Show notes coming soon!

In today's episode, Fall in Love with Native Plants, we go over why not to neglect the three season garden and the many native perennials and grasses you can incorporate for fall interest.

We've dug into our archives and given new life to an old episode. Come for a refresh on some great native fall-blooming plants in case you need some ideas for some last-ditch fall projects.

Host Stephanie Barelman

Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialog, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.

Episode Sponsors

Today's episode is sponsored by:

Lauritzen Gardens

laurtizengardens.org

Listen, rate, and subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

I've gleaned a lot of today's fun insect info from Heather Holm's book Pollinators of Native Plants: https://amzn.to/3ZyEK85

Go find her podcast episode from last October for more seasonally-relevant info!

Fall Plant Families

• Asters 

New England aster

• Come one come all bees, butterflies, and moths!
• Host plant for pearl crescent butterfly
• Caters to specialist Andrea mining bee
• Nectar source for small carpenter bees, leaf cutter bees, bumblebees, green sweat bees
• Nectar source for arcigera flower moth
• Nectar source for buckeye and crescent butterflies 
• Nectar and pollen for syrphid flies, soldier beetles
• Beautiful color, nice tall aster for a moist area of your garden

Also:

heath aster

Looks like a snowy blanket in bloom ('snow flurry') or if using the straight native species, like snow covered branches reaching up

Growth habit from 1 foot to 3 feet, two completely different habits depending on if you use 'snow flurry cultivar' or the straight native species

Other utility: long lived aster, suited for dry, tough areas

silky aster

Looks very delicate, grows around things, very wispy and ethereal 

Growth habit up to 1 foot and a half 

heartleaf aster

Looks heart shaped leaves periwinkle flowers

Growth habit up to 3 feet, likes to show up everywhere and you will let it

smooth blue aster

Looks bluish purple with blue green leaves 

Growth habit shrubby but open 

Late season nectar forage YES!

Host plant status crescent butterflies 

sky blue aster

Looks another pale purple aster, very similar to smooth aster

Growth habit up to 3 feet 

aromatic aster

True to its name another pale purple aster up to 2 feet, popular one the rabbits don’t seem to eat. 

• bonesets

tall boneset

Looks tall with tight clustered fireworks of white, stout, doesn’t need much support, dense 

Growth habit up to 5 feet 

• sunflowers

Maximilian sunflower

• Larval host for the silvery checkerspot butterfly
• Late seasonal forage Nectar source for monarchs
• Nectar for bumblebees, sweat bees, and long horned bees
• Bee paradise 
• Whip out your whiskey barrels people!

Also:

sawtooth sunflower

Looks tall majestic yellow sunflowers with large green leaves

Growth habit colony forming up to about 6 feet

We saw a great example of this at Little Salt Fork Marsh Preserve near Lincoln in Raymond, NE. Indian grass, little bluestem, and sawtooth sunflower: heaven.

western sunflower

Looks similar to false sunflower, delicate yellow daisy shaped blooms

Growth habit up to 3 feet

Blooms from July to September 

Jerusalem artichoke

Native sunflower with edible tubers, aggressive but we talk about its usefulness and how to grow it in our native edible plant series, specifically our episode on vegetables, greens, and alliums

• Petunias

wild petunia

• Larval host plant for common buckeye butterfly
• Pollen for green sweat bee, syrphid flies 
• Nectar and pollen for leaf cutter bees
• Nectar sweat bees and small carpenter bees 
• This one is very delicate and blooms off and on in my front garden, works perfect as an understory plant underneath all your taller garden plants
• Ironweed

common ironweed

• Larval host plant for parthenice tiger moth
• Caters to specialist long horned bees (melissodes denticulate and melissodes vernoniae)
• Nectar for green sweat bees, bumble bees, leaf cutter bees
• Nectar for syrphid flies and soldier beetles
• Nectar for pecks skipper and eastern tiger swallowtail 
• Beautiful vibrant purple blooms great for a moister area of the garden like the bottom of a hill or other depression
• Goldenrods

stiff goldenrod

• buffet for our diverse insect friends 
• Larval host plant for the dart moth
• Plant that caters to the specialist insect Andrena mining bees
• Nectar for long horned bees, sweat bees, bumblebees, leaf cutter bees, carpenter bees
• Nectar for paper wasp, golden digger wasp
• Nectar for monarchs 
• Nectar and pollen for syrphid flies
• Pollen for locust borer beetle

zig zag goldenrod

• Feed your hordes of varied bugs
• Larval host for brown hooded owlet moth and twirler moth, yes there is a moth called a twirler moth and I want it to be my friend
• Caters to specialist Andrena mining bees
• Nectar for sweat bees, yellow faced bees, green sweat bees, bumblebees 
• Nectar for carrot wasps, mason wasps, paper wasps 
• Nectar and pollen for syrphid flies
• Pollen for Andrena mining bees
• Great goldenrod for dappled light areas, will tolerate light shade

Also:

canada goldenrod

Looks like goldenrod!

Growth habit stout goldenrod, aggressive spreader perfect for wild spaces or in an area you can let it grow into a nice patch

Late season nectar forage YES!

Can be a good rain garden addition, especially with obedient plant and swamp milkweed

Missouri goldenrod

Looks like goldenrod!

Growth habit 3 feet or so, a little floppy

Early blooming!

showy goldenrod

Looks a nice gorgeous specimen true to its name, not too bad on flopping

Growth habit up to 5 feet

Late season nectar forage YES!

Also: look into goldenrod if you're interested in native plant dyes

Disclaimer: I've introduced you to a rabbit hole...

• Sneezeweeds

Helenium autumnale

cheerful yellow flowers

looks great in a rain garden

• Milkweeds

butterfly milkweed

• Diverse pollinator parfait
• That rare bright orange that looks amazing next to our purple, yellow,  and light pink flowers 
• Host plant for monarch, queen butterfly, and the milkweed tussock moth
• Provides nectar for great spangled fritillary, sulphur butterflies 
• Nectar for paper wasps 
• Nectar for ants and soldier beetles, so set your picnic up right next to some blooming butterfly weed and they’ll leave your sandwiches alone
• Nectar for leaf cutter bees, carpenter bees, and sweat bees 

Also:

whorled milkweed

Looks delicate white orchid shaped flowers, leaves turn yellow in fall

Growth habit an opportunist, will cheerfully spread itself around your other plants but only grows to about a foot tall

Other utility wasps dig it 

• Heliopsis

false sunflower

• Larval host for rigid sunflower borer 
• Nectar source for ground beetles and soldier beetles
• Nectar for male leaf cutter bees, long horned bees, bumble bees
• Nectar for clearwing moths 
• Pollen for green sweat bees and carpenter bees
• Plant material for female leaf cutter bees
• Fall interest, lots of pollinator benefit, and fantastic prolifically blooming cheerful yellow 
• Verbenas

Verbena stricta 

• Bestow favor on your butterflies and bees 
• Larval host for verbena moth and fine lined sallow moth
• Caters to specialist bee calliopsis nebraskensis 
• Nectar for pecks skipper, silver spotted skipper, painted ladies, and monarchs 
• Nectar for bee flies and syrphid flies
• Verbena for drier places, just be careful where you place it. Don’t place it next to a path, let it be where it can go freely to seed and create a nice patch

Verbena hastata

• Host plant for verbena moth and feeds a variety of insects 
• Caters to specialist bee calliopsis nebraskensis nebraska vervain calliopsis bee 
• Nectar for syrphid flies, bee flies, thick headed flies 
• Nectar for silver spotted skipper
• Nectar for green sweat bees, carpenter bees, bumble bees, long horned bees, leaf cutter bees
• Great plant for the rain garden or near a downspout, the verbena for wetter areas, more delicate flowers than verbena stricta, so small and precious 

