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Minnesota Plant PressThe Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter
Volume 23 Number 2 Winter 2004
Monthly meetingsMinnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Visitor Center, 3815 East 80th St.
Bloomington, MN 55425-1600
952-854-5900
6:30 p.m. — Building east door opens6:30 p.m. — Refreshments,
information, Room A7 – 9 p.m — Program, society business7:30 p.m. — Building door is locked
9:30 p.m. — Building closes
ProgramsThe MNPS meets the first Thursday in
October, November, December, February,March, April, May, and June. Check theWeb site for more program information.
Feb. 5: “Native Plants of Papua, NewGuinea,” by George Weiblen, Universityof Minnesota; Plant-of-the-month:Cardinal flower, by Evelyn Moyle.
Mar. 4: “Minnesota’s Scientific andNatural Areas Program,” by BobDjupstrum, DNR.
April 1: “Genetic Diversity of NativePlants in Minnesota,” by KristineMoncaca; Plants-of-the-Month:Bloodroot and Twinleaf, by Shirley MahKooyman.
May 6: “Recent Research on LittleBluestem (Andropogon scoparius);”Plant-of-the-Month: Little Bluestem,both by Mary Meyer.
June 3: “Native Ferns,” by Tom
Bittinger; Annual Plant Sale.
MNPS Web sitehttp://www.stolaf.edu/depts/biology/mnps
e-mail: [email protected]
MNPS ListserveSend a message that includes the word
“subscribe” or “unsubscribe” and yourname in the body of the message to:[email protected]
Scientific and NaturalAreas need supportFrom the MNPS Board of Directors
Is it becoming harder to find places to photograph your favorite
wildflower? Do you enjoy seeing wildflowers in their natural settings?
Are other recreational uses destroying your favorite place? Is it
becoming more difficult to find good locations for bird watching? If
you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may want to
take some action.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the
first state natural area in Minnesota. The Department of Natural
Resources Scientific and Natural Areas (SNA) Program administers
state natural areas. These areas include lands for rare and endangered
species, outstanding native plant communities, and state significant
geological features.
SNAs are the places that Minnesota Native Plant Society members
go to photograph elusive orchids, old-growth forests and other unique
features. They are the places where we can go to reconnect with
nature without being disturbed by ATVs or other recreational vehicles.
They protect some of the most sensitive and unique lands in the state,
the only public places where many rare plants are found.
Land protection and management of SNAs takes money — public
funding — to buy and protect the unique land acquired. This year the
Minnesota Legislature will be appropriating money for highways and
universities, and purchasing lands for parks and hunting as well as for
SNAs. The DNR is only requesting $500,000 to purchase and develop
land for natural areas, yet it is requesting tens of millions to buy other
land for intensive recreational use.
2004 is a bonding year, so if you want the most critical lands in the
state protected as state natural areas, now is the time to contact your
state legislator, preferably by letter. The Legislature reconvenes Feb.
2. Let your representative and state senator know that you use SNAs
for photography or as places to view rare and endangered species. Or
even if you don’t visit them, tell your legislators that you want these
Continued on page 3
3
critical places protected for present
and future generations. Tell them that
you want to see $10 million
appropriated to accelerate the
acquisition of new SNAs now, before
the land is lost to development. A
few years from now, the same land
may be even more expensive,
because demand for land is growing
as our population grows.
If you have questions, call Linda
Huhn at 612-374-1435. To find out
who your legislator is, go to the state
Web site: www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/
Districtfinder.asp
Continued from page 1
SNAs need help
Minnesota’s state flower, the showy lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium reginae)
grows in some of the state’s Scientific and Natural Areas. It is the largest
and most beautiful northern orchid. The long-lived plants take about
15 years from seed germination to flowering. Photo by Jason Husveth.
Scott Milburn replaces DanMielke on board of directors
Scott Milburn was appointed to the MNPS Board of Directors at the board’sDec. 4 meeting. He replaces Dan Mielke, who resigned because his newposition is demanding all of his active time. Dan plans to continue, on amore limited basis, his restoration efforts and will continue to search forand identify wildflowers on his land and his uncle’s land. He has led severalfield trips on this land.
Scott is from Arlington Heights, Ill. He holds degrees from Iowa StateUniversity (B.S. in Botany) and from the University of Mississippi (M.S. inBiological Sciences). His graduate work focused on evaluating the effectsof wintertime flooding on agricultural soils in the Mississippi Delta. “Morespecifically, the research examined the existing nitrogen budget in the soiland how wintertime flooding affected the total nitrogen budget,” he said.His graduate work is included in a recent collaborative effort entitledAchieving Sustainable Freshwater Systems, published by Island Press.
“Towards the end of graduate school, I decided that my true interest wasnot wetland biogeochemistry, but rather plants,” Milburn said. “From thatpoint on, I have been focusing much of my time and effort towards thesubject of botany, or more specifically, sedges. I started my professionalcareer in Chicago for Hey and Associates, where I was able to learn theflora of the region. I spent about a year and a half working there and decidedto move to Minnesota in pursuit of more botanical diversity.” Milburn now
works with Jason Husveth at Critical Connections Ecological Services.
Botany Web sitesare photo resourcesby Dave Crawford
Several botany Web sites contain
good photos of native plants of the
northeastern United States. The sites
include the following.
The Web site for the Connecticut
Botanical Society has many very
good photos of northeastern U.S.
plants: http://www.ct-botanical-
s o c i e t y . o r g / g a l l e r i e s /
galleryindex.html
The University of Wisconsin has a
great botany photo Web site: http://
botit.botany.wisc This is an address
change from the old Virtual Foliage
web site.
In Minnesota’s own Sherburne
County, the Sherburne National
Wildlife Refuge Web site has a plant
list page with links to photos of many
of the plants: http://
midwes t . fws .gov/Sherburne /
Plant.HTM
Do you know of other such sites?
Send your recommendations to Dave
Crawford at
4
Old-growth forests are a source ofbiological materials for restorationby Lee E. Frelich, University ofMinnesota Department of ForestResources. He presented thisinformation to The Minnesota NativePlant Society on Nov. 6, 2003.
Old-growth remnants are a treasuretrove of unique biological resources.Many tree populations that haveadapted to unusual site conditionsexist and would be good sources fornew horticultural varieties of treesthat could withstand city conditions.
Examples include paper birchgrowing on rocky south slopes nearthe southern edge of its range, andsugar maples growing on rock or onflood plains. There are alsonumerous examples in Minnesota oftrees in old growth that can do thingsnot generally known or expected ofa species, such as black ash four feetin diameter, red maple, five feet,cottonwood seven feet in diameter,and so-called short-lived species likejack pine and cottonwood living toage 150-200.
Some of these features occur in themetro area in remnants such asWood-Rill,Wolsfeld Woods, andRiley Creek Conservation Area.They also occur right on city streets.American elms, for example, wereobtained from natural seed sources100 years ago. Now the naturalpopulations have been throughseveral generations without living afull life span, due to infection byDutch elm disease by age 30. Butthose older elms in the city have beenprotected from elm disease and stillrepresent the original geneticstructure of native elm populations.
Ancient populations also exist inthe city in the same locations thatthey have been for thousands of
years. The inner city of Minneapolis,for example, has many bur oaks thatwere present before the city existed.Since the area was oak savanna forseveral thousand years, these areremnants of ancient populations thatare adapted to local climate and soils.Even if the individual trees are notancient, the populations often are.
There is also much to be gainedfrom old growth that could be usefulfor management and restoration ofcommercial forests. High-grading isthe practice of taking the best trees(tallest trees of best growth form),and leaving poor individuals as wellas less desirable species to regeneratethe next forest. High-grading hasbeen and still is a common harvestingpractice, and it will eventually leadto degradation of the quality andvolume of timber produced. Old-growth remnants contain trees thathave only undergone naturalselection via natural disturbance andcompetition with other trees.
Two of the most importantscientific values of old-growthforests are as a control for thecommercial forest landscape and forlessons we can learn from them, suchas resilience after disturbance.Silviculture, the science of growingtrees, is a long-term experiment thatwill last thousands of years. Like allexperiments, controls are necessary.Forest ecosystems did not evolve toproduce commercial crops, and wedo not and will not know for sometime how much harvesting isultimately sustainable. Old-growthremnants that experience onlynatural disturbance can be used forperiodic comparison with secondgrowth to make sure that slowdecline in productivity, too slow to
be noticed by one generation offoresters, does not occur.
Resilience to rather severe naturaldisturbances is a very special featureof old-growth forests. Near-borealforests of jack pine and black spruceon the Canadian Shield bedrock innorthern Minnesota can burn rightdown to the bedrock and bounceback to dense forest within a fewyears, but often become brushy afterharvest. Someday we may learn howthis resilience works, and be able touse that knowledge to better managecommercial forests.
Preservation of old-growth forestscan be fully justified based on thescientific values just discussed.Spiritual and esthetic values, and thefact the people want them, only addto the reasons for preserving them.We should not forget how importantit is to allow old-growth forests toexperience and recover from naturaldisturbances, since it seems that thisprocess is probably the mostimportant aspect of old growth, andit is what shaped the ancientpopulations of trees over thousandsof years. Certainly, it is moreimportant than the age and size of the
trees at a given moment in time.
Abatement events postedThe schedule for noxious weed
abatement events is posted on theMNPS Web site. Last year 36abatement and six educationalevents were posted. We needinformation on 2004 events. If yourorganization has scheduled a time toremove buckthorn, garlic mustard,Siberian elm, mulberry, honeysuckle,or other invasives, send theinformation to Dianne Plunkett
Latham at [email protected].
5
March 27 symposium ison savannas, woodlandsby Karen Schik
The annual symposium is theflagship event of the Minnesota
Native Plant Society. It is always atopical subject that draws a crowd,and this year is no exception. The title
of the 2004 symposium is: Our
Historic Landscape: the ecology of
savanna and woodland in the
metropolitan area. It will be held onSaturday, March 27, from 8 a.m. to4 p.m. at the Bunker Hills Activity
Center, Bunker Hills Regional Park,Coon Rapids. The building issurrounded by native prairie and
savanna restorations.
The board discussed a number ofgood options for the topic of this
year’s symposium. This one wasselected because there is currently alot of activity in the plant
communities, as well as a lot of localexpertise on the subject. Mostmembers live in the metro, which
was historically dominated by thesecommunities (and prairie). We are,however, very cognizant of the fact
that there are many outstate membersin the society, and we would like toencourage more members
throughout the state.
The long-term plan of the board isto have future symposia focus ondifferent plant communities andregions of the state over the nextseveral years. We welcome yoursuggestions.
A brochure on this year’ssymposium will be mailed inFebruary. The followingpresentations have been scheduled.
• Geologic overview• Plant communities• Rare plants• Plant-insect interactions• Ethnobotany• Mammals, birds, amphibians,
and reptiles• Degrading factors• Case studies in restoration
Symposium committee membersare Karen Schik, chair, Shirley Mah
Kooyman, and Jason Husveth.
Garlic mustardmanagementplan developed
A management program forattacking garlic mustard has beendeveloped by Driftless LandStewardship, a restoration firm insouthwestern Wisconsin. The firmsays that their protocol, whichintegrates multiple control strategies,is very effective. Using it, they havetaken massive garlic mustardinfestations to “manageable levels”in two years. Their comprehensiveapproach uses a combination ofprescribed burning, weed torching,hand-pulling and herbicideapplication, coupled with intensivesurvey and documentation.
The DLS method of garlic mustardcontrol is described below and onthe company’s Web page — http://driftlesslandstewardship.com/id30.htm
In fall, winter or spring, while mostnatives are dormant, garlic mustardshould be foliar-sprayed withRoundup (or, if green natives suchas sedges are present, Garlon4/water). Always use labelrecommendations; a higherpercentage of herbicide is not betterand is often less effective. Theherbicide can be applied to garlicmustard as long as the ambienttemperature is above freezing.
If the garlic mustard infestation isin a fire–dependent naturalcommunity (are oaks present?),broadcast-burn the garlic mustard-infested areas in late spring when thecotyledonous-stage plants arepresent. This step kills many first-year plants as well as removes leaflitter that prolongs germination andfrustrates the control process.
Before garlic mustard sets seed, allsecond-year plants should be pulledto prevent seed production. Follow
hand-pulling by burning off all of thegarlic mustard seedlings with a hand-held propane weed torch. (DLS doesnot burn in the fall, because the rootsremain viable and resprout in thespring. Top-killed plants cannot besprayed in the winter. Therefore, fallburning increases the amount ofhand-pulling that is necesssary.)
This cycle needs to be repeateduntil garlic mustard is eradicated.The seed can remain viable in soilfor five to seven years. All non-infested areas should be monitoredto prevent further infestation.
MNPS display is a winnerby Dianne Plunkett Latham
I recently became aware thateducational displays can be enteredat flower shows when a member ofmy garden club asked me to entermy buckthorn display at the July Tri-City Flower show (Edina, Richfield,Bloomington). It was awardedsecond place. Since so many peoplepicked up the buckthorn literature, Idecided to create a new buckthorndisplay and enter it in the State FairFlower Show. There it got anhonorable mention, and more than100 people picked up the literature.
