How to turn a milk jug into a mini greenhouse

By Emilie Grace Yochim

When winter creeps in with her cold, frosty air, and gloomy, shorter days, most gardeners can only think about one thing: next year’s flower garden. Well, at least, that’s what runs through my mind. How can I keep myself busy with my garden over the dreary days of winter? Two words: winter sowing.

Winter sowing is a fun, cost effective way to prepare for next summer’s native garden. Defined, winter sowing is a way to start seeds outdoors during the winter months. It is particularly useful for any seeds that require a period of cold, moist stratification to break dormancy and germinate. Another advantage of winter sowing is that you end up with plants that are hardier, and acclimated to the temperature swings. Also, you don’t need to start seeds indoors using fancy grow lights or an expensive greenhouse! 

When to start

When to start? Most winter sowers begin their project on the winter solstice. Typically, you will start with your seeds that need the longest period of time to break dormancy. Those would be the seeds that need 60 to ­120 days of cold, moist stratification. You can winter sow as late as March using seeds that need less time or seeds that need no special treatment. 

What you need

What do I need to winter sow? Well, seeds would be at the top of the list! What “new to me” native plants and grasses would I like to add? What areas need more fillers to support the other plants I already have? Which plants did the pollinators love that I want to increase in number to support them? These are all questions you can ask yourself as you decide on seeds to grow.

Where can I get native seeds to winter sow? Some reliable sources to purchase native seeds include Roundstone Native Seed Company and Prairie Moon Nursery. You can also find native seed swaps in several groups on Facebook in Kentucky, including mine Pollinators, Poof Heads & Native Plants in Kentucky, where you can get seeds for free or a minimal fee to cover shipping costs. 

I have my seeds, now what? The following materials are what you’ll need on hand:

  • Gallon milk jugs: The clear ones work best; recycle the caps as they aren’t needed; you can also use such things as two-liter soda bottles and rotisserie chicken containers.
  • Potting soil: I tend to use Miracle Gro Potting Mix. Use whatever brand you prefer, but don’t use any that are labeled “moisture control.”
  • Duct tape: For sealing jugs.
  • Sharpie marker: You’ll want to identify the seeds in each jug. You could also place a plant marker on the inside of your jug.
  • Box cutter: For cutting your jug.
  • Drill, hot glue gun, or anything sharp you can safely use to make drainage holes in your jug.

The process

With all your materials gathered, you’re ready to start:

  1. Using a drill, hot glue gun, or something sharp, make 6 to 8 drainage holes in the bottom of a milk jug. I go around the lower sides of the jug.
  2. Use your box cutter to slice your jug from side to side, leaving the handle attached, about halfway down. Don’t cut the entire top portion of the jug; leave a few inches intact. The top will act as a lid that you can open and close.
  3. Add 4 inches, or so, of wet potting soil into the bottom of the jug. 
  4. Sow seeds according to directions. For example, you’ll sow some seeds on the surface and plant others at specific depths.
  5. Close the lid, and tape the jug back together using duct tape.
  6. Label the jug with your Sharpie. 
This photo shows the different stages of a milk jug being transformed into a mini greenhouse for propagating seeds.

Once your jugs are filled and taped shut, place your jugs in an area with sun. Moisture (rain and snow) will enter through the top creating condensation (aka your greenhouse). You can spray the inside if things start to dry out. 

This photo shows numerous milk jugs heeled in for winter.

Now, sit back and let nature take its course! Once spring is here, and temperatures warm up, open your jugs. Be sure to water as needed. If we get a frost or freeze, put the lids back down or cover the jugs with a blanket. 

This photo shows a couple of milk jugs with small germinating plants.

Once seedlings are ready to transplant in late spring, take them out of their containers, separate them in “hunks,” and plant them directly in the ground. If they’re small and still need more growing time, use the same method, but place them in pots to grow until they’re large enough to put in the ground. If your seedlings are large enough to separate, I’ll use Asclepias incarnata (Rose milkweed) as example, then by all means separate them instead of using the “hunk” method. 

