Over the weekend, I was able to add Number 527 to my list of plant species found growing at Blue Jay Barrens. This latest addition to the list is Small White Morning Glory, Ipomoea lacunosa, a native plant that reaches the northern limits of its range in Southern Ohio.
I noticed this new plant when I saw the vines wrapped around the tall stalk of a Wingstem. At first I thought I was looking at one of the common weedy vines and then I got close enough to notice the small flowers. It’s always exciting to find a new native plant on the property.
The flowers and leaves of the morning glory really complement the Wingstem display.
I was happy to find this plant growing in a mix of other native species. Some texts describe this plant as growing in weedy situations. It’s nice to see that it will do well in what I consider to be a non-weedy condition.
The flowers are on short stalks that come off of the main stem. There were anywhere from one to four flowers per stalk.
Leaf shape ranges from heart shaped to a three lobed form. Leaves found lower on the vine were all perfectly heart shaped with no indications of potential lobes. Those found higher on the plant were much more varied.
There were already many fruits developing on the vines. This is an annual plant, so a good seed crop is important to the plant’s continued survival on this site. It’s always fun to find a new species growing at Blue Jay Barrens, especially when it’s a native. Being able to identify the new plant makes it that much better.
Over the weekend, I was able to add Number 527 to my list of plant species found growing at Blue Jay Barrens. This latest addition to the list is Small White Morning Glory, Ipomoea lacunosa, a native plant that reaches the northern limits of its range in Southern Ohio.
I noticed this new plant when I saw the vines wrapped around the tall stalk of a Wingstem. At first I thought I was looking at one of the common weedy vines and then I got close enough to notice the small flowers. It’s always exciting to find a new native plant on the property.
The flowers and leaves of the morning glory really complement the Wingstem display.
I was happy to find this plant growing in a mix of other native species. Some texts describe this plant as growing in weedy situations. It’s nice to see that it will do well in what I consider to be a non-weedy condition.
The flowers are on short stalks that come off of the main stem. There were anywhere from one to four flowers per stalk.
Leaf shape ranges from heart shaped to a three lobed form. Leaves found lower on the vine were all perfectly heart shaped with no indications of potential lobes. Those found higher on the plant were much more varied.
There were already many fruits developing on the vines. This is an annual plant, so a good seed crop is important to the plant’s continued survival on this site. It’s always fun to find a new species growing at Blue Jay Barrens, especially when it’s a native. Being able to identify the new plant makes it that much better.
When we returned home in early July after ten weeks away I discovered white morning glories had just about overrun part of my garden. No, I didn't plant them there. They seem to be extremely thick and I'm guessing were very happy with all the rain early in the season.
ReplyDelete527 species! Have you noticed as you rid your land of invasives your new species count is going up faster? I assume it's still a very slow process, though.
ReplyDeleteHi, Lois. Plants will do that when they think you're not around to stop them.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly. An increase in the numbers of already identified species is much more noticeable. I think my species count will go up faster when I find the time to identify plants that I've seen, but have been unable to put a name to.