September moves the gardener from one season to the next. Falling maple samaras, woolly bear sightings, planting trees, shrubs, perennials, and even vegetables—so much to fill an autumn day!

Samaras of Acer saccharum (sugar maple), Acer tataricum 'Hot Wings' (Tatariam maple), Acer palmatum 'Crimson Prince' (Japanese maple), and Acer griseum (paperbark maple). Unlike its maple cousins, paperbark maples often produce samaras in clusters of three.

photos by K Edgington

Settle in near a maple tree in autumn and you may be treated to an aerial exhibition. Samaras on many maple species are now drifting to earth. These winged seeds are aerodynamically engineered to glide effortlessly with the breezes, often to far-off locales. This excellent seed dispersal system evolved to accommodate large maple canopies, some of the widest in the tree world, which cast shade too dense for seedling growth. Unappetizing to animals (except a few, such as turkeys, finches, and sometimes squirrels and chipmunks), maple seeds can’t rely on creature-transport, and use wind to find a hospitable seedbed.

Maple samaras are fruits whose seed is encapsulated by papery tissue that extends out into a thin wing, They are indehiscent (the seed is not released when ripe but remains in the fruit) and don’t drop until they’re mature (dry), making them very light. The samaras grow in pairs that are fused at the base. When floating through the air, the current moving across the wide end of the wings moves faster than across the narrow end near the seed, creating a small vortex, similar to a tornado’s vortex. This lower pressure generates lift. Hovering hummingbirds, bats, and insects use their wings to create a vortex in much the same way.  Scientists are studying the flight of maple samaras for technical improvements in parachutes, helicopters, and other airborne craft.

The color and angle between the wings of maple samaras vary across species and are good maple species ID tools. Check out THIS comparison of samara shapes. 

While all maples flower in spring (a beautiful sight—remember to look up!) and produce their samaras about a month later, they differ in the time it takes the fruits to ripen and the samaras to fall. Some maples drop their samaras in spring and the seeds germinate shortly after (silver, red, freeman, Tartarian).  Others have samaras that ripen over the summer and are released in fall (Norway, sugar, trifolium, paperbark, hedge). These require winter stratification to germinate in the spring. Evolution played a part in determining the time of samara drop—maples that evolved on flood plains hold their fruits for dry season dispersal. 

Maple seed production differs year to year, with seed produced in copious amounts some years (mast years), and others little. The science behind this phenomenon is unclear, with many possible reasons for the difference. But that is a story for another day.

Some other trees, such as ash and elm, produce samaras, but the maple is the queen of flight. Helicopters, whirlygigs, whatever you call these aerodynamic marvels, they are the stuff of wonderment on crisp, fall days. Look Around!

K Edgington

The bold leaves of rodgersia

photo by E Barth-Elias

Are you bored with hostas, ferns, Lenten rose and the usual gang that hangs out under your shade trees? They are perfectly lovely plants and play nicely together but how about inviting a new guest to the party named Roger—make that Rodgersia?

Rodgersia (Rodgersia spp.) is a member of the saxifrage family native to Asia. This bold, shade-loving perennial likes moist but well-drained soil and is hardy in zones 5-9. It can tolerate more sun if well-watered and likes some wind protection. Growing 3-5’ tall and 4-5‘ wide, it spreads slowly by rhizomes.  In addition, it sports large panicled flowers stalks from late spring to late summer.

So, what does good ol’ Rog bring to the table? Plenty! Its large leaves, reminiscent of the tropics, combine well with small or thin leaves. Though robust in size, Rodgersia is easily controlled, staying in its assigned space. Issues with deer are minimal and plant damage from slugs or aphids is inconsequential. It doesn’t require pruning or regular maintenance, but mulching helps retain moisture.