Winter sowing helps us look forward to spring with the anticipation of new life growing in our containers and the pollinators that will enjoy them in the summer. It is a highly addictive project; you have been warned! I winter sowed over 130 containers last year, and I can say I likely won’t do as many this year, but then my plant pals who know me will just laugh and say, “yeah right.”

And, as always, please remember to support your local native plant growers. We need them to be successful in making native plants more accessible to the public and retailers!

Editors’ Note: You can follow Emilie’s backyard restoration by reading Replacing Invasives With Natives Is A Work Of Love.


Emilie Grace Yochim

Emilie Grace Yochim is a homeschooling mom to two teens and has been married to Philip for 20 years. Since 2019, Emilie has developed a slight obsession with pollinators, poof heads (bantam Satin and Silkie chickens), and native plants.

She enjoys educating others about planting natives and identifying pollinators by sharing pictures and information about the native plants, chickens, and wildlife in her yard. She also enjoys making terrible memes and puns that she finds hilarious.

The Kentucky native plant swap, four years and going strong

By Anne Milligan

The Kentucky native plants/seed swap movement is now in its fourth year, and this is an update on our progress. As many of you know, our swaps began in 2019 in Louisville, when some of us realized that we needed a venue to share all the extra seeds and plants from our native habitats. As of August 2023, we have 10 regional swaps fanning out from Louisville in all directions and a Louisville citywide Facebook group of over 2,500 members.  

Our newest regional swap group is also a transitional moment for our greater swap network. A young lady in Somerset stepped up to host a swap group for the entire Pulaski County/Lake Cumberland area. She envisions that group as a hub for an expanding swap network independent of the Louisville one.

Our Louisville citywide “big swap” will take place at Jefferson Memorial Forest in Fairdale. The staff offered us the Horine Conference Center for free, and for that we are very grateful. Our big swap brings together the extra seeds accumulated from all the regional fall swaps that took place last November. Regional swap hosts will be present to help guide new folks on native gardening and to check for nonnative species, which we don’t want to spread around.

We’re happy to announce that this past year, many of us expanded into growing the earliest-blooming native species, or spring ephemerals, and we are excited to share those extra seeds in the years ahead at regional spring swaps.

Our goal is to increase the diversity of Kentucky native plant species, primarily by educating property owners/gardeners/landscapers via regional swap groups how to grow and share native species. We understand that, by doing so, we are joining  passionate groups of people all over the world who are helping to restore natural ecosystems essential for life on this planet. To keep up with the various swap events, please join our Louisville Citywide Facebook group by clicking here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/652100455295916

We encourage everyone to establish native plant swap events in every Kentucky county, administered by individuals who are passionate about native species. There has never been a more important time than now to use our own properties to restore native ecosystems, not just for ourselves but for all those who follow.

Editors’ Note: To learn how this group got started, read Follow A Growing Trend And Organize Your Own Seed Swap. Read a review of Anne’s book, “Let the Earth Breathe,” which she coauthored with her husband, Stephen Brown.


Anne Milligan is an artist, singer/musician, and landscape designer. She lives in Louisville, KY with her husband, author and historian Stephen A. Brown.

Kentucky Pollinator Protection and Monarch Conservation group hold stakeholders meeting 

By Michaela Rogers, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and Tammy Potter, Kentucky State Apiarist with Kentucky Department of Agriculture 

Kentucky Department of Agriculture stakeholders with the Kentucky Pollinator Protection and Monarch Conservation group met on July 20th at the Louisville Zoo and Botanical Gardens. This group meets annually to discuss pollinator conservation topics and projects dedicated to improving pollinator habitat and public knowledge on the plight of pollinators in our state. Members include representatives from a variety of sectors: agriculture, education, transportation right of ways, state and local government, federal government, nonprofits, private and public nature preserves, garden clubs, beekeepers, private businesses, and interested members of the public.  

This July, 65 attendees came together to learn about the Louisville Zoo’s pollinator work and hear updates from various stakeholders including the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Cave Hill Cemetery, and the Waterfront Botanical Gardens.  

This photo shows participants at the pollinator stakeholders meeting.
Photo: Joe Omielan 

After a tour of the zoo’s gardens, led by Matthew Lahm of the Louisville Zoo, participants in this year’s meeting heard from several experts:  

  • Tony Romano, Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves: Roadside Remnants and Pollinator Habitat 
  • Katie Cody, Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves: Pollinators in the Forest 
  • Michaela Rogers, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and Shelby Fulton, Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves: State Wildlife Action Plan Insect Update and Partner Engagement 
  • Christy Wampler and Nathan Lind, United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service: USDA-NRCS Updates 
  • Michael Higgs, Cave Hill Cemetery: Cave Hill is More than a Cemetery 
  • Kat Rivers, Waterfront Botanical Gardens: Planning for Pollinators 

Stakeholders made connections with others pursuing pollinator projects throughout Kentucky and learn about resources offered through various programs highlighted by presenters. Columbia Gas and Roundstone Native Seed Company have worked to convert natural gas rights-of-way to pollinator habitat, and the Transportation Cabinet and the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves are working on similar projects.  

This year, members of this group also learned about the Pollinator Protection Program Web App, which allows farmers and other chemical applicators to communicate via text or email with beekeepers when a label requires​ communication. This app assists with EPA compliancy and is free to farmers, applicators, landowners, beekeepers, etc. 

This photo shows participants at the pollinator stakeholders meeting.
Photo: Joe Omielan 

This group meets annually and tries to find a new site each year.  Last year, they met at James Audubon State Park.  The Kentucky Pollinator Stakeholders group plans to meet again in Berea Kentucky in 2024, with a date and location to be announced later.  


Michael Rogers, Kentucky Dapartment of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Michaela Rogers is an Environmental Scientist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. She serves as the Monarch and Pollinator Coordinator for the agency and manages implementation of the Kentucky Monarch Conservation Plan. 

After working for six years with coal companies to establish pollinator habitat on former surface mine sites and working in the queen bee season in the winters, Tammy Horn Potter became Kentucky’s State Apiarist in 2014. She collects honey bee samples for the USDA Honey Bee Health Survey and has worked extensively to improve genetic diversity of queen bees with the Kentucky Queen Bee Breeders Association. She has also worked to improve honey label information with the Kentucky State Beekeepers Association. She is particularly proud of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Pollinator Protection Plan both for its diversity of stakeholders and for the department’s creation of an app, which coordinates spray information between applicators and beekeepers. 

Landscaping with native plants: how to plan your garden

By Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

Native plants are gaining in popularity, especially with so many gardeners interested in supporting pollinators and other native insects and wildlife. So how can you landscape with native plants? You first have to plan your yard, and we’ll show you how.

Know your land

Before you can decide which native plants you want in your Kentucky native plant garden, you have to know your growing conditions. Is the area in full sun or shade? Does the soil stay wet or is it dry? Is the soil alkaline or acidic?

This photo shows a soil test submission form.

A good first step is to take a soil test. (You can contact your county extension agent for more information.) This determines the pH of the soil and identifies the minerals and nutrients it has or is missing. The results have recommendations on how to correct any problems. Info like the pH (acid or alkaline soil) also guides your plant selection.

Learn which USDA Zone your plot of land is in. Most of Kentucky is in Zones 6a and 6b. Small sections of the southwest are in USDA Zone 7. These zones tell you which plants are hardy enough to survive our Kentucky winters.

Pay attention to the sun. As the sun moves through the season, the amount of light that hits the ground changes. What starts out sunny in spring could be dense shade by summer as trees leaf out.

Look at the competition other plants may present for your Kentucky native plant garden. Will tree roots be a problem? They win when it comes to sucking up nutrients like water. Plus, digging through them can damage or kill a tree. Some conifers tend to be messy, dropping needles, which can make plants underneath unsightly.

Put pencil to paper or use a landscape app

Make a rough sketch of the shape of the garden you want. Note where sidewalks and structures are and where trees and shrubs are. Is there a water source nearby?

Look at how the light moves through the space – is part of a section in full sun while a portion stays in shade? That garden bed may need a mix of shade- and sun-loving plants.

Start small

Designing and planting a new garden bed can be a lot of work. The biggest job will be the soil preparation. You can always extend a bed every year or two until it’s the size and look you want. Besides saving energy, starting small also conserves cash.

Select your native plants

Some native plants are more garden-worthy than others. Although they may have all the benefits gardeners want in native plants, such as attractive leaves and colorful fruit, they may be aggressive and spread beyond their space. Others may be prone to disease, adding to the maintenance and worries about the plants.

The Kentucky Native Plant Project has a comprehensive listing and descriptions of plants, from spring ephemerals to trees. The Kentucky Native Plant Society has a list of plant suppliers and service providers.

Select perennials that provide a sequence of flowers through the seasons. Start with spring-blooming perennials such as columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), followed by summer-blooming garden phlox (P. paniculata), followed by asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) in fall.

Many native shrubs, such as Viburnum, will have spring flowers, attractive summer foliage, fall color, and fruit that persists into winter. Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) has round balls for flowers, colorful fall fruit, and leaves. Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata), a deciduous holly, has red fruit that stands out in the winter landscape.

For trees, look at the Kentucky coffee bean (Gymnocladus dioicus), river birch (Betula nigra), honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos), red maple (Acer rubrum), and white oak (Quercus alba) as good shade tree selections. Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), and downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arbora) are excellent native ornamental trees.

Design tips for a native plant garden

Once you have plants selected, follow a few basic design tips.

  • Avoid planting perennials as singles. Rather, plant them in groups of three or five for the best show.
  • Put tall plants in the back of the bed, with medium-height plants in the middle and short plants in the front.
  • The plant placement can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. Maybe a stand of garden phlox at one end will be balanced at the other with a stand of ornamental grass, such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).
  • Texture and form are also important. Flowers last only for a short time compared to leaves and the form of a plant.
  • Make sure plants will fit in the garden space once they’ve reached their mature size. It’s hard to cram a 6-foot-wide shrub in a 4-foot-deep bed. Planting for the mature size reduces long-term maintenance.

Other considerations

A lot of people think native plants will survive with little or no care, but that’s not true. Plants are living things and need a little TLC to thrive, bloom, flower, fruit, and shade as you want.

Water newly planted specimens at least once a week. New plants need roughly 1 inch of water every week to 10 days. Most native perennials do not need a lot of fertilizer. Too much fertilizer or soil that is too rich will cause perennials to flop. During exceptionally dry periods, water trees, shrubs, and perennials.

Soil prep is probably the hardest part of planning a garden, especially if you’re a beginner. You’ll need to remove any grass and weeds and add compost, chopped leaves, or other natural amendments to the soil.

Digging the soil for a new bed may unearth decades-old weed seeds, which will grow once exposed to light and water. Consider bringing in a planter’s mix from a local landscape supply company.

A lot of gardening is trial and error. Sometimes plants work out and sometimes they don’t. Don’t be afraid to pull out what you don’t like and plant something new. The more experience you have the better able you’ll be to select plants that work in your beautiful landscape design of native plants.


Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp is an award-winning Indianapolis-based garden writer, editor, and speaker. Known as a “hortiholic,” she frequently says her eyes are too big for her yard. She blogs at hoosiergardener.com.

View native plants and wildlife at KDFWR WMAs

By Geoff Roberts, KDFWR

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources manages tracts of public land throughout the state for recreational use. These Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are largely managed for hunting and fishing, although many of them also offer opportunities for hiking and wildlife viewing. In total, the 88 WMAs that stretch the commonwealth from Paducah to Pikeville and many stops between account for over 500,000 acres of public land.

This photos shows a F&W boundary sign on a WMA.
You can view native plants and wildlife on WMAs. Photo: KDFWR

Kentucky’s WMAs are likely not foreign to many sportswomen and men throughout the state as an estimated 19% of Kentucky hunters utilize these lands during various hunting seasons. Those individuals who do not hunt or fish may not be as familiar with the opportunities that these areas present and are encouraged to explore the possibilities at their local WMA or plan a trip to a management area of interest.

While virtually all of Kentucky’s WMAs can be explored on foot, nearly 60 offer hiking opportunities with defined trails, many of which occur in conjunction with Kentucky State Parks. An additional 15 management areas offer specific wildlife viewing opportunities for those hoping to catch a glimpse of land mammals, waterfowl, songbirds, and birds of prey. Many WMAs have a blend of terrain and habitat types, offering the chance to explore woodland, grassland, and wetland areas with varying degrees of ruggedness.

This photo shows a F&W employee viewing a field in a WMA.
Fish and Wildlife staff maintain WMAs. Photo: KDFWR

Fish and Wildlife staff implement specific management strategies for different WMAs. Some offer wildlife food plots and pollinator plantings while others serve as important habitat for migratory songbirds and waterfowl.

A listing of Kentucky’s WMAs, including detailed descriptions and pertinent info for visitors, can be found on the KDFWR website at www.fw.ky.gov. Specific features, including hiking trails, wildlife viewing, horseback trails, and picnic areas, can be filtered to allow individuals to search for a specific management area that offers desired amenities. An interactive map allows for easy and strategic planning.

Outdoor and wildlife enthusiasts may also be interested in Kentucky Wild, a KDFWR program that supports conservation of Kentucky’s native species not hunted, fished for, or trapped. Kentucky Wild is a membership-based program in which funds from paying members contribute to conservation projects aimed at helping vulnerable wildlife including songbirds, raptors, freshwater mussels, bats, and pollinators. More information can be found at https://app.fw.ky.gov/kywild/.


This is a headshot of Geoff Roberts, with KDFWR.

Geoff is a program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources who loves sharing his passion for wildlife and the outdoors with others. A lifelong Kentuckian, Geoff enjoys birding, hiking, bass fishing, and exploring the state’s many outdoor opportunities in his free time.

KNPS 2022 Fall Meeting provides information and community

By Kristin Bailey Wilson

Everybody needs family. Biological relationships aren’t necessary, but we humans need groups who are like us. Or, if not entirely like us, then others interested or concerned with the same things we are. Community. 

Boardwalk. Photo by Kristin Bailey Wilson

In search of community

When I joined Kentucky Native Plant Society, I wasn’t sure what would come of it, but I knew I needed human relationships formed because of a common interest in native plants. I had been planting and reading about natives for several years, but humans need to chit chat. I was looking for a human community, so I signed up for the fall meeting at Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park with the hopes of finding some people with which to chat, and I did. 

When I left home that morning, Solidago altissima was blooming in yellow waves along a fencerow that my husband and I make a point not to mow regularly. It’s the Solidago that I think of — always. Altissima announces the beginning of fall as it starts to bloom. On our property it grows thick and tall, some as tall as I am – 5’ 7”. 

I don’t live in the bluegrass region, so when I think of Kentucky goldenrod, it’s altissima that comes to mind. For me, our native flower is the emblem of our state, the goldenrod state. I’ve taken dozens of pictures of bees and butterflies landing, napping, and feeding on Solidago altissima, but I hadn’t heard of Solidago shortii. A discussion of it was on the agenda, and I was curious to know more.

Workshop 1: Solidago shortii by Dr. Carol Baskin

Dr. Carol Baskin, a plant ecologist at the University of Kentucky, was the first speaker, and she described her many years of work on Solidago shortii. It’s shorter than altissima, but that’s not where the name derives. Rather, shortii is named for Dr. Charles Wilkins Short who found the plant on a limestone outcropping called Rock Island in the Falls of the Ohio River. 

Although it’s not known how shortii came to Blue Licks, several people in attendance speculated that it may have come as seeds on the coat and hooves of bison. Because shorty’s range is so small, it’s federally endangered. It grows on rocky and shallow soil, often near old crop fields. 

Solidago Shortii. Photo: Kristin Bailey Wilson.

You can distinguish Shortii from altissima by its smooth leaves and smaller growth habit. It doesn’t compete well with altissima because it’s shorter and has fewer leaves, but underground, it has a larger biomass than altissima, so shortii is more drought tolerant than altissima. As Dr. Baskin spoke, I whispered with my neighbors, comparing what surprised us or interested us about this Solidago that we were all looking forward to meeting in person.

Workshop 2: Controlling native areas by Jess Slade

The second presenter was Jess Slade, Native Plants Collection Manager at the UK Arboretum. Jess talked about using fire, chemical, and woman-with-loppers to eliminate invasive non-native species and encourage the growth of native species. 

She described the areas designated for improvement. After burning the existent non-native grasses, the team simply waited to see what remained in the seed bank. As non-native invasive species came up, they dug them or treated them chemically. When the natives emerged, they stepped carefully and gratefully. Protecting the natives and eliminating the invasives is the work in a nutshell. 

Finding community

After lunch, we took two plant walks. This is when community matters. The walks were the talks in action. As soon as we began, our entire group was milling around, heads-down, touching goldenrod leaves to identify shortii. When an identification was confirmed by Hedi or Jess, others would touch and discuss things such as biomass, blooms, location, and on and on. This was the chit chat I had been looking for. 

Short’s Goldenrod and Short’s Aster. Photo: Kristin Bailey Wilson.

As we walked, Dr. Baskin’s points about shortii and competition were brought to life by the many other natives and non-natives that crowded around shortii. The picture to the left shows Short’s Aster, among other natives, crowding a Solidago shortii in the foreground. It all seems so clear when you’re sitting in a hotel conference room, but in the field, the many other plants and the varying sizes of plants confuse the issues. It was great to have experts on hand to identify species and place the talking points in the field. 

In addition to shortii, the trails were full of other natives, like frost’s aster, sneezeweed, short’s aster, New England aster, thistle, and ironweed. We walked and talked plants. We also talked vocations, kids, and spouses. The weather was perfect for a fall walk, cool but not cold. 

Hedi and Jess also identified Gentiana alba and purple gentian, and we lined up to look and take pictures. These were flowers I would not have been able to identify without their help, and they were beautiful to behold. 

The education and training in botany, land management, and ecology were on display as we listened to the experts describe what we were seeing and what it means. But botany alone will not be enough to draw people to plants. Humans need family and community. As more and more Kentuckians, concerned about climate change; decreasing butterfly and insect populations; and supporting a wider diversity of plants in their yards, they’ll seek out community, a plant family, just as I did, and they’ll find it with the Kentucky Native Plant Society. 


Kristin Bailey Wilson, Ph.D., has served as a professor, an academic dean, and a chief academic officer. After nearly 30 years in higher education, she is spending her time in her garden…with her camera and her cat.

Native spotlight: Chelone

By Robert Dunlap

We have several native plants in Kentucky named after reptiles, snakeroot, lizard’s tail, adder’s tongue fern, and three rattlesnakes, master, plantain, and root. We also have green dragon and snapdragon, but they don’t really count because, well, you know…. the one named after a turtle is appropriately named turtlehead.

Kentucky’s two turtleheads are distinguished by flower color, white and red. White turtlehead (Chelone glabra) has been observed in 38 of our 120 counties across the state but is mostly absent west of the Land Between the Lakes. Red turtlehead, also called Pink or Rose, (Chelone obliqua var. speciosa) fills the void in western Kentucky and is also found in a few counties towards the center of the state (10 total). A rare third variety of Red turtlehead (classified as endangered) grows in three southeastern counties (Chelone obliqua var. obliqua). Another pink variety that is commercially available is Lyon’s turtlehead (Chelone lyonii), but it is not native to Kentucky.

Description and growing conditions

Chelone

As the name implies, turtleheads possess flowers that resemble the head of a turtle. They grow two to three feet tall with opposite, lanceolate leaves sporting serrated edges that can reach a length of six inches. The one to one a half inch flowers are borne on a dense terminal spike in late summer to early fall and persist for about a month.

Turtleheads grow in wetlands and enjoy keeping their feet wet and their tops in full sun or partial shade. They aren’t picky about pH and can tolerate both acid and basic soils if organic matter is present. The flowers are visited by hummingbirds and pollinated by bumble bees which appreciate having a late season food source available before entering diapause for the winter. Deer generally avoid the plants due to their bitter leaves but some amount of browsing can occur where deer populations are high. I sacrificed a leaf from one of my seedlings (see below) to verify the bitter leaf theory and can attest that it is true. That being said, the dried leaves are used to make tea, and they are also incorporated into an ointment.

Red turtlehead is listed as a species of special concern by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves. To gauge its rarity, consider that there are only seven observations of red turtlehead in Kentucky on iNaturalist. Compare that with 1,224 may apples, 1,110 spring beauties and 1,086 blue phloxes.

Chelone

I was fortunate to find several Red turtlehead plants last fall in McCracken County. I collected seeds in November, sowed half of them immediately and the remainder stayed in my garage until March. The germination rate for both batches was very high – probably 75 percent. There were no problems with damping off or other fungal issues and I’m looking forward to finding homes for about 60 seedlings this fall.  

Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly

The white turtlehead (not the red) is the host plant for the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly, which has been the state insect of Maryland since 1973. It was named for George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore who helped found the colony of Maryland. Its wing spot colors and patterns resemble those on the Calvert family crest. Unfortunately, it has experienced a significant population decline and is currently listed as rare in the state. In 2012, the Baltimore Checkerspot Recovery Team of Maryland formed to develop and implement plans to reverse this trend, which includes increasing the white turtlehead population in the state. Details of their plan including an excellent section on turtlehead propagation can be found at Conservation and Management of the Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) in the Maryland Piedmont: Strategies for Wetland Restoration, Captive Breeding and Release

It is also rare in Kentucky having been reported from only 18 counties. There is only one iNaturalist observation of this butterfly in Kentucky, from Henry County. While the odds are high that you’ve never seen a Baltimore checkerspot in the wild, it’s possible you’ve seen one in your mailbox. The US Postal Service issued two stamps with the image of this butterfly: a 13-cent stamp in 1977 and a 65-cent stamp in 2012.

So how did the state butterfly of Maryland make it onto two stamps whereas Kentucky’s state butterfly, the viceroy, has yet to grace an envelope in the United States? I’m guessing the fact that the Maryland border is about four miles from the United States Postal System Headquarters in downtown DC has something to do with it. Of course, everyone would mistake our viceroy with a monarch anyway, so maybe we will never see our butterfly on a stamp!

So why should you add turtlehead to your native plant garden? This hardy, easy-to-grow perennial with distinctive flowers will lend color to your garden late into the fall. Bumble bees and hummingbirds will thank you for giving them a late season nectar source after many of our other native plants have gone to seed. Finally, we all know how we are all encouraged to plant milkweed to help the monarch butterfly. The fact is there are many other insects that need our help. So, plant turtlehead in your garden and maybe you will be lucky enough to see a checkerspot butterfly in real life instead of just on a postage stamp!


Robert Dunlap is an amateur naturalist living near Paducah who owns every Peterson Field Guide that was ever published.