden and feasted on the exposed wintergreen.  An occasional plant can still be found there but the briers returned with a vengeance.

Purchased plants have refused to grow for us.  Cuttings refused to root here.  Following our success transplanting arbutus, I have been thinking about giving wintergreen another go.  In the wild we have encountered the two plants growing in close proximity.

Taking advantage of our mild December weather, I have been clearing my side of the shared lane.  Today I discovered a large patch of wintergreen growing under the protective cover of black birch branches that had been thrown over my fence by a lane user.  I usually resent people throwing things over my fence but these branches appear to have provided protective cover for the wintergreen.  As I did a proper job of cutting back the brush, additional branches were carefully placed over the wintergreen.  Easy to drive to, we will make frequent trips here to see and record the life cycle of these wild plants.

Both Henry W. Art and William Cullina describe wintergreen as a suitable plant to introduce into the garden.  Stem and runner cuttings should be taken early in the year while the growth is still soft advises Art.  Perhaps my cuttings were taken a bit late.  Rather than trying to force these plants into cultivation, maybe I should be content to enjoy them where they are.  A native plant deserves a wild home.

In my readings I encountered a tale describing pioneer women as sipping wintergreen wine at quilting bees.  Unable to remember the author describing this practice, I cannot get the experience out of my head.  Wintergreen wine must be a real taste treat.  How could it be anything less?  Early in our history wintergreen must have been a common plant.  I cannot imagine a stand of this plant so vast  that would supply the buckets of leaves necessary to make wine.   Perhaps this is what they mean when referring to the good old days.