Rodgersia also provides variety! Depending on the species or cultivar, it has a range of interesting colors and leaf shapes that can change from spring to fall, adding to its allure. The shapes fall into two main groups: pinnate leaves that grow on opposite sides of a central stem or rib, and palmate leaves that radiate off a central point, like the palm of your hand. The bold leaves, some of which can reach 2’ wide, have textures described as wavy, furrowed or with jagged toothed edges and colors ranging from dark green to lime green to bronze. The flowers are bold too. Resembling an astilbe bloom, these stalks produce panicles of white or pink flowers that can reach over a foot on a 6-foot stalk in July and August.

Color and leaf shape combinations can make it difficult to choose a favorite. Fortunately, the Chicago Botanic Garden made this easier by conducting an extensive 10-year comparative trial of 16 different Rodgersias. Check it out HERE. Not only does this help find the most appropriate Rodgersia for your site, but it also unearthed some interesting traits. It found that leaf size was directly affected by spring moisture and temperature. More rain and warmer temperatures resulted in a significantly larger leaf. While a spring frost may have nipped some early buds, no plants were lost to winter cold in zone 5, making it both tough and attractive! Many varieties emerged in the spring with burgundy or bronze foliage but all Rodgersias reverted to a deep green over the summer and some added reddish tones in the fall. 

No plant is perfect and yes, Rodgersia has a few caveats of note. With too much sun or dryness, the leaves may scorch or the plant may become leggy. Different varieties of Rodgersia have varying bloom qualities. While some have quite showy flowers, others are more nondescript, have flowers that are short-lived, or don’t flower at all. Rodgersias' flower stalks persist all winter but the leaves collapse and die back when cold weather comes.

All things considered, if you’ve got the space, this is a bold and fun addition to your garden. Assuming the hostas are ok with it, it could be the life of your garden party!

J Gramlich

Woolly bears are attention getters!

photo by E Barth-Elias

Because I’m a certain vintage, the phrase “woolly bear” brings to mind the song Wooly Bully, a 1965 tune by Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs. It has nothing to do with insects and isn’t very compelling, but became a big hit nevertheless. Listen for yourself.

On the other hand, woolly bear caterpillars, also known as woolly worms and hedgehog caterpillars, are extremely compelling. Maybe it’s the cute fuzziness. Maybe it's the fierce determination to cross the road, housed in a tiny body. Whatever, the larvae of Isabella tiger moths are hands down my favorite caterpillar. Go woollies!!! For the record, woollies travel up to 4 feet per minute and don't appear to need my encouragement.

Woolly bears are found only in North America. Eight species live in the U.S., but the banded woolly bear (Pyrrharctia isabella), with his fuzzy coat colored black at the ends and rust in the middle, gets all the attention. Multiple states hold festivals to honor His Fuzziness, including the single largest one-day festival in Ohio, held annually in Vermillon since 1973. September 29th is is this year's big day, so be there or be square. Check it out HERE.

Fall is when you’ll spot little woollies determinedly charging here and there—but to where? A cozy spot to hibernate of course, for shelter from wind and predators. Spots with a little moisture such as under leaf debris, tree bark and wood chips make perfect woolly winter habitats. Once there, woollies curl up into a small, bristle-y ball. Those bristles (called setae) help scare off predators (such as wasps, hornets and birds), and also make woollies difficult to grab. And then the woollies snooze…or you might say froooze…

This is where woollies crush adaptation, using biochemistry. They produce cryoprotectants (organic antifreeze) in their hemolymph (like human blood) that lower the freezing temperature of their body to about 14 degrees F. They also make a chemical that slows the development of ice in the fluid between their cells, protecting them from damage. And then they turn into woolly cubes—everything except the fluid inside their cells.

The woolly’s setae help regulate the freezing, especially if the temperature fluctuates during winter and the woolly thaws and then refreezes. This bears repeating— woollies can freeze, thaw, refreeze, and live to tell about it. However, the energy toll this takes may reduce their ability to pupate in spring.

