Episode 8

Demystifying the Native Shade Garden with Host Stephanie Barelman

Published on: 22nd June, 2023

Demystifying the Native Shade Garden

Episode Introduction

In today's episode, Demystifying the Native Shade Garden, we go over why we don't need to rely on exotics for these spaces and some native Nebraska plant choices you can inject for some habitat value and beauty in low light areas.

Host Stephanie Barelman

Stephanie Barelman is the founder of the Bellevue Native Plant Society, a midwest motivational speaker, and host of the Plant Native Nebraska Podcast.

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Episode Content

Go back and catch up on old episodes

-PLEASE PLEASE listen to Episode 1 if you haven't already which gives you a primer on what native plants even are, link here

Don't use exotic standbys for shade, go native!

Does the American garden need more hydrangeas, hostas, exotic ferns, lamium, astilbe, lily of the valley? No! While this is basically all that was available to the consumer for decades, it is not the truth (at all!) of what can be grown in totality here in the Midwest.

Native plant gardens create habitat!

Say it with us: back-yard-con-serv-ation.

Exotic plants are:

expensive- require teams to engineer and zhuzh
freakishly small- but seriously why is everything 2 feet or under
alien in terms of form and color- double coneflowers? all the colors of the rainbow? yeah, probably not good for pollinators.

WHAT YOU CAN PLANT IN FULL SHADE (not a complete list, just ideas people)

Snakeroot- wild and delicate (just like my daughter,) white blooms, found in the wild virtually everywhere here
American Columbine- sweet little red and yellow bell shaped flowers, attracts hummingbirds
poke milkweed- yes, a shade milkweed for monarchs!
sweet Joe pye- tall, gorgeous, fragrant, unusual (like my husband)
wild blue phlox divaricata- amazing blue in nature, graceful, looks good everywhere
the Solomon's- (Solomon's seal, Solomon's plume, starry Solomon's plume) tasteful, traditional looking, will not offend your nana's sensibilities
wild garlic- sweet and unassuming native allium, allium canadense
goldenrods- zig zag goldenrod, elm leaf goldenrod, regionally native blue stemmed goldenrod; at the end of the day you really can't have too many goldenrods
asters- heart leaf aster(you really won't regret planting this one,) Drummond's aster
mint- wild mint, smells heavenly, but might be the only plant you need in the right space, keep it under control and all is well in the world
sedges- carex brevior (Ben Vogt doesn't like this one but Christina Musgrave and I think it's cool,) carex eburnea, carex sprengelii
grasses- bottlebrush grass (even your baby thinks it looks cool,) silky wild rye
spring ephemerals- jack in the pulpit, bloodroot, dutchman's breeches (forgot this one in the episode, so bonus for you if you are reading)
groundcovers- wild ginger (awesome, a must have,) common blue violet (who doesn't like edibles,) wild strawberry (again, not mock strawberry, very different,) wild geranium ( finally, a native geranium!) and mayapple.

PERENNIALS FOR DAPPLED OR LIGHT SHADE

anise hyssop ( smells like licorice and looks just peachy)
allium cernuum (autocorrect really really wanted to change this spelling)
dogbane (no, it is not good for dogs that eat everything)
penstemon-digitalis, showy penstemon, really any native or regionally native penstemon
mountain mint- any of the native mountain mints: hairy, Virginia, common; truly a pollinator delight
golden Alexander- hearty perennial, the lion of the garden, profuse blooming golden umbrels that will cheer your spirits

SHRUBS FOR THE SHADE GARDEN

prairie ninebark
elderberry- fantastically perfect wonder shrub that will give you jams and medicinal berries for days (just cook them first), flowers can also be used to make elderberry wine
coralberry-attractive, berry generating shrub that will attract birds to your yarden
buttonbush- supposedly not for shade according to "thee literature," but likes my shade jussssst fine

BONUS: Edible, medicinal, utilitarian qualities of these plants!

This isn't discussed in the episode but you can find some really wonderful ways to use these plants for your own benefit! Ideas here: Daniel Moerman Native American Ethnobotany https://amzn.to/3YCAIt3

Thank you for listening!

-Stephanie

See us at local events!

Chat with Stephanie and learn more at four upcoming events:

-Benson Bounty Pollinator Party Jul 24th 10am-1pm 6915 Evans Street Omaha https://www.bensonbounty.com/newsandevents

-The Home-Grown Micro Prairie Jul 06, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM City Sprouts North, 4002 Seward St, Omaha, NE Today's podcast is the basis for this talk but we will go more in depth in some areas and there will be a visual powerpoint to go with it. Plus there is a Q&A afterward and materials to take home. Sign up here!

-Mulhall's Wild Plant Party July 22nd from 10am-2pm. This event isn't yet posted online, so keep an eye here to RSVP

-Bellevue 2nd Annual Pollinator Party hosted by Bellevue Native Plant Society and Bellevue Public Library July 29th from 10am-1pm

Additional content related to this episode:

What makes a plant native?

http://bonap.net/fieldmaps Biota of North America North American Plant Atlas database-select Nebraska

https://bellevuenativeplants.org Bellevue Native Plant Society

native (wild type) vs. nativar/native cultivar (cultivated by humans for desirable characteristics)

On the Web

BONAP aforementioned

BNPS aforementioned

http://www.facebook.com/groups/bellevuenativeplantsociety- BNPS on Facebook

Books & Authors

Rick Darke- The Living Landscape

Douglas Tallamy- Professor and Chair of the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Entomology at the University of Delaware, author of The Living Landscape, Nature's Best Hope, naturalist, and curator of "Homegrown National Park".

Enrique Salmon- Iwigara

Daniel Moerman -Native American Ethnobotany

Heather Holm- https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com

Native Plants of the Midwest

Planting in a Post-Wild World

Jon Farrar's Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska