An autumn goldenrod in faux fur
Where to begin my long story? I’ll start by saying expect to see more of these furry goldenrods in the days and weeks ahead. You will probably be sick of them before I am done posting shots. This is from my small prairie/meadow planting in the back of my lot in Indianapolis. Much of what grows there just came up naturally, but many others are things I’ve added. In general, the things I’ve added are the things that I’d prefer to spread and become more common. This is a plant I am not fond of. It is either tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima) or Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), both being very common plants around here that are difficult to tell apart. I don’t bother trying to accurately tell one from the other. Although both are native species, they are aggressive and adaptable bullies that don’t hesitate to dominate any given area. Often in areas being restored to native prairie, they become a pest by overrunning areas to the detriment of other more desirable species.
In my prairie/meadow there are two plants that I particularly dislike. One that I planted is tall coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris) which gets too tall and covers more real estate than I prefer (but goldfinches love eating the seeds). The other is this goldenrod that just came in on its own and is now the dominant plant. Funny thing is that it’s kind of a hate/like relationship (cannot bring myself to say hate/love) because there are some things that I like about it. For example, I love ambush bugs, those tiny, predaceous, armored bugs that look like miniature army tanks. Well, this goldenrod is the plant on which I find the most ambush bugs. And then there is late fall when the goldenrods look like this – little furry works of botanical artwork begging my camera and me for attention. So, it goes to show that even a plant that I despise can sometimes win me over in subtle little ways that I want to deny, but cannot.
An autumn goldenrod in faux fur
Where to begin my long story? I’ll start by saying expect to see more of these furry goldenrods in the days and weeks ahead. You will probably be sick of them before I am done posting shots. This is from my small prairie/meadow planting in the back of my lot in Indianapolis. Much of what grows there just came up naturally, but many others are things I’ve added. In general, the things I’ve added are the things that I’d prefer to spread and become more common. This is a plant I am not fond of. It is either tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima) or Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), both being very common plants around here that are difficult to tell apart. I don’t bother trying to accurately tell one from the other. Although both are native species, they are aggressive and adaptable bullies that don’t hesitate to dominate any given area. Often in areas being restored to native prairie, they become a pest by overrunning areas to the detriment of other more desirable species.
In my prairie/meadow there are two plants that I particularly dislike. One that I planted is tall coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris) which gets too tall and covers more real estate than I prefer (but goldfinches love eating the seeds). The other is this goldenrod that just came in on its own and is now the dominant plant. Funny thing is that it’s kind of a hate/like relationship (cannot bring myself to say hate/love) because there are some things that I like about it. For example, I love ambush bugs, those tiny, predaceous, armored bugs that look like miniature army tanks. Well, this goldenrod is the plant on which I find the most ambush bugs. And then there is late fall when the goldenrods look like this – little furry works of botanical artwork begging my camera and me for attention. So, it goes to show that even a plant that I despise can sometimes win me over in subtle little ways that I want to deny, but cannot.