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Minnesota Plant PressThe Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

Volume 26 Number 3 Spring 2007

Monthly meetingsThompson Park Center/Dakota Lodge

Thompson County Park360 Butler Ave. E., West St. Paul, MN 55118

651-552-7559 (kitchen)

6 p.m. — Social period7 – 9 p.m — Program, society business

ProgramsThe MN NPS meets the first Thursday

in October, November, December,February, March, April, May, and June.Check the website for more programinformation.

In this issuePresident’s column.................2Field trips......................1, 2, 6Wildflower photo project ....3Endangered species debate...4Riparian vegetation ..............5MN NPS plant sale ..............5Reed canary grass control .....6Bob Jacobson dies ...............7Plant Lore -Spiderwort..........7

Restoring Minnesota’secological landscapeby Hannah Texler, regional plant ecologist, Minnesota DNR. This isan abstract of part of her talk at the March 8 Society meeting.

As a plant ecologist and an avid native plant gardener, I am heartenedby the burgeoning use of native plants for landscaping, gardening,and restoration of disturbed landscapes, and I am grateful to all of theorganizations and native plant and seed businesses that are crucial tomaking this happen. In this age of national discussions about usingnative prairie mixes for biofuels, it is especially exciting. This makesit an excellent time to take a step back and ask whether the use ofnative plants is as informed by ecology as it could be.

This article summarizes some of the ways the science of ecologycan help us create more successful, diverse, and locally adapted nativeplantings and restoration projects.

The ecological issuesThe four levels of ecology most pertinent to the topic include

landscape, plant community, species, and genetic ecology. I’ll brieflydiscuss why each is important and give some practical suggestionsabout resources for incorporating them into practice.

Landscape ecologyMost of Minnesota’s landscape is characterized by fragmented

patches of vegetation, often separated by land uses that provide barriersto the movement of native plants and animals. By paying attention tolandscape ecology, one can look for opportunities to connect patchesof native habitat, provide meaningful animal movement corridors,and surround isolated native plant communities with appropriaterestored habitat.

Plant community ecologyMany restoration projects are

very low in diversity and have beeninformed by a single goal, such aspreventing erosion on steep slopesor providing habitat for a fewwildlife species. While these areworthy goals, plantings tend to bemore successful and ecologicallymeaningful when many plantspecies that occur in the native

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May 3: “Motorized Recreation inMinnesota: Social and EcologicalConsequences,” by Matt Norton,Minnesota Center for EnvironmentalAdvocacy. Plant of the Month: Carexgarberi, Scott Milburn.

June 7: “Decorative Tree Harvestfrom Minnesota’s Spruce Bogs: Socialand Ecological Consequences,” by MikePhillips, DNR Division of Forestry.Annual Native Plant Sale.

See and count orchidsWestern prairie fringed orchids and Red

River prairies are the focus of a field tripto wildlife management areas nearCrookston, Minn., July 7 and 8. Co-sponsors are the MN NPS, MinnesotaDepartment of Natural Resources, andNature Northwest. Nancy Sather andDerek Anderson of the Minnesota NaturalHeritage and Nongame ResearchProgram, MN DNR, will lead participantsto orchids in several wildlife managementareas. In addition to counting orchids,they will visit a state-of-the artmanagement study at Pembina TrailPreserve and enjoy an eveningpresentation on recent orchid research. Formore information and to register, write toderek.anderson@dnr.state.mn.us

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MN NPS Boardof Directors

President’s Columnby Scott Milburn

Another year of botanizing is about to begin. This has been an excitingyear, and we still have quite a bit to do. The Society has a great deal ofmomentum, much thanks to our last president, Jason Husveth. Jason’stenure on the board will end in June after six years, and we look forwardto his participation in the future. The formula derived by Jason under histenure was to focus on a few things and to do them well. These few things,which include monthly programs, symposia, the newsletter, and field trips,are the bread and butter of the Society. Logic would suggest continuingwith this approach.

