LU Extension course focuses on native plant propagation, impact on pollinators

Julie Smith/News Tribune
Becky Erickson served as an instructor during Wednesday's wildflower propagation class at Dickinson Research Center on the campus of Lincoln University. Erickson, who is from Ashland's Millpond Plants and a member of the Native Plant Society and other native plant organizations, lead the one-day course, delivering numerous details about native species and how to have a successful crop.
Julie Smith/News Tribune Becky Erickson served as an instructor during Wednesday's wildflower propagation class at Dickinson Research Center on the campus of Lincoln University. Erickson, who is from Ashland's Millpond Plants and a member of the Native Plant Society and other native plant organizations, lead the one-day course, delivering numerous details about native species and how to have a successful crop.

Growing a diverse collection of native wildflowers will encourage different butterflies and pollinators to visit your yard.

As national interest in native plants grows, about two dozen people learned how to identify native plant seeds and the best methods for keeping them alive in different Missouri climates Wednesday at Lincoln University's Dickinson Research Facility.

The Lincoln Cooperative Extension Specialty Crops Program partnered with Missouri Native Plant Society, a nonprofit dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of the state's original plants since 1979, to offer the one-time course. Becky Erickson, an Ashland-based native plant expert with more than 30 years of experience studying Missouri's flora, led the course.

Nadia Navarrete-Tindall, a state specialty crops specialist with Lincoln Cooperative Extension, said it was an introduction to native plant propagation, the process of reproducing plants.

The 23 participants, including LU students, community members and planting groups, learned how to identify native plant seeds and discussed ways to ensure the seeds germinate. Erickson described when to harvest seeds, how to store seeds if not growing immediately and successful planting practices.

Native Missouri wildflowers include milkweed, bergamot, coneflowers, asters and more.

"They all sound like weeds, but actually they're very important not only for pollinators, because they visit the flowers in the spring, summer and fall, but also the seed at the end of the year is a source of food for birds," Navarrete-Tindall said.

Some native plant seeds start off too hard and need to be exposed to cold weather and six weeks of moisture to soften, she said the class learned Wednesday. Usually, Missouri's winter takes care of it.

Last year, however, the weather was more erratic. The warmer winter and dry summer left wildflowers throughout the state dried out and unable to produce seeds, Navarrete-Tindall said.

Under those circumstances, she said native plants should be planted in a cooler or refrigerator to expose the seeds to a cold period. Wildflowers should be planted in soil with compost or other natural materials, Navarrete-Tindall said, but not peat moss.

Navarrete-Tindall said the workshops, which usually start with snacks made from native edibles like the wild plum jam Wednesday, are meant to offer fellowship, learning and a place to share knowledge or materials, like seeds.

Native plants have received more attention lately as the impacts of their destruction are seen on natural wildlife and pollinators, such as butterflies and bees. Erickson said there's been a history of tearing up native plants in Missouri and there's not many left.

"They're the basis of everything we have here on this planet," she said. "And you look outside and everything is either fescue (grass) or asphalt or it's been turned over as an ag field. We've created an ecological desert and without these postage stamps of native plants in people's backyards, we won't be able to function on this Earth."

Navarrete-Tindall said many insects and birds rely on native plants as a food source, whether it's the plant's nectar, seeds or entire plant. Robins, for example, go nuts for the native American Beautyberry.

"When you see robins eating those berries, they look so excited and seem to be happy to have found this food," Navarrete-Tindall said.

But it's the monarch butterfly, which depends on milkweeds to survive, that has become the poster child for native plant growth, she said. If caterpillars don't find milkweed, they don't reproduce and become monarch butterflies.

"So we need to have more milkweed everywhere we can," Navarrete-Tindall said. "Even if it's established in a park, it's established in a little corner in a garden. Every little (bit) helps."

Bees have also gained attention for their dwindling numbers. Honey bees are not native to Missouri but native plants support other species of native bees, such as bumblebees and sweat bees.

Navarrete-Tindall said sweat bees and carpenter bees are adept natural pollinators that can be supported with more native plants. They aren't as much of a nuisance in homes if there's enough natural woods to nest in, she said, because native trees, like oaks, also provide food for pollinators.

Missouri's largest butterfly, the giant swallowtail, depends on a couple trees native to the state to survive. So fostering a variety of native plants is important, Navarrete-Tindall said.

"We have to think about diversity so we can bring more different kinds of butterflies to yards and to farms," Navarrete-Tindall said. "Diversity is key."

"The most important part of native plants is that they support the wildlife and they can support us, too," she added.

Lincoln Cooperative Extension Specialty Crops Program is hosting more workshops in March. Set for March 3 and 10, the workshops are focused on native fruit pruning for increased fruit production and will allow participants to practice on wild plum trees at university farms. Email registration with instructor Sue Bartelette, [email protected], is required by March 1.

photo Julie Smith/News Tribune Becky Erickson served as an instructor during Wednesday's wildflower propagation class at Dickinson Research Center on the campus of Lincoln University. Erickson, who is from Ashland's Millpond Plants and a member of the Native Plant Society and other native plant organizations, lead the one-day course, delivering numerous details about native species and how to have a successful crop.
photo Julie Smith/News Tribune Becky Erickson brought several examples of dried wildflowers and stems to show while conducting Wednesday's wildflower propagation class at Dickinson Research Center on the campus of Lincoln University. Erickson, who is from Ashland's Millpond Plants and a member of the Native Plant Society and other native plant organizations, lead the one-day course, delivering numerous details about native species and how to have a successful crop.
photo Julie Smith/News Tribune Becky Erickson served as an instructor during Wednesday's wildflower propagation class at Dickinson Research Center on the campus of Lincoln University. Erickson, who is from Ashland's Millpond Plants and a member of the Native Plant Society and other native plant organizations, lead the one-day course, delivering numerous details about native species and how to have a successful crop.