#native plant resources

[rubygeeksout]

Hi I work at a native plant nursery in the Pacific Northwest!

The Portland Plant List is the rubric used by the Backyard Habitat Program to certify residential planting projects in the Portland area, including Southwest Washington. If you're within the Backyard Habitat service area, their team will come to your property and perform a site assessment, then provide a comprehensive list of plants that will work on your property, along with coupons to local native nurseries and lots of great resources. Plus you get a snazzy sign!

Some blogs/websites with directories of native plant nurseries (cannot vouch for how complete these are, please check with the business first):

Grow It Build It

The Plant Native

PlantNative

Other resources:

Real Gardens Grow Natives, a PNW-focused book and website

Native Plants PNW, an incredible resource I use CONSTANTLY. Covers plant distribution, habitat, growth conditions, ID advice, propagation tips and even ethnobotanical uses.

Washington Native Plant Society, with regional chapters and lots of info for conservation, volunteering, gardening and more.

Also, lots of language around planting natives is aimed at homeowners and/or those able-bodied enough to take care of huge swathes of land. Renters can and should get in on native planting!! Small yards are essential ecosystem participants!! A patio garden in a noisy urban zone is still a garden!!! Look at the High Line conversion in Manhattan - it's in the middle of goddamn MANHATTAN and it's not even fully planted with natives but monarch butterflies and native bees still find it and use it! Even if all you can contribute is a trio of keystone species in a container, that's one more piece of habitat that wasn't there before and so many bugs and birds will thank you!

Planet's Fucked: What Can You Do To Help? (Long Post)

Since nobody is talking about the existential threat to the climate and the environment a second Trump term/Republican government control will cause, which to me supersedes literally every other issue, I wanted to just say my two cents, and some things you can do to help. I am a conservation biologist, whose field was hit substantially by the first Trump presidency. I study wild bees, birds, and plants.

In case anyone forgot what he did last time, he gagged scientists' ability to talk about climate change, he tried zeroing budgets for agencies like the NOAA, he attempted to gut protections in the Endangered Species Act (mainly by redefining 'take' in a way that would allow corporations to destroy habitat of imperiled species with no ramifications), he tried to do the same for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (the law that offers official protection for native non-game birds), he sought to expand oil and coal extraction from federal protected lands, he shrunk the size of multiple national preserves, HE PULLED US OUT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT, and more.

We are at a crucial tipping point in being able to slow the pace of climate change, where we decide what emissions scenario we will operate at, with existential consequences for both the environment and people. We are also in the middle of the Sixth Mass Extinction, with the rate of species extinctions far surpassing background rates due completely to human actions. What we do now will determine the fate of the environment for hundreds or thousands of years - from our ability to grow key food crops (goodbye corn belt! I hated you anyway but), to the pressure on coastal communities that will face the brunt of sea level rise and intensifying extreme weather events, to desertification, ocean acidification, wildfires, melting permafrost (yay, outbreaks of deadly frozen viruses!), and a breaking down of ecosystems and ecosystem services due to continued habitat loss and species declines, especially insect declines. The fact that the environment is clearly a low priority issue despite the very real existential threat to so many people, is beyond my ability to understand. I do partly blame the public education system for offering no mandatory environmental science curriculum or any at all in most places. What it means is that it will take the support of everyone who does care to make any amount of difference in this steeply uphill battle.

There are not enough environmental scientists to solve these issues, not if public support is not on our side and the majority of the general public is either uninformed or actively hostile towards climate science (or any conservation science).

So what can you, my fellow Americans, do to help mitigate and minimize the inevitable damage that lay ahead?

I'm not going to tell you to recycle more or take shorter showers. I'll be honest, that stuff is a drop in the bucket. What does matter on the individual level is restoring and protecting habitat, reducing threats to at-risk species, reducing pesticide use, improving agricultural practices, and pushing for policy changes. Restoring CONNECTIVITY to our landscape - corridors of contiguous habitat - will make all the difference for wildlife to be able to survive a changing climate and continued human population expansion.

**Caveat that I work in the northeast with pollinators and birds so I cannot provide specific organizations for some topics, including climate change focused NGOs. Scientists on tumblr who specialize in other fields, please add your own recommended resources. **

We need two things: FUNDING and MANPOWER.

You may surprised to find that an insane amount of conservation work is carried out by volunteers. We don't ever have the funds to pay most of the people who want to help. If you really really care, consider going into a conservation-related field as a career. It's rewarding, passionate work.

At the national level, please support:

The Nature Conservancy

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Cornell Lab of Ornithology (including eBird)

National Audubon Society

Federal Duck Stamps (you don't need to be a hunter to buy one!)

These first four work to acquire and restore critical habitat, change environmental policy, and educate the public. There is almost certainly a Nature Conservancy-owned property within driving distance of you. Xerces plays a very large role in pollinator conservation, including sustainable agriculture, native bee monitoring programs, and the Bee City/Bee Campus USA programs. The Lab of O is one of the world's leaders in bird research and conservation. Audubon focuses on bird conservation. You can get annual memberships to these organizations and receive cool swag and/or a subscription to their publications which are well worth it. You can also volunteer your time; we need thousands of volunteers to do everything from conducting wildlife surveys, invasive species removal, providing outreach programming, managing habitat/clearing trails, planting trees, you name it. Federal Duck Stamps are the major revenue for wetland conservation; hunters need to buy them to hunt waterfowl but anyone can get them to collect!

THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE, but these are a start.

Additionally, any federal or local organizations that seek to provide support and relief to those affected by hurricanes, sea level rise, any form of coastal climate change...

At the regional level:

These are a list of topics that affect major regions of the United States. Since I do not work in most of these areas I don't feel confident recommending specific organizations, but please seek resources relating to these as they are likely major conservation issues near you.

PRAIRIE CONSERVATION & PRAIRIE POTHOLE WETLANDS

DRYING OF THE COLORADO RIVER (good overview video linked)

PROTECTION OF ESTUARIES AND SALTMARSH, ESPECIALLY IN THE DELAWARE BAY AND LONG ISLAND (and mangroves further south, everglades etc; this includes restoring LIVING SHORELINES instead of concrete storm walls; also check out the likely-soon extinction of saltmarsh sparrows)

UNDAMMING MAJOR RIVERS (not just the Colorado; restoring salmon runs, restoring historic floodplains)

NATIVE POLLINATOR DECLINES (NOT honeybees. for fuck's sake. honeybees are non-native domesticated animals. don't you DARE get honeybee hives to 'save the bees')

WILDLIFE ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER (support the Mission Butterfly Center!)

INVASIVE PLANT AND ANIMAL SPECIES (this is everywhere but the specifics will differ regionally, dear lord please help Hawaii)

LOSS OF WETLANDS NATIONWIDE (some states have lost over 90% of their wetlands, I'm looking at you California, Ohio, Illinois)

INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE, esp in the CORN BELT and CALIFORNIA - this is an issue much bigger than each of us, but we can work incrementally to promote sustainable practices and create habitat in farmland-dominated areas. Support small, local farms, especially those that use soil regenerative practices, no-till agriculture, no pesticides/Integrated Pest Management/no neonicotinoids/at least non-persistent pesticides. We need more farmers enrolling in NRCS programs to put farmland in temporary or permanent wetland easements, or to rent the land for a 30-year solar farm cycle. We've lost over 99% of our prairies to corn and soybeans. Let's not make it 100%.

INDIGENOUS LAND-BACK EFFORTS/INDIGENOUS LAND MANAGEMENT/TEK (adding this because there have been increasing efforts not just for reparations but to also allow indigenous communities to steward and manage lands either fully independently or alongside western science, and it would have great benefits for both people and the land; I know others on here could speak much more on this. Please platform indigenous voices)

HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS (get your neighbors to stop dumping fertilizers on their lawn next to lakes, reduce agricultural runoff)

OCEAN PLASTIC (it's not straws, it's mostly commercial fishing line/trawling equipment and microplastics)

A lot of these are interconnected. And of course not a complete list.

At the state and local level:

You probably have the most power to make change at the local level!

Support or volunteer at your local nature centers, local/state land conservancy non-profits (find out who owns&manages the preserves you like to hike at!), state fish & game dept/non-game program, local Audubon chapters (they do a LOT). Participate in a Christmas Bird Count!

Join local garden clubs, which install and maintain town plantings - encourage them to use NATIVE plants. Join a community garden!

Get your college campus or city/town certified in the Bee Campus USA/Bee City USA programs from the Xerces Society

Check out your state's official plant nursery, forest society, natural heritage program, anything that you could become a member of, get plants from, or volunteer at.

Volunteer to be part of your town's conservation commission, which makes decisions about land management and funding

Attend classes or volunteer with your land grant university's cooperative extension (including master gardener programs)

Literally any volunteer effort aimed at improving the local environment, whether that's picking up litter, pulling invasive plants, installing a local garden, planting trees in a city park, ANYTHING. make a positive change in your own sphere. learn the local issues affecting your nearby ecosystems. I guarantee some lake or river nearby is polluted

MAKE HABITAT IN YOUR COMMUNITY. Biggest thing you can do. Use plants native to your area in your yard or garden. Ditch your lawn. Don't use pesticides (including mosquito spraying, tick spraying, Roundup, etc). Don't use fertilizers that will run off into drinking water. Leave the leaves in your yard. Get your school/college to plant native gardens. Plant native trees (most trees planted in yards are not native). Remove invasive plants in your yard.

On this last point, HERE ARE EASY ONLINE RESOURCES TO FIND NATIVE PLANTS and LEARN ABOUT NATIVE GARDENING:

Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

Pollinator Pathway

Audubon Native Plant Finder

Homegrown National Park (and Doug Tallamy's other books)

National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder (clunky but somewhat helpful)

Heather Holm (for prairie/midwest/northeast)

MonarchGard w/ Benjamin Vogt (for prairie/midwest)

Native Plant Trust (northeast & mid-atlantic)

Grow Native Massachusetts (northeast)

Habitat Gardening in Central New York (northeast)

There are many more - I'm not familiar with resources for western states. Print books are your biggest friend. Happy to provide a list of those.

Lastly, you can help scientists monitor species using citizen science. Contribute to iNaturalist, eBird, Bumblebee Watch, or any number of more geographically or taxonomically targeted programs (for instance, our state has a butterfly census carried out by citizen volunteers).

In short? Get curious, get educated, get involved. Notice your local nature, find out how it's threatened, and find out who's working to protect it that you can help with. The health of the planet, including our resilience to climate change, is determined by small local efforts to maintain and restore habitat. That is how we survive this. When government funding won't come, when we're beat back at every turn trying to get policy changed, it comes down to each individual person creating a safe refuge for nature.

Thanks for reading this far. Please feel free to add your own credible resources and organizations.

[cognitivejustice]

Homegrown National Park is inspiring the creation of an entire network of homegrown wildlife sanctuaries that seek to stem the loss of biodiversity, one yard and flowerpot at a time. Through its website and its robust social media activity, this nonprofit continually makes the case for converting every available bit of soil — not just in yards and balcony planters but also at schools, businesses, public parks, places of worship, even sidewalk hellstrips and parking-lot margins — into habitat.

It lays out the arguments for eliminating herbicides and insecticides, explains the importance of keystone plants, makes the case for letting fallen leaves serve as natural weed control and offers tips for making the most of a container garden.

It includes a searchable directory of resources and links to native-plant databases at other conservation organizations. It offers resources for helping teachers and parents inspire young people to become habitat stewards, too.

[darth-grips]

"There are no flowers on Tatooine. Luke's never seen a plant before. The desert is a wasteland."

THEN WHAT ARE THEEEESEEEEE

[beep-beepster]

I feel like there is a strong correlation to Frank Hubert’s initial subtext with Dune (its islamic religious themes, a premise setting an empire against local populaces, the attention towards ecological developments in desert environments with a bias towards temperate zones from outsiders wanting to “enrich” the land), and all of the recent developments in Gaza and its history, both with the original influences to Hubert’s novel and the timing of a blockbuster adaptation happening while international focus grows towards Palestine, that is going unmentioned outside of the usual jokes and memes

[garryoakenthusiast]

On the subject of native planting resources, one that's been amazing up here in British Columbia is Satinflower Nurseries

Their website has a ton of free PDFs and articles on planting meadows, hedgerows, propagating cuttings, germinating seeds, and more.

Sadly they don't ship their seeds, they only offer them for pickup. (Though if you happen to live on Vancouver Island, they have 2 south island locations I really recommend checking out! Everyone working there is super passionate and knowledgable about what they do as well.)

[eruditic-akechi]

Okay honestly I can see Rhine and Ivanovna becoming pretty good friends at some point. Ivanovna is presumably possibly a harbinger (seeing that Snezhnaya Mayor has so far only been referenced as a harbinger and in her letter. Also it'd make a bit of sense why Alice would invite her if she was in that high ranking position, seeing that most of the other spots are not human/mortal) and pierro definitely has some beef with Rhinedottir and despite knowing she's not solely to blame for the cataclysm, she definitely played a big part with her wolves and dragons,,, so Ivanovna was probably very wary of Rhine because she was tube fed a special breed of Rhine propaganda,,, but after a few years of actually knowing Rhine, she finds out that Rhine isn't some evil mastermind hellbent on ruining the world, she's just a little fucked up and maybe a little too into her work, but obviously that's not a breaking point for the harbingers.

