Doggone Plants
Dog violet (Viola labradorica)
As a follow-up on a recent article, plants named after dogs is the topic for today. Botanists must be cat lovers because they lack creativity in naming plants after our canine friends. Some of the plants have quite unpleasant characteristics, making them unsuitable for the home gardener. Hound’s tongue (Cynoglossum officinale), mad-dog skull cap (Scutellaria lateriflora), Dogbane (Aposynaceae), Dogwood (Cornus), Dog violet (Viola labradorica), and Dog’s tooth violet (Erythronium americanum) round out the list.
Hound’s tongue is an herbaceous biennial that grows 1-4 feet tall on a single stem with branches at the top. It is native to Eurasia but was unfortunately introduced to the United States in the mid-19th century in contaminated seed. The name refers to the shape and texture of the basal leaves. It is an ecological threat that is restricted in all counties in the state. It invades pastures, roadsides, grasslands, and meadows and is highly toxic to both cattle and horses.
Mad-dog skull cap, despite the name, is not nearly as toxic. The name refers to the cap shape of the flower. It was also reputed to be a cure for rabies, hence the “mad dog” reference. This is a member of the mint family but is well behaved and does not spread aggressively. It tolerates dry soils for short periods of time but thrives in moist soils. The tiny, trumpet shaped, bud-like flowers will be blue, purple, or white and attract pollinators. The 2-foot-tall plant will bloom late summer through early fall.
Dogbane is a relative of milkweed and is similar in appearance. Monarch butterflies enjoy the nectar of the flowers and occasionally lay eggs on the leaves, but the larva will not mature on the plants. The milky sap contains cardiac glycosides that are toxic to humans, livestock, and apparently to butterfly larva. The tough fibers from the stem of this plant were used to make threads and cords by Native Americans. It has been said that the thread was better that any cotton thread ever encountered.
Dogwood, specifically Redosier dogwood (Cornus sericea) is a native and commonly seen plant in southeast Wisconsin. Its colorful red or yellow bark brightens up the winter landscape as an accent plant in borders, along roadways, or as a plant for wildlife. It is 2-10 feet tall, can spread into clumps equally wide and is fast growing. It can also be controlled by pruning to a smaller size. It is adaptable to most any location and has beautiful white blooms and berries that wildlife favor.
Native violets, including the Dog violet, have a bad rap because they spread by rhizomes in lawns. However, these early bloomers provide much needed nectar for early emerging ground bees like mason bees and sweat bees. Dog violets have a dainty, pale blue to violet flower. They will fill in nicely in shady areas where turf has failed.
Dog’s tooth violet, also called trout lily, is in the lily family. It is native to woodland areas and blooms in early spring before the trees have developed leaves and then goes dormant. This is a corm and requires patience to grow. It will be several years after planting (in the fall) before being rewarded with the bright yellow, lily shaped blooms on 6-inch plants with mottled green leaves. It will slowly naturalize, providing a dramatic spring show.
It would be a doggone shame not to include some of these more favorable plants in the landscape.
Carol Shirk
Certified Master Gardener