1. Minnesota Plant Press
The Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter
Volume 23 Number 1 Fall 2003
Monthly meetings
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Projects are restoring
Visitor Center, 3815 East 80th St.
Bloomington, MN 55425-1600
952-854-5900
wetlands and prairies
Prairie and wetland restoration projects are underway in many
6:30 p.m. — Building east door opens Minnesota locations, but we hear mainly of losses of natural areas.
6:30 p.m. — Refreshments,
information, Room A From time to time news of some of the new or successful projects
7 – 9 p.m — Program, society business will be included in the Minnesota Plant Press. Is there a project in
7:30 p.m. — Building door is locked your area that would interest MNPS members? If there is, contact
9:30 p.m. — Building closes Gerry Drewry, editor, at 651-463-8006, or gdrewry@infionline.net
Programs Olmsted County
The MNPS meets the first Thursday in by Joel Dunnette
October, November, December, February, If you wonder if you can make a difference, I have an example for
March, April, May and June. Check the you. Six years ago, with aid of a DNR Conservation Partners grant,
Web site for more program information. we developed a “local origin” seed production nursery in Chester
Nov. 6: “Old Growth Trees, a Seed Woods Park in Olmsted County. It took many hours of effort, many
Source for Reforestation and collaborators and volunteers to establish. Now the nursery is mature
Propagation,” by Lee Frelich, University and producing seed for harvest. The parks department has built their
of Minnesota Department of Forest own harvester for seeds of grasses and major forbs. To provide
Resources; Seed Exchange. diversity, we still need to hand-harvest many species of forbs. So we
have volunteers and parks staff hand-collecting seed each summer
Dec. 4: “Minnesota Wild Rice,” its and fall.
biology, traditional harvest and cultural
significance, by Darren Vogt. He is with We had already begun developing a prairie management program
the 1854 Authority, which is in charge of with Olmsted County Parks — including prescribed burning and brush
wild rice management in the 1854 Ceded cutting. The seed production fits well into this program. To date,
Territory, the Arrowhead region of Parks has planted more than 30 acres to prairie, adding to the about
Minnesota. Plant of the Month: to be 100 natural acres. Production is going so well that the county is
announced. starting to use the seed for converting lawn areas to prairie around
the administration buildings.
Feb. 5: “Native Plants of Papua, New
Guinea,” by George Weiblen, Department We planted a seed of an idea and nurtured it for several years. Now
it is growing on its own and bearing fruit.
of Plant Biology, University of Minnesota.
Dakota County
MNPS Web site by Karen Schik
http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/biology/mnps A 50-acre wet meadow and wet prairie restoration will be taking
e-mail: MNPS@HotPOP.com place this fall at the Empire Wastewater Treatment Plant north of
Farmington. With a grant from Metropolitan Council, Friends of the
MNPS Listserve Mississippi River and Applied Ecological Services are working on
Send a message that includes the word restoring an existing agricultural field to its pre-settlement condition.
“subscribe” or “unsubscribe” and your Located in Empire Township near the Vermillion River, this project
name in the body of the message to:
mn-natpl-request@stolaf.edu Continued on page 3
1

3. Restorations
Continued from page 1
Symposium to Plant Lore
will improve water quality and
reduce runoff to the river while
be March 27 by Thor Kommedahl
What is Culver’s-root?
providing wildlife habitat and The 2004 Native Plant Society
Symposium has been scheduled for Culver’s-root, or Culver’s-physic, is
connectivity to other natural areas. Veronicastrum virginicum, in the
Saturday, March 27, at the Bunker
Wet meadows are one of the snapdragon family.
Hills Activity Center in Coon Rapids.
wetland types most likely to be How did it get it’s name?
The topic will be savanna and
impacted by development projects It was once named Veronica
woodland ecology — the dominant
and least likely to be restored by virginica, but the genus name was
historic plant communities of the
mitigation projects. Wetland changed to Veronicastrum; the suffix
metropolitan area.
mitigation projects typically create -astrum means false, so this is a
deeper emergent marsh wetlands. We will explore details about these
communities, their geologic origins, “false veronica.” It was named for
Wet meadows have become St. Veronica who was reputed to have
increasingly rare across the state, so current threats, research and
restoration efforts, and much more. wiped the sweat off of Christ’s face.
it will be a treat to see a sizable one The roots contain a powerful laxative
restored. This project also provides The Bunker Hills building is
surrounded by recent native prairie and emetic substance, hence the
a link in an important greenway name. Culver or Culvert was said to
corridor across Rosemount that and savanna restorations that may
provide an opportunity for have used it in his medical practice
connects the Vermillion River with in Massachusetts.
the Mississippi River. Eventually, the exploration. Watch the newsletter
Met Council hopes to make this site and Web site for more information. What does the plant look like?
available to the public for birding and Members of the symposium It is a native perennial, about two to
wildlife viewing. committee are Karen Schik, chair , five feet tall, with leaves in whorls
Shirley Mah Kooyman, and Jason of three to seven around the stem
A 30-acre wet meadow and wet
leading to terminal spike-like
prairie restoration is also underway Husveth.
panicles of tiny, usually white, tube-
this fall at Lock and Dam No. 2, in
like flowers that bloom from June to
Hastings. Friends of the Mississippi Fall Plant Sale? September.
River is working with the City of Various means of raising money
Hastings to establish native Where does it grow?
were discussed at the Sept. 4 MNPS
vegetation at a former industrial site Culver’s-root grows in almost all
Board meeting, as a $1,000 deficit is
that used to be occupied by numerous counties in the state in moist
projected for 2003/04 if current
petroleum tanks. The tanks were meadows, thickets, and woods.
project funding levels are sustained.
removed in 1995, most of the Does it have any medicinal uses?
property was donated to the city, and One suggestion was to have a plant
Early colonists learned its uses from
it is now known as Hastings River sale in September. This sale would
Indians. The Seneca Indians, for
Flats Park. The city has been working not be as extensive as the spring sale.
example, used the root as a purgative.
to improve the property and restore Plants that are left over could be
Dried roots are used. Fresh roots are
its natural features for public taken home by the grower, or they
violently laxative. Cotton Mather’s
enjoyment and education. An would be donated to a public park
daughter in 1716 had tuberculosis,
interpretive center and other facilities restoration project. Before MNPS
and Mather specially requested
attempts a fall plant sale we would
are part of a long-term site plan. Culver’s-root as a treatment (not
like to hear from the members.
Equal Protection appropriate for a lung ailment). She
1. Would you be interested in died soon after.
The MNPS board has endorsed a purchasing native plants in the fall?
California NPS campaign for equal Seed exchange is Nov. 6
protection of plant species under the 2. Would you be likely to have any
native plants to donate to such a sale The annual exchange of native plant
federal Endangered Species Act. The
ESA protects listed animals if it were held in September? seeds will be held Nov. 6. Seeds
anywhere they live, but most Please contact Dianne Plunkett should be in individual envelopes
endangered plant species are Latham with your response. Call her and labeled with the common and
protected only on land under federal at 952-941-3542, send an e-mail to scientific names, place of collection,
jurisdiction. The campaign’s goal is PlunkettDi@mn.rr.com or write: original location of the seed source,
to raise public awareness of this Dianne Plunkett Latham, 7013 if known, and type of habitat. Dave
discrepancy in federal law. Comanche Ct., Edina MN 55439. Crawford is chair of the exchange.
3

4. Minnesota Native Plant Society
University of Minnesota
250 Biological Sciences Center
1445 Gortner Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55108
Fall 2003 Issue
4