Friday, December 21, 2018

Holiday Greetings in Wyoming Red & Green


Ever wonder why red and green are the colors of Christmas?
Back when Christmas was mainly religious, red and green represented the Holly Tree, which Christians considered symbolic of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus (others considered it a symbol of fertility, or a charm to ward off witches and bad luck).
European holly, Ilex aquifolium (source).
The Holly Tree of Christmas, Ilex aquifolium, is restricted to Europe. In Wyoming we have no hollies at all, and the nearest members of the genus Ilex grow in the southeastern United States. So we have to be creative in making homegrown botanical Christmas cards. This year I chose rich red paintbrush bracts and pale blue-green sagebrush leaves—symbolic of the sagebrush steppe that covers so much of the state.
Sagebrush steppe northwest of Daniel, Wyoming. Photo by Matt Lavin.
Photo courtesy US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Red “flowers” of paintbrush (Castilleja) are actually bracts; flowers are yellow (click image to view).
Finely-hairy drought-resistant leaves of sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) contain camphor and other volatile oils, suggesting true sage when crushed (source).
This plant pair wasn’t just a lucky find. Paintbrush often grows next to a sagebrush, its roots penetrating the sagebrush roots to siphon off water and nutrients. Some might object to a Christmas card featuring a parasite. But wait ... the relationship may prove to be mutually beneficial.

Paintbrush is only partially parasitic; it can also photosynthesize (note green leaves). Sagebrush doesn’t appear to suffer much from this relationship unless conditions are harsh (especially drought). And in some cases, paintbrush provides benefits, like increasing nitrogen availability in poor soils. Finally, given the rate at which mutually-beneficial and even mandatory symbioses are being discovered—possibly the norm rather than the exception—further research may force us to rethink our story about paintbrush and sagebrush. They may represent the sharing spirit of Christmas after all.

Happy holidays and best wishes for the year to come!

8 comments:

  1. Lovely! I have fond memories of happening upon Castilleja in the wild--particularly C. coccinea at The Ridges Sanctuary in Door County Wis. Those scarlet blooms can't be ignored! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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    1. Best wishes to you too Beth. And I hope you find plenty of time and material for photography and blogging in the year to come! :)

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  2. Thanks for the holiday wishes, fun links, and all your previous posts this year!

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    1. And thank you, Ingrid, for reading Plants & Rocks! ... much appreciated. Cheers :)

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  3. Great choice, Castilleja looks very good with Artemisia.
    Best of holidays and a Happy New Year!

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    1. Thanks, Gabriela! glad you like this pair :)

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  4. You were successful on your seasonal colors. Is the Castilleja blooming now, or earlier in the season. Ours bloom in late spring and early summer. Happy Holidays to you!

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    1. Tina, I wondered about using castilleja on a Christmas card, but then decided what the heck :) That photo was taken in May. Nothing is blooming now, though sagebrush is still "green"!

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