1. Minnesota Plant Press
The Minnesota Native Plant Society Newsletter
Volume 27 Number 1 Fall 2007
Monthly meetings
Thompson Park Center/Dakota Lodge
Easements to help
Thompson County Park
360 Butler Ave. E., West St. Paul, MN 55118
651-552-7559 (kitchen)
owners protect
6 p.m. — Social period
7 – 9 p.m. — Program, society business
Programs
rock outcrops
by Tom Cherveny, West Central Tribune, Willmar, Sept. 27, 2007.
The MN NPS meets the first Thursday
in October, November, December, Reprinted with permission.
February, March, April, May, and June. A project near Olivia, initiated by the Renville County Soil and
Check the website for more program Water Conservation District, aims to help landowners protect the
information. unique scenery and environments of rock outcrops on their property.
Nov. 1: “Effects of moose browsing on The project will compensate landowners for protecting the rock
long-term forest succession on Isle outcrops in a perpetual conservation easement, said Tom Kalahar of
Royale,” by Dr. Peter Jordan, University the [conservation district]. “It provides fair compensation for
of Minnesota. Annual seed exchange something that they would really like to have done,” he said.
following the program. Package seeds in The new project is attracting interest from landowners in Renville
small envelopes; label them. and Redwood counties, despite the fact that there has been little done
Dec. 6: Program to be announced. Check to advertise it, he said. The Renville County Soil and Water
our website: www.mnnps.org Conservation District is processing applications from four Renville
County and three Redwood County landowners interested in placing
Do your holiday shopping at rock outcrops in the easements. Kalahar said they will continue to
Terrace Horticultural Books accept applications into October. The Legislative Citizens
by Ken Arndt Commission on Minnesota Resources has provided $470,000 for
Need a hard-to-find gift this holiday easements.
season? Join us Saturday, Dec. 15, between
10 a.m. and 3 p.m., on another Society The protected lands will still be available to their owners for uses
outing to Terrace Horticultural Books. such as hunting. The conservation district and the DNR will provide
Owner Kent Petterson will donate 20 staff to remove invasive species such as red cedar and sumac from
percent of all purchases made by MN NPS the sites. They will work with the landowners in future years to
members to the Society. A similar outing continue to manage the rock outcrops to protect the unique native
last winter resulted in a very nice donation plant and animal populations found on them.
to the Society. We thank Kent for opening Kalahar said the project was proposed to serve two goals. First
that day and thank the members who among them is the desire to protect the rock outcrops for future
purchased the books. generations. They hold unique
Terrace Horticultural Books is located at plant and animal species found
503 St. Clair Ave., St. Paul 55102. For a nowhere else in the state, and their In this issue
preview of their selections and directions geologic features are also of President’s column...............2
on how to get there, go to special importance. The exposed Field trips.............................2
www.terracehorticulturalbooks.com granite bedrock is more than 3.5 Conservation committee ......2
MN NPS website: www.mnnps.org Plant Lore: Dogbane ............3
Blog: www.mnnpsblogspot.com Continued on page 3 Welby Smith award..............4

2. President’s Column Conservation group
by Scott Milburn needs helpers
MN NPS Board
A great deal of behind-the-scene
effort goes into the operation of our The MN NPS Conservation of Directors
organization. This happens when Committee will launch a web page President: Scott Milburn,
members step up and volunteer their soon. Under the leadership of president@mnnps.org
personal time for the betterment of Committee Chair Beth Nixon, they Vice President: Shirley Mah
the Society. For almost 10 years, are seeking members who can Kooyman, vp@mnnps.org
Ellen and Chuck Peck have mailed complete tasks related to developing Secretary: Sean Jergens,
each issue of the Minnesota Plant the web page. These tasks include secretary@mnnps.org
Press. They also have been mailing creating a compendium of state Treasurer: Ron and Cathy
the new member packets. The Pecks legislation related to native plant Huber, treasurer@mnnps.org
have graciously served the Society conservation and links nationally and
locally to other organizations doing Ken Arndt, board member,
and, after all of these years, will be karndt@mnnps.org
turning over these duties. On behalf plant conservation.
