Wisconsin Native Plant Garden in November
Late fall arrives in November, with colder days, possible frosts, shifting winds, shorter daylength, and neutral colors. Plants go into dormancy; some still hold seeds. Many plants begin winter as rosettes, with new growth on stems so short the leaves rest on the ground in a cluster until next spring. Hibernating and migrating animals are out of sight. Winter residents find food and cover in standing vegetation. Insects are quiet, having migrated or entered dormancy (in egg, larva, pupa, or adult stages, depending on species). Garden tasks include trimming along paths to prepare for snow season, retaining fallen leaves in garden beds, providing winter protection for trees, measuring spaces for planting or reworking in spring, and late seed harvesting if conditions are dry.
In native plant gardens, our practices for garden care follow natural processes and timing. In shaded yards, retain fallen leaves – and the nutrients and the life forms they hold. Keep plant material standing throughout the winter, for cover, shelter, and food for animals, and to prevent erosion of exposed soil. To conserve essential invertebrates, the Xerces Society promotes fall gardening to “leave the leaves.” Keeping your leaves on garden beds or in piles will also provide a source of light leaf mulch for the next growing season. Leaves left or layered under mature trees (within the trees’ driplines) will create new planting beds for shade-loving species. In addition to new planting areas, these leafy spots provide unmowed and undisturbed habitat, also known as soft landings, for dormant stages of butterflies, moths, and other beneficial insects.
After a drought in 2023, the 2024 growing season had two distinct periods: excessive moisture before July 15, and mostly dry conditions since then. As of the latest drought report in late October, parts of Wisconsin are now in drought, while the cumulative precipitation graph shows us well above the long-term average amount of precipitation to date. This uneven distribution of rainfall throughout the growing season caused many plants to grow significantly taller than usual, especially early in the season (in some cases, double the height they grew in 2023). When rainfall tapered off in late July, some plants went into early dormancy. Then they began to grow, and even bloom, after infrequent heavy rainfall. In some species, the dry fall seems to have reduced seed production and maturation, but most plants seem to produce copious seeds despite the precipitation extremes.
Another unusual disturbance in the mesic prairie garden this summer came as a result of construction. In late July, to upgrade the electrical transformer, a large truck had to drive through the garden. Large mats were placed to prevent rutting and soil disturbance, but full-sized prairie plants were crushed. However, within 10 days of being flattened, the plants (all perennials) began to resprout and grow, despite the lack of rain. We are interested to see if this area shows signs of this disturbance next season.
We can promote resilience in our gardens by growing native plants that rebound well after construction around buildings and are also tolerant of drought, excessive moisture, heat, and sharp variability in those, that characterize climate change.
—Susan Carpenter, native plant garden curator
