29 July 2025
One in all my favourite locations to stroll is alongside the Allegheny River on the Three Rivers Heritage Path at Herrs Island again channel. The stretch from the Millvale Boat Launch to Herrs Island Scenic Overlook is wealthy in birds, vegetation and bugs. Final Friday I discovered a novel (new) combine of native and non-native species in bloom.
Horse nettle, sometimes Solanum carolinense, just isn’t a nettle in any respect however a member of the Solanum genus that features potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants. This native, proven at high, is named “nettle” as a result of the stems, leaves and flower stalks have thorns. Horse nettle is a perennial that spreads by seeds and rhizomes (creeping rootstalks). I didn’t understand that it has these attention-grabbing traits. I’ll have to return and examine them out.
Leaves odor like potatoes when crushed. … The fruits are berries that resemble tomatoes. The immature fruit is darkish inexperienced with mild inexperienced stripes, turning yellow and wrinkled because it matures. Every fruit accommodates round 60 seeds.
Allegheny or square-stemmed monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens) can be a perennial that spreads by rhizomes and is commonly included in native plant seed mixes. Likelihood is it’s one of many few survivors of a path beautification challenge. All it wanted was the proper place to sprout.
Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum) is native to Eurasia and Africa however was delivered to North America to be used in textile processing. The dried flower head is “a pure comb for cleansing, aligning and elevating the nap on materials, significantly wool.” It’s so hardy that it escaped into the wild.
Within the photograph one other native of Eurasia and Africa, the honeybee, finds a well-recognized flower and inadvertently helps it unfold.
I discovered catnip (Nepeta cataria) blooming alongside the path. What a fantastic plant! We predict it’s only for cats however folks introduced it right here from Eurasia due to its many makes use of.
- Catnip attracts butterflies (and cats).
- It’s drought tolerant and deer resistant.
- Its presence is usually a repellent for aphids and squash bugs.
- Iridodial, extracted from catnip oil, attracts lacewings that eat aphids and mites.
- For those who rub catnip leaves in your pores and skin or garments the iridoid in them will repel mosquitos. Additionally, you will appeal to cats.
I’m at all times joyful to see frequent St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) as a result of it shares my title. This hardy non-native perennial was introduced right here from Eurasia and Africa for its many medicinal makes use of.
Wild City Crops of the Northeast by Peter Del Tredici explains that it was “historically used as a poultice for treating wounds and ulcers. Extra not too long ago it has change into standard for treating gentle melancholy together with the accompanying signs of fatigue, nervousness and insomnia. It has additionally been used as a meals preservative, particularly for cheese, and as a supply of reddish dye.”
Years in the past I purchased a field containing my very own good temper.
A novel ecosystem: Fairly than considering of this habitat as invasive weeds, I’m studying to view it by means of Del Tredici’s eyes. This mixture of native and non-native vegetation would by no means have come collectively had been it not for people. The result’s a mix of hardy vegetation in a thriving novel ecosystem that has the endurance to outlast what we do to the habitat.
Invoice Sutherland describes it right here:
