Kentucky Native Plant Society Sandbox

Author: Jeff Nelson

  • Plant Family Identification Workshop

    Plant Family Identification Motifs: patterns for simplifying the complexity

    Instructor: Dr. Richard Abbott*

    When: Saturday, July 30, 2022 Workshop has finished
    Time:  9am-4pm Eastern Time
    Where:  Bernheim Arboretum & Forest, meet at the Garden Pavilion
    Cost:  $25 /$10 for students
    Bring your own lunch, and wear hiking shoes

    Using minimal basic vocabulary, approximately 30 plant families, and half a dozen artificial motifs, we will focus on plant identification patterns.  Learning Kentucky plants within a global framework not only empowers confidence in knowing what you know, but enables identifying more than 130,000 plants to family globally and provides a solid foundation for incorporating other family patterns.  Essentially, this workshop is an introduction to a way of thinking about how to organize botanical knowledge in a practical, applied way.

    *About the Instructor

    Dr. J. Richard Abbott, Assistant Professor of Biology, is the current Curator of the University of Arkansas Monticello Herbarium. At UAM, he teaches General Botany, Ecology, Medical Terminology, Regional Flora, and Plants in Our World and conducts floristic, systematic, and taxonomic research, especially with the milkwort family (Polygalaceae). He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology and German from Berea College in Kentucky and both M.S. degree and Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Florida in Gainesville. His primary passion is teaching plant identification, using the local flora to understand global patterns. To that end, he is currently working to establish a living teaching collection on the UAM campus, with the ultimate goal of cultivating as many families and genera as possible.

    Registration Form

    Please fill out the form below to register for the workshop. The workshop is limited to 20 participants.

  • From the Lady Slipper Archives: Western Kentucky’s Swamp Leather-flower

    The Lady Slipper newsletter of the Kentucky Native Plant Society has been published since the Society’s founding in 1986. We occasionally feature an article from a past issue. This one, about a rare, and threatened, native vine, Clematis crispa, commonly known as Blue Jasmine or Swamp Leather-Flower, first appeared in the summer of 2013, Vol. 28, No. 2. If you would like to see other past issues, visit the Lady Slipper Archives, where all issues from Vol. 1, No. 1, February 1986 to Vol. 34, No. 1, Winter/Spring 2019 (after which we moved to this blog format) can be found.

    Western Kentucky’s Swamp Leather-flower

    Robert Dunlap, OKNP Volunteer

    Swamp leather-flower (Clematis crispa)
    © Bob Dunlap
    Swamp leather-flower (Clematis crispa)
    © Bob Dunlap

    One of the plants I look for every spring in western Kentucky is Clematis crispa, commonly known as Blue Jasmine or Swamp Leather-Flower. C. crispa is listed as “Threatened” by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves and is only known from the four western counties along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers – Ballard, Carlisle, Hickman and Fulton. It occurs in a few counties across the rivers in southern Illinois and western Missouri and becomes more common as you head into the southern states.

    As its name implies, this native clematis likes to grow in wetlands, floodplains and swamps. All of the sites where I’ve found this plant growing in Ballard and Carlisle counties are flooded for some portion of the year when the rivers decide to overflow their banks. In addition to enjoying getting its feet wet, C. crispa prefers a bright location and is usually found competing for sunlight along with all the other vine species that like to grow in swampy conditions. The stems of this herbaceous vine grow to a length of 6- 10 feet and the plants die back to ground level each winter. The flowers consist of four sepals (no petals) that curl backwards resulting in an urn-like appearance.

    Seedhead of Clematis Crispa
    © Bob Dunlap

    Finding this plant in the field is a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Searching for the purple-blue flowers before the neighboring vines have put out all of their foliage affords the best chance for success. Another option that requires good eyesight is to search for the distinctive seed pods, sometimes referred to as “Devil’s Darning Needles” in the fall.

    Two additional native clematis species that can be found in western Kentucky include C. pitcheri (Bluebill) and C. virginiana (Virgin’s Bower). Differentiating C. crispa from C. pitcheri is best accomplished by examining the undersides of the leaves. C. pitcheri exhibits a prominent raised network of veins which are absent on C. crispa.

