Spring 2011 Minnesota Plant Press ~ Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

7/31/2019 Spring 2011 Minnesota Plant Press ~ Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

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Minnesota Plant Press

Te Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter

www.mnnps.orgVolume 30 Number 2 Spring 2011

Monthly meetingsThompson Park Center/Dakota

LodgeThompson County Park

360 Butler Ave. E.,West St. Paul, MN 55118

ProgramsThe Minnesota Native Plant

Society meets the rst Thursdayin October, November, December,February, March, April, May, andJune. Check at www.mnnps.orgfor more program information.

6 p.m. Social period7 9 p.m. Program, Society

business

In this issuePresidents column ...................2Spring eld trips ............ ...........3Lakeshore plantings .... .............4Winona CountyLarix ...............5Lifetime member Linda Huhn.5Mushroom book list .................6New members .......... .................6BioBlitz events ........................7Plant Lore: Twinleaf .................7

May 5: Grazing Planswith Conservation Priority inMinnesota Native Prairie BankSites, by Paul Bockenstedt,Bonestroo, and Jason Garms, DNR.Plant-of-the-Month: Licoricebedstraw (Galium circaezans var.hypomalacum) by Mr. Bockenstedt.

June 2: Plant Communities ofVermilion State Park, by TavisWesbrook, parks and trails regionalspecialist, DNR. P-O-M: Alpinewoodsia (Woodsia alpina), also byMr. Westbrook. Plant Sale.

Oct. 6: Delays in Nitrogen

Cycling and PopulationOscillations in Wild RiceEcosystems, by Dr. John Pastor,professor, Department of Biology,U of M, Duluth. P-O-M: WildRice (Zizania palustris), also by Dr.Pastor.

by Dr. Lee E. Frelich, Department of Forest Resources, University ofMinnesota. This is a summary of his talk at the Feb. 3 MNNPS meeting.

Invasive European earthworms have been shown to cause a number ofimpacts at the ecosystem and plant community level, which were brieyreviewed. Principle among these are changes in the structure of the soi loss of the organic horizon of the soil (along with its insulating anderosion preventing properties), and increase in bulk density. This resultsin lower availability of nitrogen and phosphorus and more run-off duringheavy rain events. In turn, these changes cause loss of species richnessamong native plants, increased susceptibility of plants to deer grazing viaa double whammy effect of earthworms combined with deer grazing, andreplacement of a lush and diverse plant community with a relatively simplecommunity dominated by fewer species.

Recent advances in research were the main focus of the presentationand included earthworm interaction with climate change; facilitation ofinvasive plant species; longer ecological cascades, referred to as invasionameltdown; and impacts on birds, other vertebrates, and water quality.

The changes in soil structure and nutrient status mentioned above maketrees more susceptible to drought at the same time as drought frequencyis increasing due to climate change. This will help reinforce the negativeeffects of climate change on forests within a few hundred miles of theprairie-forest border in the Upper Midwest. Earthworms also create asignature in the rings of trees at the time of invasion ring widths ofsugar maple, for example, are narrowed by about 30 percent. Recovery

of ring width occurs a few decadeslater, but it is not clear at this timewhether the trees recover from thechanges cause by earthworms, orwhether the forest undergoes aperiod of increased mortality so thata lower of density of trees allows thesurviving trees to grow faster due toless competition.

Several papers have beenpublished recently, which combinedContinued on page 3

Plant sale requirementsBy 6 p.m., bring labeled potted

native plants (not cultivars) dugfrom your property in Minnesota.

New research revealsmore harmful impactsof invasive earthworms


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Minnesota Native Plant Societys purpose(Abbreviated from the bylaws)

This organization is exclusively organized and operated for

educational and scientic purposes, including the following.

Conservation of all native plants.1.

Continuing education of all members in the plant sciences.2.

Education of the public regarding environmental protection of plant3.

life.Encouragement of research and publications on plants native to4.

Minnesota.

Study of legislation on Minnesota ora, vegetation, ecosytems.5.

Preservation of native plants, plant communities, and scientic and6.

natural areas.

Cooperation in programs concerned with the ecology of natural7.

resources and scenic features.

