Inside the Minds of Plants
Last June when Koko the gorilla was found dead in her sleep at the age of 46, the Gorilla Foundation in California, where she lived, released a statement saying that the western lowland gorilla would be “deeply missed.” For those who didn’t know who she was, they explained: “Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy.”
Koko and her kitten. Credit: Creative Commons
It was a loving tribute, but it no doubt upset those who have long been troubled by the humanizing of Koko. Born on the fourth of July in 1971 at the San Francisco Zoo, the infant gorilla soon became the subject of a controversial language research project being conducted by psychologist Francine “Penny” Patterson. Over the years, Patterson taught Koko to use over 1,000 words of modified American Sign Language and the gorilla became famous for, among other things, her emotional expressiveness, love of cats and ability to enchant just about everyone, including celebrities like Robin Williams and Mr. Rogers.
But was Koko really capable of communicating in the way Patterson and others claimed she was? Some skeptical scientists have long said no, arguing that apes simply don’t possess the emotional and mental capacity to communicate on such a complex level. To them, Koko’s perceived abilities were nothing more than a textbook case of anthropomorphism. And if there is one thing scientists of that sort disdain, it is people going about attributing human traits to non-human lifeforms.
Holed up in places that clearly must not allow any pets for them to observe and interact with, these scientists are undaunted in their quests to prove human superiority despite decades of research demonstrating the intelligence and emotions of many living creatures—octopuses, chimps, dolphins, elephants and crows to name a few.
Fortunately, there are also scientists out there who get that humans are great and all, but other living things, including plants, can also do amazing things. Monica Gagliano is one of those scientists. An evolutionary ecologist at the University of Western Australia in Perth, she studies plants as few other do by exploring questions about their behavior, learning and memory. I heard about Gagliano’s work while listening to an episode of Radiolab’s podcast called Smarty Plants.
Sensitive plants close their leaves, like butterflies fold their wings together, when touched. Credit: iStock
Co-hosts Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad were jostling with the question: Do you really need a brain to sense the world around you? To remember? Or even learn? Krulwich thought not, but Abumrad disagreed and the episode unpacked the idea, primarily zeroing in on Gagliano’s work with sensitive plants, Mimosa pudica, which she chose because they can be counted on to respond to stimuli by dramatically closing up their leaves.
Run out and buy Monica Gagliano’s book Thus Spoke the Plant.
For her first tests, examining plants’ ability to learn, Gagliano constructed what amounted to a tiny carnival ride that hoisted the sensitive plants up a short ways before dropping them onto a soft, cushy surface. Over and over, dozens and dozens of times, the plants were dropped and each time they closed their leaves until finally, they stopped. Because “the plants realized that was not necessary,” she says, explaining that the plants had learned something.(Watch her interview with TheScientist here.)
Krulwich was amazed, but Abumrad wondered aloud whether the plants had simply run out of energy to close up. Gagliano had thought of that too, and she’d tested the theory by shaking the plants that were no longer closing up their leaves from side to side rather than dropping them. The plants responded by quickly closing up, so it was not exhaustion they were exhibiting.
Three days later Gagliano returned to the lab and started dropping the plants again. This time, they stopped closing their leaves almost immediately, indicating that they hadn’t just learned something, they had also remembered it. Gagliano waited a few more days, and the plants still remembered. A few more days: same thing. At last, she waited 28 days before dropping them again. The result? Galiano believes those mimosa plants somehow remembered what had happened and did not close up on the way down.
At the very least, her research makes clear that plants, like animals, are capable of much more than we give them credit for. It makes you think, right? What do plants feel or sense or know when our shovels bite into the soil around them? I shudder to think about what might be going on with them when they somehow sense that pruners, or worse—an electric trimmer is nearby. Gagliano may not yet understand how plants are learning and remembering, but she is showing the world that they are doing those things. It’s thrilling to imagine what else may be discovered.
A version of this essay appeared in a 2018 issue of Northern Gardener.
