</p> While Colorado is known for its seemingly endless sunshine, cool nights, and dry, breezy air, those of us who live here know that the weather can vary greatly from morning to evening, or even hour to hour, on any day of the year. Since many of our clients book their weddings in our beautiful outdoor spaces 12-18 months in advance, they never know what Mother Nature is going to provide for their big day! Fortunately, with a spirit of adventure, a bit of flexibility and a little advance planning, there are ways to work around our wild Colorado weather.</p> As you begin to plan the timeline of your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception, it’s important to think about how rain or bad weather might affect the flow of your event. For example, if it is raining before your ceremony, do you have enough cushion in the timeline that you can delay? How long of a delay is acceptable before you have to either proceed in the rain or find an indoor option?</p> Another option we’ve seen couples choose on bad weather days is to rearrange the event to allow weather to pass. Is it possible to move your cocktail hour up to buy some time before the ceremony? This way, your guests can mix and mingle before the ceremony, and no one feels like they are waiting around.</p> Don’t just think about the rain! Summer days in Denver can swelter into the 90s on many afternoons, and our high-altitude sunshine will crisp up your guests in no time at all. Can you provide fans or a bit of shade while your guests are waiting for the ceremony to begin? Would they appreciate a mini bottle of water during lengthy ceremonies? If you plan to be outside for a long time, suggest sunscreen and sunglasses in your invitation so guests don’t take home a sunburn as a souvenir from your wedding.</p> The possibility of less than perfect weather is an inherent risk for any outdoor event, especially if your date is during monsoon season or a shoulder season where cold snaps are still a very real possibility. No one wants to plan for the worst: but we assure you, if you take some time early in the planning process to think about what the weather may throw at you, you’ll thank yourselves later when you don’t have to come up with a plan on the spot.</p> Our Venue Sales team is happy to talk through potential weather back-ups with you as you plan your big day at the Gardens. To set up a tour appointment, contact us at private.events@botanicgardens.org</a> or call 720-865-3551.</p> Photo courtesy of Newell Jones + Jones Photography</em></p>
My name is Dan Auerbach and I’m from Philadelphia, PA. I have one year left at Temple University to earn my bachelor’s degree in horticulture. I was fortunate enough to receive the Propagation, Production and Seed Herbarium Maintenance Internship at Denver Botanic Gardens for the summer.</p> I have visited Colorado several times before, but had never been to the Gardens. The Gardens is incredible, and my first impression was that it all seemed too good to be true. Ten weeks of horticulture at one of the most prestigious botanic gardens in the world! I was excited, but still unaware of the full scope of experiences that I was in for.</p> My horticultural mentor, Senior Horticulturist and Head Propagator Katy Wieczorek, filled me in on the details of the project I would be working on for the summer. It was extensive and had multiple components but can be generalized as a seed germination experiment dealing only with native Colorado species. I would be researching and evaluating the effects of seed pre-treatments on germination.</p> I began by selecting over 180 native Colorado plant species that the Gardens currently had seed of. These species were selected based upon several conditions: plants that had previously existed in the Gardens, are currently in the Gardens but are old, or in the Gardens but in low population numbers. Each species was sown in two duplicate trays.</p> One tray received no pretreatment and the other was subject to pretreatment. Pretreatments included cold stratification (subjecting seeds to low temperatures for a certain period), various methods of scarification (weakening or breaking a seed coat) and imbibition (soaking seeds in water). Beyond my project, I also engaged in other aspects of the Gardens’ propagation efforts and operations, including propagation by cuttings, seed collection and integrated pest management. Katy is extremely knowledgeable, passionate and hard-working and happily shared her expertise with me.