Marc. D. Abrams, Steimer Professor in the School of Forest Resources at Penn State University, describes N. sylvatica as a “ubiquitous yet subordinate” tree. “It seems to grow everywhere,” he says — lowlands, uplands, from high moisture conditions to xeriscapes. It has a large range, and can grow on almost any site, even in heavy, clay soil. It is also the longest-lived hardwood species in the eastern US. (The oldest known tupelo is nearly 700 years old.) Suggests Abrams, “It probably ranks among the longest-lived hardwoods anywhere in the world.”

Tupelo combines shade tolerance, drought tolerance, and fire resistance. It has few pests. Though it arrives late in the natural transition from a field into forest, it can also “invade disturbed areas such as old field and burned areas. If it does so many things so well,” wonders Abrams, “why doesn’t it dominate the vast majority of the eastern US forests?” He notes that black gum typically represents just 1% or 2% of canopy trees.

In his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Michael A. Dirr describes N. sylvatica as an “excellent specimen tree, acceptable street tree in residential areas, outstanding summer and fall foliage and habit, lovely in a naturalized area.” He comments on the glossy texture of the summer foliage and the variety of fall colors that emerge, ranging from yellow and orange to crimson and even purple.

So, why don’t we see more of this tree in the landscape? It may have something to do with its slow growth rate, and the fact that its taproot makes it difficult to transplant. I can attest to the slow growth rate. The three black gum trees I planted about thirty-five years ago are maybe twenty-five feet tall today. But if you have some patience and want to leave behind a tree that will bring enjoyment for many generations, I don’t think you can do better than this. While the flowers and fruit are not showy, the nectar is favored by bees, and birds and small mammals eat the small, blue-black fruits that ripen in early fall.

Note: There is a giant specimen of N. sylvatica on the grounds of the Rockwood Museum in Wilmington, DE. It measures in at 103 feet, with a diameter of four feet.

The sourwood tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) is, I think, another under-sung species. This small-ish native has much to recommend it. To start, it is low maintenance, has average water requirements, and grows in sun or shade. It also bears fragrant, showy, white flowers that emerge in June/July. (Flowering and fall color are best in full sun.) One other plus: like Nyssa, the plants are deer resistant. They do need reasonably fertile, well-drained, moist soil. Irregular branching and deeply grooved, brown bark provide visual interest all year long.

Whereas in the wild tupelo trees are often found in swampy areas, sourwoods are most commonly found on rocky wooded slopes in the Appalachian Mountains, often growing in combination with other heath family members, e.g., azaleas and rhododendrons. (They all prefer acidic soil.) Like tupelo, the leaves of sourwood trees turn a beautiful crimson red in the fall. The leaves are long (5-8”), finely-toothed, and glossy green. The white, slightly fragrant flowers appear in early summer on long, drooping  panicles (4-8”). Bees love the flowers and produce a highly prized honey from them. Tupelo also produces a delicious honey.

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Learn more at pamelabaxterbooks.com.

I love hearing that insect chorus. It’s the same one that I heard earlier in the spring among the flowering redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) and then a few weeks later in the hanging blossoms of the Carolina silverbell (Halesia carolina). This is the sound that tells me that even though I might only see bees here and there in my garden, there are hundreds and possibly thousands who come to work the other available nectar and pollen sources in the yard. Since they’re mostly high up in the trees, I’m not even aware they’re there.

Over the past several years there has been so much information about the plight of honeybees — in particular colony collapse disorder and the continuing loss of habitat and pollinator “corridors.” We’re encouraged to plant for that, to pack our gardens with flowers that support pollinator species both with food and with their preferred (necessary!) host plants.

What about trees, though — shouldn’t we also be planting more of them? This was the question that went through my mind as I realized that even just one of the tupelo trees provides much more food for bees than my garden can.

I did a bit of searching on the internet and came up with a list of the trees most beneficial to honeybees. If you’re looking to add some trees to your landscape, you might start here. Apart from crapemyrtle and koelreuteria, these are all native to the U.S.

• Maples (Acer spp.)

• Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)

• Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

• Koelreuteria (Koelreuteria paniculata)

• Fruit trees (plums, apples, crabapples, peaches, apricots, pears)

• Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica )

• Sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua)

• Black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)

• Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)

• Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

• Basswood/Linden (Tilia tomentosa)

In the process of searching, I learned that it’s not just tree flowers that support bees. For instance, “Honeybees will collect the sap [from maple trees] through holes created by birds such as woodpeckers. Additionally, the sapsucker bee can drill its own hole through the bark. Red maple (Acer rubrum), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), and box-elder (Acer negundo) are the best species for bee populations.” (Info from American Native Plants, https://tinyurl.com/65pyrmdr)

In other news, I’m happy to announce that I’ve created an author website and I’d love for you to visit. It’s still in somewhat of a fledgling state, but if I wait until it’s perfect — perfection being a constantly moving target — you’d never hear about it!

I love exploring nature, sharing my ideas and discoveries, and connecting with people. My website is a place where these all intersect — through my books, my monthly newsletter, occasional blogposts, and by readers writing in. I love this planet we live on, and besides creating works that I hope others will enjoy, I also hope to inspire new perspectives on our relationship with the natural world. I invite you to visit PamelaBaxterBooks.com, subscribe to receive my monthly newsletter, and take a (virtual) walk with me.

Note: It was great to meet readers at Chester County Library’s “Read Local” event on May 19. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442.

A case in point is the text message I got from my sister a few days ago. The photo she attached showed a small plant with copper-colored leaves in groups of three. “This is IT isn’t it???!!!!” she asked. “5 plants near the compost. Aiiiyiiyiii!”

At first glance, I was inclined to agree that some poison ivy had cropped up in my sister’s yard, but something didn’t seem quite right. I took a closer look but couldn’t see the detail I wanted. I asked my sister if she would take photos of some of the other plants. “Your plants look a little different from what I typically see,” I said. “Try a few more shots from a couple different angles if you can.”

In the initial photo she’d sent I’d noticed that the coppery color of the leaves had a lot of green in it and the venation was prominent — pale green against the rest of the leaf. Also, poison ivy leaves are only copper-colored when they first emerge. Based on the size of the leaves compared to other plant material in the photo, if this plant were poison ivy the leaves would have already turned green.

This morning a few more photos arrived from my sister, and I was able to see clearly that what she has growing up in her yard is not poison ivy. One of the plants has leaf groups in sets of five; this is not something you see in poison ivy, which has leaflets only in groups of three. Also, when I enlarged the photo, I could see that the leaf margins were finely serrated. Poison ivy leaf edges can vary a lot — from smooth to wavy to lobed, sometimes even deeply toothed — but they are never serrated.

So, one mystery was solved but it just led to another. If not poison ivy, what was this plant? I used the ID feature on my iPhone and got an instant result: wild sarsaparilla. I searched online for additional photos and got confirmation. Of course I sent immediate word to my sister, who was happy at the findings.

However, that left yet another mystery: Why hadn’t I ever seen this plant before? It’s native to a large area of Canada and the northeast quadrant of the U.S. which includes every place I’ve lived. Shouldn’t I have encountered it in the woods at some point?

According to what I found online, wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) inhabits dry to moist woods where it makes a tall groundcover, similar to Mayapple and goldenseal. The small, white flowers appear in May.

I learned that the rhizome was used as emergency food by First Nations People (Clough). The aromatic root was used to make a kind of root beer and can be made into a tea. It has also been used as a substitute for official sarsaparilla (Smilax ornate) flavoring.

Overall, wild sarsaparilla sounds like an easygoing plant. It can handle both sun and shade, requires an average amount of water, tolerates poorer, relatively dry soils, is good in well-drained moist soil, and is deer resistant. One possible disadvantage is that it can become aggressive. My sister said she’ll save a couple plants for me. I want to try them out in my own little patch of woods. I wouldn’t mind if the wild sarsaparilla were to crowd out the invasive, non-native garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolate).

Note: Poison ivy can look different depending on its location, which can make it challenging to identify.

