National and regional perspectives on at-risk plants
I would like to start planting more endangered plants in
my garden - want to do my part to take them off the endangered
list. Is there a list that I can obtain that shows the most
endangered? If there is, where can I find a reputable source for
this plant material? - K.F. -
Government databases have lists of what's threatened, endangered
or of special concern in your area. In the U.S., use the
threatened/endangered button on plants.usda.gov and then click on a State or
States.
Alter other categories on that page as you wish to see only
perennials or wetland plants, etc.
In Canada, do an Internet search using the terms
(your province name) government endangered speci
es.
As examples, Ontario and Saskatchewan lists.
Below, a list we made after receiving the USDA list for
Michigan. We selected species that we think can be grown in most
gardens and are probably available at some nurseries. You may
already be growing some of them. Some you may be very surprised to
see on this list at all.
A sampler: Michigan's list, abridged
If you're not gardening in Michigan, go to the USDA site and
call up your State's list, or check your Province's list. It's
startling to see that a plant can be in big trouble in one place and
fine "next door!"
There is a code following each plant name below.
T: threatened
E: endangerd
PREX: probably extirpated (wiped out! from this area although not
from everywhere.)
Threatened and Endangered Species in Michigan
From 356 species listed by the USDA Plants Database, we
extracted these which you may recognize from your garden or natural
areas, or perhaps you included them in a wildflower meadow and
natural woodland planting.
Allium schoenoprasum, wild chives T
(threatened)
Artemisia ludoviciana, white sage T
Calamagrostis stricta, slimstem reedgrass T
Camassia scillioides, Atlantic camas T
Castanea dentata, American chestnut E (endangered)
Chasmanthium latifolium, Indian woodoats. northern sea
oats T
Chelone obliqua, red turtlehead E
Dodecatheon meadia (Primula meadia), shooting
star,
pride of Ohio E
Echinacea purpurea, eastern purple coneflower
PREX (presumed extirpated)
Eryngium yuccifolium, rattlesnake master, button eryngo
T
Filipendula rubra, queen
of the prairie T (right)
Hydrastis canadensis, goldenseal T
Lactuca floridana, woodland lettuce T
Liatris punctata, dotted blazing star PREX (presumed
extirpated)
Mertensia virginica, Virginia bluebells T
Mimulus glabratus michiganensis, Michigan monkeyflower,
E
Monarda didyma, scarlet beebalm PREX (presumed
extirpated)
Nelumbo lutea, American lotus T
Nuphar lutea pumila, yellow pond lily, E
Panax quinquefolius, American ginseng T
Phlox maculata, wild sweet William T
Polemonium reptans, Greek valerian, Jacob's ladder
T
Polygonatum biflorum, smooth Solomon's seal
PREX (presumed extirpated)
Ruellia humilis, wild petunia T
Sanguisorba canadensis, Canadian burnet T
Sarracenia purpurea heterophylla, purple pitcherplant
T
Silphium laciniatum, compassplant T
Silphium perfoliatum, cup plant T
Tanacetum bipinnatum huronense, Huron tansy T
several Trillium T (not T. grandiflorum)
T. undulatum, painted trillium E
Wisteria frutescens, American wisteria T
Zizia aptera, meadow zizia T