</p> In addition to working on interesting projects, we interns were given the royal treatment. Every Monday afternoon a different member of the horticulture staff would lead a plant families class and plant walk, followed by a workshop exploring topics like herbarium collections, orchid mounting and even public speaking with CEO Brian Vogt. Every Friday we took field trips to various points of horticultural interest around Colorado and even as far as Wyoming. Different horticulturists and horticulture staff members would chaperone and provide expert-level information regarding the plant life and ecosystem of the area. It was a privilege to experience these incredible places with the people who know them best.</p> Among my favorite of the trips were Pawnee Buttes with Senior Curator & Director of Outreach Panayoti Kelaidis and Associate Director of Horticulture Dan Johnson; Loveland Pass and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens with Curator of Alpine Collections Mike Kintgen and Horticulturist Amy Schneider; and Mount Goliath, again with Amy.</p> Not only did we learn about native plants in the field and the dynamics of stewarding the Gardens, were also introduced to other potential opportunities in horticulture. We were given private tours from the horticulturists that grow plants for animal exhibits and landscaping at the Denver Zoo, wholesale production at Welby Gardens nursery and learned about invertebrate gardening within the conservatory of The Butterfly Pavilion.</p> I am astounded by the level of which the Gardens’ staff went out of their way to educate as well as entertain us. I cannot say enough good things about them. Genuine, welcoming, positive, passionate, kind, knowledgeable, supportive—the list goes on. They were the real reason why this experience has been so incredible. Oh, and I should mention I got paid! Hard to believe, I know.</p> It is sad to think that my time here is ending, but I am sincerely grateful to Denver Botanic Gardens, my mentor Katy and all those who make the Gardens the special place that it is. This internship was genuinely one of the best experiences of my life.</p> Dan Auerbach has always had an appreciation for science and nature, so he registered as a biology major when he enrolled at Temple University. By the end of freshman year, his strong interest in plants made him switch his major to horticulture. He’s extremely grateful for this internship opportunity, which will help him to pursue a horticulture career in Colorado, where he plans to move after graduation. </em></p>
Annual Flowers Curiosities of the Gardens</h3> August, during the "dog days" of summer, is the perfect time to view all the fantastic annuals at Denver Botanic Gardens. During this time, annual flowers are at their peak, revealing their mature height and showy blossoms. This walking tour highlights some of the more unusual annuals the Gardens has to offer. These plants’ strange and odd qualities rival any shockingly bright blossom of a traditional annual flower.</p> Begin your walking tour at the lowest point in the Sensory Garden. Near the tranquil water feature, you will see a living wall that is planted with an array of plant delights. In these wooly pockets that allow one to plant vertically, you will find a peculiar annual flower. This yellow button-shaped blossom has a red spot on the top giving it the common name of eyeball plant. </em>What’s curious about this plant, Acmella oleracea</em>, is when the flower or leaves are chewed, it causes numbness in the mouth, and a tingling sensation on the tongue. It is an herbal remedy to treat toothaches, giving it another common name, toothache plant.</p> Look just below the row of toothache plants and rest your eyes on a pink powder-puff shaped flower. Something unexpected happens when you touch the green compound leaves of sensitive plant, or Mimosa pudica. </em>Also known as touch-me-not, it becomes “alive” and closes its leaves over the stem. This almost extraterrestrial movement is an example of plant adaptation to protect itself from environmental harm or from predators.</p> Now walk westward and find yourself outside on the plaza of Marnie’s Pavilion. Continue to walk west and find the walkway lined with citrus trees. Here the West Terrace planters are adorned with an annual flower display of warm tones of orange, burgundy and russet. Here you will find a bizarre specimen plant with jagged, silvery-green leaves holding bright orange spikes decorated with purple flowers. This Madagascar native is called Solanum pyracanthum, </em>or devil’s thorn. Its freakish display of armor reveals in the language of plants that it is poisonous.