The committee is also seeking: Peter Dziuk, board member,
of the Society, I thank the Pecks and pdziuk@mnnps.org
look forward to their continued • Members who want to be notified
of letter-writing action items; Linda Huhn, board member and
participation. program coordinator, 612-374-1435
Membership participation is • A member to “monitor the
monitor” for public notices of Daniel Jones,
crucial for the success of any djones@mnnps.org
organization. We are fortunate to upcoming environmental reviews of
have a diverse group of enthusiastic state projects that may be worthy of Beth Nixon, bnixon@mnnps.org
folks on the 2007 - 2008 board. We letter-writing campaigns; and Russ Schaffenberg,
recently held our second board • Member input on action items for rschaffenberg@mnnps.org
meeting with new members Peter this year. Listserv Coordinator: Charles
Dziuk and Russ Schaffenberg. Peter Please contact mnconservation@ Umbanhowar, ceumb@stolaf.edu
and Russ bring their experiences and comcast.net if you can contribute a Field Trips:
great ideas and are very welcome little of your time. fieldtrips@mnnps.org
additions to the board.
Memberships:
We are now beginning our second
year meeting at the Dakota Lodge in
Two nature center memberships@mnnps.org; 651-
739-4323
West St. Paul. There have been some field trips planned Historian/Archives: Roy
questions as to why we are meeting by Ken Arndt
there rather than at the Wildlife Robison, historian/
Are you interested in learning how archives@mnnps.org
Refuge in Bloomington. Initially, we to identify plants outside of the
were informed that the facility at the Technical or membership
growing season? The MN NPS will
Refuge was due for renovating. Then inquiries: contact@mnnps.org
lead two field trips this fall that will
we learned the Refuge would no focus on this challenging task. New member packets: To be
longer allow groups to hold meetings announced
there dueto a cut in their budget from Warner Nature Center Minnesota Plant Press editor:
the federal government. We are Join Jason Husveth Saturday, Nov. Gerry Drewry, phone, 651-463-
happy to have a new home for the 10, at Lee and Rose Warner Nature 8006; plantpress@mnnps.org
next few years and thank those on Center for a morning of plant
the board who help set up for each identification. Jason, a former MN from Scott Milburn, our current MN
meeting. Attendance numbers have NPS president and ecologist for NPS president and botanist for
been great thus far. Critical Connections Ecological Midwest Natural Resources. The
Services, will lead participants event will begin indoors at 9 a.m.
Another issue is the need to form a
through several unique plant with a brief lecture on how to identify
social committee and find a chair for
communities on the property, which plants outside of the growing season.
it. The hour before our scheduled
is typically closed to the public. The This will be followed by a hike to
meeting provides an opportunity for
field trip will begin at 9 a.m. with a several diverse plant communities in
members and friends to mingle. If
brief winter botany lecture inside the this fine nature center.
you can help with this, please contact
nature center. This will be followed For details and directions, visit our
our vice president, Shirley Mah
by a hike until about noon. website (www.mnnps.org) and
Kooyman. In closing, I encourage
everyone to enjoy the Fall colors. I Maplewood Nature Center follow the link to the field trips page.
look forward to seeing you at our Saturday, Dec. 1, learn winter Register on-line or at our general
next monthly meeting. botany at Maplewood Nature Center meetings throughout the year.

3. Rock outcrops
Continued from page 1
Plant Lore
by Thor Kommedahl
billion years old, and is among the What is dogbane?
oldest known rock in the world. Dogbane is Apocynum
androsaemifolium (spreading
No less important, he said the
dogbane) or A. cannabinum (hemp
project is an opportunity to do right
dogbane). It is in the dogbane family.
for landowners. If we truly believe
in the value of protecting the How did it get these names?
outcrops as a society, then we ought In Greek, apo means away and
to compensate the landowners no kuon is dog (cynon in Latin),
differently than when we set aside meaning that these species were Apocynum androsaemifolium,
lands for parks or other conservation considered poisonous to dogs. It photo by Scott Milburn
purposes, Kalahar said. literally means “Away Dog.” used by Menomini Indians for bow
The easements are available for Androsaemifolium means that the strings. Stem fibers have been used
property both inside and outside of leaves look like Androsaemum. And in making rope.
the Wild and Scenic River corridor. cannabinum means that its leaves
Kalahar noted that lines drawn on look like hemp (Cannabis). Seed harvest at
maps in the 1970s largely determined Where do these plants grow?
which properties were included in the Both are shrub-like perennials Morris is a record
protected Wild and Scenic corridor native to Minnesota, with spreading by J. B. Bright, trip leader and refuge
along the Minnesota River in dogbane being more frequently operations specialist, Morris
Redwood and Renville counties. found in upland woods, whereas Wetland Management District
Landowners who happened to have hemp dogbane is more in open fields. The weather cooperated Saturday,
property inside the corridor These species interbreed in nature, Sept. 22, making for an enjoyable
discovered that hard rock mining was and the hybrids are sometimes named time on the prairie. Nineteen
prohibited on those lands, but that A. medium. volunteers turned out to hand-collect
they would receive no compensation prairie wildflower and grass seed. In
What do the plants look like? the process, they learned about
for the limitation.