Fellowship with all persons interested in native plants through8.

meetings, lectures, workshops, and eld trips.

MNNPS Board

of DirectorsPresident: Scott Milburn, [email protected]

Vice President: Shirley MahKooyman, shirley.mah.kooyman@

mnnps.orgSecretary, program coordinatorAndrs Morantes, [email protected]

Treasurers, membership data baseRon and Cathy Huber,[email protected]

Ken Arndt, board member, eldtrip chair, [email protected]

Michael Bourdaghs, board [email protected]

Elizabeth Heck, board memberwebmaster, elizabeth.heck@mnnpsorg

Daniel Jones, board [email protected]

Dylan Lueth, board member, [email protected]

Elizabeth Nixon, board memberconservation committee chair,[email protected]

Erika Rowe, board member, [email protected]

Field Trips: [email protected]

Memberships: [email protected]

Historian-Archives: Roy Robisonhistorian-archives.mnnps@mnnpsorg

Technical or membershipinquiries: contact.mnnps@mnnps

orgMinnesota Plant Press EditorGerry Drewry, [email protected]

Presidentscolumnby Scott Milburn

The Society elected three newboard members at the annual meetingin March. These new members, Dr.Peter Jordan, Mike Lynch, and Otto

Gockman, are all new to the board.A small write-up of these threeindividuals will be included in thenextMinnesotaPlant Press.

We had our annual symposiumat the Bell Museum on March 26th.This was our fth year at the Bell,and I would like to thank the folkswho helped out. The event was verywell attended, with more than 150people present. It is my hope to

keep the current committee togetherfor the 2012 symposium. A topichas yet to be decided, but we will bereviewing the evaluations soon forpossible ideas.

Another item handed out thisyear was a questionnaire regardinga ve-year strategic plan for theSociety. The last few questions werein regards to exploring the idea ofdonating Welby Smiths recent Treesand Shrubs of Minnesota book toevery public high school in the state.

The majority of the responses werevery positive, and the Board willbe exploring this possibility overthe next year. This will not be aninexpensive endeavor, but it wouldbe a great long-term investment inour youth.

Counter to that proposal was a

recent amendment to House BillHF1010 which would allow forlogging of oak and walnut trees atFrontenac and Whitewater stateparks. As of now, this amendmentwas removed from the bill, but itcould reappear. It raises questionsabout short-sighted politicalmaneuvering in difcult economictimes.

Those who care about naturalresources need to be diligently

reading the amended items that endup in proposed legislation. Thisamendment to allow logging mighthave passed through the House hadit not been publicized in the news.

I hope that as a Society we canbe the ones shedding light on theseissues and raising awareness. Wehave the ability through our blogand Facebook page, but we needresponsible members to take the

initiative and to help keep us allinformed.

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Changes in the boardDr. Peter Jordan, Mike Lynch

and Otto Gockman will replace threeboard members whose terms expirein June. Derek Anderson and RussSchaffenberg recently resigned.


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with my observations, show thatearthworms facilitate the invasionof European buckthorn (not to beconfused with our native buckthornthat grows in swamps of northernMinnesota), tatarian honeysuckle,

garlic mustard, black swallowwort,Japanese barberry, hemp nettle(Galeopsis tetrahit), and Veronicaofcinalis. These species coevolvedwith earthworms on their homecontinent and germinate andsurvive best under bare mineral soilconditions created by earthworminvasion. In addition, a longerchain of invasional meltdownhas been detected, wherebyearthworm invasion facilitatesEuropean buckthorn in woodlotsin agricultural areas. Europeanbuckthorn is the overwintering hostof the soybean aphid (a major pestfor farmers in recent years), whichin turn is the food source for exoticladybeetles that become pests andcause allergies in peoples houses inOctober.

Earthworms also impact habitatfor vertebrate wildlife species.

Ground-nesting birds such asovenbird and hermit thrush havebeen shown to have lower nestdensity in earthworm-infestedareas by Scott Loss, a Ph.D.candidate in Conservation Biologyat the University of Minnesota.Research conducted in upstate NewYork shows that salamanders arenegatively impacted by Europeanearthworm invasion.