As noted in our last newsletter, the Society has been in existence for 25years. We will celebrate this milestone next September and hope that ourentire membership will be able to participate. It is amazing to think howmuch has changed over the past 25 years, especially in terms of technology.With this increased ability to communicate, we still face the challenge ofhow best to reach prospective members in an attempt to increase overallmembership. The board has started to develop new materials for that verypurpose. We are also looking into new ways to make annual membershiprenewal less burdensome. With this, we are looking to grow, but we cannotdo this without your help. I have been extremely impressed with effortsthus far, but I would encourage all of our members to think of ways toattract new members and to expand.

by Ken ArndtNow is the time to sign up for MN

NPS field trips. Sign-up sheets anddetailed information will be at eachmonthly meeting. Or, go to ourwebsite and follow the link to “FieldTrips” for information and to sign up.

Saturday, April 28, 1-4 p.m., joinBarr Engineering Botanists DanielJones, a Society board member, andDaniel DeJoode at Nerstrand-BigWoods State Park. This fineexample of “Big Woods” is home tomany spring ephemerals and thefederally endangered dwarf trout lily.

Saturday, May 12, 11 a.m. to 2p.m., join MN DNR Regional PlantEcologist Ann Pierce and explore theWhitewater Wildlife ManagementArea in coulee country insoutheastern Minnesota.

June 16 and 17 is a follow-up tothis year’s symposium on the PrairieCoteau. Join the DNR’s Fred Harris,Nancy Sather and Robert Dana insouthwestern Minnesota, hikingthrough several plant communities,including a calcareous fen.

June 30 is a field trip to theChippewa National Forest nearGrand Rapids. MN DNR ForestEcologist John Almendinger willlead an all-day hike through cedarswamps, black spruce bogs, andmany upland areas. Plants willinclude orchids, carnivorous plants,sedges, rushes and grasses.

Saturday, July 14, 9 a.m. to 3p.m., the Society will co-sponsor aworking field trip to Pioneer Parkin Blaine. Work with CriticalConnections Ecological ServicesEcologist Jason Husveth in thecontinued effort to restore the fen thatis home to several of Minnesota’smost rare plants.

Aug. 9, 6 to 8:30 p.m., join MNDNR Regional Plant EcologistHannah Texlar at St. Croix SavannaScientific Natural Area for a hikethrough a fantastic hill prairie andoak savanna and assist Hannah withsurveying for the rare Louisianabroomrape. This parasitic plant istypically found west of Minnesota,but recently a population was foundat this SNA.

Spring and summer field trips

Future plant eventsThe Linnaeus Symposium is

April 24 and 25 at GustavusAdolphus College, St. Peter, Minn.

The annual Friends School PlantSale will be May 11 - 13 at the StateFair Grandstand.

Phalen WaterFest is May 19 atthe Phalen Park Pavilion, WheelockPkwy. and Arcade St., St. Paul.

The Iowa Prairie Conference willbe July 13 and 14 at Briar CliffUniversity, Sioux City, Iowa.www.ipc2007.com

President: Scott Milburn,president@mnnps.org

Vice President: Shirley MahKooyman, vp@mnnps.org

Secretary: Daniel Jones,secretary@mnnps.org

Treasurer: Ron and CathyHuber, treasurer@mnnps.org

Ken Arndt, board member,karndt@mnnps.org

Jason Husveth, board member,jhusveth@mnnps.org

Linda Huhn, board member andprogram coordinator, 612-374-1435

Sean Jergens, sjergens@mnnps.org

Beth Nixon, bnixon@mnnps.org

Listserv Coordinator: CharlesUmbanhowar, ceumb@stolaf.edu

Field Trips:fieldtrips@mnnps.org

M e m b e r s h i p s :memberships@mnnps.org; 651-739-4323

Historian/Archives: RoyRobison, historian/archives@mnnps.org

Technical or membershipinquiries: contact@mnnps.org

Minnesota Plant Press editor:Gerry Drewry, phone, 651-463-8006; plantpress@mnnps.org

plant communities that have becomeadapted to each site over thousandsof years are used. Diverse, locallyappropriate plantings also createhabitat for more animal species;nectar for butterflies; food formigrating birds, and nesting habitatfor reptiles, amphibians, andmammals — all are necessarycomponents of ecosystems. Plantcommunity ecology providesinformation that can be used to creatediverse, locally adapted restorations.

Species ecology

Species ecology (also calledautecology) gives information abouttraits of individual species that makeeach adapted to a particular set ofconditions. Many of us choose plantspecies based on their beauty or theirpotential use as food by a favoriteanimal. Landscape plantings andrestorations are more successfulwhen the species used are thosenative to and adapted to the locallandscape.

Genetic ecology

Genetic ecology providesinformation about how a particularecotype of a species is adapted to asite. There is a great deal of geneticvariation among populations of manyplant species, giving each populationtraits that make it adapted to localenvironmental conditions.

Using plants or seeds from faraway may mean the plants are notadapted to local conditions. This canresult in lower success and can alsoimport genetic material that canspread to naturally occurring plants,reducing the original population’sviability by making the plants lessadapted to local conditions. This isespecially important with rarespecies, but is a concern with allnaturally occurring plantpopulations.

Sources of ecological informationHere are a few ecological resources

for native plant gardeners andrestoration practitioners:

General informationAn overview of using native plants

for landscaping is found at:www.dnr.state.mn.us/gardens/nativeplants/index.html

The Global Restoration Network,a project of the Society forEcological Restoration International:www.globalrestorationnetwork.org/

Landscape Ecology: Minnesota’sEcological Classification Systemprovides a hierarchical frameworkfor mapping the landscape based ongeology, soils, hydrology, andvegetation. For more information:www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecs/index.html

A number of programs are planningfor ecologically meaningfullandscape protection and restoration.One is the Conservation Corridorsprogram:www.dnr.state.mn.us/met roconserva t ioncor r idors /index.html

Plant community, species ecology The three-volume set of fieldguides, Native Plant Communities ofMinnesota, provide the mostcomprehensive information availableabout the state’s native plantcommunities. The books can bepurchased from Minnesota’sBookstore: www.comm.media.state.mn.us/bookstore/bookstore.asp

Fact sheets from the books are at:www.dnr.state.mn.us/npc/index.html

Complete species lists for nativeplant communities in the greaterTwin Cities area, derived fromvegetation plot data and developedfor restoration practitioners are at:www.great r ivergreening.org/plant_communities.asp

Genetic ecologyA good discussion about the issues

surrounding genetic ecology is in thearticle: How local is local? A reviewof practical and conceptual issues inthe genetics of restoration, by JohnMcKay et al, in Restoration EcologyVol. 13, No. 3, pp. 432-440,September 2005. The authors advisethat practitioners use local seeds andmatch climatic and environmentalconditions between the sites.

Continued from page 1Ecological issues Wildflower photos

help minority groupPeter Dziuk, a nursery inspector for

the Minnesota Department ofAgriculture and a Society member,has started a wildflower greeting cardbusiness with a small minoritycollective in North Minneapolis. Itis called “Wildflowers for OrdinaryPeople.”

Proceeds from card sales benefitJames Everett’s and Sister Jean’sefforts to rebuild Minneapolis’ NorthSide. Their projects include at-riskyouth programs, the SubZeroCollective (collectivesight.com), andMothers of Slain Sons, a politicalaction committee supporting womenwho have lost sons to domesticviolence or war. For information,call 612-521-8021, ext. 285.

“My intent is to provide a validsource of economic capital for ahistorically excluded group, while atthe same time providing meaningfuloutreach on a topic that both myspouse and I have become passionateabout, to inner-city minoritycommunities and the public at large,”Peter said.

Peter has about 20,000 digitalimages of wildflowers. He hasdonated all the tools of his project— hundreds of images, severalhundred handmade cards, card racks,materials, cutting boards and acomputer. Everett is enlistingvolunteers to create new cards,

Peter has started to translate thecards into Spanish, Hmong, andSomali and wants to develop tribalcontacts. “This is an opportunity toremind people that humans lived inharmony with all of these species forthousands of years,” he said.

The cards are sold at $3.95 each atthe Science Museum of Minnesotain St. Paul; Highland Nursery onWest 7th St., St. Paul; 101 Market inOtsego, Minn., and throughEnvironmental Justice Advocates ofMinnesota. For more information, goto www.ejamn.org.

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by Roy Robison, president,Landscape Alternatives, Inc., and aformer MN NPS board member.

Concern for the diminished naturaloccurrence of all native plants iscentral to Landscape Alternatives’very existence. Our policy regardingthe plants we propagate and offer forsale has always been that the plantsmust be of local ecotype as much asis possible and be able to becommercially produced either by ourcompany or by another reputable,licensed nursery.

This policy automatically leads usto avoid all federally listedendangered species. We also avoidplants that either take exceptionallylong to produce or haveexceptionally stringent establishmentcriteria, such as the lady slippers.There are many wonderful speciesthat are not considered threatenedthat we still don’t sell because theyare just too difficult or unreliable topropagate. We’d like to change thatbut can only do so much on our own.We look to the University ofMinnesota and the appropriate stateagencies for leadership in researchand support for our industry.

Thus, we were very disappointedwhen we learned recently of effortsto apply the Minnesota EndangeredSpecies prohibitions to our work. Wecertainly support the intent of the lawto stop the wanton destruction ofMinnesota’s rare natural resources.We have always stronglydiscouraged digging from the wildbecause even if the transplant issuccessful, there is no net increasein population. This is the key to thematter. Landscape Alternatives andother reputable native plant and seednurseries work to increasepopulations of native plants and, bytheir use of local germplasm sources,preserve the existing gene pool.

There are three main aspects to theMinnesota Endangered Species Act,

as we understand it. The first is theprohibition. This is the gist of thecomplaint being made. The secondlooks beyond protecting what is hereto the future, when listed species maybe so abundant as to no longer bethreatened. This is whereMinnesota’s native plant nurserieshave a great role to play. We shouldbe seen as partners with stateregulatory agencies, not adversariesin protecting Minnesota’s naturalplant resources! Minnesota’sprofessional native plant nurserieshave the propagation experience andfacilities required to make a valuablecontribution to solving theendangered species problem.

Finally, as with all state legislationthat may affect interstate commerce,there is an important exclusion to thelaw. Any state-listed (not federal)plants purchased legally outside ofthe state may be transported legallyinto the state. Such interstatecommerce is protected by the UnitedStates Constitution.

The natural ranges of nativespecies do not follow politicalboundaries. A given species may be“rare” in one state because the stateline crosses through the edge of thespecies’ natural range. On the otherside of that line, the plant may notbe considered “rare” at all and thuscan be propagated and sold.Therefore, should efforts to restrictMinnesota native plant nurseriesfrom working with certain listedspecies succeed, all that will beaccomplished is to harm part of ourstate’s business community. Ourcustomers will just buy from outstatesources. This will only increase thethreat to local genetic populations.

For the good of all Minnesotanative plants and the small nurserybusinesses that raise them, we askstate officials to work with us so thatone day no Minnesota native plantwill be endangered.

Regarding endangeredand other listed species

DNRresponseby Hannah Texler, regional plantecologist, Minnesota DNR

On behalf of the DNR, I want tothank Roy for expressing hisconcerns and for participating withme and others on the panel at the MNNPS meeting where this wasdiscussed.

As I said at the meeting, we greatlyappreciate the vital work done bynative plant and seed nurseries, andwe consider them important partnersin the protection and stewardship ofbiodiversity. We also acknowledgethat the endangered species statuteand rules are imperfect and difficultto interpret and hope to be able toimprove them once we have theresources to do so.

I would like to correct two pointsthat Roy made in his letter. First, thelaw has always applied to native plantand seed nurseries; this is not new.Second, he is correct in stating thatby law (Minnesota Statute 84.0895)we can’t prohibit importation intothis state and subsequent possession,transport or sale of state-endangeredand threatened plants that are legallybrought here from another state.However, we can regulate theseactivities.

Our interpretation is that whilenurseries from other states can legallybring plants or seeds from speciesthat are endangered or threatened inMinnesota into the state, thesespecies cannot be propagated orplanted here without a permit. Soeffectively, no one can plant state-listed endangered or threatenedspecies without a permit. For adiscussion about why we believe thelaw does protect rare species, see thearticle in the Winter 2007 MinnesotaPlant Press.

Note:Roy Robison’s comments andthe DNR response are a follow-up tothe panel discussion at the March 8,2007, MN NPS meeting.

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by Brian Nerbonne, stream habitatspecialist, Minnesota DNR CentralRegion Fisheries. This is an abstractof his presentation at the Nov. 2,2006, meeting.

It’s easy to think of a stream as aworld unto itself — its ownecosystem contained within thebanks that define it, with separateworlds living above and below thewater’s surface. However, streamsare intimately tied to the land use ofthe entire watershed that surroundsthem, especially the streamsideenvironment known as the riparianarea.

The riparian area of streams servesmany functions that are crucial totheir physical condition as well asbiological makeup, and thevegetation present is the mostimportant factor in how riparianareas affect streams. One of the mostdirect effects is how vegetationcontrols the stability of stream banks,thereby contributing to the shape anddimensions of the stream channel.Non-native species such as Kentuckybluegrass or smooth brome haveroots that penetrate up to only a footinto the soil, while native grassessuch as big bluestem or switchgrasshave root masses that extend up tosix feet deep.

For stream banks that exceed morethan a foot in height, only deeper-rooted native vegetation is able tohold soil together to reduce erosion.The same can be said for native treeand shrub species such as green ash,cottonwood, various dogwoodspecies, and most willow species.These woody plants have roots thatpenetrate around three feet into thesoil. They are generally better atholding stream banks in place thanherbaceous vegetation, due to thegreater diameter of the roots ofwoody plants. Non-native woodyinvasives such as buckthorn do not

provide as much protection forstream banks because they createdense monocultures that limitunderstory growth and deter theregeneration of longer lived anddeeper-rooting tree species.

Runoff from the surroundinglandscape must pass through theriparian area as it drains off the land,meaning the riparian area serves animportant function in buffering thestream from pollutants such as siltand excessive nutrients. Riparianvegetation slows runoff velocity andsettles out sediment particles, as wellas the phosphorus that is frequentlybound to them. Both woody andherbaceous vegetation are able toremove sediment, although grassedbuffers tend to be slightly moreeffective due to a higher stem densitythat is better at slowing runoff.Buffers are also effective at removingnitrogen and pesticides.

Riparian vegetation is especiallyimportant in providing habitat fororganisms that live in the stream.Overhanging vegetation andundercuts below well-rooted streambanks provide overhead cover that isimportant in protecting fish fromavian predators. Additionally, woodhabitat in streams is crucial to theinvertebrates that form a lower levelof the aquatic food chain. Theseinvertebrates rely on wood as stablerefuge from the shifting sands thatoften comprise the bed of streams.Other invertebrates, especially insmall streams where shading limitsalgal production, rely on leafydetritus from surrounding vegetationas their primary food source.

Excessive stream bank erosion cancontribute to a decline in sensitivestream biota due to reduced foragingefficiency in turbid waters,sedimentation of gravel areasimportant for invertebrateproduction, or the smothering of fish

Native vegetation hasvaluable riparian role

eggs while they incubate on thestream bottom.

Stream restoration work oftenfocuses on stabilizing eroding streambanks, although the methods usedvary significantly. Traditionally,stream banks were covered in rockriprap to reduce erosion, but thisapproach often only shifts erosionproblems downstream, does notimprove habitat, and can lead toincreased warming of the stream. Analternative is to employ temporarytechniques to stabilize the steambank while establishing suitablevegetation to create a stable streambank in the long term. A riparianbuffer of an appropriate mix of nativegrasses, forbs, sedges, shrubs, ortrees suited to site conditions is oneof the best long-term solutions toprotect stream health.

Plant sale is June 7by Ken Arndt

Our annual native plant sale willbe June 7, following the speaker’spresentation. We encouragemembers to divide or propagate theirown native plants and donate them.A few volunteers are needed to helpset up the sales area and assistmembers with their plants. When thesale begins, volunteers will selectplants first, followed by those whodonated plants, and then by othermembers and visitors.

The sale will be on the patio outsideof Dakota Lodge. Bring your plantsby 6 p.m. We want only native plantsfrom Minnesota and westernWisconsin. Do not bring cultivars(horticultural selection) of nativeplants. Plants should come fromyour own property, gardens or otherprivate property, with that owner’spermission, but not public property.

Dig your plants two to four weeksbefore the sale, put them in typicalnursery containers, and label themwith both common and scientificnames. Pricing will be done byvolunteers. Dave Crawford and KenArndt are co-chairs. To volunteer,contact karndt@ccesinc.com or call651-433-4410.

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by Craig A. Annen, consultingecologist, Michler & Brown, LLC.

In a previous article (MinnesotaPlant Press, Spring 2005), I reportedon the effects of a grass-specificherbicide, VantageÆ (sethoxydim),on reed canary grass. [Vantage ispresently marketed as Sethoxydim GPROÆ .] After observing substantialrecovery in the post-treatmentregrowth year, I postulated that apicaldominance in reed canary grassrhizomes might affect herbicideperformance and the ability of thisspecies to recover (resurge) fromherbicide treatments. In this article,I summarize results of an experimentdesigned to test if short-circuitingrhizome apical dominance prior tosethoxydim application wouldenhance this herbicide’s effects onreed canary grass.

The purpose of this experiment wasto determine if either tillage or plantgrowth regulator (PGR) pretreatmentfollowed by sethoxydim applicationwould suppress reed canary grass toa greater extent than solitary use ofherbicide. One year of couplingtillage (ca. June 1) to sethoxydimapplication (ca. June 21) reducedreed canary grass stem density 35percent greater than sethoxydimapplication only.

Two consecutive years of thetillage-sethoxydim treatmentreduced reed canary grass stemdensity 443 percent greater thansethoxydim application only. Tillagealso enhanced native speciesabundance (up to 270 percent) anddiversity (up to 87 percent) becausetillage stirs up the seed bank andburies litter, facilitating germination.Application of a 2:1 mixture ofCycocelÆ (chlormequat chloride) andProxyÆ (ethephon) growth regulators(ca. June 15) followed by herbicideapplication (ca. June 21) for twoconsecutive growing seasonsreduced reed canary grass stem

density 26 percent greater thansethoxydim application alone.

A vegetation survey was conductedduring the post-treatment regrowthyear to assess the degree of reedcanary grass resurgence taking placein each treatment. Resurgenceoccurred in all treatment plots duringthe regrowth year, but it occurred toa lesser extent in tillage-herbicideand PGR-herbicide plots than insethoxydim-only plots. Thus,coupling tillage and PGRpretreatments to sethoxydimapplication for two consecutivegrowing seasons reduced reed canarygrass resurgence capacity relative tosolitary herbicide use. In general,plots that were more diverse at thebeginning of the experimentresponded more positively totreatments than plots that were lessdiverse or monotypic at thebeginning of the experiment,regardless of which treatment wasadministered. The presence of nativevegetation may augment controlmeasures by shading out reed canarygrass during its recovery period.Although tillage and PGRpretreatments enhancedsethoxydim’s effectiveness on reedcanary grass, multiple-yeartreatments were required to reduceresurgence capacity, demonstratingthe necessity for long-termmanagement to control this species.

Surges in native species abundanceand diversity may not alwaysaccompany tillage treatments. Thediversity-enhancing effects of tillagemay be limited to transitionalcommunities where reed canarygrass is commingled with nativespecies or occurs as a clonal patchwithin a native species matrix, areaswhere native species seed banks aremore likely to be intact and inmoderate or high density. I ampresently testing this hypothesis witha tillage experiment in a restored

landscape that has a limited seedbank due to previous land-usehistory.

A variety of treatments andtreatment combinations are availablefor reed canary grass abatement andsubsequent native speciesrestoration. Results of this studydemonstrate that tillage and plantgrowth regulator pretreatments canenhance the effectiveness ofsethoxydim on reed canary grass ifadministered for at least twoconsecutive growing seasons.

Craig A. Annen is a practicingrestorationist and researcher. Formore information, contact him at608-424-6997 or annen00@aol.com.

Accessory treatments helpsuppress reed canary grass

Help search fordwarf trout lilies

The Minnesota Natural Heritageand Nongame Research Program isseeking volunteers to help with dwarftrout lily monitoring and searches.They especially need volunteers whoare available on weekdays.

Volunteers work in teams to searchdesignated areas under supervisionof DNR staff and/or experiencedvolunteers. The exact scheduledepends on lily phenology and canoccur anytime between April 23 andMay 10. All work is within an hour’sdrive south of the Twin Cities in Rice,Goodhue, or Steele Counties.Minimum time commitment is onefull day. Sites vary in topographicdifficulty and risk of getting wet feet.Training is in the field.

