Common plant names, misconceptions

Common plant names, misconceptions
                        

While I was spending some time in early April putting together a presentation for our Native Plant Month event, I came across some articles discussing beneficial native plants to add to your landscape. I initially skimmed over the content but noticed a hefty number of comments on the article and decided to see what the cause of the discussion was.

Many were quick to point out that the article had listed burning bush as a recommended species to plant. The concern was based on the extremely invasive species, Euonymus alatus, which also has the common name burning bush. What I quickly realized is some very beneficial native plants can easily be confused with highly invasive non-native plants simply because of overlapping common names. This can lead to a lot of confusion while trying to make decisions when purchasing plants.

Burning bush and burning bush are two very different plants and are on the opposite end of the spectrum in their value as a plant in our landscape and their associated ecosystem benefits. Seems easy enough to understand right? Obviously, having plants with shared common names can be incredibly confusing.

I already introduced you to the invasive burning bush, Euonymus alatus. This non-native invasive species from Asia does have vibrant fall colors; however, the negative impacts far outweigh the aesthetics of this bush.

Winged euonymus started out as a very popular landscape plant, being placed around shopping center parking lots, industrial parks and housing developments. Since the 1970s it has been establishing in natural areas such as woodlands, wetlands and prairies. Once established in these natural areas, they are prolific seed producers, can spread via vegetative reproduction, have very little predatory pressure and are able to outcompete and displace our native plant species.

Our native burning bush is Euonymus atropurpurea. Native burning bush also is known as eastern wahoo or spindle tree. This native bush provides habitat and resources for numerous insect species, several bird species and browsing mammals.

Another example of this conundrum involves honeysuckle. There are the Asian bush honeysuckles — amur, morrow and tatarian (Lonicera maackii, Lonicera morrowii and Lonicera tatarica) — and Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica).

There are two native bush honeysuckles — bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) and Canada fly honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis) — that may be confused with the non-natives.

On a recent tour through Secrest Arboretum, curator Jason Veil pointed out a specimen of native bush honeysuckle. The crowd surrounding Jason quietly gasped and had a look of concern on their faces, due to the mention of honeysuckle. As Jason then shared with us about the native bush honeysuckle, he mentioned this was a common reaction to the mention of the name or really any plant name that crosses over between native and non-native invasives.

Other commonly confused species based on common names include bittersweet (American bittersweet is native and Oriental bittersweet is invasive), sumac (tree of heaven, sometimes called stinking sumac, is an extremely aggressive non-native species while smooth and staghorn sumac are native to Ohio and are great plants to have in the landscape) or viburnum (European cranberry bush viburnum, Viburnum opulus, is a non-native invasive while native viburnums like Viburnum trilobum, Viburnum denatum, Viburnum prunifolium or Viburnum acerifolium are all native species that are great alternatives to the non-native species).

Needless to say, the world of plants can get confusing very quickly. Where you are located in the state or in the country also can contribute to more confusion when regionally acceptable names may mean something completely different to someone not from that area. Attention to detail and thorough investigating are critical to ensure we are not purchasing and planting a species of plant that will contribute to the ongoing struggle of dealing with non-native invasive plants.

When in doubt with common names, take time to read the scientific names and do a little research to make sure you are actually buying what you think you are buying. The Ohio Division of Wildlife has a fact sheet called “Alternatives to Ohio’s Invasive Plant Species,” which is an excellent resource to have on hand when shopping nurseries, garden centers and greenhouses. This fact sheet also can be found on the Ohio Invasive Plant Council website, where you can find further information and additional resources.

Upcoming workshop

You’ve purchased some annuals for your flower beds and some vegetable plants for your garden. Now what? Join OSU Extension Wayne County on Saturday, May 21 from 10-11:30 a.m. for a free workshop on being successful in your flower beds and home gardens once you get those plants home from the greenhouse. We will hold the event at Rainbow Valley Greenhouse, 11140 Rainbow Highway, West Salem.

This workshop will cover proper planting techniques, site selection, soil and fertility recommendations, and best management practices for successful and productive flower beds and gardens. RSVP to ensure we have enough materials for participants. You can RSVP by calling the extension office at 330-264-8722.

Frank Becker is the Wayne County OSU Extension agriculture and natural resources integrated pest management program coordinator and a certified crop advisor and may be called at 330-264-8722 or emailed at becker.5872osu.edu.


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