Finally, the loss of the organichorizon (duff layer) and greaterbulk density of soils can inuencewater quality of lakes invaded byEuropean earthworms, even inremote areas like Itasca State Park.We know that there is more runoffand erosion, as well as leaching ofnutrients such as P, when earthwormsinvade. University of Minnesotalimnologist Jim Cotner and his internHal Halvorson showed that level of

watershed infestation in six smalllakes in Itasca Park was related to

measures of eutrophication.The circle of invasive earthworm

research is ever widening.Earthworms truly deserve the titleof Ecosystem engineers, as wellas Darwins comment in his 1881book: It may be doubted whetherthere are many other animals whichhave played so important a part inthe history of the world, as havethese lowly organized creatures.

EarthwormsContinued from page 1

Hastings Sand CouleeScientifc and Natural AreaThursday June 9, 6 to 8 p.m.

By popular demand, we are

offering this trip for a third year in

a row. Join eld trip leaders KarenSchik (ecologist for Friends of the

Mississippi River), Tom Lewanski

(conservation director for Friends

of the Mississippi River), and

Dave Crawford (retired naturalist

from Wild River State Park) for an

evening hike into one of the DNRs

newest Scientic and Natural Areas

Hastings Sand Coulee is a dry sand

prairie about 80 acres in size located

just beyond the southern edge of the

City of Hastings.

This is a joint eld trip with

Friends of the Mississippi River

and will be limited to 15 MNNPS

members.

For additional information about

these trips, go to our website at

www.mnnps.org and follow the link

to the eld-trip page. Details on

driving directions and meeting areas

will be e-mailed to participants who

register for each trip.

More trips are being planned for

summer and fall. Watch for e-mai

updates.

A friendly reminder: our eld

trips are for members only. If you

would like to become a member or if

you need to renew your membership

now is a great time to join. Renewby downloading a membership form

from our website (www.mnnps.org

or use PayPal at the website. Just

follow the link to Membership from

the home page. I hope to see some

of you at an upcoming eld trip.

by Ken Arndt, MNNPS eld tripcoordinator

Hastings Scientifc andNatural AreaSaturday, April 23

Join eld trip leaders ScottMilburn (MNNPS presidentand senior botanist/ecologist forMidwest Natural Resources) andKen Arndt (MNNPS board memberand forest ecologist for CriticalConnections Ecological Services)at Hastings SNA for an afternoon ofhiking and early spring wildoweridentication. A highlight to theeld trip will be seeing the rare snowtrillium (Trillium nivale) in bloom.

This eld trip will be limited to20 MN NPS members.

Eloise Butler WildowerGarden and Bird SanctuarySaturday, May 7, 10 a.m. to noon

MNNPS members will take atour with trip leaders ElizabethHeck (MNNPS board memberand Eloise Butler WildowerGarden naturalist) and Shirley MahKooyman (MNNPS vice president

and wildower enthusiast) throughEloise Butler Wildower Garden,the oldest wildower garden inthe country. This historic garden is

home to over 500 species of plants,all within 14 acres.

Due to the narrow trails withinthe garden, this eld trip will belimited to 20 MNNPS members.

Spring feld trips

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Have you read our blog?It is on the MNNPS website:

www.mnnps.org


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the brous root systems. Plantingsin the water will protect the shorefrom some of the wave action andprovide sh and aquatic insecthabitat. Typically, aquatic plantingswill need larger plants planted.They will absolutely need permitsbefore that portion of the projectscan begin.

Some of the materials that will beneeded will include a wave break,that may be a fence or biolog, to

slow down the wave action hittingthe shore. Biologs are shreddedcoconut bers bound into a big logwith various dimensions. Theyprovide resistance to wave action;substrate for plants planted intothem; and capture sediment fromupland areas. Other materials thatcan be used are Enviro-loc Bags,which are sandbags made of lterfabric and lled with the soil media.Once lled, they can be stacked intoa wall or used for slowing downwater in a ow, as a check damor wing dam. Then the bags areplanted with deep-rooted plants thatwill take over the bags in time.

