Plants – Page 2 – Discover-Nature

Conifers

Conifers are one member of a group of plants known as gymnosperms, meaning ‘naked seeds’, a reference to the seed not being enclosed in an ovary or fruit. These plants do not flower, but have both male and female cones. The male cones carry pollen, which is dispersed by the wind. The female cones that come in contact with the blowing pollen will take some into the ova and produce seeds in the cone. Cones are green as they grow, turning brown as the seeds mature. When cones open, seeds are dispersed by falling to the ground or being picked up and moved by animals. In some conifer species, cones will not open until certain environmental conditions are met, namely the presence of fire. These species have serotinous cones, ones that only open when exposed to high heat. Fire also kills other plants that compete with conifers for resources such as sunlight and water, and it releases minerals from burned plants into the soil providing nutrients for new conifer seedlings.

White Spruce, *Picea glauca*, by Northern Forest Atlas Foundation

Most conifers are evergreen, although a few are deciduous. Deciduous trees lose their leaves all at the same time, when temperatures start to drop in autumn. Evergreens also lose their needles, a few at a time throughout the year, and they are quickly replaced by new growth so the tree is never bare. Evergreen needles are thin leaves found on several types of conifer including fir, spruce, and pine. Other types of conifers like juniper, cypress and cedar, have soft, scale-like needles. An examination of the needles is the best way to identify a conifer species. Whether they are stiff and sharp, or flexible and soft; bunched in groups or growing singly; and the number of needles that are in each bundle will help you to identify a specific tree species.

Austrian Pine, *Pinus nigra*, needles in sheathed pairs, by DonArnold

Climate conditions, especially temperature and precipitation, greatly influence the tree species found in any one area. Colder temperatures reduce the ability of plants to function. Deciduous plants handle this change by entering a state of dormancy until warmer temperatures arrive in spring. Precipitation in northern Illinois is generally well distributed throughout the year, although in winter, it falls as snow. Combined with a frozen soil layer, this water is not available for ready use by any plant species until the spring thaw. Evergreen species are well equipped to handle these conditions. Needles have a waxy, outer covering, while roots and stems are filled with resin, a chemical that acts as antifreeze. The general shape of the tree, with branches sloping down and out, keeps snow from accumulating and freezing on the foliage. The plants can survive very cold temperatures without damage and are able to start photosynthesizing food as soon as liquid water is available in spring. This gives evergreen species a jump on shorter growing seasons in cooler northern climates.

Austrian Pine, *Pinus nigra*, unopened seed cone, by DonArnold

Conifers in this area are used extensively by birds, mammals and insects for food and shelter. They make good habitat, providing protection from wind, rain and flying predators. A wide variety of insects call conifers home including spider mites, aphids, bark beetles and various caterpillars. Many of these insect species provide food for woodpeckers and nuthatches. Squirrel nests are well screened from wind and precipitation by evergreen boughs. During the day, many bird species like to browse among the ground litter of pine needles and fallen food. And later in the evening, that same activity is taken up by several mammals prowling the night time.

Hairy Woodpecker searching for insects on Austrian Pine, by DonArnold

There are about 700 conifer species found world-wide, and they can be found in backyards, city parks and nature areas all over DuPage County. They are most abundant in cooler climates and are important timber trees. All are softwoods, a versatile building material for mouldings, windows, flooring, paneling and plywood. They provide great backyard habitat in our area, and serve as an important natural resource for many over-wintering species in DuPage County.

Autumn Leaves

Autumn officially began just a few short weeks ago, but we are already able to observe the changing colors and leaf fall in the woods. There is much about nature that we can appreciate at this time of year, with observation and a little help from books, blogs and research.

Hackberry, *Celtis occidentalis* by DonArnold

Leaves on trees produce food for the rest of the tree. They do this by a process called photosynthesis which combines carbon dioxide, water, pigments and energy to create sugars and oxygen. The sugars are used to feed the rest of the tree. The oxygen is a by-product that is released into the surrounding atmosphere. The various pigments include chlorophylls, which allow a plant to absorb energy from light; carotenoids, which also assist in energy absorption; and xanthophylls, which protect the photosynthesis process from the toxic elements of light. All of these pigments give leaves certain colors. During spring and summer, chlorophylls are present in the highest concentrations, and they give leaves their green color. In autumn and winter, as the number of hours of light per day gets shorter, the photosynthesis process slows down and finally ceases. The amount of chlorophyll decreases and color from the other pigments starts to show through. Carotenoids are orange and yellow, while xanthophylls are yellow and brown. Another pigment that is only present when there is more sugar being produced than used by the plant is anthocyanin, and it colors the leaves red and purple.

Colors in autumn may be brilliant in some years, or more muted in other years. This intensity is determined by the weather conditions during late summer and autumn. Carotenoids and xanthophylls are always present in the leaves during food production season. Dry periods in late summer reduce the amount of sugar being produced. Thus, the red and purple hues from anthocyanin may be muted or not present at all, allowing more of the orange, yellow, and brown pigments to be displayed. Colors may be more muted with less moisture in the leaves and the length of time the leaves remain on the tree may be shortened.

White Ash, *Fraxinus americana*, by DonArnold

Color is also affected by temperature. When days are warm and sunny, leaves produce a lot of sugar. At night, in cooler weather, leaf veins constrict and limit the amount of sugar flowing to the rest of the plant, thus creating an excess of sugar remaining in the leaves each day. This is when we see lots of red and purple hues from anthocyanins displayed.

While leaves are falling, trees are preparing for spring in other ways. During senescence, that time of year when leaves grow old, carbohydrates, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous and potassium are reabsorbed by the tree in great quantities from the leaves. None of these elements are lost, but they are stored in twig, stem and root tissues. They will be used in springtime to fuel the beginning of the next year’s growth.

Another way for a tree to get a head start on next year comes from bud growth. Buds are formed in late summer or early fall, and are covered with modified leaves called bud scales. These will seal them against the cold and wet weather of winter. Most of the buds that you can observe are leaf buds containing tightly packed, immature leaves. In spring, when the weather gets warm enough for sap to start flowing, these buds will unfold into the first leaves of spring. Larger size buds may be flower buds, depending on the species and age of the tree. Flower buds do not change much in the winter months, but they will grow a bit larger as we get near bud burst in spring. You may also observe terminal buds, found at the ends of branches. Oak trees, as well as other species, add length to existing branches when these buds begin their spring growth.

There are numerous good field guides about trees available, but I would like to mention four that I use. “Winter Tree Finder” by May Thielgaard Watts and Tom Watts instructs you in how to look at a twig and its structures. Then the book guides you through an examination of a twig to identify the genus and species of deciduous trees in winter. “Trees of Illinois” by Linda Kershaw is another book organized using keys with excellent pictures of leaves, buds and fruit for each species, along with ranges and characteristics of each. “The Tree Identification Book” by George W.D. Symonds provides a wide variety of black and white photographs for every part of a tree including thorns, leaves, flowers, fruit, twigs, buds, bark and needles. Peterson Field Guides presents “Ecology of Eastern Forests,” with chapters describing the plants and animals encountered in different types of forests, and how they all function together. Other chapters talk about how forest patterns change with the various seasons.

Pumpkins

We are quickly approaching two of my favorite holidays, and they both involve pumpkins! Everyone knows something about pumpkins from their bright orange color to their unique taste. Let’s go further and explore some of the many ways this wonderful fruit has impacted our culture.

Pumpkins are a fruit from various species of winter squash, all from the genus Cucurbita. The type of fruit is called ‘pepo’, which is from the Greek word ‘pepon’ meaning a large melon. Pumpkins are native to northeastern Mexico and the southern United States. Pumpkins are one of the oldest domesticated plants, found as early as 7500 B.C. They are grown on every continent except Antarctica, and they are widely used throughout the world for food, aesthetic and recreational purposes. About half of the world’s crop is grown in China and India. The U.S. grows about 2.2 billion pounds of pumpkins each year, comprising less than 4% of the world’s production.

Pumpkins should be planted in late May in our area. Plants produce both male and female flowers. Flowers can be fertilized by a wide range of pollinator insects, but historically the plants attract the native squash bee, Peponapis pruinoso or the Eastern bumblebee, Bombus impatiens. Pollen grains from the plants in this genus are quite large, and can be managed by only a handful of species. With the decline in the population of squash bees in the U.S., commercial production will use captive honeybees or hand pollination if there are not enough wild bees in an area.

Pumpkins are classified as fruit, the seed bearing structure of a flowering plant. As they start to grow, they are green and will turn to orange for the same reason green leaves on deciduous trees change to fall colors. As the amount of daylight begins to decrease in the autumn, chlorophyll production slows and then ceases. The remaining carotenoids in the skin of the fruit are orange or red or yellow in color and are fully revealed after no more chlorophyll is left. There are also pumpkin cultivars that have been grown to display other colors including white, red, yellow, green, and blue. Cultivars with larger sized fruit generally produce 1-2 pumpkins per plant, medium sized fruit plants produce 3-6 pumpkins each and small sized fruit plants may produce 10-12 per plant.

