Friends of the Wildflower Garden
Supporting the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary
The oldest public wildflower garden in the United States.
Listing by season, of Eloise Butler's plantings in 1914, that were "1st time" plantings according to her Garden Log.
Eloise brought into the Garden a number of plants that are not listed today on the Garden census. Many of these were native to Minnesota and a few were not. Here is a listing of most of those plants introduced this year to the Garden for the first time - the common and botanical names listed first are names she used followed by other common names for the same plant and the newer botanical classifications, if any; then follows her source for the material. 1914 is the first year the following list of plants occur in her log. Most are shown in the photos. The inclusion of "(M.C.)" indicates a plant that was still present at the time of Martha Crone's 1951 Garden Census - except for grasses and sedges which Crone did not catalog. "Native" indicates the plant is considered native to Minnesota or if introduced, long established. "Extant" indicates the plant is present in the Garden today. Botanical classification: Over the years Botanists have reclassified many plants from the classifications in use at the time Eloise Butler wrote her Garden Log or when Martha Crone prepared her census. I have retained the nomenclature that Eloise Butler or Martha Crone used and then provided the more current classification based on the latest published information from Flora of North America (Ref. #W7) and the Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Flora of Minnesota. (Ref. #28c)
Spring 1914.
Photos shown below are a mix of early plantings that are not present today and of plants still extant. Click the name link in the list for photos and information of those plants most of which are still extant.
- Agoseris - no species given. Native. Montevideo, MN.
- Anise-scented Goldenrod, Solidago odora. Native. Gillett's Nursery, Southwick, MA.
- Blanketflower, Great-flowered Gaillardia, (M.C.), Gaillardia aristata, Charlotte, Vermont. Native. [Bloomed on June 28 and planted again on Sept. 29. from Mrs. Healy's (her former pupil) Garden at 1800 Humbolt Ave.]
- Brittle Prickly Pear, (M.C.), Opuntia fragilis. Boulder Colorado, Native [Planted again on August 5 from local source]
- Golden Corydalis, Scrambled Eggs, (M.C.). Corydalis aurea. Fort Snelling. Native [planted again in October from Mendota
- Goldmoss Stonecrop, Sedum acre. Malden MA. Introduced.
- Hairy False Goldenaster, (M.C.), Chrysopsis villosa (Heterotheca villosa). Columbia Heights, MN. Native
- Lotus Milkvetch, Astragalus lotiflorus. Montevideo, MN. Native
- Prickly Pear, Opuntia vulgaris (Opuntia ficus-indica) Native. Gillett's Nursery.
- Purple Locoweed, Oxytropis lambertii. Boulder CO. Native
- Rocky Mountain Woodsia, Woodsia scopulina. Boulder CO. Native
- Seneca Snake Root, (M.C.), Polygala senaga, Gillett's. Native
- Silver Buffaloberry, Shepherdia argentea. Boulder CO. Native. [Note: in 1912 Eloise noted planting Shepherdia but gave no species]
- Twinflower, (M.C.), Linnaea borealis. Big Bog at Minnetonka, MN. Native
- Wild Lupine, (M.C.), Lupinus perennis, Native. Gillett's Nursery. Extant
- Yarrow, Pink, Achillea millefolium roseum, Introduced. Gillett's Nursery.
- Yellowflower Locoweed, Oxytropis villosa (Oxytropis monticola). Boulder CO. Not native. No photo.
Summer 1914 Plantings
See explanatory notes at top of page.
Click the name link in the list for photos of those plants most of which are still extant.
- American Dragonhead, Dracocephalum parviflorum. Chicago Ave & 46th St. Native.
- Asiatic Dayflower, Commelina communis. Babcocks Garden at 227 Xerxes Ave. Native.
- Canadian Gooseberry, Ribes oxyacnathoides. Big Bog, Minnetonka. Native
- Corn Cockle, (M.C.). Grostemma githago (Agrostemma githago). Glenwood Springs. Introduced.
- Cow Soapwort, Saponaria vaccaria (Vaccaria hispanica). Glenwood Springs. Native
- Dwarf Spike-moss, Northern Selaginella, Selaginella rupestris. Osceola, WI. Native
- Fern-leaf False Foxglove, Gereradia pedicularia (Aureolaria pedicularia). Pine Coulee, St. Paul. Native. This may be one of the three unidentified Gereradia species that she also planted in 1909.
- Fewleaf Sunflower, Helianthus occidentalis. Echo Lake, White Bear. Native.
- Pale Smartweed, Nodding Smartweed, Dock-leaved Smartweed, Curly-top Knotweed, (M.C.). Polygonum lapathifolium (Persicaria lapathifolis). Western Ave - near Glenwood Park. Native.
