​This week’s featured plant is Asarum canadense, also known as Wild Ginger!
 
Wild ginger is a low growing ground cover plant in the Aristolochiaceae family of pipevine plants known for their highly unusual flowers. Wild ginger is easily identifiable by its heart-shaped fuzzy leaves that seem to glimmer in sunlight and an unusual looking small red flower that grows out of the leaf base and droops to the ground. Found mostly on dry to slightly moist woodland slopes, this plant can form dense colonies on the forest floor below a traditional open canopy of oak, sycamore, and hickory.
 
There is not a single most interesting aspect of this plant, from the interesting foliage to the unusual flower, wild ginger also serves as a substitute to traditional ginger (Zingiber officinale) from southeast Asia. The fragrant rhizome can be used fresh or dried and ground into a powder to impart flavor into cooking. Just as fascinating is this plant’s approach to reproduction. Unlike many other flowers, A. canadense does not attract pollinators with sweet fragrances and the allure of nectar, but instead chooses to attract beetles and flies using the scent of decaying flesh. This is a trait commonly associated with the gargantuan century plants, often featured in many botanic gardens (Amorphophallus titanium). With beetles as the primary pollinator, this is only one of the reasons the flowers droop to the ground. Once the flower is pollinated, the seeds develop and the pod splits, revealing seeds with a fleshy coating similar to that of species in the Trillium genus. This bit of food is then carried away by ants with the seed still attached, where it will germinate away from the parent plant and begin a new colony of Ginger. 

​Meet our interns for this summer: Jennifer Ray and Samantha Heatherly! They will both be working in ERA's various departments in the office and out in the field throughout the summer. Learn more about them below.

​This week’s plant is Utricularia macrorhiza, or the Common Bladderwort.  

Utricularia is a highly specialized group of plants that can be found across the globe and can range widely in habitat from floating in stagnant bogs, nestled in moss on mountaintops, and climbing trees in rainforest canopies. What sets these plants apart from others is that they have adapted to grow in nutrient-poor environments and have since devised a way to supplement their intake of nitrogen and phosphorous by digesting micro-invertebrates such as nymph-stage insect larva. While there are several insectivorous plants, like Pitcher Plants, Sundews, and the famous Venus Flytrap; Utricularia, or Bladderwort, trap prey using one of many small bladders located along its root structures that have fine hairs surrounding a lidded opening. When a small organism brushes these hairs, the trap springs open with such force that it causes a vacuum, sucking the prey inside and closing the lid. That’s right! This is one of Illinois’ few native insectivorous plants.   

Common Bladderwort can be found throughout Illinois in sunny stagnant water and is normally only observed when the bright yellow flowerheads poke up through the surface in the summer, otherwise it may be confused for pond scum, algae, or other less exciting pond weed. While some species in the Utricularia genus are terrestrial (living on the ground) and some are arboreal (living in trees or rock faces off the ground), this species is fully aquatic. It can be easily separated from other aquatic plants by the round bubbly traps spread among the fine moss-like foliage that float just below the water’s surface.   
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Here is a link to a video of the trap in action: https://youtu.be/Zb_SLZFsMyQ?t=50 

​In a slight deviation from the norm, this week we are featuring an organism of the week. It is not a plant, but a fungus: Morchella esculenta.
  
Morchella esculenta, also known as the Golden or Yellow Morel, is a highly coveted culinary delight that can be found throughout much of North America with sporadic appearances in China and Japan, as well as parts of eastern Europe. Ranging from 3”-8” tall and varying wildly in mature shape, these fungus fruiting bodies feature tan to yellow pitted caps and smooth tan stems. The fruiting body is hollow all the way through and tends to act as both shelter and food for visiting insects like slugs, snails, beetles, and isopods. There are other species of Morel and Morel-adjacent fungus including the Black Morel (Morchella angusticeps) and Half Free Morels (Morchella punctipes) that can resemble a Yellow Morel and are also edible but are less common and less desirable.  
  
Appearing once soil temperatures average 50 degrees Fahrenheit and spring rains have added moisture to the forests, morels begin to appear seemingly overnight. They grow for a few days before beginning to decline and turn to mush or dry out, becoming shriveled and hard depending on the weather. Morels, like most fungus, form mycorrhizal relationships with certain species of trees. Known associate trees include Cherry, Maple, Oak, Elm, Ash, Sycamore, and Tulip Poplar, but may include more. To increase your chance of finding morels, become familiar with the habitat in which these trees are found, which is most commonly lowland forests. In addition, be sure to keep an eye out for trees that appear to be dying but not completely dead. The fruiting bodies of Morels are usually only present through April and May and will not appear until the following spring once sightings have stopped.   
  
To prepare Morels ‘Brad’s Way’ follow these directions*:  
  

1. Collect fresh morels, being sure to remove as much soil and debris as possible.  
2. Soak the Morels in a hot salty brine for no less than 10 minutes to kill off any small bugs or other invertebrates that may be hiding inside or among the many crevices of the mushroom’s surface and wash thoroughly. Some people let them soak overnight for added precaution.  
3. Slice mushrooms vertically to expose the hollow center and clean them out as you would any other fresh produce. Some larger fruiting bodies may be sliced an additional time to get them to a more manageable size in the pan and to cook through if smaller pieces are also present.  
4. Add a generous portion of butter to a pan heated over medium heat, enough to coat the mushrooms thoroughly and prevent burning.  
5. Add sliced mushrooms to pan cut side down and let it cook for 3-4 minutes before turning and cooking until the mushrooms have browned and softened. Add salt, pepper, and half of a thinly sliced shallot to the pan partway through cooking, if desired.   
6. Enjoy!  

  
*As with any found and foraged foods, or foods you may have never tried before, it is advised to sample small portions of Morel before consuming a larger portion to prevent gastrointestinal distress. If you have not eaten them before, you cannot be sure how your body will react, and it is always better to be safe than sorry.  
  
Happy hunting! 

​Put on your racing shoes and fill up your tires--Sycamore Park District’s Great Western Trail bridge is in! The steel pedestrian bridge is part of a 0.8-mile extension of the trail to bring walkers, runners, and cyclists to the eastern end of downtown Sycamore. ERA has been the onsite construction engineer over the last 7 months, and the project is on target to open later this Spring.

​Leaves of three, leave it be.
 
By popular demand, this week’s plant of the week is Poison Ivy, also known as Toxicodendron radicans. As we progress into the growing season it is important to know which plants are friend and which are…less friendly. Because all native plants have their purpose, none are foes.
 
Poison Ivy is an annual woody vine in the cashew family Anacardiacae (related to cashews, pistachios, and mangos) found commonly throughout Illinois and most of the Midwest, where it establishes in moist forests, savannas, and forest edge habitats, often in the areas surrounding wetlands and streams. The plant is a woody vine that grows up to 60’ vertically up trees, posts, or buildings when supported, or in a low loose mounding shrub when grown in the open. Emerging in spring, the young leaflets appear in groups of 3 and can range from yellow to bright green to red as they emerge early in the season. Mature leaves adopt a waxy finish and continue to be a range of greens and reds, and are even highly variable in final leaf shape, with some having smooth or lobed margins. As such, this plant can be difficult to identify without the proper knowledge and terminology. Other species in this genus include Toxicodendron diversilobum (Poison Oak), another vine native to the western US, and Toxicodendron vernix (Poison Sumac), a shrub that is native to Illinois but occurs only in higher quality wetland habitats and is much less common than its relatives.
 
The irritating oil Urushiol is found throughout the plant, including the woody vine, and is released when the foliage is bruised or the stem damaged. Not all people are susceptible to a reaction; however, as people age, the oil can cause reactions in people who were previously immune. Reactions can range from simple contact dermatitis in the form of a red itching rash, more severe cases can result in blisters and hospitalization. If poison ivy is burned in a brush pile, the aerosolized oils can result in anaphylaxis and death if not treated. Dried urushiol can remain potent on cut vines, pet hair, and even contaminated tools for an extended period so it is best to wash everything with soap targeted toward oil/grease if you suspect contamination or have been working with the plant on your property (Dawn kitchen soap or any other grease-centric soap works well for this purpose). If you think you have been exposed to urushiol, it is best to wash the area as soon as possible and monitor the area to watch for worsening symptoms. Exposure is best prevented by wearing long pants, closed-toe shoes or boots, and long sleeve shirts to prevent direct skin contact.
Fortunately, nature works to balance itself out and the best-known remedy for urushiol-based dermatitis is the Illinois native Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), which is the primary active ingredient in many anti-itch ointments and can be found in the same moist woods where Poison Ivy is prevalent. More severe exposure resulting in hospitalization requires treatment by prescription strength steroid creams.

​ERA spent Wednesday evening picking up trash along the DuPage River in Naperville as part of The Conservation Foundation's Adopt-A-Stream program. We collected 10 bags' worth of trash and debris from the area - a very successful cleanup! To learn more about the Adopt-A-Stream program and river cleanup events in your area, visit: https://bit.ly/3ffrDBP

​ERA welcomes Sarah Mytnik as our new Operations Coordinator! Learn more about Sarah below.

This week’s plant of the week is Pedicularis canadensis, also known as Wood Betony or Lousewort.
 
Pedicularis canadensis is an uncommon plant found throughout Illinois that is more frequently found in the northern half of the state. Growing low to the ground in clumping rosettes, the plant grows no taller than a foot in height. Wood Betony can be found in varied habitats from open prairie to woodland clearings where sun shines through and can tolerate sandy soil in addition to rich black soil of the prairie. The flowers being quite unique, this plant attracts native pollinators such as mason bees and bumblebees and is one of the more unique displays of inflorescence on the prairie.
 
One of the serious issues faced by a short plant in a tallgrass prairie is competition from the surrounding tallgrass keystone species, such as Big Bluestem or Indian Grass. Wood Betony has found an unusual solution in that it is hemiparasitic; attaching its roots to adjacent grasses to steal nutrients for its own use (despite producing its own chlorophyll for photosynthesis anyway), the surrounding vegetation is frequently shorter in stature than its neighbors as a result.
 
Pedicularis canadensis has seen many uses over the years, from medicinal infusions, ingredients in cooking and animal feed, and was once even believed to keep pests away from livestock (hence the common name “Lousewort”).

​Common among grocery stores and ice cream sundaes, strawberries can be found through Europe, eastern North America, and parts of South America. However, not all are created equal. Fragaria virginiana, the Wild American Strawberry, is much prized for its sweet ripe fruits that the larger fruits of early Europe could not match. In the late 1800s, Thomas Laxton, now known as the father of the modern strawberry, successfully bred this sweet American strawberry with an existing European variety to create the Royal Sovereign Strawberry. This would go on to be served to England’s Royal Family and can still be found today through garden seed suppliers.
 
The plant itself can be found through much of Illinois and in varying habitats from railroad tracks, woodlands, hill prairies, and anything in between. Relying on early spring growth, the wild strawberry can withstand competition from larger plants that develop later in the year as it goes mostly dormant after setting fruit for the summer. Watering in late spring and early summer helps to encourage growth of fruits. Though smaller in size than traditionally cultivated strawberries, these wild varieties hold a more concentrated flavor. They make a great addition to any garden that receives part shade or full sun, where the plant will be allowed to sprawl along the ground and form a loose ground cover.