The largest growing sites in the U.S. are found in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California. Illinois produces about 95% of the commercially available pumpkin products in the United States with Nestle’s Morton, Illinois, production plant selling 85% of all pumpkin products under the trade name Libby. Edible parts of the plants include the shell, seeds, leaves and flowers. Pumpkins can be boiled, steamed or roasted, and are most often mashed. Popular pumpkin products include pie filling, spice pumpkin products and seeds, but are also used as dietary supplements by veterinarians, most often fed to poultry in the winter to help maintain egg production. The original pumpkin pie cooked by colonists consisted of slicing off the top of the pumpkin, scooping out all of the seeds, filling the shell with milk, spices and honey, and cooking it for several hours in hot coals.

While pumpkins are a delicious food, they are also used in a variety of other ways. “Punkin Chunkin” has been a competitive sport for many years and involves building a device to throw a pumpkin the farthest. The Guinness world record is held by “Big 10 inch,” a pneumatic cannon that launched a pumpkin 5,545 feet in 2010 in Moab, Utah. Note that pumpkins that burst in flight are disqualified.

Pumpkin festivals celebrating those who can grow the largest pumpkins are also popular all across the United States. There will be four competition sites in Illinois this year and you can find all the information at Pumpkin Festivals. Growers of giant pumpkins have been competing since at least the early 1960’s, and in 1979 in Philadelphia, a Nova Scotia farmer named Howard Dill won with a 438 pounder. In 2012, the first 1-ton plus pumpkin won the Topsfield, Massachusetts weigh off at 2,009 pounds, grown by Ron Wallace of Greene, RI. In 2019, the winner was an impressive 2,517 pounds grown by Karl and Beverly Haist in New York. Don’t plan to enter unless you can top at least the one-ton mark; nothing less will be considered by most festivals this year!

Literature is another place we find many references to pumpkins. Charles Perrault, a French author, published “Tales and Stories of the Past With Morals” in 1697. Among the many stories in the work was “Cinderella,” a folk tale about undeserved oppression and reward. Invited to the royal ball, her fairy godmother provides Cinderella with the means to get there by turning a pumpkin into a beautiful coach. Another work, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’, published by Washington Irving in 1820, tells the story of Ichabod Crane being attacked on Halloween night by the Headless Horseman who carries a pumpkin, his head, possibly, on his saddle. And we have all enjoyed waiting for the Great Pumpkin with Linus each year on Halloween night. As Linus tells us in “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “On Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin rises out of his pumpkin patch and flies through the air with his bag of toys for all the children!”

Jack-o-lanterns are an autumn tradition dating far back into British and Irish history. Their origin comes from an Irish tale about Stingy Jack, who invited the devil for a drink. But Jack did not want to pay for the drinks, so he convinced the Devil to change into a coin, to be used for pay. After changing, Jack decided not to use that coin, but to put it into his pocket next to a silver cross that prevented the devil from changing back. Jack finally freed the devil under the condition that the devil would not bother him nor would he claim Jack’s soul when Jack died. Soon after, Jack did die, and God would not let him into heaven because of his unsavory ways and the Devil would not let Jack into hell because of their agreement. Jack was forced to forever wander the dark night, using a carved out turnip with a bright coal to light his way. He was referred to as “Jack of the Lantern”, soon shortened to Jack O’Lantern. People would carve scary faces into turnips and large beets to place in their windows to frighten away Stingy Jack’s ghost. Carried over to the U.S. by colonists, pumpkins were found to make great Jack O’Lanterns. They are still used today to scare away the evil spirits that roam the autumn nights.

The Itch!!

Over the past few months, like many other people, I have been out hiking in the area Forest Preserves and natural sites. Each time I go out, I try to think about getting properly prepared before heading out the door. Will I be hiking off the trail through long grass? Will I need long pants, long sleeves or a hat? How about deterring mosquitoes? Are they out now and should I be taking along protection? Here are some simple precautions to make your hike a great experience.

