Volume 41 Archives - Kentucky Native Plant Society Sandbox

KNPS Field Trip to Scott’s Gap, Jefferson Memorial Forest – October 10, 2026

Date of trip: 10/10/2026
Time: 10AM Eastern Time
Location: Scott’s Gap, Jefferson Memorial Forest, Jefferson Co., KY
Difficulty of hike: Strenuous

Join KNPS Field Trip Chair Alan Abbott for a hike in the Scott’s Gap section of Jefferson Memorial Forest. The hike explores some unusual xeric ridges within Metro Louisville.

In the driest parts, hikers will see Blackjack (Quercus marilandica) and Chinkapin Oaks (Quercus muehlenbergii), as well as Blueberries (Vaccinium sp.), Goldenrods (Solidago sp.), False Floxgloves (Agalinis sp.), and Dittany (Cunila origanoides). The trail provides some scenic views of south Louisville.

While the hike will only be two to three total miles, it will be strenuous, especially as the group follows the trail to the top of the knob. Participants should bring sturdy shoes, water and a snack, as well as tick protection.

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Exploring the Incredible Cumberland Plateau River Scour Community

By. Tara R. Littlefield

Earlier this year [2019], I was working on a project surveying for rare plants and natural communities in the Big South Fork of Kentucky. Hidden in the biologically diverse region of the Cumberland Plateau, we share this region with Tennessee, where headwater streams flow north into Kentucky and create river scour communities along the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. The Big South Fork is by far one of my favorite places on Earth. The diversity of species, both plants and animals, even undescribed taxon, is astounding. And the river scour communities within this region contain more globally rare plants than anywhere else in Kentucky! This species diversity is only compounded by the complexity of the riparian communities from emergent marshes, outcrops, grasslands, shrublands and woodlands that are maintained by the wild river scour. It’s one of the few places still left in Kentucky where pre-settlement natural conditions still exist, it’s as if you are seeing a landscape that was seen by Native Americans, a true wilderness. And this is also one of our states largest intact forest blocks. It feels ancient, diverse and wise.

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From the Lady Slipper Archives: Aristolochiaceae: Insects, Humans and the Birthwort Family

The Lady Slipper newsletter, and now blog, 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. In this article from 2007, Amy McIntosh discusses members of the Birthwort Family, Aristolochiaceae . This article ran in Vol. 22, No. 2. If you would like to see these and other past issues, visit the Lady Slipper Archives, where all issues from Vol. 1, February 1986 to Vol. 40, 2025, can be found.

Aristolochiaceae: Insects, Humans and the Birthwort Family

by Amy McIntosh

Introduction

Members of the Birthwort Family, Aristolochiaceae, have a complex array of relationships with insects and humans. Interactions with pollinators, non-pollinating butterflies, and seed/fruit dispersers (along with the plants’ pollination mechanisms and the creation and use aromatic oils) provide insight into the family’s co-evolution with insects.

Human relationships with the birthwort family have a long history involving herbal and food use. Current interests in the family include collection of garden and greenhouse specimens, breeding of ornamental varieties and determining effectiveness of possible anticancer chemicals within some species. Human degradation of habitat in areas of endemic and otherwise limited populations has threatened 35 species at last count.

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2026 KNPS Fall Meeting at Kenlake SRP, Sept. 12

When: Saturday, Sept. 12, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm CDT
Where: Kenlake SRP, 542 Kenlake Rd, Hardin, KY

**^{Elk & Bison Prairie at Land Between the Lakes}**

Mark your calendars and plan to meet up with other KNPS members and friends as we head west to Kenlake SRP for the Society’s 2026 Fall Meeting, on Sept 12th. Kenlake SRP is located on the shores of Kentucky Lake, just outside the small town of Aurora, KY. We will meet in the Meeting Room C, in the Kenlake Lodge. If you want to learn more about KNPS, meet other Kentucky native plant enthusiasts, and learn more about the native plants of Kentucky, then the KNPS Fall Meeting is for you!

We are still finalizing details of the Fall Meeting, but here is the schedule for the day (all times are Central Daylight Time).

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IMPORTANT UPDATE: Wildflower Weekend 2027

Our board is already hard at work planning Wildflower Weekend 2027 that will be taking place April 16th-18th. We had previously announced that Pine Mountain State Resort Park would be our hosts for this event. The park has informed us that they will now be undergoing renovations beginning April 1st and can no longer host our event.

Wildflower Weekend 2027 will now take place at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park on April 16th-18th, 2027. If you are interested in helping to plan the event, please be sure to reach out to us at KYPlants@knps.org.

On the Road with KNPS!

KNPS is taking our message of the importance and value of native plants on the road this summer. With the help of some wonderful volunteers, the Society had booths at two festivals the first weekend of August.

**^{Volunteers from left to right: Alexandra Taylor and Viktor Halmos. Not pictured was Rachel Cook}**

On August 1, KNPS participated in the CRAVE Food + Music Festival in Gatton Park, in downtown Lexington. We were grouped near fellow environmental and sustainability organizations like Seedleaf, FoodChain, and Live Green Lexington. It was a great place to chat with like minded individuals and share our information with passers-by. KNPS Outreach Chair Alexandra Taylor, KNPS Vice President Rachel Cook, and KNPS member Viktor Halmos staffed the table and KNPS Volunteer Coordinator Meaghan Petix helped Alexandra with outreach material preparations.

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Share Your Native Plant Gardens!

Do you have a native plant garden and want to share? Many of our KNPS members have brought their love of native plants to their home gardens. It is so wonderful to experience how pollinators and wildlife interact with natives from the comfort of our homes. Even more so, it can be an invaluable learning experience to see species from when they emerge in the spring through the fall.

We are often asked what species are best for garden settings. The KNPS Outreach and Social Media committees are interested in your gardens! If you would like to have KNPS share pictures of your garden, please email 2-5 photos with your name, where in the state your garden is located, and any other information you would like to share to Outreach@knps.org

Here are some example photos from board member Heidi Braunreiter’s amazing garden in central Kentucky.