Hello from Columbus, Ohio

[kitkor]

Hi, Catherine,

Oh, I do wish the wildlife would leave our plants alone. Don't they know what we're trying to do?! Their interference is certainly not appreciated. I live in a relatively protected spot on the south side of Mount Vernon so I never see deer in the yard. The resident moles, squirrels, and groundhogs can do some damage, though.

Good luck with your Cypripedium! I can't imagine growing that in my yard -- far too much clay in the soil.

Yes, Heuchera is the genus of coralbells, Asarum (also known as Hexastylis in the south) is the genus of wild ginger, and Monotropa is the genus of Indian pipes. I have seen Monotropa uniflora at the Honey Run Highlands park in Knox County.

The only native orchid I know of in Knox County is the downy rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens), which is fairly well-established on the sandstone at Honey Run park in eastern Knox County. I enjoy the native species and seek them out when hiking, but spend most of my academic efforts on unresolved questions in the Australasian species.

Cheers,
Ryan