Plant Natives 2021! includes:

Wild Ones has launched a new website that provides practical, educationally-sound information on native landscaping developed specifically for first-time native plant gardeners looking for help getting started.

The site also features a growing number of free, downloadable native garden designs created by professional landscape designers for multiple ecoregions in the United States, taking into account various light, soil and moisture conditions.

A plant list accompanies each design and provides a quick preview of the diversity and beauty of the native plants incorporated in each design. Both the designs and the plant lists are printer-friendly.

Tennessee Valley Wild Ones member Lisa Lemza's native plant garden was featured in the March 2021 issue of Chatter. Read about Lisa's garden and lots of native plant gardening resources in the article.

A joint virtual event presented by the Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky Chapters of Wild Ones.

Online Ordering Opens April 10

Barnside PickUp April 15-24

Last week, Marion O'Brien found this mature firefly larva crawling up the outside window of her Northeast Alabama home. Her husband Mike (one of our fabulous Wild Ones nature photographers) captured photos and provided the following report:

"The larva was captured alive, and I recognized it as a firefly larva, but further research revealed some really interesting and different things about this particular genus, Pyractomena. This species of firefly performs aerial pupating, unlike other firefly species which pupate in the ground. This genus seeks deeply furrowed trees like Oak, Hickory, etc., which it climbs high to pupate. Pyractomena are our Spring Firefly and the adults (after pupation) are seen typically in March or April.

The larvae of both this and other genera of fireflies are bioluminescent (“glow worm”). They all are voracious predators and inject paralytic chemicals into their larger prey and then consume them. While most other firefly genera are ground-feeders consuming earthworm, slugs and other prey beneath the leaf litter, Pyractomena larvae are amphibious and feed on snails. The adult firefly lays her eggs near water. 

It has been my experience that I see the adults of this genus high above the ground and usually flashing way up in the often bare, tree canopy. Then, as evening progresses, they gradually descend closer to, but not near the ground. Summer fireflies arise up from the ground and bushes at dusk and typically fly lower than do Pyractomena. I would suspect this likely has to do with where each species emerges from their pupation. 

Firefly larvae of all types are not very easy to find, so I was indeed fortunate that Marion saw this one which became the fascinating subject of this report. 

The two larvae photographs are those I took of the found Pyractomena borealis larva, and the adult firefly photo of this genus is copied from Wikipedia. 

Note: This larva, alive and well after its photo session, was placed back in a safe location to continue its life journey."