IMAGE ABOVE: A nearly monolithic stand of Sorghastrum nutans aka Indiangrass at a road cut on my way to work. It surrounds an area of exposed bedrock where the soils are so shallow and dry that very little, if much of anything, is able to survive aside from the Indiangrass.
Sorghastrum nutans - Indiangrass
Zone: 3-9
Purchase from:
Agrecol Native Nursery, Everwilde Farms, Garden Harvest Supply, Grimm's Gardens, Morning Sky Greenery, Prairie Nursery, Prairie Moon Nursery, Shooting Star Nursery, Toadshade Wildflower Farm, Yellow Springs Farm Native Plant Nursery
I'm still amazed at the diversity of habitats in the few miles of my short bike ride to work. You'd never guess by the pictures of above, but these were taken only a few miles from downtown Cambridge, MA. In the twenty minutes it takes me to get to work I get a small sampling of nearly all the non-coastal habitats in northeast Massachusetts. Yet it is this diversity that not only astounds me, but reminds me of the complex interconnected matrix upon which species diversity, population health, and sustainability relies. Yet, with each passing year, this matrix becomes increasingly patchy and disconnected, particularly in the coastal US.
IMAGE ABOVE: When examined discretely, development and general population growth are damaging to the genetic diversity of local populations, but when you take into account the affect that such impediments and barriers have on gene flow and the ability of a population to gradually migrate overtime, the cumulative affect of such factors may affect the long term sustainability of any given population.
We may like to disassociate and project "environmental villanism" to far away virgin tropical rainforest (cue b-reel of some rando buzzing through a tree), but the reality is every time we decide to clear some local parcel for a nice water guzzling invasive monoculture, aka lawn, we are much more guilty than that guy with the chain-saw. He's doing it to make a living.... so what's our excuse?
So faced with this not so nice reality I've decided to take it upon myself to act as a modern day Noah, aka human corridor (see diagram above), ferrying what would otherwise be isolated, often endangered plant populations to un-populated habitats ripe for colonization. Such areas are often diversity barren due to the fact that they themselves have been ecologically sterilized by means of human induced isolation. I realize there are many valid arguments against this, the first and foremost being my own lack of expertise. However, in my attempt to aid in the healthy diversity of these isolated habitats and ecological communities I don't plan on trekking through virgin ecosystems and digging up rare or endangered species and relocating them, but rather collecting the local seed of common (or the occasional not so common) wildflowers I find on the side of the road (or perhaps ordering a seed or two from a nursery), and introducing them in areas where they have a good chance of establishing long lasting, and sustainable populations.
And so for my first attempt at being a garden ninja the isolated stand of Indian grass I featured above (location undisclosed) seemed like a great place to start, and a perfect case study. Road bound on every side, and nearly a monoculture of S. nutans (with a few sporadic Andropogon mixed in) and not having a habitat equivalent for miles, I run the least risk of jeopardizing the genetic integrity of any nearby sensitive populations. Given how isolated this particular site is, and the fact that it's entirely man made to begin with, I also plan on experimenting with a few Western natives that might be able to thrive where the soils are simply too shallow and exposed for any of our locally endemic species to endure. Below is the list of natives (and native-ish) plants I intend to use, hopefully with at least some success (you may notice a trend with a lot of the plants I've selected.... what can I say, hummingbirds are f*@#ing awesome!!!).
NORTHEAST NATIVES
Aquilegia canadensis - Canada Columbine
Zone: 3-8
A few different cultivars available on the market including 'Corbet,' 'Little Lanterns,' and 'Pink Lanterns.' The straight species is still the most commonly sold form and is available from almost every nursery specializing in natives.
Purchase from: Nearly Native Nursery, Amanda's Garden, American Meadows, Bluestone Perennials, Everwilde Farms, Garden in the Wood of Grassy Creek, Grimm's Gardens, High Country Gardens, J. L. Hudson Seedsman, Lazy S'S Farm, Michigan Native Butterfly Farm, Niche Gardens, Prairie Moon Nursery, Prairie Nursery, Select Seeds, Grimm's Gardens, Shooting Star Nursery
Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Weed
Zone: 3-9
Color variants exist, leaning from deep yellow to red-orange, but most of the material out there is derived from ecotypes found in sandy soils. If you garden in heavy clays (like me) a few nursery's offer material adapted to heavier soils.
