Category Archives: education

All Natural Wickedness

education, the Lot

This past August, Mom G. and I attended Garden Day at Michigan State University. There were some interesting looking seminars and more importantly Amy Stewart was scheduled as the keynote speaker. I had first read articles written by Amy on Garden Rant, and later was gifted her book Wicked Plants by my friend Mrs. R. Needless to say, I was super excited to hear her speak.

wicked-plants-coverWicked Plants is a pretty fantastic book. It has beautiful illustrations, interesting plants, and a creepy vibe… all things I adore. In her first talk, Amy commented on the overall theme of the book and touched on a few plants featured therein. She said when creating the book, she wasn’t interested in a field guide of poisonous plants. She wanted stories with victims and villains on which to pin the crime. Some of the plants come from far away (relative to USDA Zone 6a) places, but others are sold at local nurseries here. Still other plants from the book live right here on the Lot.

“All Natural” Does Not Mean “Safe”

One thing Amy said that made me think “huh, funny I had never thought of it that way,” is people often confuse the term natural for something that is inherently safe or considered “good for us.” I’ve seen a lot of homemade cleaners and toiletries made from natural ingredients populating Pinterest boards. Granted I haven’t made the effort to recreate these, but I also never stopped to wonder if the ingredients, albeit natural, are really safe to use. Plants do not have the ability to run away from threats. Since flight is not an option, they have evolved to utilize fight in the form of toxic seeds, blistering sap, and many other techniques.

Beware the Backyard

In Wicked Plants I enjoyed learning more about plants we have grown or are growing here on the Lot. I knew about a few of them, yet others are so commonly used in the decorative landscapes I was surprised to find them in the book.

Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

I knew this ground cover was used in a German, alcoholic drink of some kind. Now I know the leaves of sweet woodruff are used in the making of May Wine. Here in the U.S., the plant is only considered food safe as a flavoring in alcoholic drinks. High doses can result in dizziness, paralysis, coma, or death.

Foxglove (Digitalis spp.)

I knew this pretty plant was poisonous so I moved it outside of the backyard to keep it away from the Four-footed Management. Also, in the album Hazards of Love, the Rake rids himself of a pesky child by feeding her foxglove. All parts of plant if ingested can cause ailments including an upset stomach, headache, and even fatal heart problems. Skin irritation can be caused just by handling the plant.

Lenten Rose (Hellebore spp.)

Sap from the lenten rose can cause irritation to the skin while ingestion can result in vomiting, dizziness, and convulsions. I had no idea this plant was in any way toxic. Some historians link this plant to the First Sacred War and the victory of the Greek military alliance over the city of Kirrha.

Tulip (Tulipa spp.)

Beyond producing an irritating sap, the tulip can cause painful swelling, rashes, and cracks in the skin to some people when being handled. Ingestion of the bulbs can cause vomiting, breathing problems, and severe weakness. I wonder if the squirrels on the Lot who dig up, take a bite of, and discard the tulip bulbs every experience this.

Yew (Taxus baccata)

When the arborvitaes were removed from the south side of the house, I spared the sole yew in the bed. It looks kind of funny by itself now, but I couldn’t bring myself to have it pulled out since it was not interfering with anything. Little did I know this plant’s poisonous nature was used in Caesar’s Gallic Wars as a type of suicide dose to avoid defeat. Every part of the plant except the flesh of the berry (the seed is toxic) is poisonous.

The Most Wicked Plant of All

Throughout her research for Wicked Plants, Amy said she found no other plant as deadly as Nicotiana tabacum, also know as the cultivated tobacco plant. It contains nicotine in its leaves which wards off insects. Tobacco covers 9.8 million acres of land, has killed ninety million people, and continues to kill about 5 million more a year.

The Fear of Foliage

So naturally toward the end of her talk, Amy made the point we as gardeners do not have to be afraid of everything we grow. Instead, we should have an awareness and respect for plants. Used correctly, some deadly plants are valuable ingredients in medications. Children should be taught not to put flowers and berries, any part of a plant they find growing outside, into their mouths. Pet owners should make an attempt to keep poisonous plants out of areas where a bored pet may take a nibble. And gardeners, remember to wear those gloves!

A Lesson in Latin

education, fellow gardeners

Last night a local gardening association hosted a social evening with speaker guest Merry Kim Meyers. Her presentation was titled “Conquering Scientific (Latin) Names.” I’ve been lazy about learning the Latin names of the plants on the Lot. I always feel a bit embarrassed when a gardening friend points at a plant and some bizarre combination of syllables I do not recognize falls from his or her lips with ease. So I thought this may be a fun presentation to attend.

Why Latin?

