Wildflowers

[Lancewen]

speaking of poppies, i have a number of california poppies in my garden beds. i collected the seeds from a patch i found growing in a vacant lot. while burke herbarium lists them as introduced here in washington, i am nonetheless happy to make their acquaintance. :)

 

here's a short student article on them. >> The Biogeography of California Poppy

 

california poppy

june 30, 2012

urban garden

clark county washington - introduced?

 

 

 

Poppy's of all types are beautiful. I'm glad they do well in Washington.

[Turtle]

Poppy's of all types are beautiful.

 

true dat. but then, i would be hard pressed to name an ugly flower.

 

I'm glad they do well in Washington.

 

i am tentatively glad. if i get any inkling that they are negatively affecting native species, off with their pretty little heads!

[Lancewen]

i am tentatively glad. if i get any inkling that they are negatively affecting native species, off with their pretty little heads!

 

They don't exactly seem like an aggressive plant species. I believe there's plenty of room for them here in Washington. But whatever, let the best flower win.:)

[Turtle]

They don't exactly seem like an aggressive plant species. I believe there's plenty of room for them here in Washington. But whatever, let the best flower win.:)

 

well, you know what they say about looks... they can be deceiving. every square inch that an introduced or invasive plant occupies is a square inch that a native plant cannot occupy. then too there is the potential for an introduced plant to bring along unwelcome pests such as insects, bacteria, fungi, and even viruses. given that we humans transported the california poppy here and given that we are the only species on this rock with the wherewithal to understand and do anything about invasive species, the onus is on us.

[Lancewen]

well, you know what they say about looks... they can be deceiving. every square inch that an introduced or invasive plant occupies is a square inch that a native plant cannot occupy. then too there is the potential for an introduced plant to bring along unwelcome pests such as insects, bacteria, fungi, and even viruses. given that we humans transported the California poppy here and given that we are the only species on this rock with the wherewithal to understand and do anything about invasive species, the onus is on us.

 

Has there ever been a case where humans have stamped out an invasive species once it has established a foot hold in the new area?

[Turtle]

Has there ever been a case where humans have stamped out an invasive species once it has established a foot hold in the new area?

 

i don't know about a complete eradication, but here in Washington we do have some close. this is no isolated case of introduced plants doing major damage to not only the environment, but the economy. it is not a matter that should be taken lightly. :naughty:

 

Invasive spartina has been nearly eradicated from state's shorelines

Spartina, an invasive plant that once threatened shellfish beds and saltwater marshes throughout Western Washington, has been nearly wiped out in this state.

 

Its total acreage has been reduced from 9,000 acres in 1995 to today's estimate of 12 acres of small patches scattered along the coast and throughout Puget Sound.

 

A program that once involved in chemical treatment of extensive areas in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor is now more of a search-and-destroy effort, frequently involving nothing more than digging with a hand shovel, said Brad White, manager of the Washington State Department of Agriculture's Pest Program.

...

[Moontanman]

i don't know about a complete eradication, but here in Washington we do have some close. this is no isolated case of introduced plants doing major damage to not only the environment, but the economy. it is not a matter that should be taken lightly. :naughty:

 

Invasive spartina has been nearly eradicated from state's shorelines

 

 

Spartina has established it's self so fully in my area of NC most people think it is a native. I was talking with a friend of mine who is a scientist about invasive plants and as we talked and walked, were were sampling lake Waccamaw for broad tailed madtoms and tadpole madtoms, we waded along the north side of the lake and noticed that Taro, a commercial plant known as elephant ear, had naturalized it's self along the lake. I had also noticed it in many other locations growing in the wild and it seems to be suddenly spreading everywhere there is swamp, which is nearly everywhere here. The spread is not sudden but it has accelerated in recent years as some sort of tipping point has been reached it seems to have exploded and is quite common.

[Turtle]

Spartina has established it's self so fully in my area of NC most people think it is a native.

 

it is native to the east coast.

Spartina alterniflora

...S. alterniflora is native to the Atlantic coast of the Americas from Newfoundland, Canada south to northern Argentina, where it forms a dominant part of brackish coastal saltmarshes....

 

I was talking with a friend of mine who is a scientist about invasive plants and as we talked and walked, were were sampling lake Waccamaw for broad tailed madtoms and tadpole madtoms, we waded along the north side of the lake and noticed that Taro, a commercial plant known as elephant ear, had naturalized it's self along the lake. I had also noticed it in many other locations growing in the wild and it seems to be suddenly spreading everywhere there is swamp, which is nearly everywhere here. The spread is not sudden but it has accelerated in recent years as some sort of tipping point has been reached it seems to have exploded and is quite common.

 

i don't see it listed yet as an invasive there, but i suggest when you see it you rip it out.

 

NC Native Plant Society – Invasive Exotic Plants in NC – 2010

Edited July 2, 2012 by Turtle

[Lancewen]

Any chance of some pictures of these invasive plant species so that I'll recognize it if I ever see it?

[Turtle]

Any chance of some pictures of these invasive plant species so that I'll recognize it if I ever see it?

