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| Wilderness Corner
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We are proud to announce that the St. Mary of Vernon Church property has been officially designated by the National Wildlife Federation as a certified Wildlife Habitat. Our native plant gardens are still in their beginning stages, but the almost 300 wildflowers planted so far are more than enough to qualify our property for certification, which was awarded to us on July 27, 2008. Our certificate is displayed on the Parish Life bulletin board, and an official Wildlife Habitat sign is posted in the south prairie garden path, across the runoff stream by Hwy 45.
As part of our 30th anniversary celebration, we put together some native wildflower gardens in our landscape. The first edition of the Wilderness Corner was published on June 8, 2008. It was originally called "The Wildflower Corner." When topics other than wildflowers were introduced on November 30, 2008, the title was changed to "The Wilderness Corner." Open the modules below to learn about all of the native plants that we have added and all of the critters that have come to enjoy them.
On Easter Sunday 2012 the SMV Reflection Trail was officially opened to parishioners and guests. It provides us a unique and wonderful opportunity to become closer to God, even when the church doors are closed. The Reflection Trail is always open, offering us a chance to stroll through the church grounds and to sit on a bench in silent meditation. The trail begins at the "Friendship Circle" behind the south parking lot and ends north of the garage behind the Parish Center. Just follow the trail markers.
Mike Lawler
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| Pictures
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| Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) 7/13/08
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This is perhaps the showiest of the milkweeds because of the long-lasting and colorful flowers. Like other milkweeds, Butterfly Milkweeds attract monarch butterflies. The monarch in the photo is sunning itself on the very plant which hosted it in its caterpillar stage. Its mother deposited the egg on one of the plant's leaves on Memorial Day, 2006. She appeared quite faded and tattered. Perhaps she was in the last days of her long migratory journey north from Mexico.
The plant is easy to grow, although somewhat slow to develop. It may start as a single stalk, but in a few years will branch outwards, taking on the appearance of a small bush. Its bright orange flowers are among the first of the milkweeds to bloom, beginning in early summer. It may intermittently bloom into late summer, depending on moisture levels. During late summer, elongated seedpods will point skyward, giving the plant the appearance of an upside-down chandelier.
It prefers a dry or well-drained location. The thick, 6-foot-deep taproot allows the plant to survive the severest of drought summers, but in wet years it may rot if the ground is saturated for too long. Once established, it does not like to be moved. Otherwise, it is easy to grow, and will last for years.
Our Butterfly Milkweeds are growing next to the office and in the prairie garden path.
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| Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) 4/19/09
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Woodland native plants come in all shapes and sizes. Among the more fascinating floral designs are found in Dutchman's Breeches. With a little imagination the flowers remind you of miniature pantaloons hanging out to dry on arched clothes lines, hence the common name.
These plants are the consummate spring ephemerals, the above-ground growth lasting only two months. The soft, delicate, pinnate leaves emerge in the middle of April, followed by the curious yellow-tipped puffy white flowers that last 2-3 weeks. After the quickly maturing seeds are spirited away by ants, the leaves turn a soft yellow and the plant disappears completely by mid-June.
This early woodland ground cover is a strong indicator of a highly mature forest where the rich soil has remained undisturbed by human activity. A cousin to the garden-variety Bleeding Heart, it does quite well in a backyard shaded garden, as long as the soil is well-drained. It adds beauty and interest to the garden before the emergence of more leisurely species, like Maiden Hair Fern and Jack-in-the-Pulpit, which help fill in the space left after the plant dies back.
Where can you purchase these and other native plants? Some garden centers offer native plants, but ask if they are greenhouse-grown. It is illegal to collect native plants from the wild, and their removal can promote the growth of invasive non-native species.
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| Foxglove Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis) 06/22/08
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This two-foot tall native perennial blooms during late spring or early summer for about a month. Sometimes there are fine lines of violet inside the white flowers, which act as nectar guides to visiting insects. The flowering stalk eventually turns dark brown and falls over after the seeds have formed, helping to distribute them.
The plant prefers full or partial sun, average levels of moisture, and loamy soil. It matures quickly during the spring, and the flowering stalks often ascend above neighboring plants. It adapts well to cultivation, is not bothered by disease, and is easy to grow. Its natural habitat is mesic prairies, forest openings, woodland borders and pastures.
The tubular flowers attract honeybees, bumblebees, and different types of solitary bees. To a lesser extent, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds may visit the flowers. Deer are not attracted to the foliage, although they may browse on it when little else is available.
This is probably the easiest Penstemon species to grow. The flowers are quite showy, and the plant is large enough to compete against many kinds of weeds. Another desirable feature is that the blooming period is rather long for an early season plant.
Source: Illinois Wildfowers website http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/index.htm
Our Penstemons are located in the garden path behind the parking lot leading to the woods from the runoff stream.
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| Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) 2008 11 08
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From botanist William Cullina: “One of my early botanical memories involves learning the story of Jack-in-the-Pulpit from my mother. There was the little preacher – really the narrow rounded spadix of the flower – standing proudly under his covered lectern, preaching to the faithful. The unusual flowers of Arisaema do capture the imagination, but they are really designed to capture the attention of small flies which crawl down the spadix and over the flowers, pollinating them as they go. The flowers are protected from the elements by a spathe, the pulpit of the story, which gives way in the fall to the swelling clusters of brilliant red seeds.”
We may soon see some Jack-in-the Pulpits popping up in our woodland garden in the woods along Hwy 45.
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| New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae) - 10/26/08
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For those who love the outdoors, autumn is a time of joy. We see the beauty and splendor of God's nature as it makes its colorful transition into winter. While most wildflowers have already withered and gone to seed, one stands out as the last splash of abundant color in the soon-to-be-dormant prairies, pastures, roadsides and gardens - the New England Aster.
Among all of God's creatures, the monarch butterfly is perhaps one of the most grateful for its late blooms. Monarchs depend on the nectar of the New England aster and other lingering wildflowers for fuel to make their 2,000 mile journey south to the winter hibernation sites in the Oyamel fir forests of central Mexico.
Last weekend I captured a photo of one of the last monarchs in the area, a female, waiting to take flight south. She was fueling up on a New England aster in my back yard garden. When she had her fill, without hesitation she headed south. Perhaps a few minutes beforehand, she had made a stop at one of our New England asters at SMV. Perhaps next June we will see her offspring looking for a spot among our Swamp milkweeds to lay their eggs. If they do so, Benjamin (a.k.a. Jonathon Olk), I'll let you know.
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| Obedient Plant (Physostegia Virginiana) 9/14/08
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The Obedient Plant is an attractive 4-foot tall wildflower, native to Illinois. It is easily grown in average to moist well-drained soil in full sun. It forms erect clumps and will naturalize in gardens. Stiff, square stems feature 4 rows of densely packed horizontal pinkish or lavender flowers, which bloom in late summer or early fall.
Each tubular flower is about 1inch long, and just big enough for a visiting bumblebee to crawl inside for a drink of nectar. Besides bumblebees, other long-tongued bees and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird may visit the flowers. Like other plants in the Mint family, it is not a favored source of food for grazing animals.
The plant got its common name from the fact that the individual flowers will "obediently" stay put for a short period after being moved right or left. Kids (both juvenile and adult) enjoy checking out this unique feature. When the flowers give way to the wind, they make it easier for bumblebees flying into the wind to fly directly into the flowers to gather the nectar. This increases their rate of pollination and their overall rate of survival. The plant's early fall bloom time helps bumblebees gather and store energy for their winter hibernation. Thisis a great example of two species helping each other out in a symbiotic relationship.
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| Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) 06/07/2008
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Prairie smoke is a slow growing groundcover perennial plant that is native to the northern Illinois dry gravel hill prairies formed as the glaciers receded 10 to 12 thousand years ago. Its contrasting kelly green foliage and bright red drooping flowers are especially attractive in a sunny border garden. It is best known for its wispy seed heads that have been described as looking like the once-popular "troll" dolls. Native Americans boiled the roots to make a tea to treat sore throats. Two years ago, prairie smoke was named the "official unofficial Chicago wildflower," representing the spirit of the city, the name evoking both the prairies that once dominated our landscape and the swirling smoke of the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. You can find a sample of our prairie smoke in the Parish Office garden next to the espalier apple tree.
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| Royal Catchfly (Silene regia) 8/13/08
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This long-lived native perennial plant is 2-3' tall. Small clusters of starshaped, bright red or scarlet flowers form at the top of the plant. It prefers full or partial sun and moist to slightly dry conditions.
Catchflies got their name because of the sticky stems that sometimes trap climbing insects. They are not carnivorous, like the Venus Fly Trap. It's an unintended consequence of their stickiness. It is a rare plant that has endangered status in Illinois.
The only other plant that resembles Royal Catchfly in Illinois is Fire Pink. The nectar of the flowers attracts Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, and the larger butterflies, like Black Swallowtails.
Red is an uncommon color among prairie plants because many pollinating insects, like bees, are insensitive to the red end of the light spectrum. However, some butterflies perceive red, and are attracted to such flowers. The flowers of Royal Catchfly have a design that favors butterflies as pollinating agents: The flared petals provide a colorful landing platform for their legs.
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| Sky Blue Aster (Aster Oolentangiensis) 09/16/08
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I found a wonderful passage about asters written by William Cullina in his book titled “Wildflowers of the US and Canada.”
“Few plants are so readily identified with the archetypal wildflower of the imagination as the native asters. Maybe they foster a romantic nostalgia for a simpler time, when horse-drawn wagons trailed slowly down rutted paths bordered with colorful daisies and the air was sweetened with the sound of birdsongs.
"Maybe it is the uncomplicated elegance of the genus that belies a dogged adaptability for the myriad conditions this hemisphere has to offer. Whatever the reason, this is a group no wildflower gardener can in good conscience ignore.
"Asters are one of the most important fall nectar plants, and a patch of flowering asters seems to attract any and all of the pollinators in the area, frantically trying to gather the last of the season’s bounty.”
You can find Sky Blue Asters and Smooth Blue Asters at the end of the SMV prairie garden path. On the hill behind the parking lot you may see some “volunteer” white Heath Asters and one or two of the more familiar New England Asters hiding in the weeds.
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| Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) 10/5/08
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Sneezeweed is a welcome sight in the declining early autumn gardens with its late blooming, cheerful yellow flowers. The name suggests that it may cause hay fever, but its pollen is too heavy to be carried by the wind.
It got its name from the former use of the crushed dried flowers as a snuff by early European settlers. Native Americans used it for various medicinal purposes, including treating fevers and head colds. Its genus name, Helenium, is derived from the Greek word for sun, perhaps because the flowers look like little animated suns bursting with rays. It is seen most often in the wild in low lying, wet, poorly drained areas.
What better place than right along our runoff stream between the berms, where our plants are happily blooming right now. Job 12:7-10: "But ask the animals and they will teach you; or birds of the air and they will tell you; or speak to the earth and it will teach you..."
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| Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) 8/10/08
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If you want to see St. Mary of Vernon's newly certified Wildlife Habitat in action, check out our Swamp Milkweeds, which are magnets to monarch butterflies. The monarchs lay eggs exclusively on milkweeds, which have a toxin tolerated by the monarch caterpillars, but very upsetting to their would-be predators.
We have several Swamp Milkweed plants growing in the moist portion of our prairie garden path. Thanks to seeds donated by Elaine O'Donnell, they are also growing along the edges of the runoff stream leading to the retention pond. As the name implies, swamp milkweeds thrive in wet or moist soil, though they do fine in back yard gardens if the soil is not allowed to dry out. Their nectar attracts a host of different butterflies, bees and other hungry insects.
