Latin for Gardeners: March 2025

Latin for Gardeners
March’s Native Maryland Plant

Geranium maculatum L.
(jer-AY-nee-um mak-yuh-LAH-tum)
Common Name: Wild Geranium, Spotted Geranium, Cranesbill

Wild Geranium is a lovely, low-growing, rhizomatic perennial often found blanketing the ground in woodlands or along roadsides. It’s an adaptable, clump-forming groundcover that thrives in a dry to moist area of my garden. Its dehiscent¹ fruits have allowed it to spread into other areas of my yard which I find a charming feature of this plant. I often find it growing far from where it was originally planted, usually where I’m leaning over to pull weeds – it makes for a welcome distraction from this never-ending chore.

The plant’s five petals range in color from lavender to pink to almost white and feature slightly darker contrasting lines that act as nectar guides – aiding pollinators in their search for pollen and nectar. Each flower has a single pistil surrounded by ten stamens. Beneath the flower are five green sepals and a slightly pubescent stem.

Wild geranium is a larval host plant for the White-Marked Tussock moth (Orgyia leucostigma). The plant may also be visited by slugs and snails - these two garden pests can be managed by creating an inviting habitat, like a compost pile, for ground beetles who will eagerly feed on them.

Having a compost is a great way to recycle yard waste. It also saves time and money and can gain you multiple Bay-wise² points! Top dressing your flower beds with compost, including those with Geranium maculatum, suppresses weeds and adds nutrients to the soil. What better way to keep plants healthy so they can continue to spread their seeds? Happy gardening.

¹ the explosive release of seeds from the fruit

² The Univ. of MD program that focuses on water quality. Find out more here:

https://extension.umd.edu/programs/environment-natural-resources/program-areas/bay-wise-program/

Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013
Watershed Steward Class 7/Anne Arundel Tree Trooper
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)
aligmilligan@gmail.com

The Woods in Winter Highlight the Ivy Problem

The Woods in Winter Highlight the Ivy Problem

By Nina Fisher (Class 5 Watershed Steward, WSA Board member and co-founder of Save Our Trees)

Take a look at the woods in winter. Now, really scrutinize them. Most of the trees are bare, shorn of their summer green garb, awaiting the warmish breaths of spring. The conifers and hollies stand out as they hold on to their dark green foliage.

This description is how the woods should look...but many do not. High up in many deciduous trees is a tangle of green English ivy and other invasive vines. It’s easy to see at this time of year and immediately alerts you to this serious problem in our forests.

The scope of the problem is enormous. When you drive around our county, there are very few places not compromised by these horrid invasive vines—English ivy, bittersweet, Japanese honeysuckle, porcelain berry and others. The vines wrap around tree trunks, holding moisture against the bark. They suck up nutrients and water that could go to the trees. They add enormous weight that the trees must support and make them more likely to topple during storms. They crowd out the native plants upon which our wildlife depends.

The problem seems overwhelming.

I am a co-founder of Save Our Trees (now a program under WSA), an organization that started when five concerned women got together just under three years ago because we wanted to do SOMETHING about this menace. And we have. In under three years, we and our volunteers have cleared almost 7,000 trees of these vines.

Is it a drop in the bucket? Yes. Does it make a difference? To every one of those 7,000 trees it does.

We take a “Just One Tree” approach. You may not be able to clear an entire forest of invasive vines, but you can clear just one tree. And after that, another tree. Every tree matters.

So, here is our ask. When you are walking around your yard or your neighborhood, we ask that you view the trees in a new light. Look for the vines. Then, get your pruners and start clipping. (see how at www.saveourtreestogether.org/resources/removing-ivy/). If the tree is not on your own property, get permission from the community or landowner first.

Your tree will thank you. Really! If you listen carefully, you can hear a huge sigh of relief.

We also ask that you count every tree that you free from vines and report the number to us. Our goal for the end of our third year is to reach 10,000 trees. We have a long way to go but with community help, we can get there.

If you become really enthused about removing vines, Save Our Trees is happy to help you run a neighborhood event. We have a short guide to setting up such an effort on our website (www.saveourtreestogether.org). We will also come to the event to demonstrate proper removal techniques and to help clear vines.

Save Our Trees wants the act of removing vines to ripple across the county so that more and more people understand the harm vines cause and the actions they can take in their own yards and communities.

Please reach out to us at saveourtreestogether@gmail.com and let us know how we can help you tackle this widespread problem. Every tree saved will thank you.

See how to properly clip ivy here.
Visit the Save Our Trees website here.
Email Save Our Trees here.

December’s Native Maryland Plant

All of them!

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all well and thinking of how you can use native plants in your gardens next year to provide habitat, filter stormwater pollution, sequester carbon, provide shade and create beautiful natural spaces to enjoy.  Studies have shown that being in nature reduces stress and native plants are so valuable for the environment that creating native places with them helps all living things.

For those of you who have been reading Latin for Gardeners, it’s now time to test your knowledge of the scientific names of the eleven native plants that have been featured this year. It’s always best to use the Latin names of plants when you recommend them to friends and the public – there’s only one Latin name for a plant so it avoids confusion and ensures people select the right plant when shopping at nurseries.

The botanical names of the plants (in alphabetical order) are:

Asclepias syriaca, Clethra alnifolia, Ilex glabra, Juncus effusus, Liatris spicata, Osmunda spectabilis, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, Parthenium integrifolium, Quercus falcata, Rudbeckia fulgida, Salix discolor

Their common names (in alphabetical order) are: Cinnamon fern, Common Milkweed, Gayfeather, Inkberry, Orange Coneflower, Pussy Willow, Royal fern, Soft Rush, Southern Red Oak, Summersweet, Wild Quinine

The first group of photos shows the plants in their winter dress. The second group of photos shows them during bloom. Can you still recognize them?  I’ve given you a few hints but don’t feel bad if you can’t place them all – Latin is not an easy language.  Good luck, or as they say in Latin, “Fortuna!”

Match the number of each plant to the letter of each plant in its summer bloom (answers at the bottom).

Alison Milligan - MG/MN 2013
Watershed Steward Class 7/CBLP
aligmilligan@gmail.com

Best Wishes, Ginger Ellis

Please join me in thanking WSA co-founder, Ginger Ellis, for 47 years of leadership and commitment to restoring our local waterways. This month, Ginger retires from her position as Environmental Planning Administrator for Anne Arundel County’s Bureau of Watershed Protection and Restoration. 

I first met Ginger in the Dining Hall of Arlington Echo in 2005 as she, Ron Bowen and Steve Barry were discussing how to better serve communities with stormwater problems. What followed was 3 years of discussion that eventually resulted in the Watershed Steward Academy. Ginger was truly the centering force amid the many ideas and opinions of the 4 founders. Her long term commitment to WSA has helped to ensure the organization’s continued growth and deep partnership with Anne Arundel County.   

After so many years of commitment to the environment, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ginger wish her all the best for a vibrant retirement. 

You can read more about Ginger’s amazing career here.

Cheers!

Suzanne Etgen