Flower Focus

Part of a 26 inch long Intense red flowering spike of Lobelia cardinalis.

Lobelia cardinalis L.

Commonly known as cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis with brilliant red flower spikes lift the late summer garden like no other plant. This moisture loving, native plant of the Americas is found near water source in part shade to full sun conditions in its wild habitat. In my garden, it tolerates both dry and wet soil sites. One difference is that the plants in the dry sites tend to have shorter height and flower spikes.

 

 

L. cardinals is surely an aesthetic delight but it is also a ruby-throated hummingbird magnet. Occasionally larger bumble bees and spicebush swallowtails do venture into the tubular corolla to steal the nectar but leave the job of pollination to the hummingbirds. Flowering right after the last of the monarda species (bee balm), L. cardinalis blooms from late July all the way through early September. Together with the monarda spp., L. cardinalis provides a seamless flow of nectar for ruby-throated hummingbirds.

A bumblebee on Lobelia cardinalis does not pollinate the flower but enjoys the nectar.

Usually constantly in motion, darting from one cardinal flower spike to another, this ruby-throated hummingbird rests on the dead foliage of a day lily guarding the nectar source.

Although, perennial, L. cardinalis can be short lived especially if it lacks water. It germinates easily when seeds are directly sown in the soil in late fall. Be patient, seedlings take time to grow. Transfer the seedlings the next fall if necessary.

Seedlings of Lobelia cardinalis sown directly into the soil last fall.

Fortunately for us, L. cardinalis is common and widely distributed in the Americas (see distribution map). In the US, its native habitat covers the eastern and southwestern states. However, habitat loss is still a significant threat to wildflowers including L. cardinalis and adding them to our gardens would ensure its conservation.

Where have all the wild flowers gone…?

Paved driveways and sterile lawns replace native oaks, pine, holly, mayapple and spring beauty. Our garden centers market highly invasive species like Bradford pear, nandina and Russian olive which not only homogenize our lawns but overrun surrounding areas supplanting pockets of native landscape that have managed to avoid the bulldozer.

A typical suburban landscaping

This is the story of towns and neighborhoods throughout the United States. We have replaced species rich forests and grasslands with great rapidity through intensive agriculture and urban sprawl resulting in loss, reduction, fragmentation and degradation of plant and wildlife habitat.

Native plants and local wildlife diversity

Local wildlife diversity and native plants evolved and exist in an inextricable relationship. For many of our insects and birds, native plants are the major source of food and nesting sites without which their population will decline. And without wildlife to disperse seeds, many native plants would also decline.

A bumblebee feeding on a bee balm (Monarda fistulosa)

Studies show that a predominance of non-native plants in many cases cause a decline in wildlife populations by changing structure and composition of vegetation as well as reduction in food, cover and optimal nesting sites (1, 2, 3). Fruits of some non-natives can even poison local wildlife—nandina berries, for example, kill cedar wax wings. Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), and honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) fruits provide less energy for birds than native spicebush (Lindera benzoin), gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa), and Virginia creeper-Parthenocissus quinquefolia (4).

 

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) fruits are important winter food source for birds.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) leaves are food for spicebush swallow tails and fruits are eaten by birds.  Photo by Tom Potterfield on Flickr

About 20% of our native bees are specialists and require specific plant species for survival. For example, the trout lily bee (Andrena erythronii) exclusively feeds on trout lilies (Erythronium spp.). But, trout lilies and other spring species native to the US are being out-competed by species such as fig buttercup (Rununculus ficaria), a native of Eurasia. Often aggressive non-natives like fig buttercup, emerge earlier than our native plants, rob them of the sunlight and out-compete them for resources. Even bees that are generalists and forage on non-native species prefer natives (5).

Trout-lily bees would go extinct if trout-lily plants such as this yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum) disappear and vice versa. Photo by Janet on Flickr

Fig buttercup (Rununculus ficaria) suffocates our native spring plants. Photo by Ferit GURE on Flickr

Role of gardens in native plant conservation

An estimated 63, 000 square miles of land, about the size of Texas, in the conterminous US has been converted to lawns (6). This means our lawns, backyards and gardens have increased importance in native plant conservation. Ecologists have long told us that there is a strong relationship between the size of an area and the number of species found there. The larger the area, the more diverse the habitat, numerous the species and the more likely a large population of any given species can be supported. If we transform our yards into gardens rich in native plant species, it would provide an interconnected habitat for local and migratory wildlife. In addition, native plants add a sense of place, often lacking in our homogenized landscape.

With 17,000 vascular plants, the US has one of the most diverse flora in the world and one could certainly create a well-designed and beautiful garden entirely out of native plants. However, one need not go that far. A garden with at least 50% native plants, would still make a tremendous difference in native plants and wildlife conservation.

My garden consists of about 80% native plant species but non-natives like sweet william, lily and a peach tree are also present.

Together we can make difference

 If you are interested in incorporating native plants into your garden, do not dig them from the wild. Digging wild plants can only be justifiable if it is in danger of being lost permanently due to development and needs rescuing.  Many plant nurseries now carry native plants and their inventories of these plants are increasing with demand. Also, keep a look out for native plant sale events near you (see example—spring 2017 native plant sale in Virginia)

Beyond growing natives in our garden, we can actively promote and advocate for them by volunteering with native plant societies. We can support our parks and wild lands which are in many cases the only remaining refuge for native plants and wildlife. Local and national organizations that work towards preserving wild lands need our support. Equally important, we must ask our cities and states to choose native plants over non-natives and often invasive species in parks, community gardens and public spaces including medians, road sides and around hard infrastructure. A paradigm shift is imperative. It is time to consider the ecological impact of our designed landscapes.  Let’s create a biodiversity reserve in our gardens and man-made landscapes. Let’s go native!

 

References

1. Catling, P.M. 2005. Effects of invasive alien plants on birds: some examples from North America. Biodiversity, 6(3):30-39.

2. Flanders, A., Kuvelsky, W., Ruthven, D. III, Zaiglin, R., Bingham, R., Fulbright, T., Hernandez, F. & Brennan, L. 2006. Effects of invasive exotic grasses on South Texas rangeland breeding birds. The Auk, 123(1): 171-182.

3. Steidl, R.J., Litt, A.R. & Matter, W.J. 2013. Effects of plant invasions on wildlife in dessert grasslands. Wildlife Society Bulletin,    37(3):57-536.

4. Smith, S.B., K.H. McPherson, J.M. Backer, B.J. Pierce, D.W. Podlesak, and S.R. McWilliams. 2007. Fruit quality and consumption by songbirds during autumn migration. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 119:419–428.

5. Morandin, L.A. & Kremen, C. 2012. Bee preference for native versus exotic plants in restored agricultural. Restoration Ecology, 21(1): 26-32.

6. Milesia, C., Elvidgeb, C.D., Dietzc, J.B., Tuttled, B.T., Nemania, R. R. & Runninge, S.W. 2005. A strategy for mapping and modelling the ecological effects of US lawns in Moeller, M. & Wentz, E. (eds.) Joint Symposia URBAN-URS 2005, 2005 Tempe, AZ, USA. International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

 

One-Horned Asian Rhino and Nepal's War on Poaching

A thousand days of zero rhino poaching in Chitwan National Park in Nepal demonstrates conservation works best when conservation communities are supported by governmental entities.

One-horned Asian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Chitwan National Park, Nepal (Photo by Antonio Cinotti)

Political turmoil in Nepal has made conservation policies impossible to implement for the last two decades so, for Nepal zero poaching of rhinos is no small achievement. Zero Poaching Framework  required collaboration between conservation partners—WWF Nepal, park officers and local communities as well as the commitment and leadership of governmental partners—the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Nepal’s army and Nepal’s police to employ six key integrative features: assessment, capacity, community, co-operation, prosecution and technology­­­­­. 

Between 1996 and 2006—during the Maoist insurgency, 200 rhinos were poached. In 2005, WWF Nepal counted 375 rhinos. Nepal adopted Zero Poaching Framework in 2011. The rhino population increased to 645 by 2016. According to the Nepali Times, only four rhinos have been killed by poachers since 2011. Now, the success of zero poaching of iconic rhino needs to be translated into a long term conservation of other species in Nepal. That means habitat protection and restoration must also be prioritized along with the continued efforts toward zero poaching.