Native Plant Database
The Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa) profiled this month by Cheri Melton, is one of my favorite plants, so I thought I would look to see what one of my favorite Web sites (http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/) had to say about it. This U. S. Forest Service Web site contains a database of useful information about native plants of the United States and is well worth a visit.
The USES database is called the Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) and provides up to- date information on the effects of fire on native plants and animals. Although the database is designed to support forest fire fighting efforts, it also has lots of information of interest to anyone wanting to grow native plants. The information on each plant in the database comprises the following sections: Introduction, Distribution and Occurrence, Value and Use, Botanical and Ecological Characteristics, Fire Ecology, Fire Effects, and References. The amount of information on each plant varies with the amount of research that has been done on that plant. The Introduction provides the scientific and common names of the plant as well as its taxonomy and Federal legal status. The Distribution and Occurrence section not only lists areas where the plant occurs (by state, ecosystem, and national forests and parks) but also its habitats and associations with other plants. The Value and Use section describes the commercial value of the plant and its importance to livestock and wildlife as well as how the USES manages its growth in the wild, including susceptibility to disease. The Botanical and Ecological Characteristics section gives a general description of the botanical characteristics of the plant, its form (tree, shrub, etc.), information on reproduction, a description of the environment where the plant grows in nature, its successional status, and phenology. The sections on Fire Ecology and Fire Effects discuss the plant's vulnerability and response to fire.
Although all the information in the database is interesting, the sections on botanical and ecological characteristics and distribution and occurrence are of most interest to gardeners. It is here that you can find out how the plant propagates in the wild and the environmental conditions that favor its growth. For example according to the data base, Apache plume seeds germinate best when sown at 60 to 70 degrees F. on a prepared bed and covered with fine loam or sand. The plant grows naturally in deep soils on moist, rich sites such as canyon bottoms but also appears to thrive on dry, rocky ridges and slopes. This is useful information to anyone attempting to find a home for the Apache plume in their own yard. There are many plant databases on the Web, but the FEIS is the only one that lists only native plants and gives so much useful information to the gardener and botanist.
By the way ("BTW'), if you have any comments on this or any other article or any suggestions for Web sites that should be featured here, drop me a line at gruenha@c2i2.com or write to Rob Call at recall@ag.arizona.edu. Happy surfing.