Amnesty for Dandelions

America is a nation of people who migrated here from somewhere else. That fact has got me thinking of another, albeit non-human, migrant from long ago. In 1672 the dandelion first arrived in North America, hidden in hay bales the pilgrims stowed away on boats to feed their cattle. The European invasion of North America was ecological as well as cultural. Colonists not only brought personal belongings and enough food to survive the first year, but livestock and the fodder to feed them. Unknown to these settlers, the seeds of the dandelion were embedded in the hay they brought to feed their livestock and mixed in with the grains they sowed on the land they cleared. Europeans didn’t just bring their crops to the new world; they also brought their weeds. Homeowners trying to grow the perfect lawn despise dandelions and spend millions of dollars on herbicides to control its spread. But are dandelions so bad? The young leaves are widely collected for salad greens in the early spring (they are rich in vitamins and minerals), dandelion wine can be made from the fermented flowers, and in the fall the roots can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. And dandelion flowers are one of the most vital early spring nectar sources for a wide host of pollinators. Is there any length of time after which a non-native species can achieve native status? Should there be a statute of limitations for plants after which they can be considered a de facto native species? To put it another way: can the ubiquitous dandelion ever achieve native status or will it forever be considered an alien? In a globalized world, the boundaries that separate countries are being breached not only by humans looking for a better life, but also by plants and animals seeking new opportunities in a rapidly changing world. Yank or spray all you want; the dandelion is here to stay. And while it’s considered an invasive species by some people, it is long past time to formally recognize the ubiquitous weed as a naturalized American plant. This amnesty has been a long time in the making.

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Barking Beauties

Growing up with trees in my life, I can't help finding all aspects of trees beautiful. The appearance and texture of tree bark can be highly aesthetically pleasing. Bark is often useful in helping to identify an unknown tree, and we often plant trees because their bark is so varied and beautiful. Bark evolved as the outer-most defense of the trees against pathogens and environmental stresses. Bark is analogous to our skin, forming the barrier between the internal body and the external world. Becoming near sighted turns out to the advantage in seeing the detail and finish to the surfaces of trees. Tune into Nature: it's definitely my favorite channel.

Bald Cypress: Reddish brown or gray bark with long fiber-like or scaly ridges that peel off in strips.

London Planetree: Perhaps the handsomest of all large trees for winter character because of cream, olive, light brown bark, no two trees are exactly similar.

Lacebark elm: Mottled (rather than ridged and furrowed like other elms) exfoliating in irregular patches, exposing the lighter bark beneath.

Amur Chokecherry: Exquisite rich, shiny, cinnamon brown.

White popular: characteristic diamond pattern. Newer bark is whitish gray and quite smooth, while older bark becomes brown, rough, and furrowed.

Hackberry: smooth when young, but as the tree grows, it becomes covered with distinctive corky, warty like projections.

River birch: exfoliating into papery sheets and plates, exposing the inner bark which is colored gray brown, salmon brown, cinnamon brown to reddish brown.

Scots Pine: Orangish or orangish brown, thin smooth peeling off in papery flakes.

For more information on discovering the beauty of bark

Triple-Sesame Tea Cakes

Ingredients ¾ cup butter ¾ cup sugar ½ tahini paste 1 tsp sesame oil 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt Sesame seeds for coating

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350. Add butter, sugar, tahini and sesame oil in bowl and mix until fluffy about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. With mixer running, slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture. Pour sesame seeds in small bowl. Using your hands, roll a walnut sized piece of dough into a ball. Roll in sesame seeds. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes.

Thanks for Reading and Happy Planting! Faith Faith Appelquist President & Founder