Another option is to use Pre-Vegetated Erosion Blankets. Theseblankets are pre-ordered for a sitewith two layers of blanket and soilplaced between with seed that isspecied for the site. The seed is

grown, and then the blanket is cutand rolled like sod. Once deliveredto the site, the sod is rolled out onsite for instant shoreline planting.

New plantings need sitepreparation and protection fromrabbits and geese. Fences are thebest defense against unwanted critterinvasions of the new plantings.Other methods include sprays and adeer scarecrow.

Three options for site preparationare smothering, mechanicaland chemical preparation. Thesmothering method uses blackplastic or newspapers to smotherthe existing plants and seeds onsite. The mechanical method usesa sod cutter or larger soil mover likea skid-steer or bulldozer. The moscommon method for ease and costis to use a glyphosate chemical ofRodeo or Round-up or one of thegenerics. Round-up is to be used inthe upland. Anywhere near the shoreRodeo or its generic counterparts

should be used.

by Rusty Schmidt, natural resourcesspecialist, Washington ConservationDistrict. This is a summary of his talkat the March 3 MNNPS meeting.

Rusty Schmidt showed from startto nish several projects throughoutthe metro area. Most were sunnyshorelines with lawn-grass shoresthat were replaced with nativeupland and transitional shorelinesall the way into the water, withsome aquatic plants. The plantings

were very showy, with a numberof blooming plants throughout theyear.

The average shoreline ownersvalue their shore of a lake, stream orwetland for the ability to access thewater and the views. To accomplishthese goals, practical designs can becreated by planting and maintaininggood aquatic vegetation within thewater, then a transition of plants thatlike moist to wet soils, and nally anorganized upland planting that stillprovides the views the landownerdesires and access to the watersedge.

Trees and shrubs are perfect toprovide screening for certain areasand to frame views. The closer thetree is to the viewpoint up the bank,the less obstructive it is to the shoreview. Yet it still provides habitatand shade. By creating the complete

shore with all levels of structure,habitat is also provided for wildlife.

The upland portion of the plantingshould have some organization andregard to aesthetics, with moreowers than grasses, and easy accessto the shore and showy plants. Thetransitional plantings should bechosen for habitat and toleration ofwater uctuations and have a higherratio of grasses and sedges with

Lakeshore plantings canmaintain access whileprotecting shore, views

by Rusty Schmidt.Chelone glabra (turtlehead) has

an interesting ower head that whenpinched looks like it is a talkingturtle, similar to a snapdragon. Alsosimilar to bottle gentian, this oweris pollinated only by the largebumble bees, as its ower opening isdifcult to enter to get to the nectarsource at the back. Turtlehead is arobust perennial one to three feethigh, has a bluntly angled stem andopposite, elongate and coarselytoothed leaves. It is found in grassyand bushy meadows and will thrivein all but the deepest shade. It prefersmoist soils.

Photo by Peter Dziuk.

Plant-of-the-Month

Chelone glabra

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Linda Huhn islifetime member

Linda Huhn, long-time programcoordinator for the Society, wasawarded the Lifetime MembershipAward during the Symposiumprogram. In her thank-you to the

board, she wrote:Serving on the board, being

secretary for a year and coordinatingthe programs was a great honor forme, not to mention educational andfun. I did the programs for as longas I did because of the example ofothers working for the Society, andI just could not quit when all of youwere giving so much.

Preserving Earths beauty andliving sustainably is something Ilearned from my Dad Delmar, theguy who took our family on tripsaround Minnesota, but mostly outwest. The Nature Conservancyshowed me later, in my adult lifehow beautiful Minnesota itself isand I made it a goal to see it and dowhat I could to preserve the beautifuplaces. The Plant Society seemedlike home when I discovered it andmade so many friends.

were there, I could see them fromU.S. Highway 61.