Bumblebees are fun to watch feasting on the sweet nectar as they clumsily lumber across the flowers, pollinating them as they go. Swamp milkweeds are easily distinguished from other milkweeds by their upright pink flowers and narrow leaves.
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| Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla) 3/22/09
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Have you ever seen, while walking in a woodland preserve in early spring, what look like several kelly-green butterflies floating motionless above the ground? If so, you were lucky enough to have seen the rare Twinleaf plant. Jeffersonia was given its botanical name to honor our third President, Thomas Jefferson, who had a passionate interest in natural history.
To catch a glimpse of this plant in bloom you have to be patient and quick. A new seedling needs at least six more years to produce its tiny eight-petal white flowers. And then they last barely two or three days, but it's worth the wait. The flower produces a very curious seed pod which looks like a little urn perched on top of a stem. The lid pops open to reveal a collection of cinnamon-toned seeds partly covered with a protein-rich substance. Ants can't wait to bring the seeds home to feast on the protein. Then they discard the seeds in their "recycle bins", allowing new Twinleaf plants to emerge the following spring.
This is a great example of a mutual symbiotic relationship between plants and insects, helping to sustain both species. Massed together, Twinleaf plants make a perfect, bold ground cover in those moist shady spots where grass refuses to grow. Yes, Rebecca, I too marvel at the diverse beauty of perennial wildflowers - God's wonderful creations waiting to be rediscovered season after season.
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| Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) 4/26/09
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If you want to know what one plant will surely brighten up your woodland garden and your day, just ask my wife Kathy. The pastel colors of Virginia Bluebells are soft and soothing. While in the bud stage, the trumpet-like flowers are a light purplish pink, but then become light blue. They bloom for about 3 weeks from mid- to late-spring.
One of the best commentaries about Virginia Bluebells comes from the renowned native plant expert, Bill Cullina: "As best I can determine, Mertensias are not plants at all, but delicate clumps of sky, thinly disguised and sent here for a few weeks each year to bring us earth-bound folks briefly closer to heaven. The flowers are the same ethereal blue as a cloudless spring day, and hang like little long-handled bells on arching stems incorporated within the uppermost leaves. Bluebells are early risers in spring, barely able to contain themselves long enough for the snow to melt and the ground to thaw. The leaves emerge stained a deep midnight purple (eventually turning soft green). Hardly have the last blooms faded, though, when the plants quickly yellow and plunge into dormancy, patiently sleeping until the next spring warms the ground and they can briefly lighten our hearts once again."
The flowers attract a host of pollinators, including honeybees, bumblebees, and many other non-aggressive solitary bees, too busy gathering nectar to sting. Other visitors include hummingbirds, bee flies, butterflies, skippers, Sphinx moths, and Hummingbird moths. Our woodland garden will have a few Bluebells planted this spring. We hope that they will be part of a conversion of our woods from its former sterile, garlic mustard-infested state into its original vibrant habitat for many of God's creatures, both rooted and mobile
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| Wild Bergamot (Monarda Fistulosa) 7/20/08
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This plant is the native cousin of the red cultivar, Bee Balm.
For a member of the mint family, the pink or lavender flowers are large and beautiful. The leaves exude an oreganomint scent. The blooming period lasts about a month during mid-summer. The plant sends up multiple stems giving it a bushy appearance. It likes sunny open areas and does best in moist rich soil.
The nectar of the flowers attracts bumble bees, bee flies, butterflies, skippers, and hummingbird moths. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird also visits the flowers. The caterpillars of a fascinating moth, called the Hermit Sphinx, feed on the foliage. Animals usually avoid eating this plant, probably because of the oregano-mint taste and because it can cause indigestion.
Native Americans found many uses for this native plant. They cooked it with meat to add flavor, boiled it to make beverages, and chewed it to relieve headaches. The leaves were placed in warm water baths for babies.
Our two-year-old Wild Bergamots in the prairie garden path already look beautiful.
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| Pictures
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| More Pictures
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