There are several reasons why Latin was chosen as the language to classify organisms. One can communicate internationally about the organism utilizing the same name without having to deal with language barriers. Also, common names of the same organism can differ from country to country, throughout a region, and at times from person to person. Using the Latin name of a plant eliminates this possible confusion. This comes in handy while shopping for plants so you can be sure you are purchasing the correct plant. And finally, and I feel quite practically, a dead language like Latin does not change.

The Daddy of Modern Taxonomy

In 1753, a Swedish botanist named Carl Linnaeus proposed every organism should be classified with a unique binomial name. This offered a solution to the problem at that time of a very chaotic approach to taxonomy (the system of classifying and naming organisms). The first term of the name would be the organism’s Genus and would be capitalized. The second term of the name would be its Species and would appear lowercase. Both parts of the name are italicized.

Carl’s Sock Drawer

Carl did not stop at suggesting a binomial name approach to taxonomy. He also created a hierarchical system of classification of nature. The system organizes organisms from very broad groupings to very specific types. Plants are classified by similarities in their fruit and flower structure.

The Linnaeus Classification System

  • Domain
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species

The system has since been tweaked, “Domain” and “Phylum” being added afterward, but the guy got a pretty good start in 1735!

Latin & the Lot

Here’s a example of a plant tag for the Sweet Woodruff planted on the Lot.

Sweet Woodruff Plant Tag

Sweet Woodruff is the common name printed on the tag for this plant. However, it is also known as Sweetscented Bedstraw and Wild Baby’s Breath. See how this can be confusing? Latin to the rescue! The scientific name of this plant is Galium odoratum. Galium is the plant’s Genus and odoratum is the plant’s species. The Latin name of a plant may identify such characteristics as its history, taxonomy, or use.

Here’s the actual plant in our backyard.

111414_sweetwoodruffThough I am unsure about the word Galium, I did find odoratum in Latin means “fragrant/perfumed/sweet smelling.” This groundcover is definitely that as it has a strong, sweet scent while in bloom.

Difference Between Varieties & Cultivars

Plants can also be sorted one step further. If there is a marked difference in a species of plants in nature, this is referred to as a variety. If the plant is developed by man to have differences within a species, this is referred to as a cultivar. Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ is an example of a cultivar. Note that cultivars are identified within the name of the plant by using single quotes.

Deadheading Asiatic Lilies

alley bed, bulbs, education, perennials

Tonight some garden volunteers worked to spiff up the Grand Ideas Garden for the Michigan Garden Plant Tour taking place July 28 – August 8. The whole group of us scoured the garden, removing spent blooms and making sure the plants looked great for the upcoming visitors. Throughout the garden, many varieties of Asiatic Lilies needed deadheading. I was on such a roll with the task, I decided to do the same with the lilies in the Back Alley Bed of the Lot when I returned home.

A Lily is Not a Lily is Not a Lily

Many plants with the word “lily” in their name are not true lilies. Examples of this would be the peace lily (of the genus Spathiphyllum) or day lily (of the genus Hemerocallis). True lilies belong to the genus Lilium, such as Asiatic lilies and Oriental lilies. Both grow from fleshy, scaly bulbs.

According to the University of Minnesota Extension site, Asiatic lilies “are among the easiest to grow. They’re very hardy, need no staking, and are not particularly fussy about soil, as long as it drains well.” Asiatics love full sun, are available in various colors / heights, and bloom from around mid-June through September, depending on the cultivar.

Asiatic Lilies on the Lot

Here is a photo of the lilies in the full sun, Back Alley Bed around Bloom Day (the 15th) of this month. These lilies had been abandoned on the front porch in a pot. Since we moved in and transplanted them to the garden bed, they have happily multiplied.

Asiatic-Lilies

When to Deadhead Asiatic Lilies

Since then the petals have faded, fallen off, and we are soon left with the plant stalk and leaves as seen in this photo.

Spent Asiatic Lily

If left alone, the lily would begin to create seed pods. Deadheading removes this part of the plant and redirects the plant’s energy into the bulb instead, creating larger nutrient stores for the following season. So, off with its head!

How to Deadhead Asiatic Lilies

With most types of Asiatic Lilies, the top part of the plant can be removed just below where the last petal stalks join the stem. One snip and its done.

071713_Asiatic-lily-snip

The remaining plant stalk and leaves look tidier now and are left to soak up all the sun and get ready for next season.

071713_Asiatic-lily-deadhead

As Fall approaches, the leaves and stalks of the Asiatic Lilies will turn brown and die back the same as tulips or daffodils do at the end of spring. After the die back, I usually clip the plant down to the ground so there is less clean up after the snow melts.