It took me some time to getpermission to access the slopebehind one of the homes, but on Aug.1 and Oct. 24, 2007, I was able tosecure some samples (Bell Museum918878). The relatively large conesand long needles revealed that thetrees were not tamaracks, but ratherEuropean larch (L. decidua), and thepresence of many saplings indicatedthat successful reproduction hadoccurred. Later, I found severaladditional larches growing fromsandstone outcrops along GarvinHeights Road in Winona. Onceagain I was alerted to their presence

by their golden foliage persistingafter most other trees had droppedtheir leaves. In this case, anobvious source was a large tree inthe Woodlawn Cemetery downslopefrom Garvin Heights Road. W.R. Smith (2008) noted reportsthat European larch had escapedcultivation in the eastern U.S.

For some reason, a Europeanlarch does not occur next to thetamarack, cypress, and ginkgo

outside our science building on theSaint Marys University campus. Ihave noted a tendency for some ofour staff to assume that the cypressis a European larch, and an outsideconsultant hired by our groundsdepartment listed it erroneouslyas a dawn redwood (Metasequoiaglyptostroboides), another deciduousspecies. The latter can be found,along with a cypress, on the WinonaState University campus. The onlyEuropean larch on the Saint Maryscampus grows along the upper edgeof the wooded terrace slope east ofSaint Joseph Hall.

by Philip A. Cochran, Ph.D.,professor, chair of BiologyDepartment, Saint MarysUniversity, Winona, Minn.

There is a tamarack (Larixlaricina) on the Saint MarysUniversity campus. I assume that itwas put there by the botanist whofounded our biology department,Brother Charles Severin (1896-1992), because it sits in line with aginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and a baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) next toour science building in a convenientlocation for demonstratingdeciduous gymnosperms.

Tamaracks have not beenformally documented from Winona

County (G. B. Ownbey and T.Morley 1991, W. R. Smith 2008),but L.H.Bunnell (1897) noted thatthey occurred on bluffs in Homer,and unlike certain other tree species,he did not indicate that they hadescaped cultivation. Moreover,the botanist John Holzinger (1913)also listed them among the trees ofWinona County.

Across the Mississippi River inTrempealeau County, tamaracks are

known from bog-like habitats alongTamarack and Little Tamarackcreeks, and they may sometimesgrow from acidic sandstone outcropsin southwestern Wisconsin (Hansen1933). They can be easily observedalong Tamarack Creek by drivingnorth along State Highway 93 fromCenterville in the fall, and some canstill be seen in upland habitat alongside roads.

On Nov. 15, 2006, I was drivingalong Old Homer Road southeastof Winona, when I noticed multiplegolden spires of what could onlyhave beenLarix on a steep forestedbluffside overlooking the lowlandsalong Pleasant Valley Creek. Atleast two dozen trees of varioussizes extended along approximately100 meters of north-facing slopebehind private residences along OldHomer Road, and once I knew they

OnLarixin Winona County

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Treasurers reportTreasurers Ron and Cathy Huber

report that in the rst quarter of2011, the Society had total incomeof $8,829.13. This was mainly frommembership dues and Symposiumregistration fees. Expenses totaled$3,992.16, primarily Symposiumcosts. Assets on March 31, includingCDs, totaled $19,945.66.

Emerald ash borerscross Mississippi

Ash trees along West RiverParkway in south Minneapolis arenow infected with emerald ashborers. About 100 of these treesalong the river and another 100 inthe previously infected ProspectPark neighborhood will be cutsoon. Last year, 1,400 ash trees inother parts of the city were cut as

preventive measures.

Native Plant Expo-June 4Landscape Revival: Native Plant

Expo and Market will be Saturday,June 4, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at RosevilleRainbow Foods Pavilion, at thenortheast corner of Larpenteur Ave.and Fernwood St.


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by Dr. David McLaughlin,Department of Biology, Universityof Minnesota. He spoke at the April7 MNNPS meeting.

The book that I most recommendfor the beginner is the one by GeorgeBarron. Several of these booksare nation-wide in coverage, and asignicant number of the speciesmay not occur here.

No book covers all Minnesotamushrooms, as there are regionaldifferences in mushroom oras.Two that focus on nearby states(Courtney and Burdsall, Huffman et

al.) are likely to have use here, butmay cover only some parts of thestate, as the mushroom ora changesin the different biomes.