At the Sept. 13 Arboretum FlowerShow, I entered the buckthorndisplay (second place), my all-newinvasive plant display (third place)and the MNPS display.
MNPS got first place and theEducational Award (a big maroonribbon)! Congratulations to all thosewho had a hand in designing theMNPS display. It is truly a winner!
6
Wild rice is valuable food and aculturally significant resource
Darren Vogt, environmentalbiologist for the 1854 Authority,discussed the “Biology, TraditionalHarvest, and Cultural Significanceof Minnesota Wild Rice” at the Dec.4, 2003, MNPS meeting. Thefollowing article includesinformation from Vogt’s abstract andfrom the “Wild Rice ResourceGuide” published by the 1854Authority.
The 1854 Authority is an inter-tribal natural resource managementagency governed by the Bois ForteBand and Grand Portage Band ofLake Superior Chippewa. Theorganization is charged to preserveand protect the treaty rights andnatural resources in the 1854 CededTerritory of northeastern Minnesota.
Wild rice, known as manoomin inthe Ojibway language, has been avaluable food source and a culturallysignificant resource for NativeAmericans for centuries. The 1854Authority developed the Wild RiceResource Guide in an effort to outlinepotential water bodies where wildrice may be harvested within the1854 Ceded Territory. The bookletalso includes information about wildrice biology, harvest regulations, andtraditional harvesting and finishing.
Several varieties of wild rice havebeen identified. The wild rice foundin northeastern Minnesota can beclassified as Zizania palustris, but issometimes misnamed as Zizaniaaquatica. Wild rice is not related towhite rice (Oryza sativa).
Wild rice is an annual plant thatgrows best in shallow lakes andrivers. It begins growing soon afterice-out, reaching the water surface inJune. During this time, the plants lie
flat on the water surface and can formvast leafy mats. During July, the ricegrows vertically and eventuallystands out of the water up to six toeight feet. Separate male and femalespikelets are located on a terminalflowering panicle. Cross-pollinationoccurs naturally in rice beds, usuallyin late July. Rice kernels begin tofill with a milky substance in late Julyto early August, later hardening tobecome seeds.
Wild rice ripens in late August orearly September, and it is during thistime that harvesting is done. A statelicense or 1854 Authorityidentification card (for Bois Forte orGrand Portage band members) isrequired. Two people in a canoetypically cooperate to harvest wildrice. One person guides the canoewhile the other uses knockers (shortpieces of wood) to harvest the rice.Because the kernels ripen at differenttimes, the same wild rice bed can beharvested several times in a year.
Finishing of wild rice prepares itfor cooking or storage andtraditionally includes drying,parching, hulling, and winnowing.Much of the wild rice for sale instores is actually “paddy” rice, ahybrid that is cultivated in artificiallycreated fields and mechanicallyharvested.
If wild rice is not harvested, theripe seeds will eventually fall into thewater and sink into the sediment atthe bottom of the lake or river. Withfavorable conditions, seeds will growinto wild rice plants beginning thenext spring. However, wild rice seedalso has the ability to remain dormantuntil favorable conditions areencountered. This dormancy can last
for years if the seed remains in thewater. Wild rice is susceptible to highwater levels, human disturbances,and competing vegetation such as burreed, water lilies, bulrushes, andpickerel weed.
If you are interested in purchasingnative-harvested rice, be sure to readpackage labeling to verifyauthenticity, and make inquiries ofyour grocer. You may also want tolook for native-harvested rice at foodco-ops. In the Twin Cities area, tryLakewinds Natural Foods, LindenHills Co-op, Mississippi Market,River Market Community Co-op,Seward Co-op Grocery & Deli,Valley Natural Foods, and WedgeCo-op. It is also available at St. PeterFood Co-op in St. Peter and may beavailable at other co-ops in the state.
For additional information, contactthe 1854 Authority at 4428 HainesRd., Duluth, MN 55811; 218-722-8907; www.1854authority.org
The buckthorn-Asian ladybeetle connection
Buckthorn played a role in theAsian lady beetle infestation last fall,according to Bruce Potter, aUniversity of Minnesota biologist.
Buckthorn is the primary host ofsoybean aphids, which are eaten bythe Asian lady beetles. In the fall,the aphids lay eggs at the base ofbuckthorn buds. The eggs hatch inthe spring, producing asexualfemales that reproduce asexually onbuckthorn and then move tosoybeans, their alternate host. Somewinged aphids travel long distances.“Eggs on buckthorn are believed tobe the only way soybean aphids can
overwinter here,” Potter said.
