Wild Ones is a not-for-profit environmental education and advocacy organization promoting environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities.
 Tiger Swallowtail on Button Bush
We meet the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7:00 pm at Fenner Nature Center, 2020 E. Mount Hope Ave., Lansing, MI 48910 unless otherwise noted. (No meeting in December.) The Center is located on the south east corner of Mount Hope Ave. and Aurelius Road, see map below.
All meetings and field trips are open to the public. We always welcome interested individuals to join us in learning more about Michigan's rich diversity of native plants, and the wildlife that depend on them. Refreshments are usually served. In the summer months we visit outdoor locations instead of meeting indoors. See our upcoming events under the Calendar of Events tab! |
Come to Our Fall Native Plant Sale on September 17, 2016!
Click Here for all the Details
Native Notes
Help Identifying Native Grasses
 Indian Grass Seedhead
Photo by Marilena "Arilenamy", Flickr.com Late Summer is the best time to identify prairie grasses because of their unique seed heads. To make this easier Grand Prairie Friends has put together an identification guide for eleven native grasses that folds into a pocket sized booklet. Download it below or from their website.
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Invasive Insects Stink
 Brown Marmorated Stink Bug by Penn State "pennstatenews" Flickr.com The invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug has become established in the Lansing area. They feed on over 300 species of agricultural crops and ornamental plants. They often try to get inside homes and other structures to overwinter. For more information click here.
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Which Native Plants are Blooming this Week?
Information about how insects and other animals utilize these plants comes from www.illinoiswildflowers.info
Photo by "squamatologist"
Flickr.com
Flickr.com
08-25-16 Stiff Goldenrod is in bloom. This plant has larger flowers than most Goldenrods and unique grey-green hairy leaves. It is a favorite nectar plant of Monarch butterflies.
 Photo by "NC Orchid"
Flickr.com 08-24-16 Obedient Plant is in bloom. This attractive member of the mint family attracts bumble bees and hummingbirds. It is beautiful but can spread aggressively in moist soil.
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 Photo by Dean Gugler
"Ontario Wanderer" Flickr.com 8-24-16 Prairie Dock is in bloom. This is a relative of Cup Plant and even taller--up to 10'! Its taproot can go 12' down which makes it very drought resistant and long lived once established.
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 Black-Eyed-Susan Flowers by
"BlueRidgeKitties" Flickr.com 7-26-16 Black-Eyed-Susan is in bloom. The flowers appeal to a wide range of insects which collect pollen and nectar. Silvery Checkerspot caterpillars feed on the foliage. Goldfinches eat the seeds.
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 Photo by "Chiot's Run"
Flickr.com 07-21-16 Marsh Blazing Star is in bloom. Blooming starts at the top of the flower spike then spreads downward. This plant prefers full sun and average to moist soil. It attracts many bees and butterflies.
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 Photo by "Friends of Neal Smith
NWR and the Prairie Learning" Flickr.com 07-21-16 Cup Plant is in bloom. The leaves of this plant join together around the stem to form a cup that holds water. Many pollinators visit the flowers in bloom. Birds enjoy the seeds and drink from the cups.
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 Jewel Weed Flowers by
Bruce Bodjack "bbodjack" Flickr.com 07-19-16 Jewel Weed is just starting to bloom. The sap of this annual is said to soothe poison ivy. It will bloom until frost and provides and important food source for migrating hummingbirds.
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 Nodding Wild Onion Flower by
"madlyinlovewithlife" Flickr.com 07-19-16 Nodding Wild Onion is in bloom. The nodding flowers favor pollination by bees which don't mind hanging upside down to collect nectar and pollen.
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 Michigan Rose Flower by
"dogtooth77" Flickr.com 7-10-16 Michigan Rose (Rosa setigera) is in bloom. The beautiful and lightly fragrant flowers are produced on climbing vines that can be trained on a trellis or arbor.
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 Wild Bergamot Flowers by
Scott Hamlin Flickr.com 07-10-16 Wild Bergamot is in bloom. The flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Caterpillars of Hermit Sphinx and Gray Marvel moths feed on the foliage. The leaves have been used for tea.