Cold Weather Plant Lust
- On February 22, 2018
- By Meleah
- In Perennials, Plant Spotlight, Uncategorized
0
Something went wrong but we are working on it! Credit: iStock
Hey, so, before I start talking about plants, let me explain the confusion with my last post. You may have noticed that I was going on about how I’d changed the name of my blog to Livin’ Thing and yet all you saw was my old Everyday Gardener banner at the top of the page. Technical difficulties, folks. Technical difficulties. But all of that is fixed now, we think.
So onward and upward as they say. It’s been a long, excruciatingly cold winter here in Minnesota so I’ve been comforting myself with dreams about what to plant when the weather warms up. My list of “Wow, I love that!” plants gets longer all the time, so I just try to pick a few each year to try. No firm decisions have been made yet, but here are a few of 2018’s contenders, in case you’d like to look them up and see if you like them too. One thing to note, these are not new plants, just a bunch of not-often-seen lovelies that I’m thinking about.
‘Othello’ ligularia (Ligularia dentata ‘Othello’): I love ligularia for its gorgeous lily-pad-like foliage, and wonderful yellow flowers that open later in the summer when other things are tired and ragged. This variety seems particular nice because its blooms look a lot like daisies, and it grows to only about 2 to 3 feet tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. Like all ligularias, ‘Othello’ does best in shade to part shade, and requires more moisture than many perennials. So plant this with other water-loving shade plants like astilbe, foxglove, black snakeroot, Rodger’s flower (Rodgersia) and foam flower. Plants are hard to Zone 4.
‘Othello’ Ligularia
‘Raydon’s Favorite’ aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’): Asters get a bad rap for being tall and gangly. But there are many asters out there that don’t behave like that. This one is among them, growing to just 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. If you’d like to keep bees happy with fall flowers, ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ is a great choice with its lovely lavender blooms. Full sun is best and plants are hardy to Zone 4.
‘Raydons Favorite’ aromatic aster won’t tip over like many asters do. Credit: Wikimedia
Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum): This prairie native is really striking because plants can grow to 8 to 10 feet tall and about 3 feet wide or more. I’ve seen these in the back of people’s gardens a few times, and I’m always wowed by them. The name comes from the cup-like shape that is formed where the leaves of the plant meet the stems. It is said that wildlife and pollinators can sometimes get a sip of water from those rain-filled cups. That’s a reason to buy this plant, right there! The yellow blooms look like a cross between daisies and sunflowers. If you want to try these, put them in the back of the garden in a sunny spot. To keep them from being too tall and gangly, I recommend cutting them back by half in early summer before they set blooms. Plants are hardy to Zone 4.
Cup plant is tall, hardy and loved by pollinators. Credit: Hardyplants
Purple Japanese burnet (Sanguisorba tenuifolia ‘Purpurea’): I’m not totally sure about this one. Look it up online and you’ll see what I mean. With its little purple pipe cleaner-like blooms perched atop long grassy spikes, it’s either cool looking or just too weedy for my taste. But I keep going back to it because those little pipe cleaners are pretty neat. Plants grow to 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. The long stems emerge from a nice-looking clump of foliage close to the ground. Hard to Zone 4, this beauty should be planted in full sun and needs moist soil.
‘Purple Prince’ epimedium (Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Purple Prince’): If you don’t have epimedium in your garden, run out and get some as soon as spring comes. I’ve only recently added some at my house, and I can’t say enough good things about these pretty perennials. Like most other epimediums, ‘Purple Prince’ has dainty heart-shaped leaves that last all season and look great. Purple, almost orchid-like flowers, appear in spring and plants grow 12 to 15 inches tall and wide. Full-sun to partial shade is best, and plants are hardy to Zone 4. This epimedium is not commonly sold but can be found online at Rare Find Nursery in Jackson, New Jersey.
‘Purple Prince’ epimedium. Credit: Rare Find Nursery.
‘Golden Fleece’ goldenrod (Solidago sphacelata ‘Golden Fleece’): If you haven’t yet noticed, I can be a sucker for late-blooming flowers. Not only do I appreciate having something in bloom from August and into fall, I love to see bees happily finding something to nourish themselves with when other flowers are long spent. Goldenrod is always a bee favorite and ‘Golden Fleece’ is unique in that it grows to only 12 to 18 inches tall and wide, making it much more compact that other varieties. Plants will do best in full sun, but can take partial shade, and are hardy to Zone 4.