Poison Ivy vine, Toxicodendron radicans by Kerry Wixted

Poison Ivy, Toxicodendron radicans by Janet Tarbox

If you are a steward or wildlife monitor, you may well be hiking off the trail and into areas where the plants are not easy to see, identify, or walk around. And even if you are just out for a nice hike on the trail, species growing along the edges may be ones that you want to be sure to avoid. Poison Ivy,Toxicodendron radicans, is one of the best known plants found everywhere in northern Illinois that causes itching, a rash or swelling. The plant is commonly found in woodlands and savannas, but can also be found in dry meadows or along prairie edges. It grows as a small shrub or as a woody vine, wrapping around tree trunks and climbing to great heights. The leaves are distinctive: they grow in groups of three and have smooth edges, often with a thumb on the two side leaves. Vines growing up trees are thick and hairy, with many small tendrils reaching out to anchor the plant to a trunk or limb. Every part of the plant contains an oil that may cause a rash or itching when touched. It is easy to brush a plant and have the oil cling to a shoe or cloth surfaces, which can be a further problem if not washed out. If you get the oil on your skin or clothes, wash with cool water and soap, or consider using Tecnu Original Outdoor Skin Cleanser, a specialty line of products, to remove the oil.

Wild Parsnip, Pastinaca sativa by John W.

Wild Parsnip, Pastinaca sativa, a species introduced from Europe and commonly found in prairies, vacant lots, roadsides, woodland edges and along railroad tracks is another plant to watch for and avoid. The flowers are arrayed in a slightly curved umbel at the end of tall stems, showing bright yellow petals, sometimes mistaken for Golden Alexanders which bloom earlier in spring. The plant can grow from two to five feet high. All parts of the plant contain a UV-phototoxic juice that will transfer easily to skin or clothes if the plant is brushed against. This juice can cause a burn-like rash that is severely multiplied in effect when exposed to direct sunlight. A burn may also appear on cloudy days from ultraviolet wavelength light present even through cloud cover. Any exposure should be treated as a possible serious burn, and you should seek medical assistance.

American Dog Tick, Dermacentor variabilis by Roy Cohutta

Animals may also cause problems. Ticks, along with spiders and mites, are members of the class Arachnida. These animals feed on mammals, birds and reptiles. Ticks perch on foliage between ground level and about four feet high and wait for an animal to brush against them. They leave their perches and find a suitable spot to latch onto their host using a hook-like appendage located below their mouth. After a blood meal, the engorged tick will simply drop off to the ground. However, they can carry diseases harmful to humans.

Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma maculatum by Roy Cohutta

Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum by mossdude

Black-Legged Tick, Ixodes scapularis by Lynette Elliot

There are four common tick species in our area including the American Dog Tick, sometimes referred to as the wood tick, the Lone Star Tick, the black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, and the Gulf Coast tick. Wood ticks are generally harmless to humans; deer ticks may carry Lyme Disease; the Lone Star Tick may carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever; and the Gulf Coast Tick, new to this area within the past 18 months, may carry Tidewater Spotted Fever.

Eastern Yellow Jacket by Lynette Elliott

The Eastern Yellow Jacket, Vespula maculifrons, is an insect that comes out in the heat of late summer. Yellow Jackets are social wasps that live together in one hive. In spring, a single mated female, called a queen, builds a nest at ground level or possibly in a fallen stump or log. She will tend the larvae until the first brood of adults, all sterile females, emerge. The adults take over all nest maintenance while the queen continues to lay eggs. In autumn, eggs for new queens are laid, as well as unfertilized male eggs. New queens and males emerge in late autumn, mate and the new queens seek shelter for the winter in litter or soil. With the arrival of winter, the remaining colony dies.

All wasps are predatory and keep populations of smaller species, such as mites and aphids, under control in our gardens. While these insects are predatory, they are also attracted by any sweet odor and can be pests for outdoor dining. The females can sting and be very aggressive when trying to nab food from your picnic. If they are threatened, especially if a nest is found and agitated, they will swarm, stinging repeatedly and may give chase for long distances.

Inland Floodwater Mosquito, Aedes vexans by Robert Lord Zimlich

The mosquito, one of our least favorite insects, is best known for the biting females, which must have a blood meal in order to develop eggs. Males do not bite, but feed on plant juices. Mosquitos are considered one of the most harmful insects to humans because of the many diseases they may carry. Also dangerous to canines, mosquitos are the primary cause of heartworm disease. There are several different species of mosquito found in Illinois, active during a wide range of day and night hours. Most of the bites in northern Illinois cause an itching sensation that can last for several days; however, they may also be vectors for West Nile Virus. Best practices to avoid being bitten include wearing light colored clothes, using an insect repellant when outside, and removing any standing water from your yard. There are several good websites including Illinois EPA for Mosquito Control.