BUT Rhine and Ivanovna both have perfectionist streaks, which they probably bonded over. It's a known thing Rhine is seeking perfection, but it makes sense if Ivanovna is too— she's the first mayor of Snezhnaya! And at that point, she's the first fully mortal, fully normal human! Not only does she have to deal with matters of the nation, but she has to seem like she's on the same playing field as some Khaenri'ahns, a mad doctor with even less morals than Rhine, the crimson witch of embers, an emo puppet made in the image of an archon, and whatever the hell capitanos deal is!! Those are huge shoes to fill for someone who has no special abilities or magical training! Someone with that much on their plate definitely has to seem perfect!

So as she starts to deconstruct her Rhine bias and realizes a lot was riding on Rhine seeming perfect as well, they start to get close. Rhine's honestly probably the most reliable source for what had happened to her personally before and during the Cataclysm, especially back when it was still fresh, because, with how out of it and delusional she was a lot of the time, she was mentally still living through it! Even as the worst of her corruption and trauma receded, there were still a few times where she was clearly disoriented, but between watching her relive it and the occasional fully coherent recollection, Ivanovna was able to paint some kinda picture of who Rhine was back then. She realized they had been fed a lot of stretched truths, if not some flat out lies, and she felt bad knowing that Rhine wasn't being judged based on the things she actually did, but instead by what the archons and few pure blooded Khaenri'ahns were saying about her.

Also,,, with Rhine being "straight" back then, and not an old hag, they probably had their fair share of boy talk. Since Rhine had more experience before Ivanovna got married, she'd go to Rhine for advice and to vent whenever her and her bf got into an argument. Rhine was also the most ecstatic when she told the ladies she got engaged.

Idk why I started yappin this much y'all I'm sorry🫡 I've been thinking about them lately I don't even know if this is coherent or if I need to step away from the forbidden knowledge

[brain-ded-bookworm]

Native American Ethnobotany Database

For anyone who studies North American botany (especially ethnobotany, but quite frankly, I feel like anyone involved in botany could improve by garnering a better understanding of human connections with plants), there is a database outlining the various uses of plants by the various indigenous North American tribes.

You can look up plants by common names, binomials, and even use.

The sources are fairly outdated, and the entires are not particularly detailed. Overall, the database leaves much to want. However, they're a good place to start. I hope there are databases with more native peoples involvement in the making, but again, this'll do for a starting place for those of us who can't receive the traditional teachings.

NAEB

[nerdyqueerandjewish]

Live in Minnesota or a neighboring state? Want to include more native grasses, sedges, and rushes in your garden or landscape? Find the amount of options overwhelming? I made a spreadsheet for that!

This includes a list of 34 grasses, sedges, and rushes that Prairie Moon Nursery recommends for homeowners. (If I didn’t narrow by their recommendation, it would be like 250 and I just don’t have time for that). You can filter for things like sun exposure, height, moisture, deer resistance, aggressiveness, cool/warm growing season. Ideally, filtering a few columns should give you a short list to chose from.

Before buying or planting anything, please double check the planting site is located in or, at least, very close to the native range of the species. Double check other relevant information as well because sometimes data entry errors happen! ☺️ Otherwise have fun planning and planting, and let me know if you run into any spreadsheet issues.

[solarpunkani]

Hey do you happen to know of any resources for someone in Iowa looking to get into native plant gardening? Thanks in advance! (Love your blog btw)

*cracks knuckles* sorry for keeping you hanging since November 3rd, homie, but I'm back home and down to get started!

Before I do, a special reminder that I'm not based in Iowa! I don't think I've ever even set foot in Iowa. I'm a Florida girlie lol. However, I will do my best to give you my advice and find some resources for you!

In my experience, many native plants grow slowly from seed. This could be because I mostly prefer perennials (I am way too lazy to replace an annual every year), but they can take awhile to germinate and an even longer while to size up. I've gotten seeds that say to wait upwards of 3 weeks to see any germination, and that's often after waiting a month or more for proper cold stratification! All of this is just to say--you gotta have a bit of patience when it comes to all gardening, but especially with native plants!

If you can get your hands on some seeds now, they'll likely need cold stratification. Fortunately, cold stratification is happening right now--put the seeds where you want them to grow, and let chilly winters do the work for you! Needing cold stratification basically means the plant has evolved to know it needs to wait until after winter to start germinating, so as things warm back up in spring, your seeds'll start growing!

Once they start growing and get established, they'll really start going--if they're in their perfect conditions, they'll be more than ready to take over a bit and manage on their own! Keep an eye out for watering needs, but generally I find native plants don't need much when it comes to fertilizer and pesticides. If you don't want things to spread a lot, you can always choose to grow certain plants in pots instead--or if you're really determined to grow a plant your soil isn't quite right for, a pot does wonders. My soil isn't very moist, so I grow a good chunk of my swamp milkweeds in pots to keep a better eye on their care.

Iowa's got a handful of growing zones going on, so knowing what the zone for your region is will help you pick the best plants! You can also pick plants known to have grown historically well in your region--I've seen plant range maps break things down by counties for my state, which helps give a good idea of whether it's a good idea for me to grow something touted as a native to my state. It's entirely possible for something to be native to your state, but not your half of the state, for example!

Browsing through a couple of sites, I hope these'll be helpful to you!

This is a link to Iowa Native Plants, which has a nice primer on the importance of native gardening as well as a few guides to native plants in their Finder tab! They also seem to sell a hanfdul of books on native gardening that may be an interesting read for you!

My Home Park appears to have a lot of information on native plants, and sells native plants that can be shipped to your state! I can't say I've ever had a plant shipped to me before, let alone from them (they don't service my state) but it could be worth a shot! If anything else, could be a good source of information! They also have a blog, and a feature that lets you mock up a garden to see what it'd look like (I didn't try it though). They also seem to service North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine.

The Tallgrass Prairie Center links to a ton of resources on learning about native plants, planting them, landowner incentive programs, and organizations you can join that are full of others who are passionate about native plants! The Tallgrass Prairie Center itself aims to establish and protect native plants, restore ecosystems, and increase awareness and appreciation of the Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem. I think their site's definitely worth a look-through, or you can use it as a bouncing off point to find other sites full of info!

The Iowa Native Plant Society is a nonprofit organization full of people who are enthusiastic about native plants! They host field trips, workshops, have a newsletter, and more! It could be a fun way to learn more about native ecosystems on their trips, and if they're anything like the native plant society for my state, the calendar on their site will probably start lighting up with different chapters' native plant sales as we get closer to spring, so keep an eye out! They've also got books and lots of resource links on their site!

Oftentimes when I look up information on how to grow a particular plant in my state, the university extensions office is one of the best resources. As such, I think the Iowa State University's Extension and Outreach website is likely to have some good info for you about gardening! I've also in the past emailed some staff from various offices questions about native gardening and gotten good answers, so they're definitely a resource to be utilized!

I almost forgot to link the Xerces Society! The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation has a primary focus of protecting insects in the US, but that often goes hand in hand with native plants, so they're a great resource for learning about plants and the insects that rely on them! Especially helpful is their Pollinator Conservation Resource Center, which has lists of plants and suppliers by region! You can also find just their plant lists here!

Speaking of plant lists, The National Wildlife Federation has a list of keystone plants by ecoregion! Keystone plants are highly important, as they're vital to the lifecycle of many species of insect, which then help feed birds and other creatures--you get the picture. I used the National Wildife Federation a good bit when I was writing my Biodiversity Saga on increasing biodiversity in your yard/on your balcony/in your area on a budget.

iNaturalist is a fantastic website for cataloguing the cool insects you find in your new native garden, as well as learning about the variety of plants, animals, insects, etc. that are in your area! Make an account and just vibe around!

Books can be a great resource! Unfortunately, my attention span is frequently lacking when it comes to books, and I definitely haven't read any that focus on Iowa's native flora. However! I've got a few general books that are nice reads, so you can definitely see if you can find these in a library or online (I'm including Thriftbooks links because fuck Amazon).

Hellstrip Gardening by Evelyn J. Hadden is a book I read last month that honestly inspired so many new projects out of me that next year is gonna be busy. Might as well get a healthy dose of inspiration now so you can do some planning and be roaring and ready to go come spring! I liveblogged it on my gardening blog, and shared some of my favorite notes as well!