7
Plant Loreby Thor Kommedahl
What is prickly pear cactus?Prickly pear cactus is a species of
Opuntia. Species native to Minnesotaare O. fragilis and O. macrorhiza, butO. humifusa has also been reported.These species are in the cactusfamily.
What do these names mean?Opuntia is a Greek city, and this
name was used for succulent plantsby Tournafort. Others say it was aname given by Pliny for a plantdescribed by Theophrastus; however,neither of them could have beendescribing this plant for it was notpresent in Europe until the discoveryof the New World. Fragilis meansfragile, macrorhiza means large root,and humifusa means sprawling. The“pear” refers to the fruit.
Where do these plants grow?Opuntia species are native to North
and South America. In Minnesotathey are found along the MinnesotaRiver and in the southwest part of thestate, on rocks, sand dunes andprairies, and along shores.
What do the plants look like?Minnesota species are prostrate and
spreading and form large mats. Thestems (sometimes called pads) areflat and spined. Flowers are yellow,often with a red or reddish center, andproduce a juicy berry. They bloomin early summer.
Does the prickly pear have anyuses?
Most of the uses are attributed toO. humifusa. Pads are roasted,peeled, sliced, and eaten. Seeds areroasted and ground as a meal for soupthickeners. The Pawnee and DakotaIndians used the pads for sizing tofix colors on hides or receptaclesmade from hides. They also ate fruitsfresh or dried. American Indians alsoapplied fruit juice to warts and drankpad tea for lung ailments. An Israeliresearch group used flowers toreduce urgency to urinate for thosewith benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Board member nomineesto be announced Feb.5by Linda Huhn
At the Feb. 5 Minnesota NativePlant Society membership meeting,the society’s Board of Directors, asrequired in the bylaws, will introducethree candidates it deems qualifiedto fill the three board memberpositions that expire in 2004.Additional nominations may bemade by members.
Each year three of the nine boardmembers, who serve staggered three-year terms, are either up for re-election or step down. Boardmembers whose terms expire in 2004are President Jason Husveth, VicePresident Linda Huhn and Secretary(and Former President, 2000-02) JoelDunnette.
All candidates for the board musthave been active society members formore than one year. Any interestedmember in good standing who meetsthis qualification may also become acandidate.
At press time, the NominationsCommittee, chaired by VicePresident Linda Huhn, is selecting aslate of three nominees to propose tothe board for its approval ascandidates. Any members whowould like to nominate themselvesor other members should call or e-mail Linda Huhn at 612-374-1435,or [email protected]
At the March 4 annual meeting,secret ballots will be cast bymembers present. Three directorswill be elected by a simple majorityof all candidates. These will includethe board-approved slate of threecandidates, any other announcedcandidates, and nominations from thefloor.
An identified absentee ballot maybe cast by mail if obtained fromSecretary Joel Dunnette and returnedto him before the election. (ContactJoel: [email protected]).Voting by proxy is not permittedunder the society’s bylaws.
Election results will be announcedimmediately and will also bepublished in the spring MinnesotaPlant Press. New board memberswill begin their three-year terms ofoffice in June 2004.
The board hopes all membersinterested in serving the society(which, like most volunteerorganization is run by just a fewvolunteers) will step forward and runfor office. We need your skills, yourideas, and your dedication. Call ore-mail Linda at the above numbers.
Is your town a ‘NativePlant Community?’by Joel Dunnette
How can we raise awareness ofnative plants? You’ve seen signspromoting towns as “Tree CityUSA.” Why not extend that idea tonative plants? The Prairie SmokeChapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts,Minnesota Department of NaturalResources and MNPS are beginningdiscussions of a plan to do just that.
A town would get a signrecognizing it as a “Native PlantCommunity” if they have an area ofnative plants and encourage use ofnative plants. Details remain to beworked out. You can help make thishappen. Contact Joel Dunnette at
Booth was in school fairBetween 700 and 1,000 peopleattended the Volunteer Fair at EdinaHigh School Oct. 28. MNPS was oneof 55 participating organizations.Diane Plunkett Latham and Linda
Huhn set up and staffed the booth.
Winter 2004 Issue
Minnesota Native Plant SocietyUniversity of Minnesota250 Biological Sciences Center1445 Gortner Ave.St. Paul, MN 55108
