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On The Wild Side

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A Thing of Beauty

by Christine Maccabee

If ever there were proof that nothing lasts forever, the moonflower’s flower is it. Most of the great civilizations throughout world history were transitory, as are our little lives. Of course, most civilizations endured far longer than my moonflower flowers, though their seeds may come from ancient stock. As well, if you are reading this you are likely still blooming! 

Throughout this difficult pandemic, nature lovers like me have been hard at work growing and planting and preserving things of value, such as food, and yes, things of beauty. Yesterday, I went to the dentist, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a wonderfully colorful display of zinnia flowers in a vase, obviously well-cultivated and cared for by the person who grew them.

Such love of nature and beauty is not unusual here in Northern Frederick County. I see evidence of such caring in many yards throughout Thurmont. Even some larger areas are abloom right now with woodland sunflowers (see photo), goldenrods, and tiny wild aster flowers. Certainly, we do not want to lose sight of what is important for the continuance of wholesome, healthy life on our planet, and such late blooming plants are not only providing beauty but also the nectar our pollinators need to survive a cold fall and winter. 

It is mid-September as of this writing, and here in my mountain home I await with great expectation the opening of two more moonflower buds, which are growing in pots on my deck and under an arbor. I bought my seeds through a catalogue and always thought they were annuals. However, I recently learned that it is a perennial tropical plant and can be cultivated, with great patience and plenty of water, in more northern climates. Surprisingly, it potentially can even winter over if planted in the ground and not in pots, even spreading by seed, even as far north as Maryland, though I imagine very rarely. Somehow, I don’t think it would survive up here in the Catoctins where temperatures are at least five degrees or lower than in Thurmont, but I might try it next year.  

Then there is the wonderful woodland sunflower, which can be seen in spots behind the guard rail along Rt. 550 north. Many years ago, I was given some of their tiny seeds, which I planted in a wild area just off my deck. Their small golden heads are a joy to behold amidst all the golden rods. These flowers are summers’ final display of its transitory glory. Of course, bees love them, too, as well as any monarchs drifting in for a quick snack on their long migration south. 

There are many contentious things we could discuss and argue about these days, especially now before elections, but I pray we do not lose sight of the things we all have in common, such as the need for clean water and air, protecting and planting trees, wild areas to feed bugs and birds, our family and friends, and of course, enjoying things of beauty.  Politics aside, for me, all these things are the most important elements in my daily life, and for ongoing life and joy on Earth.

So, I choose to focus on the beautiful things, no matter how fleeting. Enjoy your precious days ahead, no matter the storms, taking the good with the bad, the beautiful with the terrible…and remember…nothing lasts forever.

On The Wild Side

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by Christine Maccabee 

Tall Beauties and Late Bloomers

Where I live in upper Frederick County, I get to enjoy the various flowering plants blooming on our roadsides, truly making rides in our cars “scenic,” as many signs say along the roads. For me, it is not just the wonderful wide open landscapes of fertile farmlands and ancient mountains that make it scenic; it is the various wildflowers that bloom at their own pace, in their own time, some in early summer and others in late summer. Unfortunately, most are mowed down before they can bloom.

It is hard to believe we are in late summer with autumn soon to come. Meanwhile, the late-blooming Joe Pye weed and wild evening primrose are blooming here and there, attracting butterflies and bees with their wonderful, essential nectar and pollen. Just today, I saw some of these tall beauties along Hampton Valley Road, very near the Eyler Valley Chapel. It takes a discerning, and interested, eye to see them and appreciate them for what they are. They are mostly misunderstood and underappreciated, much like human late bloomers.

Being a late bloomer myself, I learned to love all the natural plants and animals around me at a young age. There wasn’t a day I did not go out exploring and observing. I was not a popular girl like many others. I was similar to wild plants, taking a long time to grow and bloom. Years later, at a class reunion, my neighbor, Bobby, told me that he and the other boys had admired me for my interest in turtles. I had a Turtle Town, as I called it, composed mostly of box turtles and some mud turtles. His words surprised me. If only I’d known the boys admired me back when…if only…

Unfortunately, over the years, I have seen so many wild places destroyed, it makes my head spin. Healthy habitat for wildflowers, which bloom all the way until frost, is essential for our pollinators. So, when I see these wildfloweers cut down before they even get a chance to grow a foot tall, I get depressed. Many people get cut down before they have a real chance to bloom, too. However, humans, as well as plants, are resilient. In between the cracks, we somehow continue to flourish. The mowers cannot always reach beyond the ditch, so the wildflowers can flourish there. And, thankfully, there are also some caring people who nurture and appreciate us and keep us around!

Joe Pye weed and evening primrose will soon fade away for another year, another whole year! I will miss them, as will the bees and butterflies.

However, soon to come, and right on their heels, are the really late bloomers: the goldend rods and wild asters. In this area, there are several varieties of wild aster that I know of: the white wood aster, the panicled aster, small-flowered white aster, and the purple Canadian aster. Of the 16 varieties of goldenrods throughout North America, we have around 4 in Frederick County: the lance-leaved goldenrod, tall goldenrods, stiff goldenrods, and rough-stemmed goldenrods. I’m using the common names, not scientific names, as they are descriptive. I recommend getting a good identification book such as the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers for greater understanding of these, and other, important wild plants.

Did you know that the pollen of goldenrods is not the major allergy problem? Their pollen is too heavy to travel far. It is ragweed pollen that creates problems for people, with its inconspicuous blooms that develop at the same time as goldenrod. However, in the wild, ragweed seeds have oils that help wild birds survive throughout the fall and winter.

Everything has a purpose, even you and me. Let’s make sure we all honor one another during the trying days ahead. We need to appreciate the diversity of all living entities and their contribution to the health and wholeness of life on our precious planet, Earth, of which we are all caretakers.  

Late-blooming Joe Pye “weed” along Hampton Valley Road.

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Another tall beauty, late-bloomer: wild evening primrose in Christine’s garden.

On The Wild Side

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“Late Blooming Native Wildflowers”

by Christine Maccabee

By now, you have likely seen the beautiful golden flowers of goldenrods along highways and back roads, and any other place they managed to escape the summer mowings. This is the beginning of the final amazing showing of wildflower blooms before colder weather comes in October.  Presently, the yellow flowers of the wild evening primerose are blooming and have been since July, serving pollinators very well. One place they are growing profusely are on both sides of the railroad tracks through Thurmont, but especially on the Boundary Avenue side. The beauty of this is that no one planted them there. They are happy volunteers!

All wild native plants are in a real sense, volunteers. As humans we often volunteer our time and talents for good causes, but so do wild plants and flowers. Spreading as they do by both seed and root, they feed precious pollinators their essential nectar and pollen. Therefore, I allow them to grow profusely on my eleven-plus acres and encourage others to do the same. In my gardens and fields, I have four species of goldenrods, ample evening primrose, lovely purple flowering teasel (which has bloomed out by now), four varieties of wild aster, yet to bloom, and many others. All of these can be very tall, especially this year with all the rain we have had.

These essential late-blooming, tall—sometimes gangly—plants are by far the most misunderstood wild natives, and yet, critically important elements in a healthy eco-system. Without their late season nectar and pollen, bees would perish during the winter, and what a sad world it would be without the wondrous buzzing of busy bees and the variety of colorful butterflies, and, yes, hummingbirds and moths as well.

You may have seen the pinkish purple flower clusters of Joe-Pye weed, which grow best in wet areas, even marshlands; however, many plants I’ve seen in the past have been mowed down along the sides of roads up here where I live. Folklore tells us that an Indian, Joe Pye, used this plant to cure fevers and aided early American colonists when treating an outbreak of Typhus. Many wild plants have such herbal remedy qualities if used properly, such as boneset, which happens to be blooming now. Early herbal doctors used it to help set bones, and it can be made in to a tea to treat colds, coughs, and constipation. Personally, I mostly admire these plants for their beauty and usefulness as food for our pollinators, though I have not yet tried them to cure fevers or set bones!

Soon to bloom on my property are the amazingly tall and graceful woodland sunflowers, though I have seen a smaller variety blooming already behind the guardrail off Rt. 550. Unlike the common striped sunflowers, which can win prizes for their size at county fairs (or our Community Show), these plants have multiple one- to two-inch flowers up and down the stems, which my bees ravenously feed upon. Then, after tiny seeds develop on each flower stem, small birds such as goldfinch, peck away at them, loading up on nutritious food for the winter.

There are many plants that I would like to write about here, but I have limited space. At least let me invite you to travel down the length of Woodside Drive in Thurmont and marvel at all the wild aster beginning to bloom. They will be flowering all through September and in to October, and the bees will be busily buzzing with joy!

One of the highest callings we have as humans is to protect the earth’s biological and botanical diversity. To have dominion over creation does not mean to usurp and pollute and mow it until earth is uninhabitable. It means to take responsibility for it. Many people are heeding this high calling, which gives me hope. Won’t you volunteer some of your property for the botanical volunteers just waiting to serve our important pollinators? As we become servants of all by preserving and creating precious eco-systems we will be preserving our own health and future. Have we any choice?

Christine Maccabee stands along the side of the railroad tracks on Boundary Avenue in Thurmont, admiring the yellow flowers of the wild evening primerose.