</p> Towards the northwest end of the planter, you will find a trailing vine with small insignificant white flowers. Cardiospermum halicacabum, </em>or love-in-a-puff, holds a secret surprise inside its papery round lanterns. Inside are three, dark bean-like seeds with a white heart-shaped spot on the top. The genus name Cardiospermum </em>is derived from the Greek language meaning “heart shaped”.</p> Now turn to the east and double back to end your walking tour at the Science Pyramid. Flanking the main entrance on the east side are clusters of container plantings full of wild and avant-garde annual flowers. It’s easy to spot the dark purple, almost comical inflorescence of Amarnthus tricolor, </em>also known by its common name elephant head amaranth. The flower head resembles an elephant with a protruding trunk. This modern day fetish for fertility, phallic in form, is said to bring quick pregnancy to a bride if carried in her wedding bouquet. Juxtaposed to the towering elephant head amaranth is A. caudatus </em>‘Dreadlocks.’ The exceptional inflorescence of this amaranth is aptly named as its fuzzy pink dreadlocks cascade to the ground.</p> These are just a small sample of the remarkable and unfamiliar annuals planted at Denver Botanic Gardens. These more obscure varieties are just waiting to be discovered. Perhaps you’ve been inspired to create your own garden of curiosities for next season.</p>
The Chinese side of the mighty Himalayas, especially in Yunnan province, is considered a global hot spot for the world’s flora.</p> Yunnan comprises 152,124 square miles compared to Colorado’s 104,185 square miles. The flora of Yunnan is reputed to have more than 18,000 species of plants, while Colorado has just more than 3,000 species. Much of this dramatic contrast is due to Yunnan’s position straddling the Tropic of Cancer—along its border with Thailand and Burma, Yunnan has a tropical rainforest. And the many high peaks in the very north of Yunnan are clad with glaciers and have true alpine tundra. A tremendous range of ecosystems are found between these extremes, and the fantastic topography leads to a great many microclimates that form an archipelago of sky islands which have fostered endemism much like the Galapagos and its finches.</p> Certain genera seem to have gone off the deep end. There are literally hundreds of species of Rhododendron</em> found in Yunnan, and more than 100 kinds of Primula</em> (compared to Colorado’s modest four kinds!).</p> For those of us who love mountain flowers, Yunnan is idyllic. The Chinese have even appropriated the name “Shangri-la” (from a mythical town in the Western Himalayas in an old best seller) and applied it to Zhongdian—the mountain town at the heart of the Three Parallel Rivers National Park, where the Salween, the Yangtze and the Mekong flow through parallel channels separated by enormous alpine ridges of the Hengduan Mountains.</p> Here, numerous roads fan out, with many passes exceeding 15,000 feet in elevation. We were surprised that hiking at that elevation didn’t seem to cause the shortness of breath one experiences in the Colorado Rockies. One hike took us to nearly 16,000 feet! Since tree line can extend above 14,000 feet you have to get well above this to find the flowery alpine meadows. I was shocked to find quite large rhododendrons growing at elevations higher than any mountains in Colorado.</p> There were many genera I had never seen before here, especially Saussurea</em>—the “snow lotus” that are harvested by the ton in the high Yunnanese Mountains. These incredible composites look more like corals or perhaps extraterrestrials than any daisy you might imagine. We found several species on steep screes, just coming into their wild and wooly full bloom.</p> Primulas came in every color imaginable, from the deep pinks and yellows one expects to dark purples and luminous lavender Primula zambalensis</em>.</p> Another genus that quickly became a favorite was Rheum</em>, which includes the rhubarb of our gardens. There was a half dozen or more kinds in the mountains here, two with the flowers hidden by enormous colorful bracts. Rheum nobile</em> only grew on steep slopes, on loose scree where it produces its spectacular flower stalk and then dies. Superficially similar, Rheum alexandrae</em> forms wide mats in wet areas near alpine lakes and streams, with similar spikes of flowers.