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442.

I admit that I’ve traded around a good bit of what’s discussed in this book, including the tip of putting a handful of eggshells into the hole when setting out tomato and pepper plants. The calcium in the shells supposedly prevents blossom-end rot.

According to Fornari, we can stop saving our eggshells or dropping Tums® into planting holes, because it turns out that blossom-end-rot isn’t caused by a lack of calcium. Rather, stress is to blame. “The most common cause of stress is uneven watering,” says Fornari. “Allowing the plants to dry in between soakings is frequently the culprit, especially for tomatoes grown in pots or raised beds.”

There are other environmental stresses on tomatoes: excess water, heat and cold, dry soil, or too much fertilizer. What to do? Fornari recommends mulching to preserve moisture, watering thoroughly but less frequently to encourage deep root growth, and if necessary, watering container-grown tomatoes both morning and late afternoon. Back off on fertilizer.

Another tip the author dissects is the advice to plant cucumbers and pumpkins in hills. Says Fornari, “We all know the difference between ‘in’ and ‘on’, but when it comes to planting vegetables, gardeners have overlooked the distinction. The [planting] instructions say in hills, not on them. What a difference one letter makes!”

“Hill,” Fornari says, “is an old agricultural term for a group.” So, planting cucumber, squash and melon seeds in a hill means to plant several seeds in a group rather than in a row. She doesn’t say why planting in a group is advantageous. Perhaps the clustered leaves help shade the soil and prevent evaporation.

Planting “on” a hill creates the challenge of keeping squash and cukes well watered. Water tends to run off the hill and the soil in hills dries out faster than the rest of the garden. In some regions, it’s even advantageous to dig a slight depression when planting squash; the tender roots of new seedlings and young plants benefit from a lot of moisture. Planting squash in a depression also makes it easier to cover plants with floating row covers to protect from cool spring weather and insect pests. Just make sure you’re planting into well-drained soil.

Another tip Fornari debunks is that oak leaves and pine needles make compost or soil more acidic. “Although pine needles and oak leaves might have a low pH in their raw, pre-composted form,” she says, “once decomposed they are closer to neutral.” Not because their acid is leached into the ground but because pH is neutralized in the composting process pH is. Any finished compost, regardless of the ingredients, will test at around 6.5.

Oaks and pines grow in areas that tend to have naturally acidic soils, “This stems from the minerals in the soil, not the trees that grow there,” she says.

Fornari’s advice covers annuals and perennials, shrubs, trees and vines, compost, soils and fertilizers, insects and diseases, and “random folklore.” Each tip is covered thoroughly yet succinctly. I also love this book’s small-ish size, about 7 1/4″ square, which makes it easy to tuck in a beach tote.

Note: I’ve been selected to take part in Chester County library’s first “Read Local” event showcasing 30 authors and illustrators with ties to Chester County,, covering multiple genres and age groups. The event is this Sunday, May 19, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the main branch library at 450 Exton Square Pkwy, Exton. I’ll be there with my nature-related books for children. It should be a fun afternoon. If you’re in the area, please stop by. I’d love to see you! For details, go to https://ccls.libcal.com/event/11573636

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442.

This was a timely question because I had just started a new search on this relative to my own property. While I don’t mind sharing the landscape with wildlife, there is a limit to how much incursion I’m willing to put up with: there’s a difference between an occasional nibble and eating plants down to the roots!

In my exploring, I came across some excellent resources to recommend. One is “Deer Resistant/Tolerant Native Herbaceous Plants for Southeastern Pennsylvania,” compiled by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The list includes plants such as Jack-in-the-pulpit, wild ginger, New England aster, Virginia bluebells, beebalm, Jacob’s ladder, black-eyed Susan, celandine poppy, and goldenrod — plants for both sun and shade. (For the complete list, see the link below.)

Along with all of the plants, there’s value in the disclaimer that heads the list:

“Despite the title, there are no completely deer resistant/tolerant plants. A hungry deer will eat what is available. However, it is understood that deer food preferences change with deer population levels, the season, and can vary region to region. That is to say that a plant a deer avoids in September will be readily eaten in March, and what a deer prefers in Chester County will not be the same in other parts of our region.”