Nice Plants for Northern Gardens
- On October 03, 2017
- By Meleah
- In Natives, Perennials, Plant Spotlight, Uncategorized
- 0
Before I start nattering on about plants I like, let me first tell you that, as always in the fall, the Little Free Seed Library is up and running at my house. You’ll find it on the boulevard on the corner of 45th Street and Washburn Ave. South. I’ve already started putting out seeds I’ve collected from our gardens, and neighbors have been dropping off more. I hope you’ll consider bringing some seeds to share, and if you do, please bring them in envelopes or baggies that are clearly marked with the name of the plant. I’ve put small, coin-sized envelopes in the seed library so people can choose seeds from larger envelopes, and pack them up easily to take home. (For more information on the seed library, check out this blog post.)
Okay, now let’s talk about plants. I like to buy a few new plants every year. It’s fun to have something new in the garden, and it’s always interesting to see how they do—or don’t do, as is the case with nearly every Japanese anemone I’ve ever planted except Anemone tomentosa ‘Robustissima’. That beauty has survived whatever my brown-thumb problem is with these plants.
‘Chocolate Shogun’ Astilbe
Anyway, I’d like to tell you about a few plants that I’ve tried and come to love over the past couple of years. First up: Astilbe ‘Chocolate Shogun’. The dark purple foliage of this unique astilbe looks beautiful in my shade gardens where I’ve paired them with hostas, ligularia and yellow-leaved ‘Sun King’ Japanese spikenard. Hardy down to horrifyingly cold Zone 3 (Minneapolis is Zone 4), ‘Chocolate Shogun’ grows 18 to 24 inches high and does best in partial shade. Even when established, these plants need to be watered so try to group them with other plants that like a little extra moisture, such as ligularia, dwarf goatsbeard and foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia).
‘Sun King’ Aralia—courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries
If you’ve never grown epimedium, let me introduce you. There are several varieties to choose from for our region. I’m partial to Snowy Epimedium (Epimedium x youngianum ‘Niveum’), which is hardy to Zone 4. These delicate-looking shade-loving plants grow 6 to 8 inches tall and up to 18 inches wide. The heart-shaped foliage is pretty enough to make this a must-have for me, but the miniature white flowers that appear in early spring are a much-needed respite from winter.
Feeling pretty sick of bee balm looking great and then getting covered with disgusting powdery mildew by July? Me too. That’s why I’d recommend Eastern bee balm (Monarda bradburiana). Hardy to Zone 4, plants grow to about 2 feet tall and wide, and they are nicely clumped rather than floppy like some bee balms can be. Plant these in full sun to partial shade and bees and hummingbirds will zoom in to enjoy them.
I’ve got a couple of different varieties of goatsbeard in my gardens, but my current favorite is ‘Horatio’ (Aruncus ‘Horatio’). Hardy to Zone 4, plants grow to about 3 feet tall and wide and will do best in partial shade—though they can tolerate full sun. I love the dark green leaves on this variety, as well the white, fringed blooms, which have a faintly sweet smell.
‘Raspberry Splash’ lungwort—courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries
Lungwort (Pulmonaria) sounds like a horrid plant, but it’s really quite lovely despite its name, which came about because the plants’ leaves were long ago used unsuccessfully to treat lung infections. Over the years I have added many varieties of lungwort to my gardens. All have their good points, really, but Pulmonaria ‘Raspberry Splash’ is my favorite. Hardy to Zone 4, these plants grow to about 12 inches high and are said top out at about 18 inches wide. In truth, the ones in my front gardens are much wider, so huge, in fact, that people often wonder if they are “some kind of spotted hosta”. Plants will do best in partial shade and are covered in early spring with raspberry-colored blooms.