Once spring arrives, woollies thaw and start crossing roads again, this time searching for food. Woollies aren’t finicky, eating grasses, plants like clover, dandelion, asters, and leaves of birch, maple and other trees. After a short period of feeding, woollies produce silk they mix with their setae, forming cocoons. Cocoons hatch after roughly two weeks, and the Isabella tiger moth emerges. There are no festivals. Adults feed, mate, lay around 50 eggs on plants and then party’s over—they die after 1-2 weeks. Eggs hatch after 4-5 days into the next generation of woollies for the season. Watch one hatch HERE. The larvae spend the next few weeks eating, growing and shedding their skins (exoskeleton) 5 or 6 times (molting).

These are the woollies outside right now. Have you looked to see what they are predicting? Everyone knows that the color of a woolly bear's coat predicts the severity of the upcoming winter. Wider black bands indicate a harsh winter, a wider rusty middle band means a milder winter. 

I really want to believe that woollies can do this. Sadly, this is fake news that’s been around since colonial times. In 1948 the legend got a big boost from a study done by Dr. Howard Curran, an entomologist from the American Museum of Natural History, who went out to Bear Mountain, NY with colleagues, wives and a reporter, looked at 15 woolly bears and correctly predicted that winter's weather. (Sounds more like a party than a scientific expedition.) The reporter published the story and it went viral (as much as that was possible in 1948). People have believed it ever since.

This myth has been scientifically and thoroughly debunked. A woolly bear’s coloring depends upon its growth and age. With each molt, woollies become more rust and less black. No one cares. Everyone still believes that woollies predict the weather.

And why not? It's just another reason to give woollies more love. Enjoy THESE WOOLLIES, then go outside and say hello to the ones in your backyard. Just handle with care—they don’t sting like many caterpillars, but their bristles may cause inflammation on sensitive skin. See you at the woolly bear festival!

C Christian

Sedums: Sun Sparkler, Golden Moss, Autumn Fire

Photos by E Barth-Elias

There’s no reason to hang up the shovel as the growing season comes to a close. In fact, it is the ideal time to plant not only what you want to greet you next spring, but also to add to the late-season garden, beautifying your home and the year-end table.

When autumn comes around, we are beset with tempting ads for spring stalwarts: tulips, daffodils, irises. Why wait for spring? Add color to this year’s beds with chrysanthemums. Those bright reds, yellows, oranges and purples are as much a part of the fall landscape as are hillsides ablaze with fall leaves. Other blooms, while staples of the summer garden, continue to enhance through the fall. Goldenrod, some species of tickseed (Coreopsis spp.), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and perennial sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) all sing fall’s praises.

Echinacea comes into its own, with goldfinches swaying atop its golden seed heads fringed in purple. Letting goldenrod, helenium and rudbeckia flower heads remain also ensures a late-season feast for pollinators. Crocuses aren’t confined to the spring season. Not only are some of these members of the iris family blooming sweetly as the season ends, but similar blooms, known as autumn crocus and members of the lily family (Colchicum spp.) add a touch of pink amid the yellows and oranges. Colchicums should be planted in mid-summer to establish and bloom in the fall.

Sedums shine at this time of year, their greens, pinks, whites and lavenders showing off among the handsome flowering kale and cabbage. The fall chill gives them new vigor, and they are equally fetching in containers or flower beds. Sedum Autumn Joy (Hylotelephium spectabile 'Autumn Joy') is a well-known upright member of this popular succulent species, and the parent of colorful cultivars such as Autumn Fire (Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Fire’) and Autumn Charm (Sedum telephium ‘Lajos’). Golden moss (Sedum acre) spreads well as a ground cover.

Fall may not be a good time to plant roses, but it is the perfect time for adding trees and shrubs to the landscape. There is little weed pressure, the soil is warm, and rainfall increases, giving plants enough time to establish roots. When temperatures drop, these woody plants go dormant, making few requirements on the plant as it settles in.

