KNPS Not Quite Winter hike is a success!

By David Taylor

On November 4, several brave hikers joined me for the Not Quite Winter Botany field trip at the Berea College Forest (Berea Woods). The day’s start was a bit chilly while waiting for everyone to arrive. Once we began to hike, we warmed and the air temperature did as well.

This is an aerial photo of Berea College Forest.
Berea College Forest. Photo Credit: Berea College

We hiked through oak forest on acids soils developed over Devonian shale, then into mixed mesophytic forest on basic soils developed over Mississippian limestone and compared forest composition. A total of about 30 woody plants — vines, shrubs and trees — were seen with about the same number of herbaceous plants, mostly forbs and some grasses.

The previous week, the area experienced temperatures below 20 for two nights in a row and several other nights around 30. We anticipated finding many plants without leaves. That was not the case. Most shrubs and trees still held leaves, as did many of the herbaceous plants. We had trouble finding fruits of plants and our trip focused on bark and leaves. Some herbaceous plants were still in flower. For example, late purple aster (Symphyotrichum patens) and others such as small-disk sunflower (Helianthus microcephalus) still had identifying remnants of inflorescences.

There was ample opportunity, unfortunately, to discuss nonnative invasive species. The trail corridor provided habitat for a number of them. Many questions were asked and we spent more time having discussions or looking for examples of specific characters than hiking.

We did not reach our goal of Indian Fort Lookout before we had to turn around due to time limitations and identification based on fruit was limited. The trip was a success just the same. Participants were able to see a variety of species, including some nonnative invasive species in winter conditions to aid identification in other places. We had good discussion and laughs and a few people will be coming back to the area in the spring to check out the wildflowers.

David has been interested in plants since elementary school. During middle and high school years, he began a list of the plants found in the fields and forest near his home. He also began to grow wildflowers in a garden that his mother soon adopted. At Berea College, he was exposed to formal botany classes and began to collect extensively (with permission) in the Berea College Forest, updating a much earlier collection. In graduate school, he completed a preliminary flora of St. Tammany and Washington Parishes, Louisiana. After teaching at Cumberland College for two years, he joined the U.S. Forest Service as Forest Botanist for the Daniel Boone National Forest. He has been in that position for more than 30 years working primarily with rare plants and nonnative invasive plants.

David has worked with the Kentucky Native Plant society for about 30 years, serving mostly as grants chairperson. He has contributed about a dozen articles to The Lady Slipper over the years. David lives outside of Berea, where he grows a variety of plants and works to remove invasive species from grown up pasture land.

From the Lady Slipper Archives: The Mistletoes

The Lady Slipper newsletter 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. This one, about the parasitic plants known as “mistletoes”, which first appeared in the winter of 2004, Vol. 19, No. 4, seemed appropriate for the season. If you would like to see other past issues, visit the Lady Slipper Archives, where all issues from Vol. 1, No. 1, February 1986 to Vol. 34, No. 1, Winter/Spring 2019 (after which we moved to this blog format) can be found.

The Mistletoes

by David Taylor, US Forest Service

“Mistletoe on Locust, Stephensport, Kentucky” (Breckinridge Co.)—a glass lantern slide from American Environmental Photographs, 1891–1936, [#AEP-KYS9], Department of Special Collections, University of Chicago Library.

As autumn fades into winter, dark green clumps perched in trees along roads and fencerows, stand out once again. Some trees, especially black cherry, now exhibit gnarled or stub branches, the telltale sign of a current or past infestation, even if the plant is unseen. Birds may be seen plucking white berries from the clumps, and occasionally a person may be seen scouting trees from which to gather some at a later date. The object of attention?— mistletoe.

In Kentucky and neighboring states, we think of the thick-leaved, usually dark green plant we see growing in hardwood trees in towns and along country roads. This is only one of many species of plants known as mistletoe. Before returning to the mistletoe familiar to us, we will take a survey of the mistletoes.

Mistletoe Families

The plants commonly known as mistletoes belong to one of two families, the Loranthaceae and the Viscaceae. Two other less familiar families of ‘mistletoes’ are the Eremolepidaceae and the Misodendraceae. All have in common a hemiparasitic relationship with a host plant, almost always a woody plant. Hemiparasites derive water, minerals, and occasionally food (sugars) from the host plant, but are photosynthetic and produce at least part of their own food. The lesser known families are briefly mentioned first.

Continue reading From the Lady Slipper Archives: The Mistletoes →

KNPS Fall Meeting at John James Audubon SP

On Saturday, October 28, 2023, KNPS members and friends came together for a day of botanical education and exploration at John James Audubon SP, in Henderson, KY. The forests and wetlands around Audubon State Park was the home of the famed naturalist, ornithologist, and painter, John James Audubon, and the park museum features the largest collection of original Audubon art in the world in addition to personal artifacts about his life.

The surrounding forest along the bluffs of the Ohio River is mature, almost old growth in nature with some trees more than 200 years old. Approximately half of the property has been dedicated as a State Nature Preserve. At least 61 species of trees and more than 200 wildflowers have been documented from the site. The north facing, mesic forests are dominated by American Beech, sugar maple, and American basswood whereas the more south facing slopes are dominated by sugar maple, various oaks, and tulip tree. At least 169 bird species have been observed in the park.

The day began in the the Audubon Theater located in the John James Audubon Museum and Nature Center with updates from KNPS leadership on the Society’s activities in 2023 and plans for 2024. Following the updates the group enjoyed two talks; a presentation about Lea’s bog lichen (Phaeophyscia leana) by KNPS Vice President, Kendall McDonald and a talk about the native pollinators found in forests by KNPS member and an Invertebrate Biologist at the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, Katie Cody.

Lea’s bog lichen is a unique bottomland lichen that utilizes habitats often considered less than suitable for lichen colonization; the bark of trees along major rivers, oxbow lakes, and backwater sloughs that are frequently inundated by surges of river floodwaters. In 2017, a new population of the lichen was found at the JJA wetlands, making the state park an important conservation site for this species.

Our native pollinators are vital to the success of our native plants. With pollinators on the decline worldwide, it is more important than ever to understand their life history traits and how they interact with the landscape. Although we typically think of pollinators in open grasslands and prairies, recent research is shedding light on how the forest can be a valuable part of their life cycle as well. Katie gave an overview of how pollinators are utilizing the forest and some common forest associates you can find in Kentucky.

After the presentations, the group came together in one of the park’s picnic shelters for fellowship and a picnic lunch. Discussions about our native plants and their insect associates were wide ranging and quite enjoyable and educational.

Following lunch the group separated to go on a series of walks in the wetlands and forest at Audubon Park and Sloughs WMA. Unfortunately just as the walks began, the skies opened up and it began pouring and the walks had to be canceled. This was bittersweet as the area was in severe drought and the rain was greatly needed but we were looking forward to exploring the unique habitats in the area.

Although the Fall Meeting was cut short by the rain, participants all agreed that the presentations and the chance to meet and socialize with other KNPS members made this an enjoyable and educational experience.

A Brief Guide to Collecting, Processing, and Germinating Native Seeds 

By Jonathan O.C. Kubesch1,2, Dillon P. Golding1,3, Frank P. Reith1,2, Joseph D. House4, Ezra Staengl1,5, and Jenna E. Beville1 

  1. Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Blacksburg, VA 
  2. Country Home Farms, Pembroke, VA 
  3. Hoot Owl Hollow Farm, Woodlawn, VA 
  4. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 
  5. Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment, Blacksburg, VA 

Embarking on the journey of collecting, processing, and germinating native seeds can be both educational and rewarding. Whether your goal is to create a native backyard, cultivate ornamental natives, restore a natural plant community, or contribute to the conservation of indigenous plants, this guide will walk you through the essential steps and direct you to resources that improve the experience and the establishment of your native plants.  

Challenges exist for many native plants, such as small wild populations, limited seed production, and even a lack of knowledge on how to handle collected seeds (Center for Plant Conservation [CPC], 2019). This guide walks through a seed collecting example to help guide your seed collecting project.  

Setting Your Goal 

Before you delve into the world of native seed collection, it’s crucial to define your purpose. Are you looking to establish a thriving native garden in your backyard, cultivate a visually appealing ornamental native, restore an ecosystem, or contribute to the conservation of local plant species? Understanding your goal will shape your approach and guide your efforts. 

For informal or backyard gardening, many native plants are commercially available, and can be purchased rather than collected from the wild. These species are typically grown in greenhouses with ideal conditions unlike natural stands.  

Collecting threatened or endangered plants without rigorous permission or planning is not condoned by the Kentucky Native Plant Society (KNPS), the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  

Another option would be working with private landowners to procure seed. Be sure to coordinate with the landowner far in advance of your intended seed collection, not only to obtain permission, but also so that they do not use the land for another purpose and disrupt the seed production. Landowners might be more keen to set this land, or a section of their land, aside for your seed collection if you offer to share some of the collected seed with them. Plant conservation projects can be extremely rewarding and benefit greatly from citizen scientists and landowners. The KNPS actually offers several student and public research grants that support plant conservation and propagation for Kentucky plants.  

For the farmer or land manager, your goals will be considerably different. Whether you want to be more environmentally friendly with your operation or wish to reap the benefits that come with adding natives to your landscape, species selections and subsequent collections should be tailored to function.  

First and foremost, a farm is a business and has to be treated as such.  Luckily, some native plants can improve the profitability of your farm. Converting a property entirely into natives may be a lofty goal, especially given limited seed availability. Consider transforming a smaller section of your land into natives and try it out. See how you, your livestock, and the wildlife enjoy it and then decide what is best for your operation.  

There are many natives that are beautiful and agriculturally productive, but, the bulk of research has coalesced around the big four: switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans). The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service considers these four grasses valuable for both livestock feed and ecosystem services and are what the authors recommend for the skeptical farm owner to try.  

There are guides which tell which of these four species to plant in different environments. You could greatly increase the forage value of the stand by also planting clover (Trifolium spp; preferably but not necessarily native) alongside the native grasses. Clovers enhance the nutritive value and provide nutrients through nitrogen fixation.  

Continue reading A Brief Guide to Collecting, Processing, and Germinating Native Seeds  →

Kentucky Invasive Plant Council’s 2023 Annual Conference

By: Heidi Braunreiter, KNPS Director

The Kentucky Invasive Plant Council (KY-IPC) hosted their annual conference on November 2, 2023 at Kentucky State University’s Research and Demonstration Farm in Frankfort, KY. This was the first time KY-IPC hosted an in-person conference since the event started virtually in 2021, with over 150 people in attendance. The conference was a great opportunity for land management professionals, private landowners, natural area volunteers/stewards, researchers, and nonprofits from across Kentucky to get together to discuss the latest news and emerging threats here in the state and to earn continuing education units (CEU’s) for their pesticide license.


2023 KY-IPC Conference at KSU’s Research & Demonstration Farm in Frankfort, KY

This year’s conference was split into indoor presentations and outdoor demonstrations. Some of the topics discussed included managing invasives when installing native grasslands, biological controls of invasive plants (garlic mustard aphid and honeysuckle leaf blight), invasive species to watch for (spotted lanternfly, Japanese chaff flower, amur cork tree, and overlooked invasive plants along fire breaks), and a case study of aerial spraying of bush honeysuckle at Clay WMA. Demonstrations included using drones for invasive plant monitoring and management, research plots of invasive plant management at KSU Farm, and invasive plant management with goats.

Another highlight of the annual event was to recognize people and places that are doing great work towards invasive species eradication in the state. KY-IPC solicited nominations for three categories to recognize a professional land manager, a nonprofessional individual, and a natural area or organization.

Ryan Fortenberry, OKNP Cumberland Plateau Land Manager

The 2023 KY-IPC award recognizing a professional land management practitioner in invasive species management went to Ryan Fortenberry, the Cumberland Plateau Land Manager for Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves (OKNP). Ryan is an excellent steward of the nature preserves under his watch. He is charged with protecting many sensitive sites with high quality natural communities and rare species, which he maintains through his vigilance of looking for and eradicating invasive species before they become a problem. He also has multiple sites where the invasives were already a problem, and he has worked to eradicate those populations through his hard work and dedication.

Terri Koontz, Kentucky natural areas steward and volunteer

The 2023 KY-IPC award recognizing a nonprofessional individual went to Terri Koontz, a volunteer at several natural areas in Kentucky. When she learns of a new emerging invasive plant, she is not satisfied simply to know it exists; she goes out of her way to learn all she can about it, including why it is in invasive, how to correctly identify it, and what she can do to manage it. Terri recently learned to recognize Japanese chaff flower and took it upon herself to remove a large population behind the Gladie Visitor Center at the Red River Gorge. By sharing her passion, knowledge, and willingness to get down on the ground and work with friends and other volunteers, Terri stewards Kentucky natural areas wherever she goes.

Jimmy Woods, KDFWR Wildlife Biologist, accepting award on behalf of Clay WMA

The 2023 KY-IPC award recognizing a natural area or organization dedicated to invasive species eradication went to Kentucky Division of Fish and Wildlife Resources’s (KDFWR) Clay Wildlife Management Area. Clay WMA is one of the most intensively managed areas for wildlife habitat in Kentucky through invasive species eradication and prescribed fire. The current land manager, Jimmy Woods, wrote a three-year management plan to treat the entire WMA for bush honeysuckle, which included a 2022 aerial herbicide spraying of large tracts of the forest in collaboration with UK researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. Clay WMA has also hosted several educational field days for various groups to view and learn about large-scale management operations of invasive species.

The final highlight of KY-IPC’s 2023 annual conference was the announcement of this year’s winner of funding for a natural area boot brush station, which was awarded to Kentucky Natural Land Trust for their Blanton West Preserve near Blanton Forest State Nature Preserve in Harlan County. A boot brush station will help fight the spread of invasive species and signage will educate the public about invasive species.

To learn more and stay in tune with KY-IPC’s news and events, follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KYIPC/

Native Spotlight on Splitbeard Bluestem (Andropogon ternarius) in the Bluegrass State 

By Jonathan O.C. Kubesch1,2 

  1. Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Blacksburg, VA 
  2. Country Home Farms, Pembroke, VA 

In the acidic, drier soils of the Bluegrass State and the Upper South, splitbeard bluestem (Andropogon ternarius) graces our landscapes with its elegant presence. This botanical marvel stands at comparable heights to little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), reaching heights of 3 to 6 feet, its feathery seed heads resembling delicate beards that lend an air of elegance to the verdant tapestry of Kentucky’s native flora. This member of the primary bluestem genus is most distinctive at the end of the growing season, generally September to November in Kentucky. Splitbeard bluestem captivates with its slender stems swaying gracefully in the breeze. Its ethereal silvery seed heads add a visual symphony to the landscape, creating a picturesque image in the minds of those who encounter it (Figures 1). 

Figure 1. Splitbeard bluestem growing in a working cow-calf grazing system in Carroll County, Virginia. Photo credit: talented, yet unnamed research assistant. September 29, 2023.  

Splitbeard and little bluestems can be differentiated from one another quite easily at the end of the season. Little bluestem florets curl up and down the stalk without branching. Splitbeard bluestem seed heads are especially feathery, branching, and generally convey a pinker hue than little bluestem (Figure 2).  

Figure 2. Little bluestem (left hand) and splitbeard bluestem (right hand). Both bluestems growing in a working cow-calf grazing system in Carroll County, Virginia. Photo credit: talented, yet unnamed research assistant. September 29, 2023.  

Splitbeard bluestem is well documented in the Upper South: particularly in Kentucky and Tennessee. Herbarium specimens catch the species in the Cumberland and Allegheny Plateaus, the Highland Rim, the Ridge and Valley, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Venturing into Kentucky’s diverse ecosystems, splitbeard bluestem thrives in various habitats, from sunny prairies to open woodlands. Ecotones — transitions between habitats or sun regimess — seem to be a key area to find this native grass (Figure 3). This resilient native weaves its story across acidic, well-drained soils.Splitbeard bluestem consists of a group of native grasses adapted to fire and herbivory in the landscape. Embarking on a journey through ecological history, splitbeard bluestem emerges as stalwart, surviving regular fires, elk (Cervus canadensis), and bison (Bison bison). Codeveloping with the region’s fauna, it has weathered the ages, adapting to the rhythms of fire and contributing to the rich tapestry of native ecosystems. 

Figure 3. Splitbeard bluestem growing along an ecotone between open pasture and pine woodland in a working cow-calf grazing system in Carroll County, Virginia. Photo credit: talented, yet unnamed research assistant. September 29, 2023.  

Continue reading Native Spotlight on Splitbeard Bluestem (Andropogon ternarius) in the Bluegrass State  →

Botanical Timeline for Kentucky, 2015 to 2022 

By Ron Jones, Foundation Professor Emeritus, Eastern Kentucky University with assistance from Tara Littlefield 

This botanical timeline is a continuation of the series that appeared in The Lady-Slipper in five installments from 2005 to 2008:  

The goal is to highlight major events in the history of Kentucky botany, including new discoveries, important publications, changes in agricultural developments, major changes or upgrades of herbaria, developments or changes for the Kentucky Native Plant Society, and the retirements or deaths of people that made major contributions to Kentucky botany. Much more has happened and will continue to happen; follow-up lists and updates are encouraged. 

2015—Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States Working Draft of 21 May 2015  

Alan S. Weakley University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU) North Carolina Botanical Garden University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Area covered is indicated in map below. See update below for 2022. 

2015—Guide to the Vascular Plants of Tennessee, by the Tennessee Flora Committee (editors: E.W. Chester, B.E. Wofford, J. Shaw, D. Estes, and D.H. Webb) 

University of Tennessee Press. 813 pages. (from UT Press): The product of twenty-five years of planning, research, and writing, Guide to the Vascular Plants of Tennessee is the most comprehensive, detailed, and up-to-date resource of its kind for the flora of the Volunteer State, home to nearly 2,900 documented taxa. A team of editors, authors, and contributors not only provide keys for identifying the major groups, families, genera, species, and lesser taxa known to be native or naturalized within the state—with supporting information about distribution, frequency of occurrence, conservation status, and more—but they also offer a plethora of descriptive information about the state’s physical environment and vegetation, along with a summary of its rich botanical history, dating back to the earliest Native American inhabitants. Other features of the book include a comprehensive glossary of botanical terms and an array of line drawings that illustrate the identifying characteristics of vascular plants, from leaf shape and surface features to floral morphology and fruit types. Finally, the book’s extensive keys are indexed by families, scientific names, and common names.  

The result is a user-friendly work that researchers, students, environmentalists, foresters, conservationists, and anyone interested in Tennessee botany and the surrounding states will value for years to come. 

2015—Herbarium at Centre College in Danville transferred to EKU  

A collection of a few hundred vascular plant specimens remaining at the Centre College Herbarium was transferred to EKY. Heidi Braunreiter facilitated this transfer, as she was working on her MS thesis on the flora of Boyle County at the time. The collection had formerly been curated by Susan Studlar and focused on nonvascular plants. When Susan Studlar accepted a position at West Virginia University, she took her collection of over 2,000 (mostly) Kentucky mosses and hepatics with her, leaving only a small collection of vascular plants at the college. 

2015—White-haired goldenrod (Solidago albopilosa), one of Kentucky’s three endemic plants, is delisted by USFWS in September 2015. The discovery of new populations and stable long-term trends documented by KSNPC botanists Deb White, Nick Drozda, and Tara Littlefield led to the realization that many of the populations were stable and that the goals of the White-Haired Goldenrod Recovery Plan were met. 

2015—George P. Johnson passes away in December 

This is a photo of George Johnson

George Johnson received his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Western Kentucky University and published a flora on the vascular plants of Barren County. He received his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University, working on the chinkapin chestnuts. He taught at Lindsey Wilson College for four years, before accepting a position at Arkansas Tech University in 1990. In 2015, he was promoted to full professor and honored for 25 years of service. Throughout his career, George remained active in botanical collecting, herbarium work, mentoring students, and publishing articles, and was co-editor of the 2014 volume on the Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas. He was particularly interested in working to preserve and enhance the herbaria in Arkansas and in developing a digital database of the collections and was a key figure in working with other southeastern U.S. curators to build a database of all SEUS collections, which culminated in the SERNEC website. George was held in very high regard by his friends and associates; for more on his life and career, see the 2016 obituary (from which this entry was copied) written by his student and colleague Travis Marsico: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 10(1):295–298.  

Continue reading Botanical Timeline for Kentucky, 2015 to 2022  →