Mistletoe species in the Southeast U.S.

Question:
I read an article about mistletoe and I am doing a project for Organismal Biology and I was wondering if you could tell me where/how I can find out how many species and what species of mistletoe are located here in Auburn Alabama?

Answer:

That question is so simple I think I will let my driver answer it (just kidding). Here is the answer I got from Curtis J. Hansen, Curator Freeman Herbarium, Auburn University:

Yes, I'd be glad to answer that! There is primarily only one species of mistletoe that dominates the eastern United States and grows from New York to Florida and west to Arizona-- that is Oak Mistletoe, or scientifically speaking, Phoradendron leucarpum. There is only one other species in the southeastern US (east of Texas) called Mahogany Mistletoe that is found very rarely in Florida. The center of distribution (where the most diverse number of species are found) for mistletoe is western North America, from Canada in the north and down into the western US extending east to Texas. There are about 34 different species of mistletoe (from three different genera) found in the western US and Canada. In addition, there are 6 endemic (found only in a particular area) mistletoes found in Hawaii. Mistletoe species in the genus Arceuthobium, commonly called Dwarf Mistletoes, are pests and cause tremendous losses and reduced productivity in the timber industry in the western US.
All mistletoes are parasitic, meaning they grow their root systems into a host tree and "steal" nutrients for growth. However, they are also green, so they can produce some of their own nutrients through photosynthesis. While most mistletoes don't outright kill their tree-host, they can weaken them over time and ultimately be the cause of tree death. The genus found in our area, Phoradendron, means "tree thief" in Greek--an appropriate name for a parasitic plant.
As far as locating mistletoe in Auburn goes, it's pretty easy. All one has to do is go out side and scan the surrounding hardwood trees and you'll find clumps of greenish-looking "bushes" among tree branches. That's mistletoe. As the name indicates, Oak mistletoe is found mostly in oak trees, but may also be found in other hardwoods. This particular species isn't known to grow in pines or conifers in our area. Mistletoes are particularly easy to spot at this time of year (winter)when the leaves of the hardwood trees have fallen. In fact, you can still find many plants in full fruit with little white berries, for female plants and male plants that are in full flower, the flowers are very small. There are separate female and male plants in this species.

Herbs and Bees

A gardener asked the following question: “I want to include herbs in my garden and need to know more about requirements for growing them. I’m also interested in attracting pollinators, especially honeybees. Which herbs will provide food or habitat for them?”

Answer: With spring fast approaching, honeybee populations in decline, and herbs gaining status with a variety of gardeners, this is a very pertinent question.

I asked Sallie Lee, Jefferson County Extension Agent to respond, as she works with Jefferson County Beekeepers and is involved with an heirloom herb garden project in Birmingham.

She replied: “Tony, to simplify the question, let’s break the answer into two parts, one to address the herbs, one for the honeybees”.

Herbs have many attributes that contribute to their increasing popularity in gardens and landscapes. Their historic use, from primarily culinary and medicinal, to the 21st century has expanded the role of herbs. Today, we grow herbs (or “’erbs”) for aesthetic reasons, for use in cooking (culinary), as medicinal, aromatics, ornamentals, household/industrial, and wildlife habitat.

Herbs are considered one of the easiest groups of plants to grow, and once established, most are considered low maintenance; they do very well with little water or fertilizer.

Requirements for growing herbs, regardless of reason, need to be considered before planting them in the ground. And, while herbs are adaptable to a range of soil and growing conditions, most don’t do well in poorly drained soil. Another limiting factor is the amount of sun available to them; if the site receives less than 6-8 hours of sun a day, look for another site or consider herbs that can handle light shade.
The sun/shade factor is especially important for pollinators, including honeybees, since most of them are attracted to plants that flower in full sun conditions.

Another factor to consider is soil; heavy clay is a challenging environment for most herbs. Make their life easier and more productive by planting herbs in raised beds or amending existing soil with well-composted organic matter to improve its porosity.

Herbs are a solution to the need expressed by many beekeepers; to increase nectar availability in an area. Herbs are versatile, blooming the same year they’re planted in many cases. With sufficient variety, an herb garden can have plants in bloom 10 months of the year, providing nectar and pollen sources for honeybees. However, not all herbs attract honeybees, so gardeners should pay attention to variety. Herbs such as basil, bee balm, hyssop (anise), mints, sage, and thyme are examples of bee favorites.

Designing an herb garden is similar to other gardens; segregate tall growing plants such as bee balm from low spreading herbs like thyme to minimize unwanted shading.
Perennial herbs should be the focus of the garden as they will last for years without being replaced, although annuals can be used as fillers where appropriate.

Attracting wildlife, in this case a very special pollinator, takes a little extra work, but the effort is worth it when you see and hear the hum of honey bees visiting your herbs.

For additional information, pull up the following Alabama Cooperative Extension publication, “Growing Herbs”.

Bamboo Control

Question: How do I control run away bamboo in my yard?

Answer:
Bamboo is one of the most difficult invasive plants to control once established. The wrong type bamboo can take over landscapes, stream banks, and woodlands.

There are many species of bamboo sold in the nursery trade, some are more invasive than others. Creeping types are, as a rule, very invasive once established. There are clump-type bamboos that spread at a much slower rate. For most homeowners this is the most responsible choice. You may avoid control problems down the road and your neighbors won’t be so upset. These clump-type bamboos can be removed by digging up the offending plants. Unfortunately, some of the more popular types of bamboo sold in the nursery industry are the more invasive, spreading types. These plants spread by thick, tough, underground stems (rhizomes). The rhizomes are resilient to tough environmental conditions and most herbicides.

To control such aggressive plants you must eradicate or contain the entire infestation. Treating only a part of the infestation will be doomed to failure because bamboo can re-establish rapidly. Also, bamboo control programs will require an intensive control strategy over several years.

Containment of creeping types of bamboo is possible, because the rhizomes are typically fairly shallow (less than one foot deep in the soil), but difficult because they can grow over the top of barriers. Barriers made of concrete, metal, plastic, or pressure-treated wood should be installed at least 18 inches deep. Inspect the barrier once or twice a year and remove any rhizomes that are visible.

To control, start with physically removing as much of the rhizome and root mass as possible. It will be impossible to remove all pieces; therefore, follow-up treatment with herbicides will generally be required. Few herbicides are effective on bamboo. The only treatment regime that has been proven to work are winter applications of diclobenil(Casoron or Barrier) combined with summer spot sprays with glyphosate (Roundup). Diclobenil will kill many of the rhizomes and prevent others from re-establishing through early summer. After that time new sprouts will emerge and must be controlled to prevent re-establishment. Reapply glyphosate whenever new growth is present. It will take at least two years of this regime to get good control. In that time you will not be able to plant herbaceous ornamentals, hemlocks, or many other shrubs in that area because diclobenil can kill these ornamental species. If the bamboo is growing in plant beds where these herbicides cannot be used, remember bamboo is a grass and can be suppressed with selective grass controlling herbicides. Always check chemical labels to make certain the product can be used as you intend.

A non-chemical option is to put the entire infestation into turf for several years. Bamboo does not tolerate frequent mowing. Remember, regardless of which method of control you choose, an intensive effort over multiple years will be required to completely eradicate bamboo. Therefore, spend a little extra time researching which ornamental bamboos are best for your yard.

Much of the information in this blog came from an NC State article by Dr. Joseph C. Neal, Weed Scientist Department of Horticultural Science. You may also read another good publication on this subject from the University of Florida by Jason Ferrell, Mark Czarnota, and Ken Langeland (who took the picture above)