Flowers are small bells, pink in district management and prairie
Kalahar said inquiries have come spreading dogbane and white in
from landowners who like the idea hemp dogbane, arranged in terminal ecology, while getting an “up close”
of protecting the outcrops. This helps cymes. Seed pods (follicles) are three experience with native prairie.
make it economically feasible for to eight inches long and in pairs. The site was a tract of remnant
them to do so, he said. prairie on the Maki Waterfowl
Leaves are egg-shaped and occur in
The lands will be assessed this fall pairs. The stems (one to four feet Production Area, located eight miles
to determine the diversity of plants tall) are reddish and contain milky south of Hancock in Section 16 of
located on each. The assessment will latex. Tara Township, Swift County. Some
be used to prioritize which lands to of the species harvested included:
purple prairie clover, blazingstar,
enroll. He said there is more land Does it have any medicinal uses?
Actually it is poisonous. Cymarin golden alexanders, prairie dropseed,
being offered than can be funded. He prairie onion, snakeroot, and Virginia
is hoping to return to the state to in plants is a cardioactive glycoside,
mountain mint.
obtain funding to continue to enroll poisonous to ruminants. Yet, the plant
lands in future years. has been found to have anti-tumor The fourth annual seed harvest day
activity. The Chickasaw and was by far the most productive and
Kalahar said it would be successful event yet, as
Choctaw Nations used root juice as
“irresponsible” to fail to protect the approximately 23 bulk pounds of
a specific treatment for syphilis. Both
outcrops. He said that we have lost seed were collected, with an
dogbanes were listed in the National
95 percent of the wetlands and over estimated retail value of $11,000!
Formulary and in the U.S.
99 percent of the native prairie in this Many thanks are owed to the
Pharmacopeia until 1952 as a
area, and he fears the same will be volunteers, because this amount
cardiac medicine. Plant extracts have
true of the rock outcrops if steps equals or exceeds the previous three
been used as an emetic and diuretic.
aren’t taken today. years’ collections combined. The
2007 membership list Does it have any economic uses? seed will be used in native
The list is enclosed or will be e- The fibers in the stem are finer and restorations on the district this fall
mailed separately to all members. stronger than cotton thread and were and next spring.

4. Minnesota Native Plant Society
P.O. Box 20401
Bloomington, MN 55420
Fall 2007
Welby Smith receives member award
by Scott Milburn none is more deserving than Welby.
Those who have visited the University of Minnesota herbarium on the St. Welby is one of the founding
Paul campus and viewed the Minnesota collection of vascular plants have members of the Society and has been
seen Welby Smith’s name continuously appearing. He has contributed active, holding almost every position
greatly to the collection at the herbarium, and he is truly appreciated by and leading field trips. With all of
those who understand his craft. Just by looking at some of the collections Welby’s contributions over the years,
made by Welby, the care and appreciation for each collection can be seen. the board thought he deserved our
Welby is a lifetime resident of Minnesota, having grown up on a family highest award. It was presented to
farm in Wright County. He headed to St. Cloud State University to study him at our 2007 symposium and was
biology, a subject that had always interested him. He completed both his graciously received.
undergraduate degree (biology) and Master’s degree (botany) there and Welby enjoys botanizing in the
then went to the University of Minnesota to start his Ph.D. It was there that northeast and southeast portions of
Welby met other botanists who inspired him to learn as much as he could Minnesota, but he is content with any
about plants. natural remnant. When asked about
Rather than continue pursuing his Ph.D., he accepted a job with the his favorite plant, he indicated an
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in 1978. He was given the interest in sedges, woody plants, and
task of exploring the best places in Minnesota, and he has been exploring ferns, then said any plant that offers
ever since. In that time, Welby has increased our knowledge about an intellectual challenge. He is a
Minnesota’s flora with much devotion. He is probably best known for his great source of information and fun
book Orchids of Minnesota, which in turn has encouraged many to start to listen to. Welby has an ability to
exploring. He has also just written Trees and Shrubs of Minnesota, which capture the attention of his audience
is due out in early 2008. when speaking about plants. Just as
Honorary lifetime membership in our Society is reserved for those who others inspired him, he inspires others
have provided exemplary service to the plant sciences, for outstanding work in the subject. The Society is honored
in plant conservation, or for 20 years of active membership. Less than 10 to have such a great member as
individuals have been awarded this in our 25-plus-year history, and perhaps Welby.