I’ve learned over the past few years how important it is to incorporate native species into my garden, which is located next to a York County creek that occasionally floods our land. The garden can withstand seawater as well as high winds, a hot sun, and sandy soil that drains quickly.
After much testing, I’ve discovered that native plants are my best option, however some of them struggle to survive. So far, perennials like Joe-pye weed, butterfly weed, cup plant, cardinal flower, and great blue lobelia, the shrub wax myrtle, and trees like redbud and eastern red cedar are among my tried-and-true favorites.
I intend to introduce you to some native species you can utilize in your yard and some invasive species you should stay away from with the aid of the John Clayton Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society. The first of a monthly series featuring some of those species, as well as helpful insects and invasive plants, is the piece you’re reading right now. Helen Hamilton, a former president and the author of “Wildflowers and Grasses of Virginia’s Coastal Plain,” as well as Phillip Merritt, the head of the regional native plant society branch, are the sources of today’s knowledge.
The American Wisteria, also known as Wisteria frutescens, is a substitute for the fast-growing Chinese and Japanese wisterias since it grows more slowly and is simple to regulate with trimming.
In the spring, hanging masses of stunning purplish-white flower clusters cover the plant, according to Hamilton, and its branches freely tangle up tree trunks and trellises.
The natural vine’s flowers lack scent, although those of the invasive variety are similar in appearance. Additionally, Asian vines have blooms that emerge before leaves, but native vines have flowers that bloom after leaves. While the Chinese and Japanese species bloom from April to July, the local variety blooms from April to May.
The wisterias are tall climbing vines with toothed feather-compound leaves, and only minor variations may tell the natural from the invasive variety apart. Brown, bean-like fruits are produced from late summer into the winter. While Asian wisteria species produce velvety pods, native wisteria fruits are smooth.
Hamilton remarked that American Wisteria is suitable for planting in gardens, on trellises, and along deck railings because it is not aggressive.
This vine grows sporadically in roadside ditches and fencerows but prefers moist or wet forests and riverbanks. Although the plant is common in Virginia’s southeastern counties, it only grows naturally in the eastern United States.
The nursery trade has access to a wide variety of cultivars. Carpenter bees pollinate the straight variety, which serves as a host plant for the long-winged skipper butterfly’s larvae. It’s possible that cultivars don’t attract pollinators or don’t flower profusely. Furthermore, cultivars do not support local butterflies.
The Chinese and Japanese wisterias, which reproduce by seeds and by developing roots at the nodes, are exceedingly challenging to regulate once established, according to Hamilton.
“New shoots will grow from the area that has been pruned or back. These invasive species are quite aggressive and quickly climb shrubs and trees, destroying and shading native plants in the process.”
The eastern carpenter bee, or Xylocopa virginica, uses its huge mandibles to scrape tunnels into wood, excavating a chamber that, according to Hamilton, develops more than an inch long per week. The name emphasizes the activity of this bee. The average tunnel is 5-7 inches long when finished, with a circular entrance that is roughly half an inch broad. In addition to storing a ball of pollen and nectar to feed the developing larva, the female will lay her eggs in this location. Six to nine eggs are produced by each female, and each one grows in a separate tunnel cell.
The adults visit a wide range of flowers, both in gardens and in their natural environments. For some plants, such as American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) and passionflower vine (Passiflora incarnata), eastern carpenter bees are crucial pollinators. They are also, like bumblebees, efficient “buzz pollinators” of tomato, eggplant, and other crops.
Carpenter bees are huge, measuring approximately an inch long, and resemble queen bumblebees, but they lack the yellow bands and have an abdomen that is glossy rather than hairy and black. Males have a noticeable white mark on their face that females do not. Although peaceful, females have a stinger when provoked. The violent males can only defend their mates and their territory.
The back face of the trim under the eaves, where the surface is not coated, or other spots where bare or painted wood is exposed are where these insects establish their nests, according to the expert.
“Unfortunately for homeowners, the tunnel excavation process results in waste-filled yellow sawdust, which discolors wood in an ugly manner. Because the tunnels are so small, structural damage doesn’t happen for many years until the bees enlarge or create new tunnels in the same spot. Occasionally, predatory woodpeckers are drawn to the carpenter bee larvae, extending the harm done by the adults.”
