ECONNECTION
Wildflowers
by Karen Dusek

I have had the good fortune to live in several different locations in the United States and a variety of climates in my lifetime. Each year, come spring, it never fails to astonish me that, no matter where I am, wildflowers pop up seemingly out of nowhere to add a spot, splash or in some cases an entire canvas of eye-popping color to what might otherwise have been a very drab landscape. Taking a walk at this time of year is like being a country squire taking pleasure in her perfectly manicured estate without ever having to pull a weed.

Alas (I’m still thinking like a squire), that’s not entirely true. Humans have interfered in the natural workings of the universe to such an extent with their production, construction and recreational activities that they can no longer stand aside and assume that the planet will right itself of its own accord. All those pretty, little wildflowers that seem to magically appear out of nowhere each spring need protection from human foibles. One of the biggest foibles, as far as native plants are concerned, is the introduction of non-native species to their once well-adjusted habitat. (Ditto for the animal kingdom.) According to the Department of Natural Resources, about 209 invasive plant and animal species have been introduced in the Great Lakes region over the years, wreaking havoc on “food webs, nutrient dynamics, natural processes and life-history patterns of the native flora and fauna.”

Take garlic mustard, for example. As the old joke goes - Yes, please take it!!! Garlic mustard, or, more scientifically, Alliaria petiolata (also known as Allaria officinalis and, in common vernacular hedge garlic, sauce alone, poor man’s garlic and jack-in-the-bus) is not particularly striking in appearance, other than its height, which can be up to three feet in its second year of growth. (It’s a biennial, meaning that it grows for two years, usually flowering and producing seeds the second year.) Small white flowers grow in clusters at the stem tips and bases of the leaves. Again, nothing out of the ordinary.

What is striking, however, is the number of seeds produced by each plant - as many as 7,900 - and the number of seedlings that result - up to 20,000 per square meter (a meter is about 40 inches). It is so prolific that Bernd Blossey of the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University, and a team of scientists have called it “…currently one of the most serious invaders in forested areas of the northeastern and Midwestern United States” and “one of the few non-indigenous herbaceous species able to invade and dominate the understory of North American forests.” It is also thought to emit chemicals that destroy mycorrhizal fungi, which help trees and other plants take up nutrients from the soil. Surprisingly, garlic mustard is not considered a weed in other parts of the world.

But a weed it is in the good old U.S. of A., including Michigan, which it finds very much to its liking and has, subsequently, taken up residence with a vengeance. The common definition of a weed is a plant that is growin’ where it shouldn’t ought to be growin.’ Weeds are often non-native, hardy and extremely pushy. This particular weed is thought to have been brought across the Atlantic by the early pioneers to eat or for use as a seasoning. It was first documented on this side of the ocean in New York in 1868 and can now be found in 38 states plus four Canadian provinces.

To their credit, however, Michigoans are not taking the invasion lying down. Last month the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that it has joined the Stewardship Network in the fight against this aggressive plant, which not only threatens woodland wildflowers, but also tree growth and, consequently, the insects and animals that depend on a stable woodland community for their survival. The goal is to pull up 100,000 pounds of garlic mustard by May 31 with the five Stewardship Network “clusters” competing against one another to pull the most mustard and win the much revered (or so I’m told) Golden Hotdog Award.

This is where you come in. The DNR is looking for volunteers. No special skills are required except a strong back, a willing spirit and the ability to take pleasure in being outdoors in the company of like-minded people. Who knows, maybe you’ll be allowed to take some home with you to steam for dinner or flavor your next pot of soup.

If you’d like to become a volunteer in the Stewardship Network Garlic Mustard Challenge 2008, go to www.stewardshipnetworkonline.org to see a schedule of garlic mustard pulls or to www.michigan.gov/dnrvolunteers and click on “Calendar of Volunteer Stewardship Workdays,” or call Lisa Malvitz at 248-359-9057 or Lisa Brush at 734-996-3190. There are also opportunities for planting wildflowers at state parks.

Who said one person can’t make a difference?

You may e-mail Karen at karen@lakeshoreguardian.com.