Barron, G. L. 1999. Mushroomsof Northeast North America. LonePine Publishing Co., Edmonton andVancouver, Canada; Renton, Wash.(A good book to start with.)

Bessette, A.E., et al. 1997.Mushrooms of Northeastern North

America. Syracuse UniversityPress.

Courtenay, B. and H. N. Burdsall,Jr. A Field Guide to Mushroomsand Their Relatives. 1982. VanNostrand Reinhold Co., New York.(Wisconsin fungi).

Grove, J. W. Edible andPoisonous Mushrooms of Canada,revised ed., 1975. Research Branch,Canada Department of Agriculture,Ottawa, Ontario.

Huffman, D.M., et al.Mushrooms and Other Fungi ofthe Midcontinental United States.2nd ed. 2008. University of IowaPress, Iowa City. (Iowa and parts ofsurrounding states.)

Kibby, G.Mushrooms and OtherFungi. 1992. Smithmark Publisher.,New York.

Lincoff, G. H. The AudubonSociety Field Guide to NorthAmerican Mushrooms. 1981. A. A.Knopf, Inc., New York.

McFarland, J. and G. M.Mueller. Edible Mushrooms ofIllinois and Surrounding States.2009. University. of Illinois Press,Urbana and Chicago.

Miller, 0. K., Jr. and H. H. Miller.North American Mushrooms. 2006.Globe Pequot Press, Guilford,Conn.

Phillips, R.Mushrooms of NorthAmerica. 1991. Little, Brown and

Co., Boston.

Smith, A.H. and N.S. Weber. TheMushroom Hunters Field Guide.1980. University. of MichiganPress, Ann Arbor.

Illustrated books aboutMinnesota mushrooms

New pollinatorprogram will createnative habitats

Native Habitat Development for

Pollinators is a new U.S. Department

of Agriculture option for farmers

enrolled in the Conservation

Reserve Program (CRP). It isdened as restoring and conserving

native plant communities to benet

pollinators and associated wildlife

species.

This plan requires plantings

that contain at least three species

from each owering group

early, mid- and late-season. The

seed mixes must consist of at least

nine native species, including twoor three grasses. The grasses may

not exceed 25 percent of the seed

mixes. Minimum acreages range

from 1 acre to 10 percent of total

CRP acreage.

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ConservationCornerby Elizabeth Nixon

Rep. Steve Drazkowski (RMazeppa) proposed an amendmentto an environmental nance bill thatwould require logging at Frontenacand Whitewater State Parks. Thissurprise amendment was tacked ontothe large environmental nance billin late March but was not includedin the nal bill. However, it couldresurface during the continuingbudget battles.

Examination suggests thatelected ofcials did no researchto understand what native forestcommunities look like and thecritical roles black walnut and oakplay in the long-term viability offorest ecosystems.

Conserving Minnesota nativeplant communities is criticallydependent on each of us demandingcredible, full disclosure research bythose we elect to represent us.

MNNPS welcomes

new membersThe Society gives a warm

welcome to 22 new members whojoined during the rst quarter of

2011. They are:Marcus W. Beck, St. Paul;James G. Carlson, Lake Elmo;Nancy Carlson, Isanti;Christopher Currey, Lafayette, Ind.;Troy Eagan, Rochester;Steve Emmings, Excelsior;Karen Stout Heller, Verndale;Anita P. Hoaglund, St. Paul;Jacob and Kathryn Huebsch,Jordan;

Dorothy J. Jachim, Stillwater;Michael Kaluzniak, St. Paul;Ruth Henriquez Lyon, Duluth;Cathleen Marquardt, Eagan;Megan Kranz McGuire, St. Paul;Stephanie McNamara, White BearLake;Chad and Shannon Skally, St. Paul;Paul and Alex Skawinski, StevensPoint, Wis.;Edward Stec, Wyoming;Mary Williams, White Bear Lake.


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Plant Loreby Thor KommedahlWhat is twinleaf?

Twinleaf is Jeffersonia diphyllain the barberry family. It is alsocalled rheumatism root.

How did it get its names?

Jeffersonia was named forThomas Jefferson, who was thenU.S. Secretary of State, by hisfriend Benjamin Smith Barton,later a professor at the Universityof Pennsylvania. He wanted tohonor Jeffersons considerableinterest in natural history. Diphylla(two leaves) and twinleaf describethe one or few basal leaves, almostdivided into two half-ovate parts.Rheumatism root was so namedbecause American Indians used awash from its roots and rhizomes totreat rheumatism.

Who discovered twinleaf?Andr Michaux found the

plant in Virginia and gave it toJohn Bartram, who planted it inhis garden. Benjamin Barton sawit there, described and named itafter Jefferson, and published thedescription.

What does the plant look like?It is a perennial, 4 - 18 inches

tall, with a leaf divided at the baseto look like two paired leaves, andone or more leaess ower stalks(scapes) with a single white owerof eight petals on top. They resemblebloodroot owers. The fruit is apear-shaped, green capsule with alid on top. Twinleaf blooms fromApril to May, and plants are gone

by August. The owers last only acouple of days.

Where does it grow?Twinleaf grows in rich, moist

woods in about ve counties inthe southeast corner of the state.It is usually found over limestoneor other calcareous rocks, and ismore abundant east of Minnesota.The only otherJeffersonia speciesgrows in northeastern China and

Korea (explained by the continentaldrift).

Is it edible, medicinal, or

poisonous?Not edible. American Indians

made a root tea for dropsy, diarrhea,urinary ailments, and applied it aspoultices for sores and ulcers. Itcontains the alkaloid berberine,an antibiotic, and has also been

used in eyedrops, for treatment ofleishmaniasis, and experimentallyfor diabetes and cardiovascularconditions. Berberine can also betoxic.

Can it be grown as a garden

plant?It grows well in shaded, moist

garden soil for an early springower, but it doesnt last long. Seedsdo not store well. Ants disperseseeds; rodents cache them for later

consumption.

Photo of twinleat (Jeffersoniadiphylla) by Peter Dziuk.

Lost and FoundTwo thermos containers (silver

one had two tea bags, pink onehad coffee) were found afterthe Symposium held at the BellMuseum March 26. If you losteither one, please contact ShirleyMah Kooyman at 763-559-3114 orsmkooyman@gmail

7

Three BioBlitzevents arebeing planned

Individuals and families areinvited to participate in BioBlitzes atLake Vermilion/Soudan state parks

Macalester Colleges Ordway FieldStation in Inver Grove Heights, andBlomberg Lake SNA in WisconsinParticipants will help count and mapora and fauna, from bacteria toinsects, plants, birds and animals.

Soudan Underground Mine,Lake Vermilion state parks;June 25, 12 noon 12 noon, June26.

The Minnesota DNR is looking

for participants and team leadersInventories and programs will takeplace at established times throughoutthe 24-hour period. Details will beposted on the Lake Vermilion StatePark website (www.mndnr.gov/vermilion). For more informationsend an e-mail to [email protected]

Macalesters Ordway FieldStation, Inver Grove Heights;Friday, June 10, 5 11:59 p.m.

The Katharine Ordway NaturalHistory Study Area is located at9550 Inver Grove Trail, InverGrove Heights. This BioBlitz is co-sponsored by Macalester Collegethe Mississippi National Riverand Recreation Area (MNRRA)and the Mississippi River fundFor information, contact [email protected]

Blomberg Lake SNA, Burnett

County, WisconsinJuly 9, 12 noon - 6 p.m.; July 109 a.m. - 3 p.m.

This SNA is north and west ofSiren, Wis. Details will be availablefrom the Botanical Club of Wisconsinwebsite (https://sites.google.com/site/botanicalclubofwisconsin/).Contact Paul Skawinski [email protected] or go to theBlomberg Lake SNA page on theWisconsin DNR website.


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Directions:

Take MN Hwy. 52 to the Butler Ave. E. exit in West St. Paul.Go west on Butler 0.2 mile to Stassen Lane.

Go south on Stassen Lane to Thompson County Park.

Spring 2011

Minnesota Native Plant Society

P.O. Box 20401

Bloomington, MN 55420

Documents

Spring 2011 Minnesota Plant Press ~ Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter