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| "Canada Milk Vetch (Astragalus canadensis)" - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison |
This
heat is really pushing things along...hate seeing stuff mature and
finish up so quickly. I've actually missed the peak on a few things
here like the Lead Plants, Compass Plants, Showy Tick Trefoil...too
preoccupied with other stuff.
I
did have a nice patch of Canada Milk Vetch just peaking in the south
pasture a couple days back. Its near the bottom where the new late 2025
planting was done. This can't be a new plant though - too big! It
must have gotten a head start the year before and just missed seeing it.
Although
not a colorful plant, the Canada Milk Vetch (Astragalus canadensis) can
make up for that in its structure, form, and pollinator value. We see
plenty of hummingbirds, and butterflies on this plant, and this species
is also one of the host plants for the Clouded Sulphur butterfly.
We
find it quite happy on our gravel slopes and in the wetter bottom mesic
areas. This is a Legume and most legume species contribute beneficial
bacteria called rhizobia on their roots. Strains of this bacterium aids
in the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen - improving long-term health of
native plant communities.
You can visit my channel for a short video at the following link -
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"Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)" - Photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison |
We've
introduced a few species in our pastures over the years; not many
though, just things that are documented or found within a 30 mile radius
of us - and suited to our soils and conditions. I still occasionally
find things nearby that aren't on our ground, so we constantly weigh
what should have been here decades ago, yet perhaps aren't now due to
stresses like spraying and/or heavy grazing.
One
thing we introduced a few years back, that seems very happy to be here,
is Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). Our pastures are just 2 miles
from Clay County and this native (but uncommon in the area) Hyssop has
been recorded there next door to us in the past. In researching the
Anise Hyssop, I thought with the potential location and soil
characteristics, the possibility of this plant having actually been
here 150 years ago, is not entirely out of the realms of possibility.
(I chose the bottom ground which is more mesic than our hillside eskers,
yet still well drained and a drier soil).
Anise
Hyssop (Agastache Foeniculum) grows in clumps 2 to 3.5 feet tall,
featuring strong stems topped with slender spikes of lavender-purple
flowers that persist through midsummer. The leaves are a greenish color
above and whitish underneath...crushing one will give off the scent of
anise.
Some
plants just began to peak here a couple mornings ago, so I went out
with the dawn and got some nice shots. Each year these plants seem to
persist and bloom almost into late August or early September!
Anise Hyssop is a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, as well as night flying moths.
You can view a short video done late last summer, on my chammel at the following link -
Thank
you for visiting the blog; I hope you are keeping cool out there. And
Remember, please be good to one another - we are all in this together!
Hope to see You on the Tallgrass!
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