Tips for Saving Amaryllis Bulbs
To help make our long winters less drab and dreary, I usually grow several different amaryllis plants so there is something colorful and blooming in the house between November and February. Normally, I toss the bulbs into the compost bins after they’re done flowering. But after talking to some master gardener friends who save and replant their amaryllis bulbs, I’ve decided to do the same. I figure, even if I didn’t pay a lot for the bulbs (they range in price), it would be nice to give the plants the opportunity to flower again if they’re able. If you’d like to try this, too, here are some tips you need to know.
Amaryllis flowers—iStock
Like other bulbs, amaryllis use their leaves to store up energy for next year. So once the flowers fade, cut them off so the spent blooms don’t go to seed, which uses up energy the bulb needs. Leave the long leaves intact. Yes it does look weird to have a bulb in a pot with goofy, long leaves poking out of it. But those green leaves will feed the bulb through photosynthesis if you leave the pot near a sunny window.
Keep watering and fertilizing the bulb as you did when it was flowering. I usually water once a week, which is when the soil starts to feel dry. It’s a good idea to fertilize every time you water. Use about half the amount suggested on the package of whatever type of fertilizer you use.
Once we make it past the last frost, put your amaryllis plants (in their pots) outside in a spot that’s not in direct sun. Like seedlings, they need some time to acclimate to being outdoors so over the course of a week or two, move the pots into more and more sun. Ideally, they need to end up in a place where they will get a minimum of 5 hours of sun daily. You can leave them on your patio in their pots, or bury the pots in the garden someplace for the summer. At this point the leaves may be yellowing, browning or otherwise looking awful. But even if they are still green, you can cut the foliage back to about 3 inches. Keep up the watering and fertilizing (now at full strength) during the summer and new leaves will grow.
Read More»New Plants for 2015
Whew! I apologize for disappearing for so long. A family member has been ill for several months, and I haven’t had time to post. Things haven’t really calmed down, but I’m going to try to get back in the groove of writing more regularly so, here goes: Let’s talk about new plants for 2015. Or more specifically, new plants that can survive Minnesota’s horrifyingly cold, Zone 4 climate. For those of you who live where it’s even colder, I’ve got a few plants that are hardy to Zones 2 and 3. If you live in much warmer climates, you have the opposite problem. So you’ll want to check to see hot much heat the plants I’m talking about can take before you buy them.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
You’re probably familiar with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Plant Hardiness Zones, which indicate the minimum temperatures in 11 areas across the country. By checking the USDA’s map, you can see whether a plant you’re considering can take your area’s minimum temperature. For example, in Zone 4b where I live, plants need to be hardy to at least -25° F to make it.
It’s always hard to choose just a few plants to highlight from the long list of new introductions each year. But here are some of my favorites. Before I go on, though, I want to remind you that if you are concerned about the effect of neonicotinoid pesticides on bees, you’ll need to check with sellers before you buy plants. Some retailers have stopped selling plants treated with “neonics” in response to studies suggesting that the pesticides harm bees, particularly honeybees. But this issue is still being sorted out and not everyone is on board. I’ll write more about what’s happening with neonics very soon, so without further ado, here are the plants.
Tiger Stripes Solomon’s seal
Got shade? Try adding some Solomon’s seal ‘Tiger Stripes’ (Polygonatum falcatum) from Plant Delights Nursery to your garden. This variegated selection has pretty cream-colored highlights and grows to about 18 inches tall. Fruit clusters appear in the fall and plants are hardy to Zone 4. Plant Delights is located in Raleigh, N.C., and is known for offering unique plants that are hard to find elsewhere. Orders can be placed on their website.
Cobra lily Saturnus – High Country Gardens
I’ve never tried growing cobra lily (Chasmanthe Saturnus) but I’m going to try now. This South African native bulb offered by High Country Gardens blooms in mid-summer and is hardy to Zone 2. Spikes of fragrant, tubular orange flowers attract hummingbirds. Plants grow to between 3 and 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide and need full sun, which is 6 hours or more.
‘Hatatogisa’ toad lily – Creek Hill Nursery
Toad lilies are great for our northern gardens because they bloom late in the season and look so tropical. Tricyrtis ‘Hatatogisa’ from Creek Hill Nursery is a lovely Japanese toad lily with orchid-like, purple-spotted flowers on long, arching stems. This plant is not really new, but it is being freshly promoted. Plants grow 18 to 24 inches tall and 12 inches wide and prefer part shade to full shade. Zone 4.