</p> The genus Corydalis is pretty special in Colorado, where our Corydalis caseana </em>ssp. brandegei</em> is likely the largest species in this enormous genus. In China, the corydalis may be much smaller, but unbelievably variable in leaf and flower color. Many grew on steep screes, often with piercing azure flowers or deep maroon foliage. There were many in bright yellow as well. “Corydalis” was almost a battle cry on the mountain when someone found a new one and called everyone else to come see it.</p> We were blessed with more than two weeks of sunny, clear weather, which is not typical in the monsoon season. One rainy day at lower altitudes brought out leeches, which latched on to a few of us who hadn’t used DEET—a rather bloody and unpleasant experience! I can guarantee you we shall use DEET on future trips in leech country!</p> Sorting through thousands of digital images taken during the trip is a mixed experience. It’s wonderful to revisit China on the one hand, but seeking out names in numerous books and on the web is a bit of a chore!</p> And no matter how many pictures one takes, in retrospect I wish I’d taken even more.</p>
Every now and then, I come across a pear or apple tree that has small branches that look like they have been blasted by a torch. Fire blight, as this disease is known, is rampant, and can cause a lot of damage to many loved flowering trees.</p> Fire blight is a disease caused by Erwynia amylovora</em> – a bacteria that enters flowers and other openings of many pome fruit plants. These hosts, which are plants that can be infected with this disease, include susceptible varieties of pear (Pyrus </em>spp.); apple and crabapples (Malus </em>spp.); quince (Cydonia </em>spp.) and firethorn (Pyracantha </em>spp.). Depending on the severity of the disease, it can cause loss of twigs and fruit, branches or in severe cases, the death of the plant.</p> Fire blight is most easily recognized by the “shepherd’s crook” – a curling of the tip of small twigs – and the browning of foliage that looks like it’s been toasted over a flame. In larger branches, cankers develop, resulting in sunken areas along the surface under the bark. Come winter, the branches that have been infected remain attached, giving the tree the appearance of having been burnt in a fire.</p> In the spring, bacteria begin oozing from the cankers and previously infected areas. The bacteria enter the plant through small openings called stomates or through the flowers. Once inside, the bacteria begin to multiply, eventually killing the infected part of the plant.</p> Unfortunately, once a tree is infected with fire blight, it is very difficult to get complete control of this disease. Pruning six to twelve inches below the most visible point of the canker can help, but should be done in the winter, when the bacteria are dormant. It is also important to sanitize your tools while doing so, as the bacteria will transfer between cuts. To sanitize, use a common household cleaner in a 10% solution and wash your pruners off with the solution in between cuts.</p> Chemical controls are an option, but they are costly and less effective for homeowners. In a large orchard operation, they might be considered, but are not on smaller scales.</p> Fire blight is a complicated, frustrating disease to manage. With symptoms that look like a fire burned branches of trees, it causes unsightly damage that is hard to control. Fortunately, it only causes death in extreme infections and can be managed with a little winter management.</p>
After a rain, it’s not uncommon for me to see small white-capped mushrooms popping up in the turf. Many people start worrying – does it mean the grass is unhealthy? Does it mean they’re doing something wrong?</p> Well, in reality, they’re not really bad or good. Mushrooms feed on decaying plant matter aiding in decomposition and returning nutrients to the soil. The mushrooms in the grass are often feeding on thatch – a layer of dead or dying grass tissue resting just above the soil. The mushrooms you see in your lawn are feeding on this thatch.</p> Because of the recent rain, the mushrooms have received signals that environmental conditions are well suited to spread spores for new mushrooms. Usually, the cooler, moister conditions are well suited to sporulation – the spread of new fungi from spores. The caps that appear are designed to spread a multitude of spores across the area, similar to how a tree will drop seeds for new trees.</p> These spores will spread, germinate (just like seeds!) and begin growing hyphae – structures similar to roots in plants. These hyphae will begin feeding on the dead organic matter, breaking it down. When the cooler, wetter weather comes again, the caps will grow, spread spores, and repeat.</p> Fungi are interesting organisms because they have both sexual and asexual forms. The caps are sexual – here is where genetic recombination happens to lead to new, genetically unique colonies. The hyphae are asexual and can reproduce and duplicate, though the subsequent fungi will be genetically identical to the parent.</p> If the mushrooms really are unsightly to you, you can just break the stem and dispose of the caps. However, they usually fade in a few days, so you often can leave them with no concern. They are not edible though, so please do not pick them to eat.</p> Having mushrooms in your turf isn’t a sign of a poorly managed lawn or a failing as a homeowner. It’s merely evidence of a complicated cycle that results in the returning of nutrients to the soil.</p> </p>
In 1999 I attended an international horticultural expo in Kunming, China—Denver’s Sister City. The contrast between the China I found then and the country I visited last month could not be more striking. During my recent trip I passed through four Chinese airports—all of which appeared to be brand new, all of which had stunning architecture and lavish interiors. The city roads, which were thronged with bicycles on my previous visits, were not clogged with Denver-level traffic! The modest cities and towns I had passed through, such as Kunming, have expanded enormously. In 1998, the population of Kunming was under two million people. Two decades later that number has more than tripled to 6.626 million in 2014, compared to the entire population of Colorado, which was 5.607 million in 2017.</p> This truly cataclysmic change has concentrated mostly in the southern parts of China. I have read that the largest migration in human history is likely to have taken place in the last few decades in China, where possibly hundreds of millions of people—mostly youth—have left villages in the north and west to move to cities in the south of China.</p> In Yunnan, much of this change has been driven by tourism. The standard of living in China has risen dramatically, and Chinese are now traveling more than ever. The spectacular mountains, scenery and diverse cultural attractions of Yunnan are bringing vast numbers of domestic tourists along with the steady stream of foreigners who’ve always loved to travel here.</p> The modest and sometimes rather challenging inns of the past have been replaced with numerous luxury hotels in even some of the smallest towns in the high country. Bumpy country roads are now silken, paved highways. A bullet train is being built that will travel from lowland eastern China to the Tibetan border in northern Yunnan. It’s not hard to imagine how this will impact the already booming tourist trade.</p> To someone seeking a flower trip to the Chinese Himalaya, this may sound rather frightening. This is not a pristine wilderness experience! But for most of us, the smoother roads and comfortable hotels are hardly a hindrance. And strangely, the throngs of Chinese tourists seem to stay mostly in the towns or take brief excursions to a tourist destination like Tiger Leaping Gorge or a quick ride up and back on a ski gondola. I led our trusty group of a dozen North American Rock Garden Society members, and we had the whole of Shika Snow Mountain to ourselves one sunny day as we hiked six miles from above 15,000 feet down to 12,000 feet through throngs of unbelievable wildflowers.</p>
Many medicinal plants are easy to grow in Colorado and have incredible healing properties. Horticulturist Blake Burger and horticulture intern Kenna Castleberry pick their top 10 to grow at home.</p>Calendula</strong> (Calendula officinalis)</strong></em> </h2>This flower has anti-inflammatory properties and triterpenoid compounds, which inhibit bacteria. Calendula </em>also has antispasmodic, astringent, antiseptic and detoxifying properties. Ingested, it helps stomach ailments such as gastritis, peptic ulcers, regional ileitis and colitis. It can also be extremely cleansing for the liver. You can use the flowers in tea, oil infusions, or in salves to help with internal and external ailments. Growing tips from staff horticulturalist Blake Burger: Calendula can be started indoors in the spring rather easily. Start inside 6 weeks before last frost and make sure to provide a sunny location for the seedlings to thrive. Plant in full sun after the danger of frost has subsided. To encourage growth throughout the season, fertilize and deadhead.