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The Deep Middle


Gardening & writing in the prairie echo

Choosing Garden Plants Based on Sociability

1/28/2022

8 Comments

 
I've long preached that plant tags don't provide enough information to make informed decisions at the nursery. But maybe you also shouldn't be making spur-of-the-moment, impulsive plant decisions if you have high expectations for your garden -- as an aesthetic space, as a habitat space, as a resilient space. That's why we have the internet and books and online design consults.

There are two critical pieces of information we need to know about plants before we dig one hole:

1) Root structure -- is the root zone fibrous, is the plant taprooted, is it primarily coming from a corm or bulb

2) Sociability -- how does the plant primarily reproduce (rhizome, seed) and at what pace, in what site conditions

The former is a bit simpler perhaps but it's part of understanding the latter. Let's say you'd like to use two aggressive species -- they spread fast by rhizome. Planting them together so they collide and bump heads is a good idea as they may help check one another.  A taprooted plant, or one with a corm or bulb, would likely do well among a planting of fibrous-rooted plants because the competition underground is occurring at different levels. As for seeding, some plants will primarily seed near the mother plant, and others will cast themselves around. Some will germinate easily and soon take over, others will just be happy little surprises here and there.

A commonly-used sociability rating or index may go something like this:

1 -- the plant is primarily a behaved clumper that stays where it is, only growing in stature over time
2 -- the plant will creep or self sow lightly
3 -- creeping is moderate or self sowing is more liberal but it won't take over
4 -- give it 5 years and the plant will easily dominate the landscape

Granted, this index will morph a little bit based on ecoregion and site conditions. For example, Conoclinium, coelestinum spreads by rhizome easily in a rich, moist, loamy soil, but in clay and / or with dense competition (think fibrous-rooted sedge or bunchgrasses as a matrix) it's going to go from a 3 to 2 in most cases.

You can learn more about selecting plants at the nursery in the new online class Designing With Common Nursery Plants -- here's a video snippet from that lecture:

8 Comments
Susie Plunkitt
2/5/2022 02:08:58 pm

I do have all of them, plus, & kind of knew these were a problem. I might have to cut back more or plant thicker or get rid of them. Yes, broken-hearted, but want to have a garden that looks like a space that others in my neighborhood want & that I do not have at the moment. : (

Reply
Felicia Hirning
2/13/2022 08:40:21 am

I’ve been wanting to plant Solidago but have been afraid because of how aggressive it is. This helps me inch towards considering it. I just need to find another plant the will keep it in check.

Reply
Benjamin Vogt
2/13/2022 09:27:09 am

Solidago / Oligoneuron aren't aggressive by definition. That's a total misnomer based on one common species. There are MANY goldenrod species that aren't nearly as aggressive as Solidago canadensis. And it's also important to learn HOW plants spread (seed or rhizome or both?). And in what soil and plant community conditions. And in what ecoregion. To say that goldenrod is aggressive isn't fair to the many diverse species, or accurate when even that one species may perform quite differently in various ecoregions. But I digress! :)

Reply
Sharon Burnham link
2/25/2022 09:48:57 am

I loved your book, but had never perused your website until yesterday. Thank you for all the resources. One question here: where do you find information about competitiveness and sociability? I know about the Hansen book "Perennials and their Garden Habitats," but it's out of my price range. I learn from each plant I use, but would appreciate any sources of information you could recommend. Thank you.

Reply
Benjamin Vogt
2/25/2022 09:58:14 am

There's no one source. It's pretty much observation year after year and gleaning what info you can from a variety of websites and books that change and grow themselves over the years. I cover many of these resources in my online classes, but really, it's just hard work and patience when it comes to research and observation. Doing an internet search string composed of the scientific plant name helps.

Reply
Mia Evans link
12/21/2022 05:06:02 am

I never took into account the fact that there are plants that would have to be placed near each other and allowing them to bump heads so that they can check on each other. In that case, having a nursery in my backyard should be guided by a professional, because I have no idea where to start. What I want ist to have vegetables or herbs growing there so that we can use them for our meals.

Reply
Millie Hue link
12/27/2022 02:44:16 am

It's interesting to know that there are plants that can be placed near each other, because they would check on one another when they collide and bump heads. I guess there are different ways a plant nursery has to be set up depending on the type of species you get. We might need the help of a professional gardener if we wanted to have some vegetables and herbs growing in our backyard.

Reply
Daisy James link
1/11/2023 04:04:29 pm

It makes sense that you should consider how it reproduces. My sister was at my house yesterday afternoon for dinner, and she talked about how she wants to start working on a garden in her backyard this month, so she wants to make sure she chooses the right plants. I'll pass these tips along to her once she goes to a plant nursery to search for plants.

Reply



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    Benjamin Vogt's thoughts on prairie gardening in Nebraska. With a healthy dose of landscape ethics, ecophilosophy, climate change,  and social justice.

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