​​This week’s plant of the week is American Bladdernut, or Staphylea trifolia!
 
This interesting shrub is native to Illinois. It can be found in moist woodland habitats under a canopy of Oak, Sycamore, Maple, Birch, or Linden. Easily identifiable by the unusual three-sided seed pods, bladdernut also features interesting flowers arranged in drooping white clusters that are visited by a wide variety of pollen and nectar seeking insects, including honeybees and bumblebees. The seeds are also reported to be edible with a flavor profile much like that of walnuts—they can be eaten raw or cooked.
 
American Bladdernut can be utilized in landscaping as well! This fast-growing shrub would do well in a woodland planting as a screening shrub, where it is protected from direct sun and heat and where the soil remains moist but not wet. Bringing spring interest with its flowers and pollinator benefits, summer interest with unique trifoliate leaves, and fall/winter interest through the fascinating seed capsules, this plant is sure to be a great addition to your home landscape. 

​This week’s plant of the week is Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata).  
  
The Shagbark Hickory is one of the few pioneer species known to colonize prairie grasslands in the early stages of forestation. An interesting tree that at maturity can reach over 100 feet tall, have a diameter greater than 25 inches across and live for over 300 years, Shagbark Hickory is almost immediately identifiable by its namesake bark that appears to be peeling like the outer skin of a banana.   
  
Shagbark Hickory, in tandem with Oak trees, is part of what defines the northeastern region of Illinois as savanna. A savanna is what is known in ecology as an ecotone, a bridge between two greater ecosystems. In this case, that would be the bridge between a prairie grassland and a forest. A savanna is considered to be grassland that has tree cover, but still gets enough sunlight that penetrates to ground level. While Oak trees are the primary tree in savannas, regionally identified as Midwest Oak Savannas, Hickory Trees play a vital role.   
  
Some traits of the Shagbark include being resistant to wildfire, tolerance of harsh exposure, and the ability to reach great heights above many of the under-canopy trees, such as redbuds, to which they provide the necessary cover during young growth. Shagbarks also provide nesting areas for the state and federally endangered Northern Long-Eared Bats, which are small enough to rest under the peeling sheets of bark during daylight hours. Other notable uses for the Shagbark Hickory include the nuts as a food source and the wood that is highly sought after by carpenters and builders for its hard density and tall, straight growth habit needed for large framing beams. This also lent to the nickname of ‘Old Hickory’ being given to former President Andrew Jackson, as he was known to be a tough, determined man, “as firmly rooted as a hickory tree".   

​This week’s plant is Physostegia virginiana, commonly known as false dragonhead or obedient plant.   
  
This attractive native member of the mint family is right at home in landscaping beds where they get a lot of sun and moisture. It is also particularly well suited to rain gardens. The common name ‘obedient plant’ comes from an unusual trait that leaves the flower in whichever direction you point it towards. Alternatively, this plant slightly resembles another landscape plant, the dragonhead or snapdragon, leading to the other common name, ‘false dragonhead’. If you are planting an obedient plant in a landscape setting, be sure to give it lots of space as it tends to spread quickly when planted in a favorable site.   
  
Aside from the playful flowers, attractive growth habits, and usefulness in the garden, one fascinating feature about this plant is the reproductive structures located inside the flower itself. When people visualize a flower, they tend to picture the pollen-producing organs in the center where a bee may land to collect food for the hive, typical of the compound flowers of the aster and sunflower family. The Obedient Plant, however, has other ideas. The male reproductive organs (anthers) and the female organ (stigma) are located on the top of the flower directly above a central lobed petal that acts as a landing pad for bees, moths, or other pollinators seeking pollen or nectar. Instead of being rewarded with pollen at the rear of the flower as is typical of many flowering plants, pollinators are rewarded with a sort of 'pat on the back' as the anthers dip down and deposit pollen on the back of its visitor while they crawl to the back of the tube-shaped flower seeking nectar. This ensures pollen is not gathered as a resource and will be accurately deposited on the stigma of the next obedient plant the pollinator visits.  
  
Next time you visit a municipal park or see a rain garden, keep an eye out for these interesting plants and see if you can spot pollinators crawling in and out of the little tubular flowers! 

​ERA provided engineering services on a joint project with Bolingbrook Park District and the Bernard Ward Elementary School. Our services included drainage improvements and pavement rehabilitation of a ½ mile section of Recreation Drive, the 236-space main parking lots for the Annerino Community Center, the shared 98-space parking lot, and 89 parking spaces along Recreation Drive.  Additionally, the pavement and 54 parking spaces associated with the Bolingbrook Park District Central Maintenance Facility were rehabilitated. 
 
The project was done in two phases to have the first phase completed in time for school to start.  The contractor, Abbey Paving, was able to complete the first phase in time for school to open despite delays due to record rainfalls.  The $980,000 project was completed on time and approximately $120,000 under budget.

​This week’s plant of the week is Monarda fistulosa, commonly known as Wild Bergamot.
 
True Bergamot is Citrus bergamia and is a hybrid of the bitter orange and lemon plants. Wild bergamot, as it is found in Illinois, is a member of the mint family and is commonly identified by tall, erect stems with opposite leaf arrangement featuring a square cross section. Each lavender-colored bloom is comprised of many smaller individual flowers that are prized by bees, flies, butterflies, moths, and many other pollinators. Considering all this information, it is easy to see how the plant got its name. Wild bergamot leaves, when bruised or crushed, produce a bergamot-like odor that wafts across the prairies during summer.
 
This plant is commonly found in both prairie and wetland buffer settings where it is often used in restoration and stormwater improvement projects. Known for its semi-aggressive growth habit, this plant has no issue outcompeting some of the more problematic prairie invaders. One downside to this plant is that it is highly susceptible to powdery mildew, a fungus that appears on the leaves and stems. This dusty coating that does not necessarily harm the plant but is not the most pleasing to see in your garden.
 
With vigorous growth, an attractive bloom and foliage, fragrance, and benefits to pollinators, it is no wonder this plant has been seen more often in landscape settings as native plants grow in popularity.