</p>Chamomile (</strong>Matricaria chamomilla</strong></em>)</strong></h2>Chamomile can be taken internally as tea for minor digestive problems. Chamomile can be used as an aromatic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, carminative (digestive aid), and de-stressing nervine. Externally it has been used in hair wash, hair dyes, and for sore skin or eczema. Chamomile is probably the most well-known plant used as a nervine tonic, helping to relieve stress and tension. An essential oil made from the chamomile flowers has been used to help cure diaper rash in newborns. Growing tips from Heather Rhoades of Gardening Know How blog: Plant the chamomile (seeds or cuttings) in the spring. You can grow chamomile in places that have partial shade to full sun. Chamomile does not need a lot of water, so the soil should be mostly dry.</p>Peppermint (</strong>Metha </strong></em>x </strong>piperita</strong></em>)</strong></h2>Because peppermint is antimicrobial, hikers chew peppermint while drinking from a stream to kill microbes in the water. Peppermint is considered a choleretic (bile secretor), antiseptic and invigorator. Tea made from peppermint leaves is soothing for a sore throat, cough, cold. Growth tips from staff horticulturalist Blake Berger: Peppermint prefers a sunny location and moist soil, although it can tolerate part shade. Planting peppermint in a sunny location will increase its production of oils and therefore increase its medicinal potency. Although garden mints have the reputation as an aggressive grower, peppermint isn’t as invasive as some of its relatives. Harvest peppermint leaves and stems often to encourage compact growth. It is ideal to harvest the leaves before and during flowering.</p>Holy Basil</strong> (Ocimum tenuiflorum)</strong></em></h2>Indigenous to India, holy basil is a mild antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and expectorant. It can be taken internally as tea and is good for treating diabetes, cold or cough symptoms. Internally holy basil can help in treating intestinal tract problems, as well as asthma and reducing fevers. The juice from this plant can be extracted and applied to insect stings, ringworm, and other skin ailments. Growing tips from University of California: Plant in full sun in ¼ inches deep of holes. Keep soil moist but avoid overwatering. Harvest before the plant flowers to avoid flowering and more holy basil growing. This plant continues to grow and flower, so much maintenance is needed. </p>Plantain (</strong>Plantago major</strong></em>)</strong></h2>In Colorado, common plantain is considered a weed. Medicinally, plantain has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, emollient and wound-healing properties. Plantain has vitamins A, C, K. You can eat the leaves raw, as they’re more nutritious than other greens and taste similar to swiss chard. However, cooking the leaves will help improve their texture. The leaves can be used externally as poultices to treat insect bites, snakebites, sunburns and cuts. Plantain can also be taken internally as a tea and helps with cold symptoms. Growing tips from Amy Grant of Gardening Know How blog: Plant plantains in sunny areas. Plantains love moist soil, so water without overwatering. Keep plantains about 4 to 6 inches apart. Cover the plant during cold spells to avoid any damage. </p>Hyssop (</strong>Hyssopus officinalis</strong></em>)</strong></h2>Hyssop has astringent, emmenagogue (stimulating menstrual flow), relaxant, diuretic, and wound-healing properties. It stimulates mucus production, and is helpful in soothing sore throats, and coughs. It has also been known to help against asthma. Because it also relaxes muscle, it is helpful in aiding digestive problems. Its antibacterial properties make hyssop a good vermifuge (expels intestinal parasites). Hyssop essential oil has medicinal properties, but has also been linked to epileptic seizures, and should be taken with precaution. Growth tips staff horticulturist Loddie Dolinski: This plant is pretty hardy and doesn’t need too much water. Once it’s been established it merely needs normal watering. It should be grown in full sun. Hyssop gets no pests after it’s grown.