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 Harebell Flowers by
Marilylle Soveran "withrow" Flickr.com 07-10-16 Harebell is in bloom. These delicate looking flowers are actually quite easy to grow. They attract a variety of bees which pollinate them while collecting their nectar.
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 Queen-of-the-Prairie Flowers by
Kingsbrae Gardens "KingsbraeGarden" Flickr.com 7-10-16 The cotton candy like flowers of Queen-of-the-Prairie are starting to bloom. This is an indicator plant of high quality moist habitats. Bees are its most important pollinators.
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 Woodland Sunflower by
Fritz Flohr Reynolds Flickr.com 07-10-16 Woodland Sunflower is in bloom. This is an important host plant for many insects including the cater- pillars of Silvery Checkerspot and Painted Lady butter-flies. Many birds and small mammals eat the seeds.
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 Butterfly Weed Flowers by
Lindley Ashline Flickr.com 06-26-16 The bright orange flowers of Butterfly Weed attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Plus the foliage is eaten by Monarch butterfly and Unexpected Cycnia moth caterpillars!
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 Purple Prairie Clover Flowers byBrett Whaley Flicker.com 6-26-16 Purple Prairie Clover is in bloom. The flowers attract numerous insects. Caterpillars of the Southern Dogface butterfly eat the foliage as do rabbits and other mammalian herbivores. |
 Common Milkweed Flowers
by Elizabeth Seagull 06-26-16 Common Milkweed is in bloom. These large flower clusters have the sweetest perfume! The plants host the caterpillars of Monarch butterflies, Milkweed Tiger moths, and Delicate Cycnia moths.
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 Purple Coneflower by
Philip Bouchard "philipbouchard" Flickr.com 06-26-16 The large flowers of Purple Coneflower and Pale Purple Coneflower create the perfect landing pad for butterflies seeking nectar.
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 Sand Coreopsis by
"Stilgherrian" Flickr.com 06-07-16 Sand Coreopsis is in bloom. Many bees, butterflies & beetles visit to collect nectar and pollen. Several moth caterpillars such as the Wavy Lined Emerald feed on the foliage and birds eat the seeds.
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 Blue-eyed Grass by
"wundoroo" Flickr.com 06-07-16 Blue-eyed Grass is in bloom. The petals have dark violet nectar guides that lead visiting bees to the center of the flower. The seeds are eaten by wild turkeys and other game birds.
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 Spiderwort Flowers by
"pverdonk" Flickr.com 06-07-16 Spiderwort is in bloom. These lovely flowers open in the morning and close by evening. They are pollinated by several types of bees. Some animals will eat the foliage such as deer, rabbits and box turtles.
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 Daisy Fleabane Flowers by
Dinesh Valke "dinesh_valke" Flickr.com 06-01-16 Several Fleabanes are in bloom. The flowers attract bees, flies, beetles & butter-flies. The plants host the caterpillars of Wavy Lined Emerald, Speyer's Cucullia, and Lynx Flower moths.
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 Golden Ragwort by
Joshua Mayer "wackybadger" Flickr.com 05-26-16 Golden Ragwort and Round-
leaf Ragwort are in bloom. The flowers attract small bees, flies and beetles. The caterpillars of Northern Metalmark butterflies and The Gem moth feed on the foliage. |
 Black Chokeberry Flowers by "Linda N." Flickr.com 05-26-16 Black Chokeberry is in bloom. Bees are attracted to the nectar and pollen. Caterpillars of Coral Hairstreak butterflies and Bluish Spring Moth eat the foliage. Birds and mammals enjoy the fruit. |
 Wild Columbine by
Sage Ross "ragesoss" Flickr.com 05-26-16 Wild Columbine is in bloom. Hummingbirds visit to drink nectar, bees collect pollen as well. The leaves host caterpillars of the Columbine Duskywing butterfly.
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 Photo by Peter Gorman
"pchgorman" Flickr.com 05-26-16 Virginia Waterleaf attracts many kinds of bees including Bumble Bees, Digger Bees, Cuckoo Bees, Mason Bees, Halictid Bees and Adrenid Bees.