- Pale Evening Primrose, Oenothera Pallida. She reported getting it from Brownie's Pond in Glenwood Park, but this species is not native anywhere near Minnesota. Not sure what was planted - no photo
- Purple Rattlesnake Root, Glaucous Rattlesnake Root, (M.C.), Prenanthes racemosa. Mahtomedi, MN. Native (planted again in the fall).
- Prairie Flameflower, Talinum teretifolium. Osceola, WI. and then from Montevideo, MN. - this species she listed is Quill Flameflower, not native to anywhere near Minnesota, but she may have obtained Talinum parviflorum (now Phemeranthus parviflorus) Prairie Flameflower, which is native to the Montevideo area.
- Rope Dodder, Aster Dodder, American Dodder, (M.C.). Cuscuta glomerata. Minnehaha. Native.
- Rose Pogonia, (M.C.). Pogonia ophioglossiodes. From Quaking Bog in Glenwood Park and again from Big Bog in Minnetonka. Native.
- Roughseed Clammyweed, (M.C.). Polanisia graveloens (Polanisia dodecandra). Pine Coulee St. Paul. Native.
- Sessilefruit Arrowhead, Sagittaria hetrophylla (Sagittaria rigida). Brownie's Pond in Glenwood Park. Native
- Seven-angle Pipewort, Eriocaulon - no species given, but probably was our only native species - Eriocaulon aquaticum. Mahtomedi, MN. Native
- Silver-weed Cinquefoil, (M.C.). Potentilla anserina (Argentina anserina). Orchard Lake, MN. Native
- Silvery Scurfpea, Silver-leaved Psoralea, (M.C.).Psoralea argophylla (Pediomelum argophyllum). Orchard Lake, MN. Native
- Sow thistle, (M.C.). Sonchus aculeatum (not a current species designation -aculeatum means prickly so it may likely be Sonchus asper - the Spiny Sowthistle). from Minnehaha Glen. Native. Extant
- Stiff SunflowerHelianthus laetiflorus [Helianthus pauciflorus], 6 plants from Pine Coulee, St. Paul. Native.
- Swamp Loosestrife, Swamp Willowherb, (M.C.). Decodon verticillatus. Malden MA. Native.
- Water Speedwell, Veronica anagallis-aquatica. Osceola, WI. Native
- Watercress, (M.C.). Radicula nasturtium-aquaticum (Nasturtium officinale). Osceola, WI. Introduced and invasive.
- Wax-flower Shinleaf, Elliptic-leaf Shinleaf, (M.C.). Pyrola elliptica. Eden Prairie. Native
Fall 1914 Plantings
See explanatory notes at top of page.
- Ague-weed, Stiff Gentian, Gentiana quinquefolia. [now Gentianella quinquefolia] Wisconsin. Native.
- Allegheny-vine, Climbing Fumitory. Adlumia fungosa. no source. Native.
- Atlantic Camas, Camassia esculenta (Camassia scilloides). Logansport Indiana. Not native
- Climbing Nightshade, Solanum dulcamara. Mrs. Healy's Garden 1800 Humbolt Ave. Introduced and naturalized. Extant
- Coastal Jointweed, (M.C.). Polygonella artriculata. Magnolia MA. Native
- Ditch Stonecrop, Penthorum sedoides. Lake Johanna. Native
- Drummond's Aster, (M.C.). Aster drummondii (Symphyotrichum drummondii). Glenwood Park. Native.
- Early Goldenrod (M.C.) - no species given, probably Solidago juncea. Minnehaha. Native
- Field Hop Clover, Trifolium procumbens (Trifolium campestre). Merrian Park. Introduced.
- Garden Phlox, Phlox paniculata. Fort Snelling River Bank. Introduced. Extant
- Hemp, (M.C.). Cannabis sativa. Merriam Park, St. Paul. Introduced.
- Missouri Goldenrod, Solidago missouriensis. Chicago Ave. & 38th Street. Native.
- Painted Trillium, (M.C.). Trillium undulatum. Charlotte Vermont. Not native
- Pine Barren Golden Heather, Hudsonia ericoides. Magnolia MA. not native
- Riddell's Goldenrod, (M.C.). Solidago riddellii. Minnehaha. Native. Extant
- Shadblow Serviceberry, (M.C.). Amelanchier canadensis. Park Board Nursery at Glenwood Lake. Not native
- Shrubby Cinquefoil, (M.C.). Potentilla fruticosa (Dasiphora fruticosa). Park Board Nursery at Glenwood Lake. Native
- Silky Prairie Clover, Petalostemum villosus (Dalea villosa). Columbia Heights. Native
- Yellow Flax, (Species not specified but Grooved Yellow Flax is the only native in Hennepin County), Linum sulcatum. Minnehaha. Native
- Yellow Giant Hyssop, Agastache nepetoides, Minnetonka and Fort Snelling. Native.
