The Plant Corner

In each newsletter, we will highlight one native plant species and one invasive plant species found in our region.   

Native
Pale Purple Cone-flower
 
The Pale Purple Cone-flower (Echinacea pallida (Nutt.)) is a species of herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae.  It is sometimes grown in gardens and used for medicinal purposes. Its native range is the south central region of the United States and it is a Wisconsin State Threatened plant.
  

Invasive
White Clover
 
 
 

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Succession of Color on Tallgrass Farm Prairie

Highway Rights of Way Going Native

The old paradigm is that roads and highways, with their paved surfaces and loud whizzing traffic, are a conservationist's nightmare.  They create noise, air and water pollution, destroy and fragment wild habitats, act as invasion routes for invasive species, are barriers to animal movement and each year are the cause of millions of animal deaths due to collision with vehicles.  It's time to revise this paradigm since, in fact, road and highway areas not only often harbor important habitat, they can be designed and maintained to contribute to conservation goals.

Edible Plants
 

Who would have thought that some of the common "weeds" we see everyday are really edible plants?   You would be surprised at what is out there, and if you are creative you can make some very unique recipes.

Most of us would not add Elderberry, Sassafras, and Dandelion to our summer salads, but they do belong in the world of wild edible plants. Most people count on stores to get their daily fare rather than foraging for food. Hunting, fishing, and discovering edible wild plants date back thousands of years. On your next camping or hiking trip be adventuresome and forage for edible wild plants. You will be surprised at what is available, and you just may strike up the courage to cook a meal!

Plant experts from around the world have identified some key plants and guides that offer nutrition, health benefits, and various cooking and preservation requirements.

Most of the following wild edible plants, flowers, and "foods," can be found in the upper-Midwest region, but if you check with your local farmers, environmental/ecological groups, nature preserves, and books, you can find your state's most popular wild edible food lists.

Elderberry
Elderberry has been used as a native sweetener, and makes a great sweet sauce or jam.

Dandelion
Some consider the dandelion a pesky weed, but others know dandelion for its high concentrations of vitamins A and C. Originally from Europe, this plant has made its way onto American soil, and offers an excellent coffee for drinking on cold days. Dandelion greens and tender leaves can also be cooked, or served raw in salads.

Sassafras
 Sassafras tea is possibly the best known use of this plant, and was used primarily along the areas of Appalachia. Medicinal use includes using the oil in soap and as a calming agent, while the tea aids in relaxation. The tea is made from boiling sassafras root with water and sugar.

Common Cattail
This plant was first used by Native Americans. The green shoots can be used as fresh greens, while the flowers can be boiled and served like corn on the cob.

Day Lily
In the Far East the day lily is used as a food, and is eaten as a fresh green. The flowers also make excellent soup thickeners, and the root tubers are similar to potatoes in consistency.

Government Programs 

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Bird Surrogators

If you are anything like the crew at Tallgrass, hunting pheasants and quail is a way of relaxing and enjoying the camaraderie of fellow hunters.  Over the last couple of years we have been using a surrogator to raise our own birds. 

 

A surrogator is a self-contained unit that will aid in establishing a population of game birds.  It functions as a "surrogate parent" by providing food, water, warmth and protection for the first five weeks of the bird's life. A surrogator box is placed in a location where a huntable population of pheasant or quail is desired.  The birds remain in the area even into maturity due to their natural instinct to live and reproduce where they were raised and released.

 

A surrogator will hold 125 day-old quail chicks or 65 day-old pheasant chicks until they reach five weeks of age. Chicks raised in a surrogator are protected from predators and the elements at a time when they are most vulnerable. Research proves that game birds develop their natural survival instincts around five weeks of age. Chicks raised in a surrogator have limited human contact, further protecting the natural survivability of the birds.                                        

Tallgrass Provides Watershed Planning Help To Spring Creek  
 

As you may recall from our January, 2011 article, barn quilts in the US can be traced back to the earliest Dutch settlers, who would use the quilts to show off their heritage, advertise their businesses, or simply to display their artwork to the people viewing them. However, the quilt trend died out over time, until it was revived in 2001, when quilts began showing up again on barns and businesses in Ohio. The movement has spread rapidly in the decade since, and now 27 states have significant numbers of quilts decorating the structures on which they hang.

These "quilts" are usually made up of two pieces of plywood on a simple two-by-four frame. They are painted in different colors, patterns, and imagery that are often, but not always used to symbolize the heritage of the farmers displaying them. Designs range from the simple, to elaborate, to the expressive and impressive.

The barn quilt trend has been catching fire in Wisconsin, as quilts are adorning more and more barns, especially in the southern counties of Green, Rock, and Walworth. They are becoming so popular in fact, that a daylong bus tour has been set up by Rock County's Association for Home and Community Education to view many of the over 100 quilts in Rock County alone.  (See below for detailed information on the bus tour.)

In the spring of 2011, Tallgrass Restoration decided to join the barn quilt fun. Several design options were selected and put up for a vote amongst Tallgrass employees and friends. The winning design was a pattern called the "lone star." The lone star design is a 16-sided fractal that is divided up into smaller patterned shapes, which were then individually painted in green, white, and blue. With this painted shape on a white background, the quilt square takes on a kaleidoscopic appearance, and really stands out against the bright red barn on which it is mounted.

In order to mount the quilt on the third story of the Tallgrass barn, a 60-foot boom lift and two very brave men were needed. After about an hour, some nervous laughter, and lots of helpful input from the two ground level supervisors (Tracy Runice and Chris Kaplan), the quilt was successfully mounted. In its lifetime it will be viewed by thousands of passersby on Wisconsin's Highway 59.

Additional Information about the Barn Quilt Tour:

Date and Time: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 8am-5pm

Van Galder coach bus Tour of the Barn Quilts of Rock County, Wisconsin
Sponsored by the Rock Co. Association for Home and Community Education (HCE)
The bus will depart Janesville at 8am (from the K-Mart parking lot at the corner of Highways 14 and 26). The tour will include a narration of barn history and information relative to the over 100 barn quilts now in Rock County. Not all quilts will be seen but about one-quarter of the County will be covered, stopping at local quilt shops, historic buildings and many other sites along the way. Snacks are included in the price of the Tour, however, the cost of lunch at a stop along the way is additional.

Cost is $30 ($25 for HCE members)
Reservations are required by August 15, 2011

Make checks payable to RCHCE and send them to:

Bonnie Forslund
1114 N. Randall Avenue
Janesville, WI 53545
(608) 752-6566

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