Blog
Learn about native species and ecological landscaping tips from a Minnesota Master Naturalist.
What’s in a Name: Spring Ephemerals
There are many spring wildflowers, but not all are ephemeral. Spring ephemerals are wildflowers that complete their entire lifecycle before tree leaves fully emerge and create a shady, closed canopy. Ephemeral flowers primarily grow on the forest floor, but some also grow in prairie and savanna habitats.
Native Groundcovers for Matrix Plantings
I’m highlighting my favorite groundcover plants that are native to central and northern Minnesota. While native populations may not be recorded in every single county, all these plant species are generally considered native throughout central and northern Minnesota. Many of them are also native to neighboring regions like northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. All can be grown in home gardens with relative ease, though I’ve noted special considerations, such as species that are aggressive growers.
Native Matrix Plantings for Monarchs
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) need our help! Once common across North America, monarch populations have collapsed due to the loss of milkweed and nectar-producing native plants. To preserve monarch populations, we need to add monarch-friendly native plants back into our landscapes. In this post, I’ll highlight three native matrix plantings (all 20’ x 10’) to support monarchs in various sun and soil conditions.
How to Design a Native Matrix Planting
Matrix plantings make fantastic bases for experimentation. The shapes of the landscape change over time and according to the seasons, creating continuous visual interest. They can be easily edited and the density of groundcover plants helps suppress weed growth. In this post, I’ll focus on how to design native matrix plantings for smaller gardens and landscapes.
Planting for Rusty-Patched Bumble Bees
The rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) once buzzed across half of North America, ranging from the Atlantic seaboard to the Dakotas. But habitat loss, pesticide use, and introduced diseases have decimated rusty-patched bumble bee populations. Restoring rusty-patched bumble bee populations is a task requiring many partners. But it’s easy to take important action on an individual level too. People living in regions with remaining rusty-patched bumble bee populations can add native plants that offer essential nutrition for rusty-patched bumble bees.
Bee Lawns and Native Landscaping
Bee lawns serve human functions first and foremost, so they have lower ecological value than a naturalistic landscape of native plants. Native bees are best served by a ground layer with varied height, diverse flowering plants, and patches of bare soil for burrowing. Bee lawns aren’t bad or unimportant. But bee lawns should be reserved for recreation areas and function best when planted alongside native, naturalistic landscaping.