Page 33 - September Banner 2018_Neat

Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com www.TheCatoctinBanner.com The Catoctin Banner Newspaper September 2018 Page 33

by Christine Maccabee
Photo by James Hickok
On The Wild Side Christine Maccabee

stands along the
side of the railroad
tracks on Boundary
Avenue in Thurmont,
admiring the yellow
flowers of the wild
evening primerose.
“Late Blooming Native

Wildflowers”

“Some grow inside my garden gate, some beyond it
wild and free. Some are small and some are early,
while some come later growing taller. Blooming
flowers great and small, all Nature’s Glory fevers and aided early American them, loading up on nutritious food
Manifest.” colonists when treating an outbreak for the winter.
of Typhus. Many wild plants have There are many plants that I
~from “Wildflowers” by Barbara Heart such herbal remedy qualities if used would like to write about here, but
properly, such as boneset, which I have limited space. At least let me
By now, you have likely seen and fields, I have four species of happens to be blooming now. Early invite you to travel down the length
the beautiful golden flowers of goldenrods, ample evening primrose, herbal doctors used it to help set of Woodside Drive in Thurmont
goldenrods along highways and lovely purple flowering teasel (which bones, and it can be made in to and marvel at all the wild aster
back roads, and any other place has bloomed out by now), four a tea to treat colds, coughs, and beginning to bloom. They will be
they managed to escape the summer varieties of wild aster, yet to bloom, constipation. Personally, I mostly flowering all through September and
mowings. This is the beginning and many others. All of these can be admire these plants for their beauty in to October, and the bees will be
of the final amazing showing very tall, especially this year with all and usefulness as food for our busily buzzing with joy!
of wildflower blooms before the rain we have had. pollinators, though I have not yet One of the highest callings we
colder weather comes in October. These essential late-blooming, tried them to cure fevers or set have as humans is to protect the
Presently, the yellow flowers of the tall—sometimes gangly—plants bones! earth’s biological and botanical
wild evening primerose are blooming are by far the most misunderstood Soon to bloom on my property diversity. To have dominion over
and have been since July, serving wild natives, and yet, critically are the amazingly tall and graceful creation does not mean to usurp
pollinators very well. One place they important elements in a healthy woodland sunflowers, though I have and pollute and mow it until earth
are growing profusely are on both eco-system. Without their late seen a smaller variety blooming is uninhabitable. It means to take
sides of the railroad tracks through season nectar and pollen, bees already behind the guardrail off Rt. responsibility for it. Many people
Thurmont, but especially on the would perish during the winter, 550. Unlike the common striped are heeding this high calling, which
Boundary Avenue side. The beauty and what a sad world it would sunflowers, which can win prizes gives me hope. Won’t you volunteer
of this is that no one planted them be without the wondrous buzzing for their size at county fairs (or our some of your property for the
there. They are happy volunteers! of busy bees and the variety of Community Show), these plants botanical volunteers just waiting
All wild native plants are in a real colorful butterflies, and, yes, have multiple one- to two-inch to serve our important pollinators?
sense, volunteers. As humans we hummingbirds and moths as well. flowers up and down the stems, As we become servants of all by
often volunteer our time and talents You may have seen the pinkish which my bees ravenously feed preserving and creating precious
for good causes, but so do wild purple flower clusters of Joe-Pye upon. Then, after tiny seeds develop eco-systems we will be preserving
plants and flowers. Spreading as they weed, which grow best in wet on each flower stem, small birds our own health and future. Have we
do by both seed and root, they feed areas, even marshlands; however, such as goldfinch, peck away at any choice?
precious pollinators their essential many plants I’ve seen in the past
nectar and pollen. Therefore, I have been mowed down along the
allow them to grow profusely on sides of roads up here where I live. Christine is a Wildlife Habitat Naturalist and Native Plant
my eleven-plus acres and encourage Folklore tells us that an Indian, Specialist, who is available for consultations. Write her at
others to do the same. In my gardens Joe Pye, used this plant to cure [email protected].