• Eryngiums

Rattlesnake master

• Unique plant, looks striking next to florals
• Host plant for stem borer moth and flower feeding moth
• Nectar for soldier beetles, red shouldered pine beetles
• Nectar for yellow faced bees
• Pollen for bumblebees
• Wasp paradise

• Salvias

pitcher sage

Looks pale bluish purple 

Growth habit: tall so place accordingly, this thing is gonna flop you really got to place other tall and or shrubby stuff around it

Host plant status hermit sphinx moth 

Other utility drought tolerant, aromatic, lovely paired with yellow, a bee favorite

• Mints

1. anise hyssop ( some people argue whether to pronounce a-neice or ah-nis but I'm gonna do what I want)

• Late season nectar source
• nectar for leaf cutter bees, bumble bees
• Nectar for silver spotted skipper and great spangled fritillary 
• nectar for soldier beetles
• Great plant that smells like licorice and has a stately structured appearance in the late summer and early fall garden

2. Virginia mountain mint

• Great plant for your rain garden or wetter spots on your property, perhaps where a downspout comes down or where your weird patio dumps all of its water
• A wasp favorite, you can make a sea shanty album called wasp’s friend 
• Nectar for long horned bees, green sweat bees, yellow faced bees, bumblebees
• Nectar for banded hairstreak butterfly
• Nectar for paper wasps, great golden digger wasps, great black wasps, and… beewolves. Did you know that beewolves are a thing. Google a picture of one of them carrying a bee in their arms and awaken the stuff of nightmares. contribute to scary, amazing, and wonderful biodiversity. Maybe give your sinister daughter a reason to haunt the garden. Oh wait, that’s my daughter.
• Nectar for syrphid flies, wedge shaped beetles, and ants! Because we love our ants! 

3. wild bergamot

• Host plant for hermit sphinx moth
• Plant that caters to the specialist black sweat bee 
• Nectar for bumble bees. This is like a fine wine for your bumble bees. They love the stuff. 
• Nectar for eastern tiger swallowtail, monarch, silver spotted skipper
• Nectar for hummingbird clearwing moth
• Nectar for soldier beetles
• Wild bergamot was featured on our episode about wildflower teas so go back and listen to that one. Fantastic in bloom. Not much better out there. 

4. spotted bee balm

• A wasp’s paradise
• Host plant for gray marvel moth 
• Plant that caters to the specialist black sweat bee 
• Nectar for great black and gold digger wasps 
• Nectar for long horned bees and bumblebees 
• Pollen for sweat bees
• This plant surprised my friend who has been gardening for many years and has a gorgeous cottage style garden. If she loves it, I promise you will too.

• Grasses 

purple love grass

Looks like beautiful purple smoke, or golden smoke

Growth habit short, wispy

Other utility great for hellstrips or other stubborn dry areas 

prairie dropseed 

Looks big friendly green tuft of grass 

Growth habit bunch forming, 2-3 feet

Other utility birds like eating the seeds, good source of fall color as cold sets in 

Versatile grass that will grow in a variety of areas

side oats grama 

Looks like rolled oats on a blade of grass, teeny tiny red flowers, see if you can spot them

Growth habit open up to 2 or so feet tall

Host plant status larval host for skippers 

Other utility another great grass for dry spaces 

blue grama 

Up to 2 foot range 

Easy to start from seed

Great for erosion

little bluestem

Looks kaleidoscope of blues and purples and reds and copper tones

Growth habit 3 feet and sometimes a scowtch taller if its really happy

Host plant status larval host for skippers 

Other utility birds will eat the seeds, our official state grass

big bluestem

Looks amazing purplish red tips, looks like heaven paired with Indian grass

Growth habit tall these babies get up to about 8 feet tall

Other utility a very important part of tallgrass prairie ecosystems 

switchgrass

4 to 5 foot range

Looks amazing with little bluestem and other wildflowers

Has trendy named cultivars

indian grass

Looks bronze and gold colored seedheads, majestic en masse

Growth habit tall 6 feet or more

Other utility: food for birds 

In conclusion

Be open-minded, fall exists outside of exotic chrysanthemums and ornamental kale. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

What makes a plant native?

http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska

https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society

native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)

On the Web

BONAP aforementioned

BNPS aforementioned

http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on Facebook

Books & Authors

Rick Darke- The Living Landscape

Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".

Enrique Salmon- Iwigara

Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany

Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

Native Plants of the Midwest

Planting in a Post-Wild World

Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska

• NSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads
•  Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health
•  Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/

Other Local Organizations

• Green Bellevue
• PATH
• Nebraska Native Plant Society

Listen, rate, and subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review...

In today’s episode, The Dark Side of Native Plants: Fandoms, Gatekeeping, Anxiety, Pretense, and What You Can Do To Avoid Their Pitfalls, we discuss exactly that.

Host Stephanie Barelman

Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.

Episode Sponsors

Today's episode is sponsored by:

Midwest Natives Nursery

www.midwestnativesnursery.com/

https://www.facebook.com/midwestnatives

https://www.instagram.com/midwest_natives_nursery

Lauritzen Gardens

laurtizengardens.org

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

ATTENTION: Today’s episode is marked explicit for a single, well-placed F-bomb.

Roadblocks to Our New Way of Life

• Interesting opinions-from surprising sources! 
• Expensive workshops
• Paywalls
• Feeling like you have to sign up for email lists 

Today’s Public Service Announcement:

Beware of the Gatekeepers 

You DON’T need to buy a certain book, or take certain classes. There are wonderful organizations that work very hard to provide this education to you for FREE such as:

• The Xerces Society 
• Pollinator Partnership
• Homegrown National Park 
• National Wildlife Federation

That being said, we DO recommend wonderful authors on our show such as:

• Heather Holm
• Douglas Tallamy 
• Jim Locklear 
• Rick Darke 
• Enrique Salmon 
• Benjamin Vogt 

We also DO recommend local plant suppliers that provide affordable plant material such as:

• Midwest Natives Nursery
• Bumbling Bee Native Wildflowers 
• Prairie Legacy 
• Prairie Plains Institute 
• Nebraska Statewide Arboretum

And remember: there’s no one way to do anything! 

Patreon Disclaimer

We (if the gods allow) occasionally put content on our Patreon. But if you need this info for FREE, please email [email protected]. Just because I am trying to make a living doesn’t mean we will keep you from the good stuff. 

Examples of Negative (and Subjective) Plant Opinions

Just because you are enthusiastic about native plants doesn’t mean you have to accept EVERYTHING a (sort of)native plants person you admire says.

As said by Piet Oudolf, natural landscapes garden designer, in one of his books:

• Joe Pye weed= nothing more than ‘not unattractive’ 
• sneezeweed = too exuberant 
• goldenrod and sunflower= overfamiliar
• foliage of rudbeckia is “uninspiring”
• Rudbeckia flowers are uninteresting
• goldenrod is a “garish yellow” 

As said by Piet Oudolf and landscape designer and host John McGee on the Native Plant Podcast (not to be confused with our podcast:)

• Adding prairie dropseed is enough to make a landscape “look” wild
• The primary point of a garden is to give people pleasure
• Nettles in a design would put someone out of work
• Certain natives are invasive (leading to endless mental and actual debate, more on that in a minute)
• It’s not our place to make nature in our gardens... wait, what?

Controversial statement by the late Toby Hemenway, a 2000s garden author, professor, environmentalist:

• Native gardens are pointless in the grand scheme of things when it comes to conservation and that your little suburban garden isn’t going to save any species… 

Ben Vogt, Lincoln landscape designer and seeming native plant activist:

• Gray-headed coneflower looks overgrown and overwhelms spaces, trees and shrubs should be short or narrow and very limited in the landscape

Traditional seeming negative opinions I've heard and read:

• Violets are an invasive weed worthy of spraying chemicals on their lawn to remove I.e. kill. 
• Butterflies and caterpillars are pests!

Hold on, Can Native Plants be Invasive?

Depends who you are asking...

Although, can something be invasive if it isn’t foreign or is it just robust? Is a plant civilization truly noxious and undesirable simply because it has evolved to be such a strong survivor in prime conditions? Maybe something like complete obliteration of its natural ecosystem where more checks and balances were in place?!?!

Some Important Differences Between Being a Native Plant Person vs. Being a Landscape Designer: 

Native plant expert: promotes native plants in the landscape

Designer: promotes certain plants in the landscape

Native plant expert: motivated by ecology

Designer: motivated by income flow

The Whole Point of the Native Plants Movement

to use native plants to reintroduce nature to our landscapes, right?

DON'T Conflate Opinion with Academic Expertise

Before you take someone’s advice on what plants could be considered, consider considering them.

But surprise this whole episode is my opinion! 

Have You Been Told To Avoid Any of the Following?

• Indian grass
• big bluestem
• common milkweed
• Verbena stricta
• goldenrod
• sunflowers
• New England aster
• tall boneset
• hyssops
• obedient plant
• all Silphium sp.

Have You Heard the Following Terms:

• opportunistic
• aggressive
• invasive
• problematic
• garden thuggery
• and the new one I’ve heard lately: gregarious

Have You Been Told Things Using This Language:

• well-behaved
• safe
• low-maitenence
• no-fuss
• “not too tall…”

In Defense of Common Milkweed…

“Perhaps most of us fall in love with the idea of milkweeds, when we hear they host the very beloved monarch butterfly.  We do our best to plant natives and inevitably we may come across someone giving away loads of common milkweed. Later on, we may regard anyone giving away hoards of a single variety of plant as a red flag. We may start to talk to our garden people about plants that are “too aggressive.” We may come to view plants like common milkweed as not worthy of our gardens and banish them along with native sunflowers, roses, wild mint, and other spreading plants into some dark recess of the native plants mindset. But, and hear me out on this, have you gone up to a common milkweed in bloom and stuck your nose right up in the flowers? Have you? Because by God, it smells like a fever dream. It’s a marvelously nutritious plant for humans and wildlife. It looks unique. It’s always buzzing with activity. It’s a fucking symbol of the prairie and we can’t banish it, guys. Give common milkweed a chance. Find somewhere to put it and for the love of all things garden worthy, stop and smell it once in a while.”

Keep It Simple

Plant what you, pollinators, and your kids love. Do your best to know what plants better support ecology and don’t let other people’s opinions be the gatekeeper for your gardens. Remember that the literature is mostly written by opinionated landscape designers and try to distinguish between fact and commentary. 

Don’t stay away from all goldenrods and sunflowers just because you are told to. For the best plants ecology wise, refer to ecoregion guides like these:

https://pollinator.org/PDFs/Guides/PrairieParklandrx12FINAL.pdf

https://xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/22-027_01_NPPBI%E2%80%94NorthernPlains_web.pdf

https://nativeplantfinder.nwf.org/Plants

https://homegrownnationalpark.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HNP-ECO-REG-9.2-TREES-SHRUBS-LIST.110323.pdf

Instead of Avoiding Plants, We Can Learn How to Manage Them!

Too tall? Plant it at the back of the border or cut it back in June. Spread too much? Plant it in a container in the ground. 

"For Wild Spaces Only"

If it’s only good for wild spaces, what will we do when wild spaces no longer exist?

Even if the developer/business owner/ new homeowner/ landlord is progressive, do you think sunflowers and goldenrod will be allowed to exist, if the most progressive among us are placing it dead center on a planting hit-list? 

In Closing

Take scare posts with a grain of salt, feel free to disregard or flat out reject this entire episode, look away from the paywalls, look to the people who are passion-driven, who simply won’t shut up about how much they love plants ever.  

The native plants movement-and in logical succession- this podcast and other native plant podcasts should resonate with one singular effort- to help native species continue on into the future and to reignite their use in landscapes. 

Gardening Isn’t Rocket Science

At its very essence, gardening is an appreciation for life on earth, the wonder of nature, the art of paying attention, and trying to leave something wholesome, lasting, and beneficial for generations of people and creatures to come

Thank you all so much for listening and your continued support of the podcast and native plants!!!!!

What Makes a Plant Native?

http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska

https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society

native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)

Local Plant Suppliers

Midwest Natives Nursery

Great Plains Nursery

Nebraska Statewide Arboretum

Prairie Legacy Nursery

Mulhall's

Online Plant Suppliers

Prairie Moon Nursery

Prairie Nursery

Stock Seed

On the Web

BONAP aforementioned

Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety

Books & Authors

Rick Darke- The Living Landscape

Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".

Enrique Salmon- Iwigara

Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany

Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

Native Plants of the Midwest

Planting in a Post-Wild World

Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska

• NSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads
•  Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health
•  Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/

Other Local Organizations

• Green Bellevue
• PATH
• Milkweed Matters
• Nebraska Native Plant Society

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

In today’s episode, Rain Gardens for the Reluctant Gardener, we chat with Steve Rodie about just how much water comes off your roof in a single rain, what the heck bioswales are, and some tried and true native plants to select for your rain garden projects.

Host Stephanie Barelman

Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.

Guest Steve Rodie

Steve Rodie retired in 2020 from 26 years of teaching, research, and extension at the University of Nebraska. He is currently an Emeritus Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at UNO. During his academic career, he focused his teaching and research on landscape plants, landscape and environmental appreciation and sustainability, sustainable landscape design, and green infrastructure stormwater management using rain gardens, bioretention gardens, and other best management practices. 

Steve is also a registered landscape architect and worked on environmental assessments and visual resources analyses for almost 10 years in Colorado and California. In 2012, he was elected as a Fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Episode Sponsors

Today's episode is sponsored by:

Midwest Natives Nursery

www.midwestnativesnursery.com/

https://www.facebook.com/midwestnatives

https://www.instagram.com/midwest_natives_nursery

Lauritzen Gardens

laurtizengardens.org

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

TRIGGER WARNING: We occasionally discuss plants with a more eastern or western range. But we make a point to only discuss midwestern U.S. plants. Always check BONAP or other range maps to determine the best estimates of historical nativity.

625 GALLONS OF WATER

That's how much an 1000 square foot roof sheds with the average rain.

In a moderate rainstorm, imagine how much water a 2500 square foot roof sheds! Food for thought.

Why Filtering Stormwater Runoff is Important

Fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus,) car lot oils, heavy metals pollute rivers and streams when the polluted water just rushes straight into the storm drains.

So when we can help control the volume and the quality of the water that runs off, we can help keep our environment clean!

How Can Homeowners Find Out if They Have Rain Garden Potential?

Look around. When it rains, where is the water going and coming from? Downspouts are an obvious source of runoff, but maybe you have water rushing off of a slanted driveway, patio, or other pavement.

A rain garden would be placed close to one of these sources but at least 10 feet away from your house and not under an existing tree.

DO A DRAINAGE TEST!

Find a spot where a rain garden seems appropriate and test the soil in the center of the area.

Dig a hole a foot down and a foot wide, fill it to the top with water. Wait two hours (for it to settle) and fill it back up to the top. Stick an old ruler in the side and measure how much inches of water goes down (infiltrates) each hour.

This seems like a slog but the lowest part of your rain garden is going to be anywhere from 6-12 inches deep depending on how fast the soil can absorb the water.

If you want to skip the technical stuff start with the center of your rain garden at 3 inches deep and see if it drains in two hours.

Video on this test here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEN0NtMsvsg

You can also find the section in this file: https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/ec1262/2013/pdf/view/ec1262-2013.pdf

Retained Water Helps Cool the Air

Maybe this is a basic thing but whatever, we touch on it.

Bioswales- What the Heck are They?

A swale is something that channels water, could be as basic as a ditch. But a bioswale is an area where plant species are also incorporated to further channel and disperse water.

Bioswales can be a standalone thing or attached to a rain garden. Different situations might call for one or both to be utilized.

Inlets, Outlets, and Berms, Oh My!

• An inlet is simply enough where the water comes in to the rain garden.
• Outlets are likewise "micro-pathways" where emergency water is able to flow out, especially when we get exorbitant rainfall the rain garden couldn't possibly keep up with (over an inch of rain.) Outlets should always point away from buildings and structures and in a sense go with the natural flow of the water being directed into the garden.
• Berms are mounded ground on the perimeter of the rain garden so that water goes in and in a sense, is kept in.

Ok, But, Seriously, How Deep Should A Rain Garden Be, How Big Should it Be?

A rain garden with the center depression, think the bullseye in the donut hole, at a typical 6 inches deep should drain water within 12-24 hours.

If it takes longer and you have sitting water in your rain garden, you risk damage to plants, not to mention, making ripe conditions for mosquitoes.

If you want to know the methodology of determining your depth and rain garden size, consult these publications here. Choose between the web version OR interactive PDF :

https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/ec1262/rain-garden-design-site-and-selection-guide

GET YOUR SOIL TESTED!

https://midwestlabs.com/

Traditional Garden Design Touchstones

Consider:

• Plant Selection- Steve encourages short plants (under 3-4 feet) for gardens under 100 sq ft.
• Plant Placement by Height (taller in the back or middle, shorter in the front or sides, etc. etc.)
• Repetition (good for aesthetic cohesion)
• Mixing Different Plants (mixing different colors, textures, and bloom times)
• Size and Shape of Bed- Curvilinear or Rectilinear, which ideally is matched to existing landscaping
• Curb Appeal and Cues to Care- thank you, Joan Nassauer
• Multi-Seasonal Interest (again, the different bloom times)
• Habitat Value

Plants Sorted by Sun Conditions

Sun/Partial Sun 

• goldenrods- showy and stiff goldenrod are good options
• purple coneflower 
• little bluestem (higher levels)
• blue grama (higher levels)
• dense blazing star
• wild bergamot 
• Virginia mountain mint 
• common yarrow
• blue flag iris - regional native 
• 'Gateway' Joe pye weed- happy in the middle
• Helenium autumnale
• great blue Lobelia-likes it wet (disclaimer: will be short-lived)
• swamp milkweed 
• butterfly weed (rim of rain garden, highest ground)
• side oats grama (higher/upper levels)
• Bicknell’s sedge
• Sprengel’s sedge 
• brown fox sedge
• gray sedge

Shade / Partial Shade 

**Reminder: Don't put a rain garden under an existing tree, the shade should be coming from a nearby structure, but again keep the rain garden at least 10 feet from a building

• Lobelia- cardinal flower-happy in the middle (short-lived)
• Solomon’s seal
• wild ginger
• lady fern
• sweet Joe pye- happy in the middle ('Baby Joe' dwarf cultivar good option)
• wild geranium
• columbine 
• plains oval sedge (good at the center)
• rosy sedge (good at the center)

Shrubs!

• Elderberry
• Willow
• Buttonbush- straight native or small and compact 'Sugar Shack' cultivar
• Viburnum- 'Blue Muffin' is a good cultivar
• Dogwood
• Aronias- 'lowscape' and 'Iroquois beauty' are good options

NEWANIP

To support ecology, choose Native and adapted Ecological and Well Adapted Non Invasive Plants

In Closing

Remember, trees also help manage water. Don't forget to plant trees on your property.

Deep-rooted natives provide ecosystem services for FREE! Continue to reduce soil compaction by reducing lawns and using native plants!

Thank you all so much for listening and your continued support of the podcast and native plants!!!!!

What Makes a Plant Native?

http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska

https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society

native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)

Local Plant Suppliers

Midwest Natives Nursery

Great Plains Nursery

Nebraska Statewide Arboretum

Prairie Legacy Nursery

Mulhall's

Online Plant Suppliers

Prairie Moon Nursery

Prairie Nursery

Stock Seed

On the Web

BONAP aforementioned

Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety

Books & Authors

Rick Darke- The Living Landscape

Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".

Enrique Salmon- Iwigara

Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany

Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

Native Plants of the Midwest

Planting in a Post-Wild World

Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska

• NSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads
•  Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health
•  Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/

Other Local Organizations

• Green Bellevue
• PATH
• Milkweed Matters
• Nebraska Native Plant Society

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

In today’s episode, Nebraskan Trees and Shrubs for Bored Suburbanites, we chat with Heather Byers, owner of Great Plains Nursery, about keystone species, the best time of year to plant trees, and beautiful and native options for woody plants humans, pollinators, and yes, even squirrels can enjoy.

Host Stephanie Barelman

Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.

Guest Heather Byers

Heather Byers is a native tree enthusiast and, along with her husband Brian, owner of Great Plains Nursery near Weston, NE. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2006 with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Horticulture Production and shortly after started the business with a passion for growing and planting native trees and shrubs and sharing the importance of native plants for the ecosystem. 

Episode Sponsors

Today's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:

laurtizengardens.org

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

TRIGGER WARNING: We occasionally discuss plants with a more eastern or western range. But we make a point to only discuss midwestern U.S. plants. Always check BONAP or other range maps to determine the best estimates of historical nativity.

Top Trees and Shrubs at Great Plains Nursery

Most of the plants we discuss can be found online at https://greatplainsnursery.com/

Although there are differences between Eastern and Western Nebraska, Heather stresses planting trees and shrubs with high ecological value.

Her recommendations for Eastern NE:

Oaks, baby!

Did you know that oaks support 500 species of caterpillars. And consequentially, oaks support a variety of birds such as bluejays (beautiful jerks) and species of warblers. Many different kinds of oaks to choose from such as:

• Chinquapin or Dwarf Chinquapin Oak (great for smaller spaces)
• Chestnut Oak
• Hills Oak
• Red Oak
• Burr Oak

Some recommendations for Western NE:

• Burr Oak
• Hackberry
• American Elm
• American Linden- great bee forage plant

Recommendations also for Southeastern NE:

• Hickories
• Honey Locust

Looking to Build Bird Habitat?

Heather reminds us to not only provide plants with fresh nuts and berries for birds, but also focus on trees and shrubs that act as larval hosts.

96% of songbirds rear their young on caterpillars: big, fat juicy caterpillars full of protein. So help mama bird and also encourage a nice diversity of birds to your garden for your own viewing pleasure.

Some plants to focus on:

• Aronias
• Serviceberries
• Prunus family of plants including: Sand Cherry, American Plum, and Black Cherry (a great pollinator forage plant, bird forage plant, and larval host plant)
• Ribes (pronounced rye-bees) family of plants including native currants and gooseberry
• American hazelnut- but give it 5 years for strong nut production and plant multiple for any nut production at all
• Salix family of plants- if you have room plant Sand Willow, Peachleaf Willow, or Black Willow... if you don't have room plant Prairie Willow (only 3 feet tall, great filler plant, and can tolerate dryness)

Fast Growing Trees for the Impatient Gardener

• American Elm 'Princeton'
• Cottonwood- even a male option is available if you can't abide the fluff
• 'Prairie Gold' Aspen- can be used for screening
• American Linden
• Black Cherry
• Tulip Tree- great pollinator forage plant

Windbreak Trees- Think Past Non-Native Evergreens

For the furthest boundary away from the house on the north-side you can plant:

• Eastern Red Cedar (though this will spread and maintenance can be problematic)
• Swamp White Oak
• Red Oak
• Shingle Oak

The next layer could consist of:

• Colorado Blue Spruce or Black Hills Spruce- nice pyramidal form (both only regionally native)

The innermost layer of this windbreak could be:

• Aronia
• American hazelnut

Check out this book, “Woody Plants for the Central and Northern Prairies,” illustrated by my friend, Nancy Scott, here.