To volunteer, contact DerekAnderson, botany assistant:derek.anderson@dnr.state.mn.us or651-259-5071. Include your fullname; phone number where you arebest reached at the last minute; ande-mail if possible. Indicate the totalnumber of days you are willing tocommit, and list dates during thetwo-week time period when you areavailable. You can expect a follow-up e-mail or phone call no earlierthan the week of April 16.

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Plant Loreby Thor KommedahlWhat is spiderwort?

Spiderwort is Tradescantiabracteata, T. occidentalis, or T.ohiensis. They are in the spiderwortfamily (Commelinaceae) ofmonocotyledons — these three ofsix species are native to Minnesota.

Where did it get its names?Tradescantia was named after

British plant collector JohnTradescant (1608-1637). He wasgardener to King Charles I inLondon. It was named spiderworteither because the sap from brokenstems forms filaments like a spider’sweb, or the angular leaf arrangementsuggests a squatting spider.Bracteata refers to bracts in theinflorescence. Occidentalis meanswestern and ohiensis means of Ohio.Wort means herb, but is often addedto common names if a plant was onceused in medicine.

Where does the plant grow?Spiderworts are typically prairie

plants: T. bracteata is the mostwidely distributed of the three nativespecies in Minnesota, and T. ohiensisoccurs in extreme southeast countiesof the state. However, T. ohiensis andsome other species have been plantedin gardens and have escapedcultivation elsewhere.

What does the plant look like?Plants are perennials. All three

species have three petals that are blueto rose-colored, six stamens, andflowers that are borne in umbel-likecymes. Long bracts that resembleleaves in shape subtend the flowers.T. bracteata has dense, sticky hairson sepals and pedicels, T.occidentalis is sparsely hairy, and T.ohiensis is hairless.

Does it have any medicinal uses?Cherokee Indians made a plant tea

for treatment of kidney and stomachailments. A leaf poultice was appliedto insect bites, and a root poultice forcancers.

Does it have any economicimportance?

Although grown as an ornamentalin gardens, none of these threespecies is as popular as T. virginiana.Wandering Jew (T. fluminensis) isgrown as a house plant. Spiderwortshave been eaten as a raw salad or potherb.

Photo of T. bracteata by SeanJergens

Photo of T. occidentalis by ScottMilburn

A winter afternoonby Ken Arndt

On Feb. 17, 10 MN NPS membersenjoyed a warm afternoon outing atTerrace Horticultural Books in St.Paul, shopping for plant books.Owner Kent Petterson opened hisstore for us and also donated 10percent of sales from memberpurchases to the Society. He gaveus a tour and a short history of thebusiness before we were let loose inthe candy store. If you didn’t makeit, go to this great little bookstoresometime. Information is atwww.terracehorticulturalbooks.com

Robert (Bob)Jacobson diesby Roy Robison and George Hild

The Minnesota Native PlantSociety lost a good friend whenRobert (Bob) Jacobson diedsuddenly Jan. 23 at his home in St.Paul.

Bob was a very active member ofthe Society. Besides attendingnumerous monthly meetings, leadingfield trips and presenting severaltalks, he also was the editor of theMinnesota Plant Press from fall of1990 through spring of 1993 and afrequent contributor of articles.

He is survived by his parents, Jeanand Robert L. Jacobson ofMinnetonka, and his brother, RonaldJacobson, of White Bear Lake.

Bob worked at MnDOT for 19years and played an important rolein getting the state to use local nativeecotypes in MnDOT projects. Heworked closely with otherorganizations to developspecifications that are still usedtoday. He was currently working onvarious wetland programs in theEnvironmental Services Departmentof MnDOT.

Bob helped the use of Minnesotanative plants by testifying beforeseveral committees at the stateCapitol a few years ago, supportingthe use of natives along roadsidesand against a law that would havebanned their use.

Bob loved plants; he also lovedanimals. He lost his big black dog afew years ago, and that was hard onhim. Bjorn was a slobberingscoundrel that Bob insisted onbringing with him on field trips. Hewas also a “leaner,” so combinedwith the dripping, the experiencealways proved interesting.

There are plans to rename a coupleof wetland projects for Bob, as wellas the establishment of the BobJacobson Wetland Memorial Fund.Donations are also being accepted bythe Humane Society.

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Minnesota Native Plant Society

P.O. Box 20401

Bloomington, MN 55420

Spring 2007