    A quick internet search turned up several native plant nurseries where Swamp Leather- Flower can be purchased. From the planting advice given on these sites it apparently does well when grown in containers and I’m guessing it would make a nice addition to an outdoor pond or water garden

  • Poetry Corner

    By Liz Neihoff

    We only live
    in a lighter sea
    and so hear and
    see, in Summer’s
    cottonwood crowns,
    South Sea breakers
    where big salt lands.

    Wax is buffed
    to green crystal shine.
    As thousands of gimbeling
    leaves dance and flash
    at Summer’s height.
    A welcome sound
    of moist air comes
    over the ridges,
    all free as a breeze.

  • Field Trip to Buena Vista Glades – July 9, 2022

    Date of trip: 7/9/2022
    Start time: 10AM
    Location: Buena Vista Glade, Taylor, Indiana
    Difficulty of hike: Moderate to Difficult. The glade is very rugged. We’ll hike about a mile and it will take probably two hours knowing plant nerds. And there are always ticks.

    Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

    Join Kentucky Native Plant Society member Alan Abbott on a field trip to Buena Vista Glade in Taylor, Indiana, about 50 minutes west from downtown Louisville. Plants that will likely be in flower include green milkweed (Asclepias verdiflora), whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata), and glade St. John’s-wort (Hypernicum dolabriforme). With a little luck we might also see Ozark bunchflower (Melanthium woodii) in bloom.

    Ozark bunchflower (Melanthium woodii)

    One of the defining characteristics of the Bluegrass and Pennyroyal Plateau regions is the presence of small, rocky glades. Broadly speaking, a glade is any clearing in a forest. But in our part of the country, it tends to refer to areas with a shallow soil and a limestone bedrock, usually on south- or west-facing slopes. Without trees shading everything out, a rich layer of grasses and forbs emerges. As islands of grassland within larger forested areas, they tend to have high rates of endemism, or plants found only within one, relatively small area. Some plants can be found only in a few counties (like Kentucky gladecress, Leavenworthia exigua var. laciniata) or a narrow region, like the Interior Low Plateau, which runs from northern Alabama, through central Tennessee and Kentucky and into south-central Indiana.

    Their isolation means that glades separated by only a few miles can have surprisingly different plant communities. In Harrison County, Indiana, which has similar shallow soils and limestone bedrock as Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region, one glade may have hundreds of Echinacea and a similar one walking distance away won’t have any.

    Sign Up for the Field Trip

    Because of the fragile nature of glade plant communities, we are limiting sign-ups to 10 people.

  • Wildflower Weekend 2022

    by Heidi Braunreiter, KNPS Vice President & Jeff Nelson, KNPS President

    From April 8th through the 10th, over 100 native plant enthusiasts came together to enjoy KNPS’ first, in-person, Wildflower Weekend since 2019. Although temperatures were cool and skies were damp at Natural Bridge SRP, spirits were high as folks dressed for the weather and enjoyed 14 different native plant walks led by an incredible group of expert botanists. Saturday night, a large group of KNPS members and friends met in the Woodland Center for presentations by Ted Brancheau, Nick Koenig, and the keynote speaker, Mike Homoya.

    Wildflower Walks

    Beginning at noon on Friday and ending Sunday morning, fourteen wildflower walks, led by some of the best botanists in the country, explored the amazing diversity of the plant communities in Natural Bridge SRP and the Red River Gorge. Here’s some shots from the walks.

    • Carolina Vetch (Vicia carolina)
    • Red trillium (Trillium erectum)
    • Search for sweet pinesap.
    • Sweet pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
    • Striped wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata)
    • Virginia pennywort (Obolaria virginica)
    • Bishop’s cap (Mitella diphylla)
    • Members & Friends Friday Evening Campfire
    • Woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata)
    • Trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens)
    • Downy serviceberry(Amelanchier arborea)
    • Lichen walk
    • Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor)
    • Long-spurred violet (Viola rostrata)
    • Rock Bridge Trail

    Discussions about next year’s Wildflower Weekend 2023 are already happening. Dates and the location are not set yet, but be thinking about the first half of April as the general time-frame. If you have any thoughts about how the event could be made better, we would love to hear from you. If you would like to lead or co-lead a walk next year, let us know. KYPlants@knps.org.

