Before seed planting, it is a time to catch up on garden articles. These three topics talk about everyday plant-related organisms that contribute more than we realize to our well-being.
Monarch wing markings make some more efficient flyers. Some common sedum herbs may have antioxidant properties. Selecting plants that impact our backyard environment may become as common as looking for pollinator plants at the nursery.
Monarch wing color markings are so distinctive that many people recognize the butterflies as they migrate north and south through the United States each year on several pathways.
Some of the Monarchs winter in the mountains near Mexico City and travel a path to Canada and back. A difference in their black and white wing markings results in a 3 percent more efficient flight than Monarchs migrating along other pathways, according to a mechanical engineering study by Mostafa Hassanalian at New Mexico Tech, highlighted in the November 2023 National Geographic magazine. Considering the weight of the butterfly’s body in long flights, a small efficiency can make a difference in the monarch’s long journey.
The alternating black and white pattern creates tiny areas of cool and warm air that reduces drag on the Monarch wings as the butterflies soar in the sun. Seabird wing patterns are also studied for their drag-reduction properties. Hassanalian and others see applications for wing design efficiency of airborne devices such as drones.
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The mauve Sedum is an everyday plant in the fall color of this region and other cold, harsh climates. Rhodiola rosea is a related herb that produces an antioxidant that increases the plant’s resistance to stress. Roseroot extract is one of the herbs studied in Russia for quick recovery in high-intensity workouts. The January/February 2024 Horticulture magazine features rhodiola. Relatives of this plant supply the first Vitamin C for animals after the snow melts.
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Plants that attract pollinators are of interest to gardeners in current seed catalogs. With more understanding and emphasis on plants that impact our daily lives, we will find kinds of shade trees that cool a city street most efficiently. Some plants have leaf surfaces more conducive to trapping air pollutants as barrier plantings.
The December 2023 Fine Gardening magazine studies the kinds of plants that contribute most to the human environment. Plants that require most minor inputs as they abate noise and minimize flooding may become popular with gardeners who want to contribute to the environment in their own backyard.
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Monarch butterflies swarm blue gum eucalyptus trees if they happen to bloom during the migration. A colleague lives in Monarch Grove, which is named for such swarming butterflies. It is actually a tourist destination. A potential problem, though, is that the swarming on the blue gum and other eucalyptus distracts the butterflies from native species that rely on them for pollination.