Purchase from: Nearly Native Nursery, Accents for Home and Garden, Almost Eden Plants, American MeadowsAvant Gardens, Companion Plants, Deer Country Gardens, Everwilde Farms, Garden Crossings, Garden Harvest Supply, Garden Starts Nursery, Gardens in the Wood of Grassy Creek, Grimm's Gardens, High Country Gardens, J Lynn Nursery, J.L. Hudson Seedsman, Lazy S'S Farm, Logee's Greenhouses, LoneWillow Farm, Michigan Native Butterfly Farm, Niche Gardens, Prairie Nursery, Romence Gardens & Greenhouses's, Rose Franklin's Perennials & Herbs, Santa Rosa Gardens, Select Seeds Antique Flowers, Smart Seeds, Sooner Plant Farm, The Growers Exchange, Toadshade Wildflower Farm, Yellow Springs Farm Native Plant Nursery, Prairie Moon Nursery, Prairie Nursery
Ionactis linarifolia - Stiff Aster
Zone: Sources all over the place witht this one... 3-8?
Purchase from: Midwest Groundcovers, Prairie Moon Nursery, Shooting Star Nursery
Opuntia humifusa - Eastern Prickly Pear
Zone: 4-9
Purchase from: Nearly Native Nursery, Everwilde Farms, Fry Road Nursery, Romence Gardens & Greenhouses, Toadshade Wildflower Farm
MID-ATLANTIC/SOUTHERN NATIVES
Ipomopsis rubra - Standing cypress
Zone: (5)5-9, (BIENNIAL)
Purchase from: Nearly Native Nursery, Everwilde Farms, J.L. Hudson Seedsman, Onalee's Seeds, Select Seeds Antique Flowers, Smart Seeds
Manfreda virginica - False Aloe
Zone: 6-9
This isn't the best picture of this plant (all you can see is the tall flowering stalk in the center of all the people), but after growing this plant myself, and seeing it in this picture next to other moisture loving species in what appears to be a wet meadow I'm beginning to think this agave relative needs more moisture than the literature suggests.
Purchase from: Companion Plants, Lazy S'S Farm, Niche Gardens, Odyssey Perennials, Shooting Star Nursery
WESTERN NATIVES
Agastache rupestris - Sunset Hyssop
Zone: 5-9
Purchase from: Annie's Annuals and Perennials, High Country Gardens, J.L. Hudson Seedsman, Joy Creek Nursery, Lazy S'S Farm & Nursery, Michigan Native Butterfly Farm, Romence Gardens & Greenhouses, Sooner Plant Farm
Castilleja integra - Wholeleaf Indian Paintbrush
Zone: 4-8
C. coccinea is a more commonly available biennial that is unfortunately difficult to establish in cultivation. C. integra is one of the easier perennial species to start with.
Purchase from: Everwilde Farms, Cactus Store
Hesperaloe parviflora - Red Flowered Yucca
Zone: 5-10
Purchase from: Accents for Home and Garden, Almost Eden Plants, Annie's Magic Garden, Dancing Oaks Nursery, Eldon Tropicals's, High Country Gardens, J.L. Hudson Seedsman, Lazy S'S Farm, Niche Gardens, Smart Seeds, Sooner Plant Farm
Penstemon pinifolius - Pineleaf Penstemon
Zone: 5-8
High country gardens has selected several cultivars of this species for both color (ranging from a a clear yellow to deep red) and height.
Purchase from: Annie's Annuals and Perennials, Forestfarm, Gardens in the Wood of Grassy Creek, High Country Gardens, Joy Creek Nursery
Zauschneria spp. (arizonica/garrettii) - Hardy Hummingbird Trumpet
Zone: 5-9
Z. arizonica, syn. Z. latifolia var. arizonica
Purchase from: Forestfarm, High Country Gardens
Z. arizonica syn. Z. canum subsp. garrettii
Purchase from: High Country Gardens, Joy Creek Nursery, Romence Gardens
IMAGE SOURCES: MATRIX-PATCH HABITAT, A. CANADENSIS, A. TUBEROSA, I. LINARIFOLIA, O. HUMIFUSA, I. RUBRA, M. VIRGINICA, A. RUPESTRIS, C. INTEGRA, H. PARVIFLORA, P. PINIFOLIUS, Z. ARIZONICA