 

yes indeedy. here's for our state of Washington. :bouquet:

 

the first link is a main page, the following 3 links have the pics.

 

>> Noxious Weed List

...

There are three classes of noxious weeds on the state noxious weed list.

 

Class A: Non-native species that are limited in distribution in Washington. State law requires that these weeds be eradicated. Click here to see Washington State's Class A noxious weeds.

 

Class B: Non-native species that are either absent from or limited in distribution in some portions of the state but very abundant in other areas. The goals are to contain the plants where they are already widespread and prevent their spread into new areas. Click here to see Washington State's Class B noxious weeds.

 

Class C: Non-native plants that are already widespread in Washington State. Counties can choose to enforce control, or they can educate residents about controlling these noxious weeds. Click here to see Washington State's Class C noxious weeds.

 

Go to our Printable Weed List Page for printing options of the current weed list.

 

>> A Noxious Weeds Search

Class A noxious weeds are non-native species whose distribution in Washington State is still limited.

Eradicating existing infestations and preventing new infestations are the highest priorities.

Eradication of all Class A plants is required by law.

 

>> B Noxious Weeds Search

Class B noxious weeds are nonnative species whose distribution is limited to portions of Washington State.

Species are designated for control in state regions where they are not yet widespread. Prevention of new infestations in these areas is the primary goal.

In regions where a Class B species is already abundant, control is decided at the local level. Containment of these weeds is the primary goal so that they do not spread into un-infested regions.

The Washington State Noxious Weed Board or a County Noxious Weed Board can designate a Class B noxious weed for mandatory control. Please contact your County Weed Board to learn which species are designated for control in your area

 

>> C Noxious Weeds Search

Class C noxious weeds are either already widespread in Washington or are of special interest to the agricultural industry.

The Class C status allows a county to enforce control if it is beneficial to that county

(for example: to protect crops).

Other counties may choose to provide education or technical support for the removal or control of these weeds.

[labelwench]

Today, I finally had a moment when it was not raining outdoors to grab the camera and take a walk of the property to see how things are growing. It has been a cool spring and summer and all the flowers are running somewhat later than usual. One of my first stops was just over the ridge on my property to see how the Bog Cranberry plants are faring as they are part of my annual wild harvest. Despite adequate rainfall, most of the plants are not showing very much bloom. This species has the capacity to bloom over an extended period of time and put forth two sets of fruit or at least two stages of fruiting which may be one of it's strategies for success. I recall a few years back, we had a very dry spring and the rains came late. Early bloom was poor, resulting in pathetically small berries, and a late flush of bloom brought forth a crop of remarkably large fruit which I had to race the snows to harvest. Maybe so again this year, as last season was also pretty slim pickings. I can hope, lol. One reason why I pick and freeze lots of berries during plentiful years as they hold in the freezer very well. They even last on the bush from season to season and provide nourishment for many small creatures.

 

[Turtle]

Today, I finally had a moment when it was not raining outdoors to grab the camera and take a walk of the property to see how things are growing. ...

 

It has been a cool spring and summer and all the flowers are running somewhat later than usual. One of my first stops was just over the ridge on my property to see how the Bog Cranberry plants are faring as they are part of my annual wild harvest. Despite adequate rainfall, most of the plants are not showing very much bloom. This species has the capacity to bloom over an extended period of time and put forth two sets of fruit or at least two stages of fruiting which may be one of it's strategies for success. I recall a few years back, we had a very dry spring and the rains came late. Early bloom was poor, resulting in pathetically small berries, and a late flush of bloom brought forth a crop of remarkably large fruit which I had to race the snows to harvest. Maybe so again this year, as last season was also pretty slim pickings. I can hope, lol. One reason why I pick and freeze lots of berries during plentiful years as they hold in the freezer very well. They even last on the bush from season to season and provide nourishment for many small creatures.

 

 

 

wonderful narrative & illustration rose. :rose: :thumbs_up i took a similar jaunt out in the yard today and took some shots of some things growing. this medicinal plant you may have up there, Prunella vulgaris, aka common selfheal, heal-all, and heart-of-the-earth. it's found around the world and i see from my favored Burke Herbarium Listing that there is an alaska subspecies. they also note that i have both native and introduced species here by the columbia gorge.

 

in reviewing my shots i found i had inadvertanly phtographed a flower that bloomed upside-down! (first photo.) how curious. these are growing among early blue violets, Viola adunaca, and in the background the orange splashes are california poppies. anyway, here's some reading from wiccan pedia on the plant and photos attached.

 

Prunella vulgaris, known as common selfheal, heal-all, heart-of-the-earth, is a medicinal plant in the genus Prunella.

...

