Curious by Nature with Deep Roots

Native Plant Pairings aka Sociability of Native Plants

Through observation you can determine how prolific a plant will spread and if it’s compatible with other plants in your garden. From rapid spreaders to plants that prefer their space, join Cydney Ross of Deep Roots as she explores the sociability of native plants in a garden setting. She also answers questions from a live audience about how native plants work well in containers, how sociability may differ regionally, and more. See plant pairings that will inspire your next gardening adventure! Key Takeaways and Things to Consider: Sociability of native plants is a spectrum. How do plants spread? What’s their longevity? What do their roots look like? Find clues observing natural communities and established gardens. Low Sociability – “stays put” for the most part, doesn’t reseed readily, slow expansion and takes time to establish. Medium Sociability – moderately expands in an area over-time. High Sociability – prolific spread through seed, rhizomes, or stolons. Outcompetes less social species within a few years. Less Social, Solitary Species: Rock Pink (Phemeranthus calycinus) Pussytoes (Antennaria species) Short Bee Balm (Monarda bradburiana) Hoary Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens) Small Skullcap (Scutellaria parvula)Alumroot (Heuchera species) Rose Verbena (Glandularia candensis) Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans) Crested Iris (Iris cristata) Copper Iris (Iris fulva) Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Oak Sedge (Carex albicans) Cedar Sedge (Carex eburnea) Dittany (Cunila origanoides) Thread-leaf Bluestar (Amsonia ciliata) Royal Catchfly (Silene regia) Woodland Spiderwort (Tradescantia ernestiana) Wild Sweet William (Phlox divaricata) Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida) Yellow Coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa) Medium or Moderate Spreading Species: Robin’s Plantain (Erigeron pulchellus) Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) Golden Groundsel (Packera obovata) Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) Woodland Pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica) Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) Missouri Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) Highly Social or Gregarious Species: Meadow Anemone (Anemonastrum canadense) New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) Prairie Feather Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardi) Cliff Goldenrod (Solidago drummondii) Rigid Goldenrod (Solidago rigida) Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Tall Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) Blue Sage (Salvia azurea) Willow-leaved Sunflower (Helianthus salicifolius) Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) Cord Grass (Spartina pectinata) Grayhead Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) Additional Resources: What is Plant Sociability? Jared Barnes, PhD - Meristem Blog [https://meristemhorticulture.com/planted/what-is-plant-sociability] How Plant Sociability is Critical in Natural Gardens and Shorelines [https://groundedgardens.ca/plant-sociability/] Sociability Rankings - Benjamin Vogt of Prairie Up [https://prairieup.com/sociability-rankings/Perennial Plant ] Sociability Metrics: Tools to Interpret Designed Plant Communities for Public Gardens [https://www.academia.edu/50824088/Perennial_Plant_Sociability_Metrics_Tools_to_Interpret_Designed_Plant_Communities_for_Public_Gardens]

Minisode: Watering and Transplanting in your Native Garden

How long should you water a newly planted perennial garden and what are the best practices for dividing and transplanting native plants? Also oops - what happens if you accidentally plant the wrong tree? Is all hope lost? Can you move it?? Enjoy this bonus minisode as Deep Roots native plant nerds, Maddie Ball and Cydney Ross dig in to a residential garden!

Editing your Native Garden

April showers brought all the native flowers! Join Deep Roots as their “native plant nerds” take a virtual walk through Cydney’s home garden, show practical gardening tips, and talk about how to build gardens from scratch. Maddie Ball and Cydney Ross identify garden-variety native plants and demonstrate editing gardens with intent over time. Learn how (and when!) to divide or edit out native plants in the garden. During the live Q&A Deep Roots answers gardening questions about best transplant practices, native plants that smell GOOD, how often to water your garden, and seasonal maintenance tips. Learn how to expand your garden and "harden your heart" when it comes to editing your native garden over time. Native Plant Species in Cydney's Garden (roughly in order of bloom-time): Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) Golden Groundsel (Packera obovata) Wild Sweet William (Phlox divaricata) Robin’s Plantain (Erigeron pulchellus) Prairie Pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) Rose Verbena (Glandularia canadensis) --- Short Bee Balm (Monarda bradburiana) Copper Shoulder Sedge (Carex bicknellii) Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) Small Skullcap (Scutellaria parvula) Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) Missouri Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa) Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida) Yellow Coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa) --- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Slender Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) Virginia Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)  Savanna Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa) Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium) --- Star Tickseed (Coreopsis pubescens) Dittany (Cunila origanoides) Cliff Goldenrod (Solidago drumondii) Visit www.deeproots.org/curious-by-nature to view the video of this episode, review our archive, and join our webinars live every 1st and 3rd Thursday at 12pm CST where you can ask your native gardening questions! Questions, comments, or feedback? Contact us at hello@deeprootskc.org

Bonus Episode: Outdoor Garden Meditation

Enjoy this Earth Day bonus episode, where we invite you to experience the outdoors in a new way. Deep Roots partnered with Sami Aaron, founder of The Resilient Activist, to bring you a guided outdoor meditation session. Sami highlights the vital role that meditation and mental health play in sustaining climate activists and building long-term resilience.For the best experience, find a comfortable outdoor space. We recommend listening with one headphone in to follow Sami’s guidance, while leaving the other ear open to take in the natural sounds around you. The Resilient Activist: https://theresilientactivist.org Upcoming Curious By Nature Episodes: https://deeproots.org/curious-by-nature/

Spring Native Blooms for your Garden

Join Deep Roots as their “native plant nerds” take a virtual walk through the gardens of the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center. In this episode Maddie Ball and Cydney Ross identify garden-variety Missouri native plants, how to maintain them, and their numerous ecological benefits. During the live Q&A Deep Roots answers gardening questions about what to do about trees with water sprouts, the varying levels of native plant sociability, and recommendations on native plant pairings. Get inspired by spring blooms that you’ll want to add to your garden! Visit www.deeproots.org/curious-by-nature to view the video of this episode, review our archive, and join our webinars live every 1st and 3rd Thursday at 12pm CST where you can ask your native gardening questions! Questions, comments, or feedback? Contact us at hello@deeprootskc.org