Above and Beyond™ rose – Bailey Nurseries
Looking for a tough, no-fuss rose that’s like no other? Head out to local garden centers and ask for Above and Beyond™ (Rosa ‘ZLEEltonStrack’), the newest rose from local breeder David Zlesak. David gave me this rose to test in my garden a couple of years ago, so I can attest to its hardiness and beauty. Introduced by Bailey Nurseries, Above and Beyond has apricot-colored flowers that open in mid- to late-spring and often rebloom throughout the season. Plants grow 10 to 14 feet tall and about 14 feet wide, which sounds ginormous, but you can easily prune them to be shrubs or climbers. I’ve got mine growing on a south-facing fence. Full sun. Zone 3.
Serious Black clematis – Walters Gardens
I know they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I like black plants. So I can’t resist suggesting Clematis recta ‘Lime Close’, also known as Serious Black™, a nod to Harry Potter fans everywhere. Unlike vining clematis, this new introduction from Walters Gardens offers dark-purple foliage that looks almost black and grows in clumps to about 6 feet tall. Foliage ages to green as the summer progresses and is topped with white flowers with slender petals. (Plan on supporting plants if they get too tall and floppy.) Walters doesn’t sell to the public, but you should be able to find this plant at garden centers. Full sun. Zone 4a.
Pink Truffles baptisia
If you like baptisia but wish plants wouldn’t flop over after they bloom in early summer, try Baptisia ‘Pink Truffles’ from Walters Gardens. One of several new varieties bred by Hans Hansen, this false indigo is compact at just 2 ½ feet tall and 3 feet wide and offers delicate, pink flowers. Plants are drought tolerant once they are established and should be grown in full sun to part shade. Zone 4.
Twilight Zone little bluestem – Walters Gardens
And last but certainly not least, let me point out a really striking grass from Walters Gardens. (Again, this should be available at local garden centers.) Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Twilight Zone’ is a little bluestem that is now widely available after a limited release last year. In addition to its columnar form, this ornamental grass offers silver/purple highlights. Grows to 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Full sun. Zone 3.
Most of these plants should be available at garden centers this season, but in some cases you can order directly from the website I’ve provided.
Invasion of the Creeping Bellflower
- On July 22, 2014
- By Meleah
- In Perennials, Plant Spotlight, Uncategorized
- 7
Here’s a good piece of gardening advice. If someone says that they have a ginormous amount of a certain plant and they want to give you some, RUN AWAY.
Yes, creeping bellflower is pretty. But it will also take over your garden.
With few exceptions, if a plant has taken over that person’s garden, it will take over yours too because it is evil—or invasive—whatever you want to call it. It doesn’t care. In fact, it may employ trickery to try to get you to take it home and plant it.
That’s definitely the case with creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides). Even if you don’t know the name, you’ve probably noticed this horrible-to-the-core plant because it’s tall and showy with pretty purple bell-shaped flowers. It’s also everywhere that it can possibly get a foothold, especially this year because the plant likes moist soil and we’ve had so much rain.
Native to Europe, creeping bellflower was actually introduced to North America as a lovely new ornamental (I’m not sure when) and it quickly became popular with unsuspecting gardeners. In fact, I frequently see this plant on tables at plant sales or potted up and sitting on the sidewalk outside of people’s houses with a “Free” sign on it. (To be fair, it isn’t invasive everywhere like it is here in the Midwest.) The problem is, creeping bellflower has a very strong and extensive root system so it spreads quickly and will easily take over your garden and choke out other plants.
It’s also hard to get rid of. I’m not a big fan of chemicals, and they don’t work very well on bellflower anyway, so I’m going to explain two non-chemical ways to kill this miserable plant. Basically, you can dig it out or smother it. I often do some of both. No matter which way you go, it will take years to eradicate this flower-weed creature. Or, like me, you may just get to the point where it’s at least tamed enough that you can cope with ripping out a few of them each year.
Read More»