Attracting Native Pollinators by the Xerces Society is a book that offers a generalized view on why its important, ways you can utilize native plants at any scale from swaths of farmland to a school garden or a small yard, and provides lists of plants that can be good for your region near the end! They also have Gardening for Butterflies, which I honestly haven't read yet, but I checked it out from the library so Mayhaps Soon. PS: you can buy Attracting Native Pollinators and Gardening for Butterflies from the Xerces site directly, and support their work! However. Hoo buddy, the pricing.

(Psst, here's the plant list from Attracting Native Pollinators, don't tell Xerces)

My final message to you, young padawan, is to grow milkweed. If there's a milkweed native to your state, grow it. If there's several native to your region, grow a ton of it. Milkweed is the host plant for Monarchs, but it's also such a high-value nectar source for so many other insects you've just gotta try and grow some in my book. Also a lot of the sites I saw for your state had pictures of blazing star and black eyed susans and let me tell you. Plant those. You'll have so many happy pollinators.

I can't think of anything else. If any Iowa gardeners wanna chime in with their favorite resources and such, feel free to!

[dandelionsresilience]

We’ve all seen those posts saying “Grow native plants!” but there are a lot fewer posts telling us which plants are native to where. Here’s how to find out:

Keystone plant species by ecoregion

Find plants native to your zip code and see how many butterfly species depend on them

Native plants by state plus some state-specific plant-related resources

Native wildflowers by region

A bunch of different databases of native plants plus links to vetted retailers

And how you can get seeds or baby plants:

Enter your zip code to find plants for your growing zone

Free Heirloom Seeds (though it’s much better to donate if you can)

Seed Savers Exchange

How to get seeds out of plants

Resources on how to save seeds

Links to guides on saving your own seeds, plus a few exchanges and info/resources for seed libraries

A bunch of ways to get free seeds

Also how to get free compost

Free wildflower variety packet with every purchase

Landowners with 2+ acres can get free pollinator-supporting seeds

And some info you might need to know about them:

Plant toxicity to pets

A useful digital catalog with lots of good information (and purchases earn points toward free seeds)

Info on foraging, growing, and storing food, and more

[indiegame]

learned about sooo many native plants today! and got to see ones i've known about but never seen in person. also buy a few.

[learnwithmearticles]

Butterfly Weed

Butterfly Weed, two things that are appreciable on their own as well as together. This is the common name of Asclepias tuberosa, a perennial native to New Jersey and a beautiful addition to a garden. Keep reading to learn some specifics about this beauty.

[Image I.D. A close-up photo of a Butterfly Milkweed in bloom. The flowers have five close-together orange petals and the plant’s green stems and flowers can be seen behind them. End I.D.]

As a perennial, Butterfly Weed, also called Butterfly Milkweed, needs only to be planted once, and will then be able to re-flower every year. It blooms in late spring to early summer, around June to August. 

Along with being a native species to the east and southwest of North America, this flower has many environmental benefits.

Butterfly Weed flowers are a useful source of nectar for many pollinators, including butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Monarch butterflies can also use the leaves as a place to lay eggs.

This plant is tolerant to drought, and it grows deep roots that are very beneficial to strengthening soil against erosion. 

The best way to include these in a garden is to start from seeds. They need about three months of cold temperatures without moisture, so planting in the fall is ideal. They might take more than a year or two to bloom, but once established, they can be left alone. Additionally, they are not the favoured nourishment for deer or rabbits, so they are likely to be left untouched. They might occasionally require watering to remove aphids, though.

History Bit

Another interesting fact about this plant is its historical use as herbal medicine. 

Reportedly, several Native American communities would use the roots of Butterfly Weed to treat respiratory illnesses like pleurisy and bronchitis. This is why this plant is also sometimes called pleurisy root. During the 1918 influenza pandemic, pleurisy root was one of a few medicinal plants used to help patients. Physicians at the time reported that it was very useful for chest pains and serious coughs.

Additionally, in some Native American communities, seed pods were sometimes boiled to be eaten, and the soft parts spun to make candlewicks.

Ultimately, Butterfly Weed is not only a gorgeous flower to have in a garden, it also comes with many benefits to soil and wildlife. If you’re looking to diversify your yard in the east or southwest of North America, this plant is a very good choice.

Additional Resources

1. https://www.jerseyyards.org/plant/asclepias-tuberosa/

2. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/asclepias_tuberosa.shtml#

3.https://www.tnnursery.net/blogs/tn-nursery-blog/the-history-and-benefits-of-butterfly-weed#

4. https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/butterflyweed/

5. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cpb1958/48/7/48_7_1017/_pdf

[darklinespectra]

Are you 🫵 pissed off about the Lilo and Stitch monstrosity remake? Do you want to know how you can actually make a difference in supporting the people and ecosystems of Hawaii?