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 Paw Paw Flowers by
Tom Potterfield "tgpotterfield" Flickr.com 05-26-15 Pawpaw trees are in bloom. The flowers are pollinated by flies so the color and scent resemble rotting carrion. Zebra Swallowtail and Pawpaw sphinx caterpillars eat the leaves. The fruit is eaten by mammals and box turtles.
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 Flowering Dogwood by
Tom Potterfield "tgpotterfield" Flickr.com 05-26-16 Flowering Dogwood is in bloom. Bees and flies gather nectar and pollen. Many species of butterfly and moth caterpillars eat the leaves including the Spring/Summer Azure and Cecropia moth.
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 White Baneberry
by Elizabeth Seagull 05-17-16 White Baneberry is in bloom. It's also known as Doll's Eyes from the appearance of its berries. Though the flowers lack nectar, it provides pollen to visiting insects such as Halictid Bees. While toxic to most mammals, the White-Footed Mouse and some birds such as the American Robin, can eat the berries.
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 Giant Solomon's Seal
by Elizabeth Seagull 05-17-16 Giant Solomon's Seal is in bloom. This polyploid variant of Solomon's Seal produces leafy stems about 3½-6' tall (or long) and its umbels often have more than 5 flowers. The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract various bees, including bumblebees, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, and the Black-Patched Clepsis Moth, whose larvae feed on the foliage.
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 Red Honeysuckle
by Elizabeth Seagull 05-17-16 Red Honeysuckle is in bloom. Lonicera dioica, also known as Smooth Honeysuckle or Limber Honeysuckle, is a semi-erect shrub or woody vine that is a food source for hummingbirds and bees.
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 Two-Leaved Mitrewort
by Elizabeth Seagull 05-17-16 Two-Leaved Mitrewort is in bloom. Alternately known as Bishop's Cap for its hat shaped flowers, its dainty fringed petals are pollinated by Syrphid flies and small short-tongued bees (including Halictid bees and Little Carpenter bees). These insects suck nectar from the flowers and some collect pollen for their larvae. Adult Syrphid flies also prey on aphids, scales, and thrips.
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 Wild Black Currant
by Elizabeth Seagull 05-17-16 Wild Black Currant is in bloom. The nectar and pollen of this woody plant attracts a wide variety of insects, birds, and mammals. A short list includes many bees; the caterpillars of the Green Comma and Gray Comma butterflies; the caterpillars of the Orange-Barred Carpet Moth; foxes, squirrels, mice, and skunks; Catbirds, Thrashers, and Cedar Waxwings, just to name a few!
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 Jacob's Ladder by
Tom Potterfield "tgpotterfield" Flickr.com 05-08-16 Jacob's Ladder is in bloom. Many bees, butterflies, and moths are attracted to the flowers to collect nectar or pollen.
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 Wild Strawberry Flowers
by John B. "Dendroica cerulea" Flickr.com 05-08-16 Wild Strawberry is in bloom. The flowers attract bees, flies and butterflies. The caterpillars of several moths feed on the foliage while birds and mammals (including humans!) enjoy the fruit.
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 Red Berried Elder Flowers
by "Superior National Forest" Flickr.com 05-08-16 Red-Berried Elder is in bloom. Bees visit the flowers for pollen and birds enjoy the bright red fruit. The leaves host moth caterpillars and Carpenter bees hollow out the stems to make nests for their larvae.
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 Wild Geranium Flowers
by Teresa Boardman "TBoard" Flickr.com 05-08-16 Wild Geranium is in bloom. These showy flowers attract many bees, flies and butterflies. The caterpillars of several moths feed on the foliage or flowers.
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 American Bladdernut by
Patrick Coin "cotinis" Flickr.com 05-08-16 American Bladdernut is in bloom. The bell shaped flowers attract many kinds of bees and small butterflies. Leaf Cutter bees use the foliage for their nests. It is a great deer resistant shrub that can handle partial shade.
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