Underrated Tree That Should be Planted More

Kentucky Coffee Tree https://greatplainsnursery.com/product/kentucky-coffeetree-2/

• Ancient badass tree that has evolved a new way of surviving
• Literally around since the mastadons
• Only plant in its genus-truly one of a kind and worldwide distribution
• Great pollinator forage- inconspicuous flowers (have fun looking for them)
• Charlie Brown stick tree that will eventually reward you with a gorgeous form if you believe in it (and sweet talk it occasionally)

Keystone Species

If you want to hear more about keystone species, go back and listening to our Soft Landings episode with guest Heather Holm:

https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm/episode/softerlandings

Plant families to consider:

• Oaks. If you haven't yet discovered the importance of oaks, a great fall or winter read The Nature of Oaks by Doug Tallamy here. Also check your local library and local booksellers.
• Salix family of plants
• Prunus family of plants
• Coralberry, Snowberry, Wolfberry: Symphocarpus family of plants (some of these are more regionally native in range)

Shade Garden- Don't Fear!

Still trees and shrubs you can plant for shadier areas. Try:

• Hackberry
• Paw Paw
• Serviceberries- especially Regent AKA the Prairie Blueberry
• American Hazelnut
• Dogwood- Gray or Roughleaf

A lot of these plants are used to growing under dense tree canopy in their natural habitats.

Got Squirrels?

Do you get a queer sense of joy out of seeing them prance through the garden and hoarding more nuts than they can possibly ever find? Plant these and stop buying store bought corn cobs:

• Oaks
• American Hazelnut
• Ohio Buckeye
• Black Walnut- careful of this one though, there are only certain plants you can plant nearby
• Pecan
• Hickory

If You're Scared of Deer

For the love of Goldenrod, just cage your trees.

Bucks will rub their antlers on young tree branches in fall. You can cage your trees for the first few years with wire fencing, t-posts. Make a 5-ft diameter ring around the tree with 5-6 foot fencing wire.

Privacy Screens!

Goodbye, arborvitae! Hello native options!

• 'Taylor' Juniper
• 'Prairie Gold' Aspen
• Dwarf Chinquapin Oak
• Black Chokeberry
• Viburnum- native options include nannyberry viburnum and regionally native options of arrowwood viburnum or cranberry bush viburnum

Closing Tips from Heather

• Mulch is a great tool to conserve moisture- just don't make mulch volcanoes.
• Be mindful
• Involve your kids
• Water deeply
• Plant trees in fall!

Thank you all so much for listening and your continued support of the podcast and native plants!!!!!

What Makes a Plant Native?

http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska

https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society

native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)

Local Plant Suppliers

Midwest Natives Nursery

Great Plains Nursery

Nebraska Statewide Arboretum

Prairie Legacy Nursery

Mulhall's

Online Plant Suppliers

Prairie Moon Nursery

Prairie Nursery

Stock Seed

On the Web

BONAP aforementioned

Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety

Books & Authors

Rick Darke- The Living Landscape

Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".

Enrique Salmon- Iwigara

Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany

Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

Native Plants of the Midwest

Planting in a Post-Wild World

Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska

• NSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads
•  Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health
•  Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/

Other Local Organizations

• Green Bellevue
• PATH
• Milkweed Matters
• Nebraska Native Plant Society

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

In today’s episode, Alternative Lawns: Not Your Grandmother's Turfgrass, we go over different options for replacing lawn, why you'll be happy to make the jump, and tried and true ways to replace and maintain your new landscape.

Host Stephanie Barelman

Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.

Episode Sponsors

Today's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:

laurtizengardens.org

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

Rehash our first episode if you are new to the podcast or our wonderful edible plants series here!

• What are Native Plants Anyway?
• Native Edible Plants Series with Bob Henrickson:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Books to Read

• Iwigara
• Native American Ethnobotany

Why Lawns Aren't Sustainable or Healthy

• Pesticide and herbicide runoff pollutes groundwater, rivers, and streams
• Kids are exposed to pesticide and herbicide residues while playing 
• Birds, pollinators, and other wildlife are exposed to residues while foraging and traveling which can result in disease, illness, and death . I mentioned there is plenty of research out there. Here are some of many, many articles discussing:

Protect Pollinators at Home: Alternatives to HerbicidesThe Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservationhttps://xerces.org › blog › protect-pollinators-at-home-alt...

The Risks of Pesticides to PollinatorsThe Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservationhttps://www.xerces.org › pesticides › risks-pesticides-poll...

PesticidesPollinator.orghttps://www.pollinator.org › Learning Center

• Nearby plants can come in contact with spray drift which can cause stunted growth, disease, and death
• Having a monoculture lawn limits local wildlife from the diverse diet it needs to survive and thrive
• Lawn takes up space we could grow our own food and medicine! 

Benefits of Ditching Your Lawn

• You are providing habitat for insects, birds, and other wildlife!
• You are providing bee forage if you own a beehive, and ensuring better crop pollination if you grow a vegetable garden!
• You will encourage the storing of some carbon below ground by using these prairie plants with incredible root systems!
• You can participate in citizen science by submitting sightings and other observations to projects hosted by the Xerxes Society, Pollinator Pathway, and more!
• You will inevitably use less water to maintain the meadow/ alt lawn as opposed to traditional lawn and landscaping!
• You will reduce if not eliminate mowing which is great for the environment and also great for your spouse!
• You will have very little weeding time after your meadow garden/ alt lawn reaches its maturity!
• You will save money! 
• You can forage your lawn for wild edibles.
• You can harvest plant material for natural dyes. 
• You can grow medicine.
• You can use other parts of prairie plants in homemade crafts: basket weaving, bee houses, pressed flowers, etc.

Alt Lawn Options

• Native Grass and Sedge Lawns: Superior to exotic grass because they typically have better root systems and are often host plants for skippers, moths, and butterflies

Blue Grama Lawn: Blue Grama is a warm-season grass. It is drought tolerant and thrives when other exotic grasses struggle.  Height of 1-2 feet. Can seed or plug.

Buffalo Grass Lawn: Buffalo grass is also warm-season grass that gets about 6 inches tall. It is very drought tolerant and long lived.

Sideoats Grama Lawn: More of a meadow lawn since it does reach 2-3 feet in height

Mixed Grass Lawn: You can find different mixes from different suppliers such as (50%) blue grama and (50%) buffalograss, (30%) blue grama, (30%) side oats grama, and (40%) buffalograss... There's also other formulations like habiturf which is (62%) buffalograss,(30%)blue grama, and curly mesquite (8%)

Pennsylvania sedge lawn: Pennsylvania sedge forms dense mats of medium green and grows 6 to 8 inches.

Plains oval sedge lawn

Long-beaked sedge: Great shade lawn option

• Bee Lawns

Let dandelions go and add in native common violet, self heal, purple poppy mallow, wild strawberry, and

• Micro-prairie/Meadowscapes

Shortgrass Prairie

Eclectic Meadow

Tallgrass Prairie

• Groundcover lawns

Mix and match large swaths of ground covers: Plant en masse in groups of 5, 7, 9

Plants to use: BUTTERFLYWEED, PRAIRIE VIOLET, HEATH ASTER, WILD PETUNIA, WILD STRAWBERRY, PRAIRIE CLOVER, POPPY MALLOW, CAREX BREVIOR, GROUND PLUM (I'm not yelling, but lazily copying and pasting from my powerpoint...)