  • Field Trip to the Ballard WMA – June 11, 2022

    Field Trip to the Ballard WMA – June 11, 2022

    Date of trip: 06/11/2022
    Time: 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM (approx.) Central Time
    Location: Ballard County
    Difficulty of hike: Easy – We will caravan/carpool on the gravel roads in the wildlife management area, stopping to view a variety of native plants and habitats. At a couple of the stops, we will walk distances of under a 1/2 mile.

    Swamp Candles (Lysimachia terrestris)

    Join KNPS President, Jeff Nelson and Ballard WMA employee, Gerald Burnett, as as we explore the native plant ecosystems in the wetlands and river bottoms of the Ballard WMA in Ballard Co.

    Ballard Wildlife Management Area is 8,000 acres located in the Ohio River bottomlands ecoregion in far western Kentucky. The WMA is mostly wetland with 39% of the acreage in wetland, 28% forest, 27% open land, and 6% open water. Much of the wetland is comprised of rare, cypress-tupelo swamps and sloughs which many Kentuckians have not had the opportunity to experience. The Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves lists cypress-tupelo swamp as a state endangered ecosystem.

    We will caravan (carpooling as much as possible) around the WMA, stopping to examine the botany of Ballard’s diverse ecosystems. We should see several uncommon, wetland plant species. In particular we should see the rare swamp candles (Lysimachia terrestris), a more northerly species that in Kentucky is only found in two far western counties. Although we will not be hiking any distance, we will be taking walks of less than 1/2 mile at a couple of stops, all on the road or trails. We will walk into areas off the road to get a better view many of the plants. There is likely to be some muddy spots where we will be walking, so be prepared.

    Registration is Required

    Please fill out the form below to register for this field trip. This trip will be limited to 20 people.

  • Take a Hike! . . . with KNPS in 2022

    KNPS Field Trip to the Land Between the Lakes on July 6, 2019. Devin Rogers is the hike Leader.

    Our 2022 schedule of KNPS Field Trips is coming together! Already scheduled, we will have field trips in June to Ballard WMA and in July we will visit a glade community across the Ohio River, in Indiana. Other field trips across the Commonwealth are in the planning stages and will be announced here in the Lady Slipper when they are scheduled.

    Several years ago, KNPS adopted the policy of requiring preregistration for field trips and KNPS members are given the first opportunity to register for these trips. Once KNPS members have had a chance to register, signup forms will be available on the web site approximately 30 days before the field trip.

    Swamp candles (Lysimacha terrestris)

    Our first field trip this year will be on June 11 to the Ballard Wildlife Management Area, in Ballard Co. Ballard Wildlife Management Area is 8,000 acres located in the Ohio River bottomlands ecoregion in far western Kentucky. Much of the wetlands are comprised of rare, cypress-tupelo swamps and sloughs which many Kentuckians have never had the opportunity to experience. The Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves lists cypress-tupelo swamp as a state endangered ecosystem. We should see several uncommon, wetland plant species. In particular we hope to see the rare swamp candles (Lysimachia terrestris) in bloom, a more northerly species, that in Kentucky is only found in two far western counties.

    For more details and to register for the Ballard WMA field trip, follow this link: Field Trip to the Ballard WMA – June 11, 2022

    On July 9, KNPS member Alan Abbott will lead a field trip to Buena Vista Glade in Taylor, Indiana, about 50 minutes west from downtown Louisville. Plants that will likely be in flower include green milkweed (Asclepias verdiflora), whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata), and glade St. John’s-wort (Hypernicum dolabriforme). With a little luck we might also see American columbo (Melanthium woodii) in bloom. Read more about glades in Alan’s article, What is A Glade? Registration for this field trip will open up in early June. Watch the Lady Slipper for the announcement (or if you are a KNPS member you will receive an email when registration is open).

    If you have any questions about these trips or if there is a natural area in KY that you think would make for a good field trip, send us an email at KYPlants@knps.org. We are also always looking for folks to lead field trips. If there is a natural area with some nice native plant species that you would like to share with other KNPS members, send us an email. We will take care of organizing and publicizing the trip, you just have to share you love of native plants with the participants.