Plant of the Week: Drosera rotundifolia
Plant of the Week! You can see fall colors in the summertime if you get up close to a muskeg, which is a nutrient poor, water saturated peatland. Due to the high acidity and low nutrients, such environments are not very diverse, but many of the plants that live there are unique to such a... Learn More
Plant of the Week: Lilium philadelphicum
Plant of the Week! A stunning forb whose deep orange flowers can be seen from a mile away, Lilium philadelphicum, Wood Lily, is a beautiful addition to a prairie garden. Wood lilies have the largest range of any native lily in North America, covering much of the US and Canada. There are two subspecies, L.... Learn More
Plant of the Week: Lathyrus japonicus
Plant of the Week! Summertime beach days are waning, but it’s not too late to get out and explore some Great Lakes dune plant communities! Here is an early successional plant commonly found on the foredune (see the Indiana Dunes diagram shown here). Lathyrus japonicus, Beach Pea, is a native legume, although its species name,... Learn More
Plant of the Week: Dirca palustris
Plant of the Week! It might not have showy flowers, a grand stature, or particularly unusual features, but this plant geek 🙋♀️ cannot get enough of Dirca palustris, Leatherwood! An understory shrub, it typically has an open form in the wild (such as the first photo), but it is just as at home in the... Learn More
Plant of the Week: Arceuthobium pusillum
Plant of the Week! Wisconsin’s smallest shrub, Arceuthobium pusillum, Eastern Dwarf Mistletoe, only grows a couple centimeters tall. In the photo, it is the orange-brown plant growing out of this Black Spruce branch. A hemi-parasitic plant, it derives nutrients from host plants, eventually weakening and killing them. Dwarf Mistletoe is one of the causes for... Learn More
Plant of the Week: Penstemon grandiflorus
Plant of the Week! A stunning plant in a dry prairie, Penstemon grandiflorus, Large-Flowered Penstemon, has beautiful waxy, blue-green leaves, a grand stature, and large, deep lavender blooms. On a cloudy day, it is almost electric when viewed against shorter prairie grasses. This plant provides food for a number of pollinators, including bumblebees who crawl... Learn More
Plant of the Week: Goodyera pubescens
Plant of the Week! Goodyera pubescens, Downy Rattlesnake-Plantain, looks like a designer plant that propagators took years to develop. In fact, it is a naturally occurring, native perennial whose native range extends from Eastern Canada down to Florida, and as far West as Oklahoma. Its leaves are evergreen and have intricate white veins. In mid... Learn More
Plant of the Week: Medeola virginiana
Plant of the Week! A small yet beautiful woodland perennial, Medeola virginiana, Cucumber-root, forces observers to pause and come down to its level in order to be fully appreciated. The plant is about a foot tall and consists of one or more whorls of leaves. The upper whorl is smaller and holds flowers just above... Learn More
Plant of the Week: Campanula rotundifolia
Plant of the Week! A delicate-looking, yet tough native forb, Campanula rotundifolia, Harebell, can be found on rocky outcrops and bluffs, as well as sandy prairies and open woods. The names “Campanula” and “Harebell” might make you cringe, but this plant is not the invasive Campanula rapunculoides that enjoys taking over our yards! The native... Learn More
Plant of the Week: Potentilla palustris
Plant of the Week! You’re probably familiar with Potentilla fruticosa, commonly referred to as just “Potentilla”, (or the McDonald’s shrub! 😆), but there are other Potentilla species here in Wisconsin. One of these is Potentilla palustris, or Marsh Cinquefoil. As its name suggests, this plant can be found on wet sites such as “shallow, often... Learn More