More plants to use: Pearly everlasting, pussytoes, artemisia ludoviciana, 'snow flurry' heath aster cultivar, prairie dropseed, western yarrow

• Yardens: Layered mix of NATIVE shrubs, ornamental grasses, and perennials

Some shrubs to use along with your choice of grasses and perennial plants: LEADPLANT, SILKY DOGWOOD, CHOKECHERRY, CORALBERRY, AMORPHA FRUCTICOSA, PRAIRIE ROSE, ELDERBERRY, PLAINS WILD INDIGO, BAPTISIA AUSTRALIS

• Low-gro native shade gardens

Use plants like wild ginger, dutchman’s breeches, heartleaf aster, mayapple, woodland phlox and others

• Hardscaping

Don’t be shy to add a crushed limestone, pea gravel, flagstone, or salvaged stone patio area to cut down on lawn space and create a relaxing place to view garden areas

You may use landscape fabric stapled underneath

These patios can last ten years or more and can be installed DIY

• Vegetable garden and other garden "rooms"

An entire "room" could be made where lawn resides for a vegetable garden. Vegetable gardens are often made in a square or rectangle design, fenced to protect crops from deer or wildlife, and given paths of mulch, brick, or other material to access plant beds

A place of tranquility to hoard vintage finds and favorite plants

How to Ditch Your Lawn

• Check ordinances and HOA policies

If you are in an HOA, get clear rules detailed about what is allowed for gardenscape/lawns

City of Omaha “all weeds, grass, and worthless vegetation cannot reach a height of 12 inches or more….” meaning occasionally mow, weed monthly, and use cues that this is a maintained garden.

Note that complaints with the city can be appealed but HOA rules are more iron-clad

Do not plant things that decrease visibility in your hellstrip. Opt for very low-growing 1-2 foot plants

• When in doubt, check your property lines!

You can hire a local property assessor for around $400. Or you can go googling your county's GIS and find your parcel by parcel number or last name. Google "[your county] GIS" to find your local data.

Pottawattamie county here

Douglas county here

Sarpy county here

Lancaster county here

• Also!

If you are in a rental property, ask permission to make any changes

Call the hotline (811) to mark utilities for free before you dig

• Figure out your plant layout

Google free "Prairie Moon garden designs, " "pollinator garden design," or consult a local garden designer.

• Plan your site prep:

Mechanical removal OPTION 1: rent a sod cutter or use a spade

Non-selective herbicide OPTION 2

Smother/ solarize OPTION 3 but also good followup to OPTION 1

• Install new plants

Start with plugs: Grasses and sedges only

Buy plugs or 3-4 inch pots versus an initial seeding

Space plants on half foot centers

Plant in May or September

Keep area moist with oscillating sprinkler by watering for about an hour every few days but do not overwater. Do this for three weeks and then taper off.

You may overseed once or twice a year in April or August

You may mow 2-3 times a year with mower at highest setting (June, July, August)

Start with plugs: Meadows/ BEE LAWNS

Buy plugs or 3-4 inch pots versus an initial seeding

Space plants on half foot centers

Plant in May or September

Keep area moist with oscillating sprinkler by watering for about an hour every few days but do not overwater. Do this for three weeks and then taper off.

You may overseed once or twice a year in April or August

You may mow 2-3 times a year with mower at highest setting (June, July, August)

Start with plugs: Yardens

Buy plugs or 3-4 inch pots

Utilize moderate growth rate shrubs like shrubby st. john’s wort, dwarf blue baptisia, and lead plant

Space plants on 1 foot centers

Plant in May or September

Keep area moist with oscillating sprinkler by watering for about an hour every few days but do not overwater. Do this for three weeks and then taper off.

You may do an initial mulching or use weed suppression mat

You may cut back perennials to 1-2 inches in height each year in May

Future Commitments of Time and Care

Plan to maintain by weeding at least once a month per garden area

Weed once a week for new beds, once a month for established beds.

Keep watch for invasives moving in such as poison hemlock, Canada thistle, and creeping Charlie, among others!

Additional Resources

• Plant Suppliers

PRAIRIE MOON


PRAIRIE LEGACY

MIDWEST NATIVES NURSERY

BUMBLING BEE NATIVE WILDFLOWERS

PRAIRIE LEGACY

GREAT PLAINS NURSERY

MULHALL’S

• Books and Podcasts (Ours of course!)

SOME BOOKS

PRAIRIE UP- by BENJAMIN VOGT

PLANTING IN A POST WILD WORLD- by THOMAS RAINIER AND CLAUDIA WEST

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRASSES FOR LIVABLE LANDSCAPES- by RICK DARKE

PODCASTS

PLANT NATIVE NEBRASKA PODCAST( shameless plug)

• Groups

BELLEVUE NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

GREEN BELLEVUE

CITY SPROUTS- VEGETABLE GARDENING!

Hey, You Sweet Little Plant Nerds

Thanks for listening!!!!!

What Makes a Plant Native?

http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska

https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society

native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)

Local Plant Suppliers

Midwest Natives Nursery

Great Plains Nursery

Nebraska Statewide Arboretum

Prairie Legacy Nursery

Mulhall's

Online Plant Suppliers

Prairie Moon Nursery

Prairie Nursery

Stock Seed

On the Web

BONAP aforementioned

Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety

Books & Authors

Rick Darke- The Living Landscape

Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".

Enrique Salmon- Iwigara

Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany

Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

Native Plants of the Midwest

Planting in a Post-Wild World

Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska

• NSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads
•  Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health
•  Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/

Other Local Organizations

• Green Bellevue
• PATH
• Milkweed Matters
• Nebraska Native Plant Society

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

We will be back on for new episodes bi-weekly from August 14th-December 4th! Until then...

Host Stephanie Barelman

Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

• The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

Local Plant Suppliers

Midwest Natives Nursery

Bumbling Bee Native Wildflowers

Great Plains Nursery

Nebraska Statewide Arboretum

Prairie Legacy Nursery

Mulhall's

Online Plant Suppliers

Prairie Moon Nursery

Prairie Nursery

Stock Seed

What Makes a Plant Native?

http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska

https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society

native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)

On the Web

BONAP aforementioned

Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety

Books & Authors

Rick Darke- The Living Landscape

Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".

Enrique Salmon- Iwigara

Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany

Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

Native Plants of the Midwest

Planting in a Post-Wild World

Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska

Additional Resources

• NSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads
•  Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health
•  Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/

Other Local Organizations

• Green Bellevue
• PATH
• Milkweed Matters
• Nebraska Native Plant Society

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

In today’s episode, Native Plant Horticulture in Nebraska, we chat with director of conservation at Lauritzen Gardens, Jim Locklear, about the decision-making behind choosing plants for botanic gardens, the crossroads between aesthetic spaces and conservation, and why the preservation of native plant communities is still important.

Host Stephanie Barelman

Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.

Guest Jim Locklear

Jim Locklear has been the director of conservation at Lauritzen Gardens since 2010. He has a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Central Missouri and a master's in plant and soil science from Southern Illinois University. He formerly served as director of the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains in Kansas and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. He recently published a new book titled, In the Country of the Kaw, about the midwestern watershed of the Kaw River and its history.

Episode Sponsors

Today's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:

laurtizengardens.org

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

Native Plant Horticulture in Nebraska

• Native plant horticulture is characterized by using native plants in the region...but native gardens don't have to be prairie. There are many types of garden styles that can utilize native plants and there are many different ecosystems in Nebraska including wetlands, oak hickory forest, shortgrass tall grass and mixed grass prairies, and others that correspondingly have varied native plants native to those environments.
• Using non-natives is not forbidden, but native plants are emphasized for their habitat value.
• Some of the challenges being faced by the industry and horticulturalists are obtaining seed/stock, propagation issues, and appealing to traditional consumers. Mulhall's (https://mulhalls.com/) is helping to change the game on native plants in the mainstream and take it out of a strictly niche market.

Studying Rare Ecosystems, Different Habitats, and Wildlife Activity at Lauritzen

• Oak trees support lots of caterpillars, and therefore, warblers, who love to eat their little juicy bodies. Morbid right?
• Butterfly deserts form around exotic chrysanthemum, but for some reason they seem to like yellow chrysanthemum, so if your mother-in-law insists on using them, buy her some yellow ones.
• Jim has studied sandsage prairie and one of his takeaways is that far-flung plant communities can be a hidden reserve of diversity and that diversity can affect overall diversity in the Great Plains region. Even the hyper-local can have a greater affect on the bigger picture, which is comforting to us with our little home gardens.

Stewards of the Environment

• Lauritzen Gardens (www. lauritzen.org) has received an accreditation from Botanic Garden Conservation International for its conservation practices, which only 30ish botanic gardens in the WORLD have been awarded.
• On site, this may look like butterfly, bird, and bee and moth surveys; looking for diversity hotspots and deserts; and making changes that better support wildlife over its 100 acres(like switching out purple non-native mums for yellow ones...who knew?)
• Off site, this may be in-the-field conservation; conducting/ supporting studies of rare plants; publishing academic papers in scientific, peer-reviewed journals; seed- banking (as is the case with federally-endangered blowout penstemon;) and conducting plant surveys in the wild.

Plants We Could See More Of...

• milkweeds
• asters
• sunflowers
• showy goldenrod
• liatris
• monardas
• mountain mint

Hope is a Four-Letter Word

• Native plant production has come a long way. For instance, Mulhall's transition to be more native plant-forward means a lot to the industry.
• People seem to be more interested as long as we don't scare them away... I'm looking at you, Barb-ar-ah.

Jewels of the Prairie

• Claude Barr was a Black Hills cattle rancher and a historic supplier of native plants. He opened a mail-order nursery in the 30's. Read a little about Barr here. Jewels of the Prairie is Barr's life's work of observations. Romantic garden writing didn't just happen in Europe.
• Jim recently revised Jewels of the Prairie to update outdated scientific names. You can find a copy here.
• Fendler's Aster and Fremont's clematis and many other plants are in the trade due to Barr's writings

YOU Can Get Involved

• Look into the Nature Conservancy
• Local plant society groups for example the Bellevue Native Plant Society and Nebraska Native Plant Society

Jim's New Book: In the Country of the Kaw

• Jim's book describes plant communities both woodland and prairie types and their wildflowers
• It also talks about restoration ecology and plant-insect interactions.
• You can find Jim's book, In the Country of the Kaw, here.

Thoughts of Importance

• Fight to preserve natural ecosystems. Work to prevent destruction of more natural areas.
• Connect with places like the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.
• Add native plants to your garden.
• Support native plant suppliers.
• Give Stephanie all your money. (Just kidding.)
• Be artful but also, be mindful. Respect plants, respect ecosystems, and respect people.

Local Plant Suppliers

Midwest Natives Nursery

Great Plains Nursery

Nebraska Statewide Arboretum

Prairie Legacy Nursery

Mulhall's

Online Plant Suppliers

Prairie Moon Nursery

Prairie Nursery

Stock Seed

Thanks for listening!

What Makes a Plant Native?

http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska

https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society

native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)

On the Web

BONAP aforementioned

Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety

Books & Authors

Rick Darke- The Living Landscape

Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".

Enrique Salmon- Iwigara

Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany

Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

Native Plants of the Midwest

Planting in a Post-Wild World

Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska

• NSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads
•  Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health
•  Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/

Other Local Organizations

• Green Bellevue
• PATH
• Milkweed Matters
• Nebraska Native Plant Society

Listen, Rate, and Subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

In today’s episode, The Native Patio Garden, we go over why Native American plants are important for non-home dwellers to consider, how we can rework container garden philosophy using native plants, and which native plants can hack it in smaller square footage than the average garden. Dive deeper into today's episode by visiting our Patreon @patreon.com/PlantNativeNebraska .

Host Stephanie Barelman

Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.

Episode Sponsors

Today's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:

laurtizengardens.org

Listen, rate, and subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

You do not need a yard to contribute to conservation!

More people are trying native plants in container gardens. Although a lot of prairie plants have taproots or extensive root systems, there are some shallower-rooting options to try. If you are trying out things or have experience at growing native plants in container gardens, please email us your stories and successes at [email protected].

DO: Get Large Pots

The larger the better. Get crafty and recycle old whiskey barrels, 5 gallon buckets, or just pick some up at your local plant rescue, thrift store, or off Facebook marketplace. Big box stores and nurseries are okay too.

Make good soil.

Potting mix tossed with a bit of compost will do just fine but look up some DIY potting soil compositions online. Some mix in sand or vermiculite. Many good ways to make a nice container mix.

Prepare to take care of your plants

Water thine plants and to thine own self be true.

Thanks for listening!

Native Patio Pots For Shade!

Thrillers

• VIRGINIA WILD RYE Elymus virginicus
• CALICO ASTER Symphyotrichum laterifolius (regional)
• HEARTLEAF ASTER Symphyotrichum cordifolius
• OSTRICH FERN

Fillers

• BLACK EYED SUSAN Rudbeckia hirta or fulgida (regional)
• WESTERN YARROW Achillea millefolium
• PENNSYLVANIA SEDGE Carex pensylvanica
• COMMON VIOLET Viola sororia
• ZIG ZAG GOLDENROD Solidago flexicaulis
• BLUE STEMMED GOLDENROD Solidago cassia

Spillers

• WILD GINGER
• VIRGIN’S BOWER CLEMATIS Clematis virginiana
• WILD STRAWBERRY Fragaria virginiana

Native Patio Pots For Partial Shade!

Thrillers

• SMOOTH BEARDTONGUE Penstemon digitalis (light shade)
• GOLDEN ALEXANDER Zizia aurea (light shade)
• HEARTLEAF ALEXANDER Zizia aptera (light shade)
• VIRGINIA WILD RYE Elymus virginicus
• BLUESTAR Amsonia tabernaemontana (light shade) (regional)
• OHIO SPIDERWORT Tradescantia ohiensis (light shade)
• CALICO ASTER Symphyotrichum laterifolius (regional)
• HEARTLEAF ASTER Symphyotrichum cordifolius
• OSTRICH FERN

Fillers

• BLACK EYED SUSAN Rudbeckia hirta or fulgida (regional)
• HAIRY BEARDTONGUE Penstemon hirsutus (light shade) (regional)
• WESTERN YARROW Achillea millefolium
• PENNSYLVANIA SEDGE Carex pensylvanica
• COMMON VIOLET Viola sororia
• NODDING ONION Allium cernuum (light shade)
• PUSSYTOES Antennaria sp. (light shade)
• ZIG ZAG GOLDENROD Solidago flexicaulis
• BLUE STEMMED GOLDENROD Solidago caesia

Spillers

• PURPLE POPPY MALLOW
• VIRGIN’S BOWER CLEMATIS Clematis virginiana
• WILD STRAWBERRY Fragaria virginiana

Native Patio Pots for Spring!

3-5 GALLON POTS NARROWER BUT DEEP

Thrillers

• SMOOTH BEARDTONGUE Penstemon digitalis
• GOLDEN ALEXANDER
• HEARTLEAF ALEXANDER (regional)
• BLUESTAR Amsonia (regional)
• SPIDERWORT Tradescantia sp.

Fillers

• HAIRY BEARDTONGUE Penstemon hirsutus
• MISSOURI EVENING PRIMROSE Oenothera macrocarpa
• WESTERN YARROW Achillea millefolium
• COMMON VIOLET Viola sororia
• PEARLY EVERLASTING

Spillers

• PURPLE POPPY MALLOW
• VIRGIN’S BOWER CLEMATIS Clematis virginiana
• WILD STRAWBERRY Fragaria virginiana

Native Patio Pots for Summer

3-5 GALLON POTS NARROWER BUT DEEP

Thrillers

• ANNUAL PARTRIDGE PEA Chamaecrista fasciculata
• ANISE HYSSOP Agastache foeniculum (pinch back in June)
• HOARY VERVAIN Verbena stricta (pinch back in June)
• FALSE SUNFLOWER Heliopsis helianthoides (pinch back in June)
• BLAZINGSTAR
• VIRGINIA WILD RYE

Fillers

• BLACK EYED SUSAN Rudbeckia hirta or fulgida (regional)
• JUNE GRASS
• BLUE GRAMA
• PRAIRIE DROPSEED
• ANNUAL INDIAN BLANKET
• PURPLE PRAIRIE CLOVER
• HAIRY BEARDTONGUE Penstemon hirsutus (regional)
• MISSOURI EVENING PRIMROSE Oenothera macrocarpa
• PURPLE LOVEGRASS
• WESTERN YARROW Achillea millefolium
• BLUE VERVAIN Verbena hastata

Spillers

• PURPLE POPPY MALLOW
• VIRGIN’S BOWER CLEMATIS Clematis virginiana
• WILD STRAWBERRY Fragaria virginiana
• WILD PETUNIA
• WILD GERANIUM

Got Bigger Pots? Try These!

• Wild Bergamot (Pinch back in June)
• Purple Coneflower (Regional)
• Swamp Milkweed

Native Patio Pots For Fall!

3-5 GALLON POTS NARROWER BUT DEEP

Thrillers

• VIRGINIA WILD RYE
• ASTERS Symphyotrichum sp. (calico, sky blue, smooth blue, aromatic...)

Filler

• HEATH ASTER 'Snow flurry'
• SIDE OATS GRAMA
• HAIRY BEARDTONGUE Penstemon hirsutus (regional)
• MISSOURI EVENING PRIMROSE Oenothera macrocarpa
• PURPLE LOVEGRASS
• WESTERN YARROW Achillea millefolium
• BLUE VERVAIN Verbena hastata
• PUSSYTOES Antennaria sp.

Spillers

• PURPLE POPPY MALLOW
• VIRGIN’S BOWER CLEMATIS Clematis virginiana

Bigger Pots? Try these! (& pinch back in June)

• BIG BLUESTEM
• JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE
• SAWTOOTH SUNFLOWER
• SWAMP MILKWEED
• TALL BONESET

What makes a plant native?

http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska

https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society

native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)

Local Plant Suppliers

Midwest Natives Nursery

Great Plains Nursery

Nebraska Statewide Arboretum

Prairie Legacy Nursery

Mulhall's

Online Plant Suppliers

Prairie Moon Nursery

Prairie Nursery

Stock Seed

On the Web

BONAP aforementioned

Bellevue Native Plant Society on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety

Books & Authors

Rick Darke- The Living Landscape

Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".

Enrique Salmon- Iwigara

Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany

Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

Native Plants of the Midwest

Planting in a Post-Wild World

Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska

Orgs and Tools

• NSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads
•  Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health
•  Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/

Other Local Organizations

• Green Bellevue
• PATH
• Milkweed Matters
• Nebraska Native Plant Society

Listen, rate, and subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

In today’s episode, Lessons From the Prairie, we chat with Chris Helzer about invasive species, what makes a landscape ecologically resilient, and why we don't have to recreate the past for the present to be meaningful.

Host Stephanie Barelman

Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker surrounding the native plants dialogue, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.

Guest Chris Helzer

Chris Helzer is Director of Science and Stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Nebraska, where he conducts research and supervises the Conservancy’s preserve stewardship program. He also helps develop and test prairie management and restoration strategies. Chris is also dedicated to raising awareness about the value of prairies through his photography, writing and presentations. He is the author of The Prairie Ecologist blog, and two books: The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States and Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter. He is also a frequent contributor to NEBRASKAland magazine and other publications. 

Episode Sponsors

Today's episode is sponsored by Lauritzen Gardens:

laurtizengardens.org

Today's episode is also sponsored by Lucky Toad Restorative Gardens:

https://www.luckytoadgardens.com/

Listen, rate, and subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.

I gleaned talking points from Chris's blog, The Prairie Ecologist, which you can and should read here!

• Insects and invertebrates are very important to ecosystem function: help soil fertility, insect biomass, ant engineers, species balance (predators and prey,) seed dispersal, bird food, pollination.
• A prairie is only as good as its ecological resilience: Habitat size/ connectivity to other habitats and biodiversity is important. A landscape needs to be malleable and able to deal with changes because nature isn't static. A large diverse community is best able to adapt to changes.
• Management can be an important tool in re-establishing native landscapes: Land management has been around since human beginnings and interestingly enough, some "natural" ecosystems have been shaped by human involvement. But, in our modern times, we can find a healthy balance between over-involvement and stewardship. We can guide nature in a good direction, manage competition, and encourage collaboration. Basically, we should aim for being responsible "parents" that want our kids to thrive...
• Life on earth is on a trajectory of change: The prairie of today is not the prairie of yesterday and won't be the prairie of tomorrow. Our generation is dealing with increased C02, nitrogen deposition, extreme weather, decomposition of natural habitats, rising temps. We can't get trapped in our own sense of nostalgia and avoid reality. We can grow with nature, we can be a good part of the change, we can even facilitate the change and help facilitate other species' resilience. "Conserve the stage, not the actors." Chris is making the case that humans can help conserve the stage.
• Invasive species hurt native populations, and yet, some non- native plants can benefit diversity: Goatsbeard (salsify) and dandelions are good examples Chris provides. I use zinnia, verbena bonariensis, and Mexican sunflowers in my garden for Monarch forage since it's in their range. We do need to think about what's additive vs. what is suppressive. Smooth brome is an example of an exotic plant that is suppressive, it's something that's moved in and really creates a monoculture.
• Plantings don't have to mirror what came before historically to be effective: We can't create something brand new that is a perfect replica of something in the past. My native plant cottage garden is not the habitat that was here 200 years ago. But, it is habitat. We can ask ourselves what we want to do with a landscape and we can look at our goals and we can think of the myriad of ways we can provide support. If we are planting close to 70% native plants or more, we are doing a great job at supporting wildlife species.
• Nature is crazy: Sometimes nature seems like a slapdash science experiment that magically works! Plant and animal species have developed some pretty bizarre ways of getting the job done. Read up on the truly freaky " series of unfortunate events" that allows milkweed pollination to happen on Chris's blog here: https://prairieecologist.com/2021/01/26/milkweed-pollination-a-series-of-fortunate-events/. I once heard a story of the woman who owned a local hamburger restaurant slapping the burger patties under her armpits to flatten them. I don't know if it's true, but it would be another example of a bizarre process that works.
• Experimentation is an opportunity to learn: How can we possibly learn what works if we don't learn what doesn't? Don't be too hard on yourself. Let yourself make some mistakes. In my opinion, the mistakes are the wins because without little failures, we don't develop the tools it takes to be successful.
• In the face of increasing challenges and opportunities for overwhelm, we can commit ourselves to staying optimistic, resilient, and momentous: We can impact good change. We don't need to resolve all of society's or the planets ills, but we can work to preserve, maintain, and facilitate landscapes into the future. We can leave our immediate surroundings better than we found them!

Chris is always a good chat! Thanks for participating!

What makes a plant native?

http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska

https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society

native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (native plant cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)

On the Web

BONAP aforementioned

BNPS aforementioned

http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on Facebook

Books & Authors

Rick Darke- The Living Landscape

Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".

Enrique Salmon- Iwigara

Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany

Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

Native Plants of the Midwest

Planting in a Post-Wild World

Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska

• NSA at https://www.plantnebraska.org great articles and downloads
•  Xerxes Society- champions of pollinator health
•  Native Plant Finder- https://www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder/

Other Local Organizations

• Green Bellevue
• PATH
• Milkweed Matters
• Nebraska Native Plant Society

Listen, rate, and subscribe!

Get some merch! https://plant-native-nebraska.myspreadshop.com/

Find us on Facebook

Visit our homepage https://plant-native-nebraska.captivate.fm

Give us a review on Podchaser! www.podchaser.com/PlantNativeNebraska

Support My Work via Patreon

The Plant Native Nebraska podcast can be found on the podcast app of your choice.