Life on the Edge: Exploring Cedar Niles Park

Life on the Edge: Exploring Cedar Niles Park

Hidden within Cedar Niles Park is a relatively unknown natural area where scattered limestone outcrops hint at a larger glade ecosystem stretching into nearby remnant prairies and woodlands. Recent discoveries, including county record species like Mentzelia oligosperma reveal a landscape shaped by thin soils and extreme conditions. Join us for a virtual hike across this striking gradient from prairie to glade to intact woodland—and explore the challenges and opportunities of conserving this rare community amid growing park development pressure. To view the video recording of this episode and join our webinars live every 1st and 3rd Thursday at 12pm CST, visit www.deeproots.org/curious-by-nature [https://www.deeproots.org/curious-by-nature]  Questions, comments, or feedback? Contact us at hello@deeprootskc.org [hello@deeprootskc.org]

Late-Spring Native Garden Maintenance

Late spring in the Midwest means hotter temps and more rain which equals more garden maintenance! Join Deep Roots’ “native plant nerds” Cydney and Maddie as they highlight summer blooms, weeds, and demonstrate maintenance strategies to support your gardens at home! Have a plant that gets too tall in the fall? Or perhaps you regret adding a prolific native plant species to your garden? Techniques include cutting back flowers so they don't spread by seed, using a paint scraper as a weeding tool, and demonstrating the late spring pruning technique known as the “Chelsea Chop”. 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 Native Plant Species: Dittany (Cunila origanoides)  Woodland Spiderwort (Tradescantia ernestiana)  Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)  Yellow Coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa) Glade Coneflower (Echinacea simulata) Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)  Missouri Evening Primrose (Oenothera macrocarpa)  Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)  Tall Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa)  Willow-leaved Sunflower (Helianthus salicifolius)  Grayhead Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) Side Oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendular) Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) Non-Native Plant Species: White Clover (Trifolium repens) Bindweed (Convolvulus genus)

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! 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 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! 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

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