Pollinator Garden

Our pollinator garden is filling in rapidly with the warmer temperatures and ample amounts of rain we are experiencing. Many species in our area, including bees, wasps, flies, ants and hummingbirds are pollinators providing plant species with the essential service of moving pollen from one flower to another for fertilization. Many popular native species are found in our garden; let’s take a look at a few of the ones now in bloom.

Golden Alexanders, *Zizia aurea* by DonArnold

Mining Bee on Golden Alexander, © Heather Holm, 2015.

Golden Alexanders, Zizia aurea, is found in a variety of natural environments from open woodlands to prairies to fens. This member of the parsley family is visited by Pearl Crescent butterflies, Phyciodes tharos, and Spotted Thyris moths, Thyris maculata, especially where these insects find other food species including Clematis and Houstonia. Mining bees, small in size and emerging in early spring, are the primary pollinator, picking up pollen on the hairs of their upper legs as they feed on the flowers.

Virginia Waterleaf, *Hydrophyllum virginiatum* by DonArnold

Another favorite pollen source for bees is Virginia Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum virginianum. With its white to pale violet flowers and leaves that look like they are stained from water; this plant’s nectar also attracts the Red Admiral butterfly, Vanessa atalanta, and a few species of beetles. The stamens on this flower extend well past the petals making it difficult for small, short-tongued insects to get close enough to the flower tube to obtain nectar. Bumble bees, one of the primary pollinators feeding on the nectar, use their larger bodies to push past the stamens picking up pollen to transfer from one flower to another.

Woodland phlox, *Phlox divaricata* by Joshua Mayer, 2010

Woodland Phlox, Phlox divaricata, also known as Wild Blue Phlox, is often found in open woodlands. This flower is attractive for pollinator gardens due to its blue flowers and good growth in partially shaded areas. Pollinators include many butterfly and moth species with long tongues that can reach deep into the long flower tube for the nectar at the base. As the butterfly feeds, its proboscis (tongue) contacts the stamens to pick up pollen which is transferred to the next flower.

Jacob’s Ladder, *Ploemonium reptans* by DonArnold

Another flower in the blue spectrum is Jacob’s Ladder, Polemonium reptans. This species does well in partial shade or a moist area in full sun. The flowers are visited by bees, flies and beetles. Large bees are the best pollinators as they collect pollen on their heads and thoraxes when pushing through the stamens to get to the nectar at the base of the petals. Previously collected pollen brushes off on subsequently visited flowers.

Spring Wildflowers

We may not be able to tell exactly when winter ends and spring begins, but the plant community all around us has determined that the change has already happened for this year. With the longer days and warming weather comes myriad changes in the plant community. This is the chance for us to observe many species that come and go very quickly at this time of year. These are the wildflowers of spring, and a few early ones to look for on your walks are listed below.

*Dodecatheon meadia*, Shooting Star by Sue

One of the more showy flowers is Shooting Star, Dodecatheon meadia. A delicate pink, lilac or white bloom droops from a single tall stalk in the middle of a grouping of lance-shaped leaves. The plant may stand from 6″ to 20″ high. The flowers form a cone surrounding the stalk with lobes bent backwards. This plant is pollinated by female bumble bees that collect the yellow powder-like pollen by vibrating the anthers with two or three short sonic bursts called buzz-pollination. The place to observe all this activity includes brightly lit open woods and meadows.

Virginia Bluebells, *Mertensia virginica* by Sue

Virginia Bluebells, Mertensia virginica, may not be in full bloom, yet, but will soon be spectacular in their showiness. They are found in rich, damp woodlands, many times along streams and rivers. In many areas, they can be found growing in great swaths covering large areas of the forest floor in open woodlands. Trumpet shaped flowers nodding from a long stalk are about an inch long, pink when young but turning to a beautiful, rich hue of blue.

Dutchmans Breeches, *Dicentra cucullaria* by Sue

Dutchman’s Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria, is a common species found in open, dry woodlands. The flower, in white or pink, appears as if someone is hanging out their trousers to dry. The green base of the plant is located far below the naked flower stalk and is composed of several fern like leaves. This flower is mainly pollinated by bumblebees, who have a longer proboscis than honey bees, allowing them to tap the flower for its nectar.

Bloodroot, *Sanguinaria canadensis* by Sue

Another showy but short-lived bloom in the woods at this time is Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, found in dry woodland areas. Sanguine, an adjective for the color of blood, appropriately describes the juice derived from the plant. A single leaf divided into five to nine deep round lobes clasps the flower stalk, wrapping around the base. A single white flower rises 3″-6″ above the leaf. The flowers contain no nectar, but attract a variety of female bees as well as the false blister beetle to collect pollen.