While trees and shrubs differ in appearance—one stem vs. many stems—they need the same care when planted. Be sure to loosen the roots from the container or from the wrapped burlap. Washing the soil from the root ball exposes problems, enabling correction before planting. Prune out any girdling roots and note the position of the root flare, the point where the top root begins to spread out from the trunk. Trees and shrubs must be planted so that the root flare is at ground level or slightly above.

Planting by mid-October gives the roots enough time to establish before the ground freezes. By the following spring, the addition will be on solid ground. Even then, don’t expect a huge growth spurt unless rapid growth is one of the plant’s characteristics. It will take at least two seasons for the upper canopy to reflect the developing roots below.

The book doesn’t close on the season when the days get shorter and cooler. Instead, nature turns a page, creating a whole new backdrop for the gardener who can’t say goodbye to summer just yet.

GREAT PLANTS FOR ALL COLOR: PennState Extension

PLANTING AND TRANSPLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS: University of Minnesota Extension

S Vradenburg

Attaching hoops to raised beds provides a structure that supports shade cloth, netting to repels animal marauders, or frost protective coverings.

Photo by Elizabeth Walsh

I love gardening! Being outside, getting my hands in the soil, and seeing what I can create with the help of nature is exciting. I love spring with the excitement of what’s to come, summer with its long, sunny days, and especially fall! I don’t mourn the shortened days or withering plants. Instead, I reflect on what worked and what didn’t during the traditional growing season, then extend that growing season into fall as much as possible.

Tools to extend the growing season include row covers, cold frames, and hoop houses, which use the same principle of providing protection in a small, medium and large size. Think of these as little greenhouses that keep your plants warm and snug. Which of these tools to use depends on what you are growing and what you want to accomplish. All three collect moisture and limit the effects of changing temperatures. They allow sunlight in while keeping pests out, achieving a 2 to 8-degree increase in temperature. This heat extends the growing season into fall. Row covers, cold frames, and hoop houses are good for vegetables like lettuce and low-growing crops. High tunnel hoop houses are better suited for taller vegetables like tomatoes. These tools can also harden off young plants in the spring, allowing for an earlier growing season.

While many people think spring is the only time to plant a garden, planting winter vegetables in fall can be just as rewarding, as long as you keep harvest times in mind. It is important to note the plants' days to maturity (available on the seed packet or online) and your area's average first frost date to ensure there are enough days for a harvest. Possible vegetable choices include vegetables from the Compositae family (leaf lettuce, which bolts in the heat), the Chenopod family (spinach and chard), and the Brassica family (collards and kale). Peas and beans are good fall planting choices due to the quick harvest times. Don’t forget root crops like carrots, garlic, and onions. For more suggestions, click HERE.

My favorite things about fall: changing leaves bursting with color, a deep breath of crisp air, warm cider, football—and growing delicious vegetables!

EXTENDING THE GROWING SEASON: Utah State University Extension

 N Callicutt

September Checklist

• Continue garden harvest and cleanup. Plant a cover crop in open soil. COVER CROP FUNDAMENTALS: Ohio State University Extension
• Tidy up perennials by removing dead/diseased foliage and weeds leaving the remainder for birds and winter interest. FALL GARDEN CLEANUP WITH POLLINATORS IN MIND: Old Farmers Almanac
• Move outdoor houseplants to a less sunny location to acclimate to indoors. Spray vigorously with water to dislodge pests before bringing them inside.
• Discontinue fertilizers and pruning to allow plants to go dormant naturally. (OK to fertilize lawns.)
• Replace tired annuals with mums, asters, ornamental kale, and others for a colorful autumn.
• Consider lawn aeration to enhance drainage, address compacted soil, and improve nutrient exchange.
• Harvest herbs and dry them for future use.
• Save tomato seeds (and other “wet” seeds such as peppers, squash, cucumber, and melon). SAVING TOMATO SEEDS: A DAY AT HUDSON VALLEY SEED: AWayToGarden.com

J Gramlich