Eastern carpenter bees can be found practically anyplace in the east, from southern Maine’s coast west through southern New England, New York, and extremely southern Ontario to eastern Iowa, eastern Texas, and nearly all of Florida. They are most noticeable when they establish breeding colonies on the outside of houses, barns, and other outbuildings as well as on fence posts, but Hamilton also noted that they are numerous in woodlands where they build their nests high in dead trees or substantial dead branches on living trees. Although they are not just limited to conifers, they may opt to nest in pines and other species, as well. They frequently build their nests on sunny, dry wood.
According to Merritt, vinca is a typical garden plant that can become invasive when planted in or close to woodlands or other natural settings. It also thrives in the climate of Hampton Roads.
Although it is categorized as a perennial twining vine, it normally forms dense mats that are just 6 to 18 inches high. It has very delicate and lovely pale blue flowers.
There are two types: Vinca minor (sometimes called periwinkle), which has leaves that are about 11/2 inches long, and Vinca major (commonly known as vinca), which has leaves up to 21/2 inches long. Each species also comes in variegated variants.
The common garden annual Catharanthus, which is also known as vinca, should not be confused with Vinca major or minor, he advised.
According to Merritt, homeowners frequently plant vinca without realizing the potential damage it can do since they want evergreen groundcovers to cover areas that aren’t already covered in lawn.
He explained that some individuals grow vinca because of its lovely evergreen and shade-tolerant leaves since they find the leaf litter in wooded regions unpleasant.
“However, if it gets loose in the forests, it virtually becomes uncontrollable, destroying vital habitat for native plant species.”
Vinca doesn’t appear to spread through seeds, therefore it is likely safe to use in a small, well-controlled area, particularly as a draped pot in container gardens.
It doesn’t have anything better to do but wait for an opportunity to stretch out its vines and watch for a way out to open up.
In contrast to the native forest herbs that vinca displaces, Doug Tallamy, author of “Bringing Nature Home,” claims that vinca supports few or no insect species. Our song birds, amphibians, and other creatures eat insects as an essential component of the food chain.
“One of its applications, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden website, is “naturalizing.” Anything that is referred to as “naturalizing” should be avoided if you care about the environment. Nothing about it is natural, “Merritt declared. Another dubious description that should be attributed to vinca is “fast-growing.”
What draw wisteria trees?
North America is the species’ natural habitat. The violet blossom clusters on the wisteria vine are well renowned for falling like a stunning waterfall. Wisteria is prized for its quick growth and capacity for climbing, and in your garden, it can spread out to cover a significant area both horizontally and laterally.
Butterflies and other insects are drawn to the wisteria’s aromatic blossoms and seeds. Your garden walls will be covered with vibrant color and the aroma of sweet, alluring nectar thanks to the lovely blossoming Wisteria.
Are wisteria wasps drawn to it?
A wasp nest is best located in wisteria. Vespid, or paper, wasps construct their nests directly on the woody stems of the vines, on trellises, or on arbors. These insect-eating wasps and their progeny can find shelter and foraging space among the many blooms. Wasp parasites, which are notorious wisteria pests, lay their eggs within aphids. The aphid is consumed from the inside out by the larvae as the eggs hatch. Wisteria is not harmed by wasps. Their presence is incidental to the success of the plant.
Wisteria has nectar, right?
The lovely wisteria blossom, a member of the pea family, has a straightforward mechanism for nectar distribution. No lengthy flowery tube exists. Instead, nectar is available close to the flower’s surface, but accessing it requires a tiny movement of the petals.
why wisteria shouldn’t be planted?
In order to support the massive vine, the wisteria’s root system extends out widely and dives deep. Do wisteria roots exhibit aggression? Yes, wisteria’s root system is highly aggressive. Avoid planting wisteria next to walls or walkways because of its extensive and strong root system. These are easily harmed by a wisteria’s root system.
Experts advise inserting a corrugated panel about 6 feet (1.8 m) long and several feet (1 m) broad beside the plant to redirect the roots if you find a wisteria close to a building or pathway.