</p>English Lavender (</strong>Lavandula angustifolia </strong></em>“Vera”)</strong></h2>Lavender has analgesic (pain relieving), antidepressant, antifungal, antioxidant, antiviral, aromatic, cholagogue (something that stimulates the flow of bile from the liver) and cicatrisant (wound healing) properties, as well as many others. It also acts as an effective sleep aid and can be combined with valerian or chamomile in tea, or merely sprinkled onto the sheets as lavender oil, or dried flowers can be sewn into a pillow. Lavender is also powerful at curing headaches. Growth tips from staff horticulturalist Angie Andrade: lavender angustifolia </em>or English Lavender prefers full sun and slightly alkaline soils which is perfect for our Colorado gardens. Be careful when buying Lavender because French and Spanish Lavender are not hardy here. </p>Hops </strong>(Humulus lupulus)</strong></em></h2>Hops is known to have soporific, anti-spasmodic, diuretic, and nervine properties. The bitter properties of hops stimulate digestion. Hops has estrogenic properties and shouldn’t be given to young children. The cones can promote good night’s sleep. Growth tips from Blake Berger: Plant a rhizome rather than growing from seed. A hops rhizome should be planted in early spring when the soil can be worked. Keep the rhizome moist but not in boggy soil. Once sprouts rise from the soil, pick the strongest and healthiest and start to train up a trellis. Cut back the weaker ones. Once established, water several times a week. Keep the base of the plant relatively thinned out to prevent powdery mildew.</p>Hawthorn </strong>(Crataegus ambigua)</strong></em></h2>The bark has astringent properties which helps in treating fevers. Hawthorn’s an antispasmodic, cardiac (promotes heart health), diuretic and vasodilator. Hawthorn can help fight heart weakness, spasms, and murmurs. It also balances blood pressure and can be a sedative on the nervous system. Growing tips from staff bonsai specialist Larry Jackel: Hawthorn is vulnerable to fireblight, so prune in the winter, sterilizing the tools between uses. You can grow these from seeds or cuttings. The berries are known to germinate quite quickly. Once the plants have been established, only basic maintenance is needed as hawthorns are hardy. Hawthorns are known to have extra sprouts around the base of the tree, so you can either remove those or have them sprout into separate plants.</p>Elecampane </strong>(Inula helenium)</strong></em></h2>Elecampane is a tall bushy-like plant that gives height to any garden. It has beautiful sunflower-like flowers that attract all sorts of pollinators. Medicinally, elecampane has expectorant, choleretic, cholagogue, antimicrobial, vermifuge and diuretic properties. It can be taken internally as a tea, made from the root to treat colds, coughs, asthma, loss of appetite, intestinal worm and digestive problems. Decoctions and tinctures are also made from the root and can help treat cold and cough symptoms. Elecampane can be applied externally to help with skin ailments such as eczema and itching. Growing tips from Growing Hermione’s Garden blog: Grow this plant in partial sun with moist, well drained-soil. Minimal maintenance is needed for this plant. It is a perennial. </p>
One of the most frequent questions I get around this time of year is “what is growing on my leaves?” while being handed a hackberry leaf with knobs on the back. These knobs are galls – abnormal growths on leaves and stems with a number of different causes, mainly insects and diseases.</p> In the case of the hackberry</a> knobs, these are hackberry nipple galls caused by a psyllid – a tiny plant-feeding insect. The galls themselves are a plant response to the feeding of the larvae, forming a protective covering over the insect as it matures. Fortunately, this psyllid doesn’t affect the tree dramatically, just makes it unsightly. While control is possible, it is challenging and impractical.</p> Most galls are formed by an increase of hormones stimulating cell growth. When bacteria, viruses or fungi enter the plant, the response is to “seal off” the area with a mass of cells, forming a gall. With insects and mites, the response is similar, though the insect is often encased in the gall until it emerges.</p> Insect-based galls are challenging to deal with, as the galls typically protect the insect until they emerge as adults and fly away. With most disease-borne galls, the best management strategy is to collect and remove the leaves from beneath the infested plant in the fall. Doing this helps break the disease cycle. Since galls typically do not cause massive damage to the tree, pruning to remove the unsightly growths is probably the most efficient method of control.</p> All in all, galls are nothing to be concerned about. They are simply the plant trying to defend itself from an invader.</p>