Properties

Heal-all is both edible and medicinal. It is often used in salads, soups, stews, and boiled as a pot herb. It has been used as an alternative medicine for centuries all over the world and for many ailments. The plant's active chemical constituents are betulinic acid, D-camphor, delphinidin, hyperoside, manganese, oleanolic acid, rosmarinic acid, rutin, ursolic acid, and tannins.[citation needed] It is taken internally as a medicinal tea in the treatment of fevers, diarrhoea, sore mouth and throat, internal bleeding, and weaknesses of the liver and heart.[3] In vitro studies have shown it to have an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of pseudomonas, Bacillus typhi, E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculi.[4] It is showing promise in research for AIDS,[5] diabetes,[citation needed] and other maladies.[6][7]

 

Folklore

 

Heal-all was once proclaimed to be a holy herb and was thought to be sent by God to cure all ailments of man or beast. It was said to drive away the devil, which led to the belief that heal-all was grown in witches' gardens as a disguise. The root was also used to make a tea that Native Americans used to drink in ceremonies before going hunting to sharpen their powers of observation.[8]

...

Edited July 12, 2012 by Turtle

[Lancewen]

true dat. but then, i would be hard pressed to name an ugly flower.

 

i am tentatively glad. if i get any inkling that they are negatively affecting native species, off with their pretty little heads!

 

I did talk to the property owner, and she admitted to planting the opium poppy. When I asked her about the California poppy, she said there were some on the side of the storage shed. Well I saw those, but didn't recognize them from the flower you posted. I somehow thought they would be bigger and not growing like a weed bush.

 

 

[Turtle]

I did talk to the property owner, and she admitted to planting the opium poppy. When I asked her about the California poppy, she said there were some on the side of the storage shed. Well I saw those, but didn't recognize them from the flower you posted. I somehow thought they would be bigger and not growing like a weed bush.

 

...

 

 

roger admission. :lol:

 

on the weed-bushage of the california poppy and my poor description of it, i throw myself on the mercy of my peers. i almost commented on it because some description i read somewhere ( ) called it an "upright" plant and i think of it as a recumbant or draping plant. well, you know now!

 

i have found that all the wildflowers i grow in my beds are more robust than those i encounter afield. my soil is tilled, amended, and watered so i guess it should come as no surprise, but for many of them the effect is dramatic. for example, my yellow american rocket grew to over 4 feet, but i have never seen one afield even half that size.

 

so thens, back to your california poppy weed-bush location. i spy with my little eye what i believe is a wild-strawberry growing under the poppy. i have copied & reduced your photo ( may i do so?) and added a red arrow pointing to a leaf of the suspect. not sure if i can pin it down from that one shot, but here is the suspect line-up search tool @ burke herbarium. scroll down & then type "strawberry" in the "Common Name:" box and click search. you should get a page with 8 entries. you can read each entry and then compare the decriptions to your plants under the poppy by jove!. (i tried linking directly to the list but could not get it to work. ooops. )

>> name search = strawberry

Edited July 12, 2012 by Turtle

[Lancewen]

roger admission. :lol:

 

on the weed-bushage of the california poppy and my poor description of it, i throw myself on the mercy of my peers. i almost commented on it because some description i read somewhere ( ) called it an "upright" plant and i think of it as a recumbant or draping plant. well, you know now!

 

i have found that all the wildflowers i grow in my beds are more robust than those i encounter afield. my soil is tilled, amended, and watered so i guess it should come as no surprise, but for many of them the effect is dramatic. for example, my yellow american rocket grew to over 4 feet, but i have never seen one afield even half that size.

 

so then, back to your california poppy weed-bush location. i spy with my little eye what i believe is a wild-strawberry growing under the poppy. i have copied & reduced your photo ( may i do so?) and added a red arrow pointing to a leaf of the suspect. not sure if i can pin it down from that one shot, but here is the suspect line-up search tool @ burke herbarium. scroll down & then type "strawberry" in the "Common Name:" box and click search. you should get a page with 8 entries. you can read each entry and then compare the decriptions to your plants under the poppy by jove!. (i tried linking directly to the list but could not get it to work. ooops. )

>> name search = strawberry

 

Thanks for the search tool. My camera is 12 megapixal and all the pictures come out as 5MB monsters, so before I upload them to photobucket I trim them a bit to lose some of that fat. In the process interesting stuff sometimes gets cut. Just above that poppy and strawberry there are also a very low growing raspberry or blackberry of some kind the berries start out very red then turn dark blue or purple as they ripen. Using your tool I shall attempt to ID them.

[Turtle]

Thanks for the search tool. My camera is 12 megapixal and all the pictures come out as 5MB monsters, so before I upload them to photobucket I trim them a bit to lose some of that fat. In the process interesting stuff sometimes gets cut. Just above that poppy and strawberry there are also a very low growing raspberry or blackberry of some kind the berries start out very red then turn dark blue or purple as they ripen. Using your tool I shall attempt to ID them.

 

mmmm...good call as those leaves may be that blackberry and not strawberry! here's an earlier post that may help.

 

california blackberry; post #118

 

Edited July 14, 2012 by Turtle

[Turtle]

found this nasty little stabber in a neighbor's yard.

 

buffalobur @ burke herbarium

 

buffalobur - Solanum rostratum (aka buffalobur nightshade, horned nightshade)

july 25, 2012

suburban yard

clark county washington - introduced

 

 

Edited August 3, 2012 by Turtle