Tourism is a big issue in Hawaii (which the remake got rid of the original's commentary on because it makes foreigners look bad). I'm not gonna promote it, BUT I know that realistically, thousands of people arrive here every single day by the airplane-ful. And the majority of them aren't educated on the socio-cultural and economic impacts of tourism. SO, I'm making this post in an effort to educate visitors. If you or someone you know is visiting or moving to Hawaii (whether by circumstances in or out of your control), here are some suggestions on how you can give back!

You can donate to the Hawaii Community Foundation, which has been instrumental in giving aid to the displaced community of Lahaina after the Maui wildfires in 2023. They also provide scholarships to students of under-represented communities.

If you're interested in visiting Kualoa Ranch, you can do their Mālama Experience where you get your hands dirty giving back to the ‘āina (land)!

There are other organizations you can join to volunteer with, too, like Kupu and Mālama Maunalua. Check them out; maybe you can help with a beach cleanup or plant native trees! These are both non-profit organizations that accept monetary donations.

Visit the Bishop Museum to learn about Hawaiian history and culture! They also have events focused on sustainability and conservation.

If you're visiting Hilo on the Big Island, go visit the Laulima Nature Center! They're a non-profit aimed at protecting Hawaii's native species, and they even have an online store that ships to the US mainland and internationally! (After I post this, I'm gonna head on over and get myself a manu o Kū pin ♡)

A few other tips I have:

DO: Respect the locals' homes. Several beaches and hiking trails have access points in residential areas. Please be mindful to keep your voices down when passing by, and park ONLY in designated parking areas.

DO: Wear reef-safe sunscreen! Sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate are banned in Hawaii because they are known to damage coral reefs.

DON'T: Approach wildlife, particularly honu (sea turtles) and 'īlio holo i ka uaua (Hawaiian monk seals). Stay at least 10 feet (3 meters) away from turtles and at least 50 feet (15 meters) away from monk seals. If you see someone harassing animals, report them to the statewide NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline: (888) 256-9840. You can also contact the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources.

DON'T: Collect sand, rocks, or other natural items to bring home with you. This is to protect the ecosystems and also out of respect for Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians), who have cultural beliefs regarding lava rocks in particular. Taking lava rocks is extremely disrespectful.

DON'T: Litter! Please throw away your waste in proper trash cans. If you see a bin that says "ʻōpala," that's a trash can!

Many Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) are moving to the US mainland because the cost of living in Hawaii has been driven up so high (because of people moving here), they can't afford to live in their ancestral home. So, if you are going to visit or move to Hawaii, please:

- Make the effort to support local businesses, especially those owned by Native Hawaiians!

- Educate yourself and your loved ones about actual Hawaiian culture!

- Try Hawaiian food, like poi!

- Learn some Hawaiian words and don't be afraid to ask how to pronounce words correctly!

- Donate to a food bank!

- Watch films and read books written by Native Hawaiians!

My hope is that whoever sees this post will use it to educate themselves, their friends, and their families who are considering visiting.

My background is in sustainability and the environment, so that's what I know to suggest off the top of my head. If any Kānaka Maoli read this post and have suggestions to add, please do!

[anipgarden]

Some of you may have heard about Monarch butterflies being added to the Threatened species list in the US and be planning to immediately rush out in spring and buy all the milkweed you can manage to do your part and help the species.

And that's fantastic!! Starting a pollinator garden and/or encouraging people and businesses around you to do the same is an excellent way to help not just Monarchs but many other threatened and at-risk pollinator species!

However.

Please please PLEASE do not obtain Tropical Milkweed for this purpose!

Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)--also commonly known as bloodflower, Mexican butterflyweed, and scarlet milkweed--will likely be the first species of milkweed you find for sale at most nurseries. It'll be fairly cheap, too, and it grows and propagates so easily you'll just want to grab it! But do not do that!

Tropical milkweed can cause a host of issues that can ultimately harm the butterflies you're trying to help, such as--

Harboring a protozoan parasite called OE (which has been linked to lower migration success, reductions in body mass, lifespan, mating success, and flight ability) for long periods of time

Remaining alive for longer periods, encouraging breeding during migration time/overwintering time as well as keeping monarchs in an area until a hard freeze wherein which they die

Actually becoming toxic to monarch caterpillars when exposed to warmer temperatures associated with climate change

However--do not be discouraged!! There are over 100 species of milkweed native to the United States, and plenty of resources on which are native to your state specifically! From there, you can find the nurseries dedicated to selling native milkweeds, or buy/trade for/collect seeds to grow them yourself!!

The world of native milkweeds is vast and enchanting, and I'm sure you'll soon find a favorite species native to your area that suits your growing space! There's tons of amazing options--whether you choose the beautiful pink vanilla-smelling swamp milkweed, the sophisticated redring milkweed, the elusive purple milkweed, the alluring green antelopehorn milkweed, or the charming heartleaf milkweed, or even something I didn't list!

And there's tons of resources and lots of people willing to help you on your native milkweed journey! Like me! Feel free to shoot me an ask if you have any questions!

Just. PLEASE. Leave the tropical milkweed alone. Stay away.

TLDR: Start a pollinator garden to help the monarchs! Just don't plant tropical milkweed. There's hundreds of other milkweeds to grow instead!

[eyrieofsynapses]

you know, I've come to expect people blasting their music/tiktoks/whatever in most public spaces. I absolutely hate it, but I kind of expect it. but in the corner of the public library? the quiet top floor of the fucking library? the public space that is RENOWNED for being a place where you are supposed to be quiet and people usually speak in whispers and there are whole scenes of movies and shows where the librarian gets annoyed by characters talking too loudly? and you're going to blast your shit so loud my noise-cancelling headphones and my speech-blocker white noise machine can't shut you out?

and not to mention there are two people fucking doing this???

anyway the rise of personal devices containing speakers that can be used to play loud sounds was a Severe Mistake. or we need to put every person in mandatory "how to respect others" classes every six months. possibly both. whatever

[reasonsforhope]

"In 2021, scientists in Guelph, Ontario set out to accomplish something that had never been done before: open a lab specifically designed for raising bumble bees in captivity. 

Now, three years later, the scientists at the Bumble Bee Conservation Lab are celebrating a huge milestone. Over the course of 2024, they successfully pulled off what was once deemed impossible and raised a generation of yellow-banded bumble bees. 

The Bumble Bee Conservation Lab, which operates under the nonprofit Wildlife Preservation Canada, is the culmination of a decade-long mission to save the bee species, which is listed as endangered under the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation...

Although the efforts have been in motion for over a decade, the lab itself is a recent development that has rapidly accelerated conservation efforts. 

For bee scientists, the urgency was necessary. 

“We could see the major declines happening rapidly in Canada’s native bumble bees and knew we had to act, not just talk about the problem, but do something practical and immediate,” Woolaver said. 

Yellow-banded bumble bees, which live in southern Canada and across a huge swatch of the United States, were once a common species.

However, like many other bee species, their populations declined sharply in the mid-1990s from a litany of threats, including pathogens, pesticides, and dramatic habitat loss. 

Since the turn of the century, scientists have plunged in to give bees a helping hand. But it was only in the last decade that Woolaver and his team “identified a major gap” in bumble bee conservation and set out to solve it. 

“No one knew how to breed threatened species in captivity,” he explained. “This is critically important if assurance populations are needed to keep a species from going extinct and to assist with future reintroductions.”

To start their experiment, scientists hand-selected wild queen bees throughout Ontario and brought them to the temperature-controlled lab, where they were “treated like queens” and fed tiny balls of nectar and pollen. 

Then, with the help of Ontario’s African Lion Safari theme park, the queens were brought out to small, outdoor enclosures and paired with other bees with the hope that mating would occur. 

For some pairs, they had to play around with different environments to “set the mood,” swapping out spacious flight cages for cozier colony boxes. 

And it worked. 

“The two biggest success stories of 2024 were that we successfully bred our focal species, yellow-banded bumble bees, through their entire lifecycle for the first time,” Woolaver said. 

“[And] the first successful overwintering of yellow-banded bumble bees last winter allowed us to establish our first lab generation, doubling our mating successes and significantly increasing the number of young queens for overwintering to wake early spring and start their own colonies for future generations and future reintroductions.”

Although the first-of-its-kind experiment required careful planning, consideration, resources, and a decade of research, Woolaver hopes that their efforts inspire others to help bees in backyards across North America. 

“Be aware that our native bumble bees really are in serious decline,” Woolaver noted, “so when cottagers see bumble bees pollinating plants in their gardens, they really are seeing something special.”"

-via GoodGoodGood, December 9, 2024