That was exactly what my husband and I experienced in our own yard last year. Plants we believed to be deer proof made it through the winter, only to be decimated in March.

The other list I found is “Deer Resistant Flower Garden Plants and Some Choice Woody Plants,” from the Pennsylvania Game Commission (See the link below.) This includes both native and non-native plants, conveniently grouped according to planting conditions or particular use, e.g., Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden, Dry Borders, Shady Entry Garden, Choice Deciduous Shrubs, etc. This makes it easy to find plants to suit a variety of situations.

Here you’ll find lilac, birch and beech, inkberry, lilyturf, balloon flower, geranium, marigold, cinnamon fern, Russian sage, snapdragon, junipers and pines, boxwood, pampas grass, and many more.

One other thing to note, as mentioned in the DCNR list: A plant that can withstand deer in maturity may be vulnerable initially. It is important to protect newly established plantings through the use of repellents and fencing.

The second email I received was from Bill, who offered some excellent observations about his experiences with hellebores. He wrote, “The closeup flower image doesn’t do the current hybrids/seed strains justice. There are so many singles and doubles with bright saturated colors and patterns offered by breeders. Also, you mention the nodding flowers. That is something that many have but there are also a growing number of hybrids with outward facing blooms.”

Bill also noted that, “many [hellebores] are not sterile and they do produce quite a bit of seed. Since they are deer resistant, all those seedlings survive. I deadhead and remove most seedlings since they tend to be of inferior flower color than the parents. I am concerned that as more casual gardeners grow Hellebores and perhaps plant them in their piece of woods or, as we see with daffodils and vinca minor, ‘enhance’ their local parkland by planting their extras in natural areas, they may become a weed problem. Luckily there are many new sterile hybrids.”

Links to plant lists

Native deer-resistant/tolerant plants:  https://tinyurl.com/y2j6zap8

Native and non-native perennials, shrubs, trees, and grasses: https://tinyurl.com/3k9je6mb

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442.  

As plastic degrades, it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces; it doesn’t ever go away. The result is that microplastics (MP) — tiny plastic particles that are less than 5 millimeters in size — are now at large in our drinking water and food supply. That convenient, pure-looking, single-serve bottle of water you pick up at the store? In a study released in January of this year, researchers who looked at five samples each of three different bottled water brands found an average of around 240,000 microplastic particles per bottle.

Our oceans are also laden with MP. Researchers estimate that an average person consumes about nearly 54,000 particles of MP annually from seafood alone, equivalent to 17 credit cards. (https://tinyurl.com/yaux4bpa)

How do these particles get into our food supply? The following is from earthday.org (https://www.earthday.org/you-are-what-you-eat-plastics-in-our-food/)

“Industrial discharge of poly-fluoralkyl substances (PFAS) into waters contaminates the sludge used to fertilize crops. Microplastics also enter your body through the plastic packaging found on almost everything in the grocery store.

“Fruits and vegetables absorb microplastics through their root system and they enter seeds, leaves, and fruit depending on the microplastic’s size. Apples and carrots are the most contaminated fruit and vegetable.

“Researchers have found microplastics damage human cells, decrease reproductive health, and disrupt the endocrine system. Microplastics also act as a vessel for harmful substances to enter the body as they can absorb chemicals linked to cancers and weakened immune systems.”

There’s more. The PFAs mentioned above? Referred to as “forever chemicals,” these substances are now part of the water supply virtually everywhere. The toxins are widespread and long lasting in the environment and have been implicated in certain types of cancer as well as low birth weight and liver disease.

The chemicals are used in manufacturing a multitude of products, for instance non-stick cookware, waterproof clothes, paints and varnishes, artificial turf, and — in a bizarrely twisted way — in compostable food service ware.

Amid all of this, I found some better news. The headline of an article* in The Daily Local News on April 11 caught my attention: “Biden administration sets first-ever limits on ‘forever’ chemicals in drinking water.” The limits call on water utilities to “reduce [PFAs] to the lowest level they can be reliably reassured…The rule is the first national drinking water limit on toxic PFAS…which are widespread and long lasting in the environment.”

On reading the article I was struck by how much we don’t know about what’s at work in our environment and how much of it is beyond our individual control. There are, however, things that you can do to reduce the amount of plastic that goes into your system. For instance, things like storing and reheating foods in glass or ceramic containers and switching from plastic water bottles and travel mugs to those made of stainless steel or glass.

You can also support change in how you vote, both at the polls and at the store. “Voting with your wallet” is powerful. Remember when organic foods were considered a fad that wouldn’t last? When you had to go to a health food /natural foods store to find them? When Fresh Fields (now Whole Foods) was the odd new kid on the block? Fast forward to today when most grocery stores have entire aisles devoted to organic foods. Together, we do make a difference. Together we pollute our world. Together, we can clean it up.

Note: for some additional tips on avoiding microplastics in food go to https://europlas.com.vn/en-US/blog-1/how-to-avoid-microplastics-in-food

*Michael Phillis for the Associated Press, April 11, 2024

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442.

According to Janice Cox, garden writer and Education Chair for The Herb Society of America, yarrow is known as a powerful healing herb, a culinary ingredient, and a key ingredient in anti-aging and healing body care products.

The roots of associating yarrow with healing reach back thousands of years to ancient Greek mythology, with Homer’s hero Achilles using yarrow to staunch the bleeding of his soldiers’ wounds. That legend lives on in yarrow’s scientific name, Achillea millefolium.

But yarrow’s history extends even farther into the past. The Penn State Extension website tells us that yarrow pollen has been found in 60,000-year-old burial caves in Europe, indicating that humans have used it since prehistoric times. (https://extension.psu.edu/yarrow-herb-of-the-year-2024)

Numerous tribes in North America used yarrow for a variety of ailments. The crushed plant was applied to wounds and burns. The dried leaves were used as a tea to soothe colds, fever, and headache.

Here’s more from Janice Cox:

“I call yarrow my ‘protector’ plant as it keeps deer and rabbits out of my yard. They do not like the scent or bitter tasting leaves. Yarrow makes an especially beautiful dried flower and dries very quickly and easily.

“Yarrow has antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is cooling, soothing, and healing when used in skin care products. A simple tea or infusion of fresh flowers and leaves makes a calming product for troubled skin, insect bites, or a bad sunburn. Simply apply using a spray bottle or cotton pad. Yarrow in the bath is especially refreshing and boosts circulation. The most popular use of yarrow is as a key ingredient in healing skin balms and lotions.

“Yarrow can also be used in the kitchen when making bitters, teas, salads, and salts. You can use just about everything from oils, butters, honey, and vinegar in which to infuse the bitter, peppery leaves, and adding a bit of citrus or sugar will help enhance yarrow’s strong flavor. You only need a few leaves, as the taste can be overpowering.”

For compact growth and best flowering, plant yarrow in an area that receives full sun. Yarrow thrives in hot, dry conditions and performs best in well-drained soil. The flowers come in a myriad of colors from white to yellow to deep red and retain their beauty when dried. An “aggressive self-seeder,” yarrow should be deadheaded after flowering.

The Philadelphia Unit of The Herb Society of America will feature yarrow — named the 2024 Herb of the Year by the International Herb Society — at its 85th Annual Herb Sale, held rain or shine on Thursday, May 9, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the meadow at Historic Yellow Springs, 1685 Art School Road, Chester Springs, PA 19425.

A wide variety of culinary and fragrant herbs, and many rare and unusual scented geraniums and salvias will be featured. In addition, a “Made by Members” boutique will highlight herbal specialties including chutneys, jams, mustards, and notecards. Check or cash sales only. Tip: bring a basket, box, or cart to tote your purchases.

An Herbal Box Brunch by Dixie Picnic, Malvern will be available by reservation only. Visit www.hsaphiladelphia.org  to view the selections. To place your order send your selection and check, which must be received by May 1, 2024 to:  HSA Philadelphia Unit, P.O. Box 273, Chester Springs, PA 19425.

A cautionary note: Although yarrow has been used for centuries for its health properties, it is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses and should be kept out of pastures.

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Pam’s nature-related books for children and families are available on Amazon, at Amazon.com/author/pamelabaxter.     

There’s one other non-native spring bloomer that I’ve come to love: the hellebore. Hellebores are also called “Lenten rose” because they tend to flower around the time of Lent. There is so much to recommend this species and the many hybrids that have been developed. It can take up to five years for a seedling to begin to flower, but it’s well worth the wait.

Hellebores are perennials and are mostly evergreen; they hold their place in the garden. They do best in partial shade; deep shade reduces flowering. And they prefer rich, moist, well-drained soil. Depending upon the species, they grow into mounds about between 9 to18 inches tall and 12  to 24 inches wide, slowly increasing their spread via underground rhizomes.

The nodding flowers are beautiful and come in a variety of subtle colors, and hellebores can make a lovely border interspersed with brighter daffodils or tulips. The sturdy leaves themselves are interesting, “enough to make them a foundation of the shade garden year-round, even when their flowers are spent.”  (https://tinyurl.com/ms5nucjs)

Another excellent feature for our area is that hellebores contain toxic chemicals that make them safe from browsing by deer and other wildlife. A side note here: Daffodils and snowdrops also contain a toxin — a bitter poison called lycorine — that renders them truly deer and rodent proof.

The only downside of hellebores I know of is that because the flowers hang downward on their stalks, it’s hard to see the interior of the blossoms. One solution to this: if your property has some slope, plant them on the higher areas. I’ve found this advice to work well; the hellebores back under the trees are just above our line of sight and we get a perfect view of the flowers.

While I was looking for some of the specifics on these plants, I came across some interesting, if macabre, historical notes. First, while hellebore was used as a remedy for conditions such as gout, paralysis, and insanity, one of the many theories about the death of Alexander the Great is that he was poisoned with hellebore.

Second, the American College of Emergency Physicians tells us that in 585 B.C., the Greek army used massive amounts of crushed hellebore leaves to poison the water supply of the city of Kirrha. As they put it, “chemical warfare was alive and well in the ancient world.”  (https://tinyurl.com/4fxtz3zv)

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Pam’s nature-related books for children and families are available on Amazon, at Amazon.com/author/pamelabaxter.

This happened to me earlier in the week. Arthritis has cropped up in my hands; not a happy event however you look at it. I asked my doctor, “I’ve heard about anti-inflammatory diets. Do they work for arthritis?”

“Oh, yes,” she said.

I went home, opened my laptop, typed “anti-inflammatory diet” into the search field and was rewarded with about a zillion sites to choose from. The lists of foods that tend to cause inflammation were all pretty much the same, with “white” foods — white bread, white rice, regular pasta, sugar, salt — at the top of them. The good news is that I’d already reduced my consumption of foods in this category: years ago I gave up sugar, switched to gluten-free bread, and often use leaf lettuce as a sandwich wrap.

But rice has long been my go-to substitute for pasta or noodles. Would I have to give that up, too?

I had the idea to see if brown rice is better than white rice when it comes to inflammation. Happily, it is. But in looking for more information on brown rice, I came across black rice, dubbed “forbidden” because in ancient China only royalty were allowed to eat it. In a category of food that I’ve eaten my whole life, I knew that there is long-grain rice, short-grain rice, sticky rice, basmati rice, jasmine rice, arborio rice. I knew that there is brown rice and wild rice. But I’d never, ever heard of black rice. Of course I had to look it up!

With a few keystrokes, I stepped into the mysterious-sounding world of “forbidden black rice” and found this:

“Forbidden black rice refers to a type of heirloom rice that has been part of the Asian diet for thousands of years. It belongs to the species Oryza sativa, whose other varieties include Indonesian black rice, and Thai jasmine black rice.

“Black rice may be long-grain, medium or short-grain. Grown on a small scale, black rice has never been as common as other types, including white, brown, and red rice.

“Early research suggests that black rice is even more powerful than blueberries in its antioxidant effects…It may also help boost immunity and protect your body against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other conditions. (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/forbidden-rice-benefits)

I learned that when it comes to inflammation, black rice is an even better option than brown rice. And then I wanted to know if organic rice was a real thing and in the process was led to a site that described how rice is grown organically. And here’s where I decided that I had to share this with you. Because ducklings. And because Easter ducks and chicks.

Weeds invade rice paddies as well as non-watery fields. But what do you do when you’re farming using organic methods? You do rice-duck farming. After rice seedlings are planted in the flooded paddy fields, farmers release ducklings into the fields, where they eat both weeds and insect pests. (Rice plants contain silica and ducks don’t like the feel of the plants on their bills, so the rice plants are safe from their foraging.) I love this!

For years, we’ve been encouraged to “eat the rainbow,” to be sure to get the most nutrition from our diet. In a bit of a reversal, it looks like black is the new orange.

Note: It’s not considered wise to eat rice every day as all rice contains some arsenic. Cooking rice in excess water apparently reduces the arsenic content. (https://tinyurl.com/54v7yhsm)

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Pam’s nature-related books for children and families are available on Amazon, at Amazon.com/author/pamelabaxter.    

This is lesser celandine (Ficaria verna, a.k.a., Ranunculus facaria). It’s pretty. It’s a welcome dose of color in a brown and gray landscape. But it’s incredibly aggressive and over the past seven years I’ve seen it spread faster than any other invasive plant I’ve come across.

I first wrote about this plant in April 2019. I wrote about it again last spring and I may write about it every year, hoping to help you keep this plant from taking over your yard. So, here we go again!

The basics:

Where did this plant come from?

Info at the PennState Extension website tells us that, “Native to parts of Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, lesser celandine was introduced to North America as an ornamental during the 1800s and has become widespread in the northeastern and mid-western United States. This invader is most prevalent in floodplains, moist lowlands, and riparian areas near bodies of water, but it can also be found in upland areas with drier soils.” While I’ve also read that lesser celandine thrives in sandier soils, I can testify that it does just fine in heavy soil with lots of clay.

How do you get rid of it?

This plant is a “spring ephemeral,” and dies back soon after it finishes flowering; you won’t see it anymore and might think it’s gone. (It’s not.) You can dig it out by the roots but must make sure to go down far enough to get the little “bulblets,” one of the chief ways the plant reproduces. Cutting the leaves to prevent nutrients from reaching the roots may also be helpful. The main recommended method is to apply glyphosate. (Please note: Not everyone is convinced that this substance is carcinogenic, but if you do use glyphosate be sure to follow all the precautions listed on the label.)

When I first noticed lesser celandine in my yard, I contacted the PennState Extension office. The information I got was to apply Roundup® (glyphosate is the active ingredient). When I asked about using a diluted vinegar solution, my weed killer of choice, I was advised against it: “Vinegar will destroy the soil biome.” I used vinegar anyway and lived with the bare patches that resulted. The following year the grass was back. So was the lesser celandine.

What do I do if it’s in my lawn?

I learned that in lawns, where the goal is to kill the plants but not the grass, a broadleaf herbicide is recommended rather than glyphosate, which kills everything. I didn’t like the sound of those products any more than Roundup®. Searching further, though, I came across recommendations to try an iron-based herbicide. Information from the University of Nebraska says, “Most broadleaf herbicides contain 2,4-D, and/or Dicamba. Iron (Fe) … is a safer alternative that doesn’t volatize or move once it’s on the plant.” (https://turf.unl.edu/turfinfo/8-22-iron-herbicide-alternative.pdf)

Since lesser celandine tends to thrive in more acidic soils and turf grass prefers a neutral pH, it’s possible that applying lime to a lawn will help control the plant. I have not found any information on this, but since the soil in our general area tends to be acidic, it would probably be worth testing your soil and applying lime if found to have a low pH.

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442.