1. Minnesota Plant Press
The Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter
Volume 29 Number 3 Summer 2010
Monthly meetings
Thompson Park Center/Dakota
Lodge
Garden for Butterflies
Thompson County Park
360 Butler Ave. E.,
West St. Paul, MN 55118
with Native Plants
by Pat Thomas, wildlife gardener, educator and photographer. This is a
Programs summary of her talk at the May 6, 2010, MNNPS meeting.
The Minnesota Native Plant Butterflies are beautiful insects with four distinct developmental stages:
Society meets the first Thursday egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly. You can enjoy all four stages by
in October, November, December, providing nectar plants for adult butterflies and larval or host plants for
February, March, April, May, and caterpillars. Native plants are the best choice for your butterfly garden. In
June. Check at www.mnnps.org spring they are an early nectar source, and in fall, despite low temperatures,
for more program information. they continue to supply nectar at a crucial time for migrating butterflies and
6 p.m. — Social period those that remain. Native plants also serve as food for caterpillars, ensuring
7 – 9 p.m. — Program, Society new generations of butterflies.
business Select plants appropriate for your site conditions. Place at least some
Oct. 7: “State parks: A legacy of the plants in an area sheltered
of preserving history, natural from strong winds. You can create
resources and native flora and a windbreak with trees or shrubs or
fauna,” by Chris Niskanen, outdoors by covering a fence or trellis with
editor, St. Paul Pioneer Press. vines. Remember that you don’t
have to have a large yard to attract
Nov. 4: To be announced. (Check butterflies; container gardening is
the website.) Seed exchange. always an option.
Dec. 2: To be announced. (Check Try to have flowers blooming
the website.) from early spring to late fall, and
group plants closer together than in
Bring native seeds for a traditional garden. Plant in masses
the annual exchange of color, and keep plants that attract
The Society’s annual seed Continued on page 4
In this issue
exchange, which will be held at
the Nov. 4 meeting, provides an
opportunity for members to obtain President’s Column ..................2
seeds of native plants at no cost. Conservation Corner .................2
Seeds must be placed in marked Roadsides for pollinators .........3
envelopes — no bulk piles will be New members ..........................3
accepted. Field trips ................................3
MNNPS website Plant Lore: hoary puccoon ......5
Threatened species list ............5
For information about Society Fritilary on butterfly-weed
field trips, meetings and events, (Asclepias tuberosa), photo by Genetic conservation of ash. ...6
Pat Thomas. Dwarf trout lily .......................8
check the website: www.mnnps.org

2. Conservation
Conservancy and others, recently
joined by Minnesota’s Institute on MNNPS Board
Corner the Environment. Those goals can
benefit our mission. of Directors
by Elizabeth Nixon President: Scott Milburn,
Why value native plants?
Conserving native plants as part
President’s Column scott.milburn@mnnps.org
by Scott Milburn Vice President: Shirley Mah
of natural, healthy ecosystems in We recently held our quarterly
a human-dominated and climate- Kooyman, shirley.mah.kooyman@
board meeting in June, with Daniel mnnps.org
changing world depends on Jones officially joining the board.
awareness of the many values, The board voted Ken Arndt back Secretary, program coordinator:
uses, and services such plants and to serve the remainder of Angela Andrés Morantes, andres.
ecosystems provide for humans. Hanson’s three-year term. We also morantes@mnnps.org
More diverse grasslands can held officer elections, with all four Treasurer, membership data
be conserved through heightened positions remaining the same. This base: Ron and Cathy Huber, ron.
awareness of carbon sequestration is now my fifth term in this position, huber@mnnps.org
value and through wise harvesting and I would like to continue to grow
for biofuels. Undrained peatlands as we have as a society. Derek Anderson, board member,
can conserve a vast array of native derek.anderson@mnnps.org
species and provide a very important Obviously, we would like to
continue with our great programs Ken Arndt, board member, field
carbon sink. Policies for native trip chair, ken.arndt@mnnps.org
ecosystems as carbon sinks may have and field trips, but we also need to
grow our membership. This can be Michael Bourdaghs, board
potential to go a long way towards
accomplished in a number of ways, member, michael.bourdaghs@
valuing and conserving native
including making membership mnnps.org
plants. Local foods, regionally
produced, eaten in concert with the renewals easier. We have recently Elizabeth Heck, board member,
seasons, are a popular value that opened a PayPal account in order webmaster, elizabeth.heck@mnnps.
has the potential to be significantly to make renewing easier. This is not org
expanded into the realm of regional on the website yet, but we anticipate Daniel Jones, board member,
native plant species. that everything will be fully running daniel.jones@mnnps.org
Victoria Ranua, MNNPS by the time we all need to renew our
memberships. I would like to thank Dylan Lueth, board member,
member, recently volunteered to dylan.lueth@mnnps.org
educate Y campers about Minnesota Katy Chayka for setting this up, and
native plant food values. Cattail also for all of her work on the blog. Elizabeth Nixon, board member,
root starch is a great bread-baking The board also discussed possible conservation committee chair, beth.
ingredient, and who knows, wise topics for the 2011 Symposium. For nixon@mnnps.org
harvesting for this purpose could be the past several years, we have been Erika Rowe, board member,
a management tool for the invasive focusing on a region or landform, but erika.rowe@mnnps.org
hybrid cattail species. the board discussed the possibility Russ Schaffenberg, board
Humans value protection of exploring large-scale concepts member, russ.schaffenberg@
against flooding of urban areas and that are being examined worldwide. mnnps.org
homesteads. Belief that we can drain Discussions will continue for the
entire watersheds and use energy- next several months, with a topic to Field Trips: fieldtrips.mnnps@
intensive engineering solutions as be announced in the next newsletter. mnnps.org
a way out of the flood devastation As always, we will be looking for Memberships: memberships.
in their wakes is losing popularity volunteers for the event. mnnps@mnnps.org
to large scale watershed-based, Historian-Archives: Roy
energy-neutral wetland restoration Plant sale income up Robison, historian-archives.
efforts that can also restore native The June Plant Sale is a source mnnps@mnnps.org
plant diversity to large areas. of income for the Society. We
received $566 this year — higher Technical or membership
We encourage you to consider inquiries: contact.mnnps@mnnps.
these ideas and promote them than in 2009 and 2008; lower than
in your various professional and in 2007 and 2006. Totals for the last org
community activities. Look into the five sales are: 2010 - $566; 2009 Minnesota Plant Press Editor:
recently developed Natural Capital - $416; 2008 - $450; 2007- $842; Gerry Drewry, 651-463-8006;
Project spearheaded by The Nature 2006 - $911. plantpress.mnnps@mnnps.org
2

3. Roadsides for their annual colonies. The main
idea is these bees need a diversity of
MNNPS welcomes
new members
Pollinators native plants and soil substrates to
create their homes. The Society gives a warm
by Laurel Sundberg, interpretive Here’s the encouraging part: welcome to 30 new members who
naturalist, Lowry Nature Center. studies have found roadsides with joined during the second quarter of
Our native pollinators, bees and abundant native wildflowers and 2010. Listed alphabetically, they
other insects, are unable to find the grasses support twice as many are:
real estate they need to survive and bees and about 35 percent more Lynnette S. Anderson, St. Croix
thrive. They aren’t able to enter bee species than roadsides with Beach;
into a bidding war with developers monocultures and/or exotic plants. Paul D. Anderson, Edina;
over land being gobbled up at an The more diversity, the higher the Sara Barsel, Roseville;
estimated rate of four acres per number of insect pollinators. A 50/50 John Berquist, Rochester;
minute across the U.S. mix of grasses to forbs attracted Karin Ciano, Minneapolis;
The Minnesota DNR has a new the most pollinators. Leave a few Jordan and Miranda Curzon, St.
poster advocating use of native shrubs or trees, and the mix should Paul;
plantings along roadsides as a way prove irresistible for native bees, Ken Graeve, St. Paul;
to combat habitat loss. The studies butterflies and many others. Holly Hamilton, Plymouth;
focus on roadsides because they Brooke Karen Haworth, St. Paul;
What’s a homeowner or native Carol Hepokoski, Rochester;
serve as connections to key habitats plant connoisseur to do? Keep
and are often set aside from further Erica Hoaglund, St. Paul;
planting natives. Some plants of very Mari Ito, Shoreview;
development. We can’t argue that high value to pollinators are: aster,
a narrow ditch is comparable to Susan Jones, St. Paul;
bergamot, Culver’s root, goldenrod, Tara Kelly, Afton;
keeping the “back 40” a prairie, but giant hyssop, leadplant, milkweed,
any small positive change can make L. Alden Kendall, Duluth;
partridge pea, penstemon, prairie Alexis McCarthy, Minneapolis;
a difference. clover, spiderwort, and sunflower. Randall Neprash, Roseville;
An estimated 60 - 80 percent of These are plants many of us are Melvin M. Prantner, Duluth;
the world’s flowering plants require already focused on cultivating in JoAnn and Richard Schnitzus,
some sort of animal pollinator to our gardens. Minnetonka;
produce viable seeds. Many of If you have a roadside already Dan Shaw, St. Paul;
our agriculturally important plant sporting this kind of diversity, try Greg and Pam Spar, Big Lake;
species are dependent on animal to reduce mowing to only a strip Laurel Sundberg, Minnetonka;
pollinators. These pollinators are along the edge, and reduce pesticide Evelyn Timm, Duluth;
often insects: beetles, flies, moths, and herbicide use. We probably all Joe White, Minnetonka;
butterflies, and especially bees. We enjoyed listening to the hum of bees Karin Wolverton, Richfield;
tend to think of the domesticated working in the garden. Imagine if we Jason Yadley, Oakdale;
European honeybee as the key could bring back that kind of beauty Estella Yeung, Oakdale.
pollinator, but there are many to our roadsides — and help our
more native bee species that have native pollinators in the process. Treasurers’ report
developed as part of Minnesota’s For more information, a poster The 2010 second quarter
ecology and are adapted to our based on the article “Pollinators treasurers’report from Ron and Cathy
climate and plants. and Roadsides” is available from Huber shows income of $8,918.79
These native bee species, along the MN DNR at http://files.dnr. and expenses of $7,319.52. They
with other insect pollinators, are state.mn.us/assistance/nrplanning/ estimate that expenses for the
losing ground when it comes to community/roadsidesforwildlife/ remainder of the year will be about
finding high quality habitat. To beesforroadsides.pdf $3,700. Assets total $26,368.40,
support these winged pollinators, including $8,794.69 in CDs.
we need to provide food, shelter, Field trips Major sources of income for the
and space. Food sources for these MNNPS field trips are being year were the symposium ($5,275),
bees come in the form of pollen and planned for late summer and fall. memberships ($2,728) and the plant
nectar. For shelter, solitary bees will Check the website (www.mnnps. sale ($566). Expenses included
excavate an underground nest, or org) periodically for updates. the symposium ($3,857), grant
use an existing tunnel into a pithy The Bell Museum also conducts to digitize film ($1,300), printing
or woody stem. Social bumblebees field trips. They are posted at www. ($728), new display stand ($354)
recycle old mouse nests to create bellmuseum.org and postage ($322).
3

4. Vines
Butterfly gardening Hog peanut, Amphicarpa
(Continued from page 1) bracteata;
butterflies away from busy streets. Wild cucumber, Echinocystis
Select the widest variety of plants lobata;
possible, and incorporate different Hops vine, Humulus lupulus.
layers of vegetation. Trees, shrubs,
grasses, wildflowers, groundcovers Some nectar plants for
and leaf litter are all important. Use butterflies
natural areas near your home to Perennial flowers
inspire your garden design. Allium species (including common
Designate one area in your yard garden chives);
that can remain undisturbed (no Yarrow, Achillea;
mowing, weeding or digging). Place Anise hyssop, Agastache
the larval plants there with leaf foeniculum;
litter as mulch. Allow those plants Milkweed, Asclepias species;
to remain standing throughout the Black swallowtail on purple Aster, Aster species;
winter. In spring, if necessary, gently coneflower (Echinacea Turtlehead, Chelone glabra;
cut back the plants. If possible, let angustifolia), photo by Pat Prairie thistle, Cirsium flodmani (a
the old plant material remain on site Thomas. native thistle);
to let overwintering stages continue [Note: Thistle is both a nectar and
their life cycle. Some host plants for larval plant, but can be invasive.
Plant only native species.]
You can also attract butterflies caterpillars Coreopsis, Coreopsis species;
by providing very shallow drinking Trees Coneflower, Echinacea species;
areas with rocks and twigs so Juneberry and Serviceberry, Joe Pye weed, Eupatorium
butterflies can perch and drink. Amelanchier species; maculatum;
Overripe fruit such as bananas, Birch, Betula species; Boneset, Eupatorium perfoliatum;
watermelon, oranges, peaches, and Pagoda dogwood, Cornus Blanketflower, Gaillardia species;
apples will be appreciated by some alternifolia; Sunflower, Heliopsis species;
butterflies. Others may come to a Poplar and aspen, Populus species; Blue flag iris, Iris shrevi;
salt lick. Wild plum, Prunus americana; Liatris, blazingstar, Liatris species;
Pin cherry, Prunus pennsylvanica; Wild bergamot, Monarda fistulosa;
Butterflies are cold blooded and
Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana; Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia
cannot fly until their muscles are
Oak, Quercus species; hirta;
warmed. Some, like monarchs, can
Staghorn sumac, Rhus typhina; Rose, Rosa species;
shiver to warm flight muscles, but
Willow, Salix species. Compass plant, Silphium
most need to use the sun. Locate
part of your garden in a sunny, warm Flowers laciniatum;
location. Butterflies will bask on Pearly everlasting, Anaphalis Cup plant, Silphium perfoliatum;
rocks, tree trunks, stone or concrete margaritacea; Goldenrod, Solidago species;
paths, mulch, evergreens and bare Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis; Vervain, Verbena species;
soil. Smooth Rock Cress, Arabis glabra; Ironweed, Vernonia species;
Milkweed, Asclepias species; Violet, Viola species.
Do not use any insecticides Aster, Aster species;
or pesticides. These products kill Turtlehead, Chelone glabra; Shrubs and trees
all insects including butterflies. Goldenrod, Solidago species; New Jersey tea, Ceanothus
Encourage neighbors to stop Violet, Viola species; americanus;
spraying. Golden Alexander, Zizia aurea. Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana;
Our yards are important, but Shrubs Sumac, Rhus species;
they cannot replace butterflies’ Dogwood, Cornus species; Basswood, American linden, Tilia
natural habitats. Do everything Smooth wild rose, Rosa blanda; americana;
you can to protect trees, wetlands, Prairie rose, Rosa arkansana; Wild plum, Prunus americanus;
air and water, grasses and flowers Nannyberry, Viburnum lentago; Blueberries, Vaccinium species;
so we may always be blessed with Blueberry, Vaccinium Blackberries, raspberries, and
butterflies. angustifolium. dewberries, Rubus species.
4

5. Field guides
Plant Lore
Creating Summer Magic in your
Garden, 2nd edition; Sierra Club
Butterflies Books, San Francisco, 1998.
Jim P. Brock and Ken Kaufman, by Thor Kommedahl
Butterflies of North America; What is hoary puccoon?
Houghton Mifflin Company, N.Y., Threatened species Hoary puccoon is Lithospermum
canescens in the forget-me-
2003.
list still stalled not family and is native to
Jeffrey Glassberg, Butterflies Minnesota’s list of endangered, Minnesota.
through Binoculars: The East; threatened, and special-concerned
Oxford University Press, N.Y., plants, animals, and other species How did it get its names?
1999. has not been updated since 1996, The genus name comes from
Larry Weber, Butterflies of the although the law requires an update the Greek lithos, a stone, and
North Woods, 2nd edition; Kollath- every three years. sperma, a seed, referring to the hard
Stensaas, Minn., 2006. Hearings were held on a proposed seeds (nutlets) that resemble small,
revision in 2000, but then the polished stones. Hoary describes
Caterpillars process stopped. The latest revision its hairy leaves and stems, and
Thomas J. Allen, Jim P. Broch, was completed in December 2009. canescens means “turning hoary
and Jeffrey Glassberg, Caterpillars It includes 180 new species and de- white.” Puccoon is an Algonquian
in the Field and Garden; Oxford lists 29. This list has been discussed name for the reddish dye extracted
University Press, N.Y., 2005. within the DNR, but it has not been from the stout roots.
David L. Wagner, Caterpillars of approved by Commissioner Mark Where does it grow?
Eastern North America; Princeton Holsten, according to an article It thrives in prairies, open woods,
University Press, N.J., 2005. by Tom Meersman in the July 6 and on roadsides, often in dry,
Minneapolis StarTribune. sandy soil, in almost all counties in
Butterfly Gardening Once Holsten approves the list, it
Claire Hagen Dole, editor, The Minnesota except the Arrowhead.
will be sent to Gov. Tim Pawlenty
Butterfly Gardener’s Guide, What does the plant look like?
for his approval. After that, it can
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Guides, It is a perennial nine to 18 inches
be published in the state register
N.Y., 2003. tall with alternate, narrow, silky
and assigned to an administrative
Judy Burris and W. Richards, The law judge for public hearings. This gray leaves, each with a prominent
Life Cycles of Butterflies; Storey process is expected to take from six mid-rib. Flowers have five yellow-
Publishing, Mass., 2006. months to a year. Until then, the new orange petals in forget-me-not-like
Xerces Society and the Smithsonian list cannot be used for enforcement lobes that flare out from a tube that
Institution, Butterfly Gardening: against developers. also hides the stamens (with brown
anthers). It blooms April through
June.
Is it medicinal or poisonous?
Captain John Smith (1612) saw
Indians beat dried roots to a red
powder, which was applied to soothe
aches and swellings. Indians also
brewed a leaf tea for treating fevers
and seizures. Shikonin derivatives
able to combat bacterial infections
of human skin have recently
been isolated from roots. It is not
poisonous or edible.
Has it economic uses?
Indians used the red dye for
pottery, basketry, and personal
ornaments. It can be grown in
wildflower gardens, in sunny and
dry locations, and from cuttings
Clump of hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens), photo by Peter
Dziuk. collected in July.
5

6. A genetic conservation for the death of over 20 million
ash trees, with roughly 10 million
ash trees having succumbed in the
program for Minnesota ash southeast Michigan/northwest Ohio
region. In May 2009, EAB was
by Andrew David, Michael threatened by an exotic invasive detected near Victory, Wis., across
Reichenbach and Julie Hendrickson, insect species, Agrilus planipenni, the Mississippi River from Houston
associate professor, adjunct assistant or emerald ash borer. EAB was County, Minn. A short while later,
professor and graduate student introduced from Asia, most likely EAB was confirmed in a little
respectively, Department of Forest on dunnage associated with an over 60 trees in St. Paul’s South
Resources, University of Minnesota, overseas shipment. It was first St. Anthony Park area, then on the
This article is a summary of a talk noticed in 2002 in the Detroit, University’s St. Paul campus, and
given at the March 4, 2010, meeting Mich.,/ Windsor, Ontario, area. most recently in Prospect Park in
of the MNNPS. The life cycle for EAB is fairly Minneapolis, about one-half mile
Minnesota’s ash resource simple. Adults emerge in late west of the original infestation.
Minnesota is host to three May through August, leaving a Because it is usually three to six
species of ash: white ash (Fraxinus characteristic D-shaped hole in the years before an EAB infestation is
americana), green ash (F. bark. As adults, they are active identified, early detection and strict
pennsylvanica) and black ash (F. potentially for a month while they adherence to quarantines on moving
nigra). White ash is an upland eat only the foliage of ash trees, nursery stock and firewood are key
species at the northern edge of mate, and lay eggs under the bark to limiting EAB movement.
its range in extreme southeast of ash trees. The developing larvae Biological efforts to control
Minnesota; both black and green ash then girdle the tree by eating the the spread of EAB have been
are common lowland hardwoods. phloem. Most larvae then become largely unsuccessful because EAB
Green ash is found throughout the prepupa and spend the winter in does not appear to use long-range
state as individual trees in the forest; shallow chambers in the sapwood pheromones that would be useful
black ash is found primarily in the or in thick bark. However, research in trapping the insect, and there are
northern third of the state in larger has shown that some larva do no known biological control agents.
densities. not turn into prepupa until the Without effective pheromones,
Minnesota’s 900 million ash following fall, requiring two years monitoring activities are reduced
trees have cultural, ecological and to complete their metamorphosis. to watching and waiting for new
economic value. Black ash is very Thus, although adults emerge outbreaks. Once a new outbreak is
important in native cultures as a during summer, larvae may be under located, the common practice has
source of wood for ash baskets and the bark during any time of year. been to eradicate every ash tree in a
specialty products. Ecologically, Therefore, because of the possibility half-mile radius and then establish a
black and green ash are the most of two-year larvae, we must assume quarantine area.
important hardwoods in the lowland that all wood from an infected tree Due to the lack of an effective
forest community, representing 51 is infected. Unlike most borers that control for EAB, the number of
percent of the lowland hardwood target larger trees, EAB is capable ash species affected, the range of
cover type in Minnesota. The next of utilizing seedlings down to as susceptible tree sizes, and the fact
closest species is silver maple, which small as one-half inch in diameter. that no natural resistance to EAB
represents 11 percent of this cover Depending on the number of beetles has been detected, it is prudent and
type. The most recent economic infesting a tree, death occurs within proactive to prepare for an invasion
information from the Minnesota one to five years. of EAB in Minnesota. This
Department of Natural Resources As of March 2010, EAB has preparation should take the form of
estimates annual ash stumpage at been found in Michigan, Illinois, a gene conservation effort in black
$15 million. Although Minnesota’s Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and green ash to capture the genetic
ash resource is primarily small Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, variation of these two species. This
diameter trees, both black and green New York, Maryland, Virginia, gene conservation effort would
ash provide a source of pallet, saw West Virginia, Ontario, and Quebec. preserve the genetic variation for a
and veneer logs to manufacturers Currently, all of the lower peninsula future point in time when EAB can
that promote employment in rural of Michigan is considered infected, be controlled and both species can
portions of the state. and new outbreaks are no longer be reintroduced to Minnesota using
Emerald ash borer reported or tracked. It is estimated locally adapted seed sources.
These important species are that EAB already is responsible In an effort to combat EAB
6

7. in Minnesota, the Minnesota a grocery bag. Trees are separated Evaluating the collection
Department of Agriculture has by a distance of 150 feet or more strategies
established an EAB action team and to decrease the possibility of being The three collection strategies
a scientific panel to advise on the best related, and the collected seed is sent (population, ecoregion and
management practices in and around to the Natural Resource Conservation volunteer) represent three very
infection areas. With assistance Service Plant Introduction Station different methods for gathering
from the University of Minnesota’s in Ames, Iowa, where it is put into genetic variation in these two ash
Agricultural Experiment Station long-term storage. species. To determine which of
Rapid Agricultural Response Ecoregion collections utilize these methods results in adequate
Fund, we have initiated a genetic the Omernik Level III ecoregions levels of genetic variation to meet
conservation program for ash species to define seed collection areas. the goals of the ash-seed collection
in Minnesota. The two goals of this There are seven such ecoregions in program, we will use molecular tools
project are to: Minnesota. The goal is to collect to test the efficacy of the collection
• Capture the genetic variation of two to four inches of seed in the strategies to determine the level of
Minnesota’s black ash (F. nigra) bottom of a grocery bag from 10- genetic variation that each strategy
and green ash (F. pennsylvanica) 15 individuals per ecoregion. This captures. This information can
resource by collecting open seed is sent to the National Seed assist our collection project focus on
pollinated seed from these species, Laboratory in Dry Branch, Georgia, a collection strategy that allows the
creating an ex situ seed bank, and where it is put into long-term greatest amount of genetic variation
• Evaluate different seed collection storage. with the least amount of time and
strategies using molecular tools Volunteer collections come from effort expended for seed collection.
to determine the most efficient seed collectors who may have been It will also provide other seed
method. The ideal collection trained at one of our seed-collector collection efforts with guidelines for
strategy will capture more than workshops or may have heard collecting from similar or additional
80 percent of the genetic variation about our collection effort through ash species.
in a population as well as capture articles in local newspapers, or were We have chosen to work with
traits that allow adaptation to local linked to our collection efforts on microsatellite markers, which are a
growing conditions. the Internet. These collections are class of molecular marker that has
Both green and black ash are primarily single-tree collections and been used successfully in the past to
wind-pollinated and disperse seed can range from a handful of seed to identify levels of genetic variation
via wind. Green ash is dioecious, half a grocery bag. These smaller in tree species. Seventeen different
meaning there are male and female collections are shipped to the USDA microsatellite markers have been
trees, while black ash is dioecious Agricultural Research Service derived from European ash (F.
or polygamous, with male and facility in Fort Collins, Colo., where excelsior), and we are checking their
female flowers on the same tree. they are stored. ability to identify genetic variation
Based on the life history traits of Once seed is collected or is in black and green ash. The goal is
these species and information found mailed to our laboratory in Grand to have six to eight fully functional
in provenance trials, it would be Rapids by volunteer collectors, it microsatellite markers before we
appropriate to collect seed from is cleaned and shipped out to one
proceed with the analysis of the
unrelated individuals in different of the three storage sites, based
portions of the state to meet the two on how it was collected. There it three seed-collection strategies.
goals of the seed collection project. is dried to an internal 8 percent Currently, of the 17 microsatellite
Genetic conservation via seed moisture content and stored at -200 markers, six are optimized in black
collections C. In this low-moisture, frozen and green ash, two look promising
The ash seed collection project state, the seed can remain viable for for black and green ash, four more
actually has three different sampling upwards of 20 years. This process are promising for black ash only, and
strategies — population collections, is not meant to be a solution; rather, five show no amplification in either
ecoregion collections, and volunteer it serves as a method for storing the species. Once the fully functional
collections. Population collections genetic variation found in the ash
markers have been identified, the
involve collecting 15-20 different species until such time as EAB can
be controlled. Once EAB can be genetic assessment will begin. In
populations per species, with at
least 20 individuals per population. controlled, this seed can be used to the meantime, we will continue to
A minimum of 50 viable seeds per reintroduce ash to areas where it has collect ash seed as it is available in
tree are collected, typically one to been extirpated, or used for some regions of the state where we have
two inches of seed in the bottom of other research or breeding purpose. not made collections.
7

8. Minnesota Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 20401
Bloomington, MN 55420
Summer 2010
in search for Erythronium. There
40 years ago was one specimen. It had been
Dwarf trout lily goes to Kew contributed by Asa Gray in 1871.
The specimen was collected by the
[This article about Erythronium area mingled with E. albidum botany teacher at St. Mary’s School
propullans was printed in the [white trout-lily or dogtooth- in Faribault. Apparently she knew
March 1970 issue of The Minnesota violet]. Propullans has smaller Professor Gray and collected plants
Horticulturist, the magazine of the flowers, less than one-half the size for him. Gray, in turn, presented the
Minnesota Horticultural Society. of albidum. The pedicels are very type specimen to the Royal Botanic
The endangered dwarf trout lily fine, and the leaves are smaller. The Garden.
is the flower on the logo of the distinguishing characteristic is an Ninety-eight years later, I had
Minnesota Native Plant Society. offshoot from the stem of the plant the honor to present Kew with the
John Masengarb, a Society member, just below the ground level. This second specimen. On returning
submitted the article; the MSHS offshoot is said to produce a single from England, a letter was waiting
gave permission to reprint it.] bulblet. E. albidum produces an from Sir George Taylor, director of
by Julius Wadekamper offshoot below its present bulblet. the Gardens, which stated in part:
The Minnesota Horticulturist A few specimens were collected “We are most grateful to you and
published an article on Erythronium with the intention of adding one to particulary appreciate receiving
propullans in the April 1968 issue. my collection as well as to that of recently collected specimens of
I was interested in locating and the University. Since I was going Erythronium propullans Gray,
studying this species and perhaps to London that summer to attend previously represented in our
adding it to my collection of the International Lily Conference, I collection only by type material sent
Minnesota plants. It is said to be thought I would take one to the Royal here 98 years ago by Professor Asa
endemic to a few areas along the Botanic Gardens at Kew and maybe Gray.”
Cannon and Zumbro rivers in Rice make an original contribution. [According to a photo caption,
and Goodhue counties. Mr. Green, the officer of the day the presentation was made in front
I located E. propullans in Rice at the Kew Herbarium, welcomed of the building because the specimen
County. It was growing in a low me. We went through the herbarium had not yet been fumigated.]