Saw it from the Uber and had to walk back to take a picture. I saw several beds like this. The liatris is what got my attention at first, obviously, but when I got closer I was excited to see how many other species I recognized, including rattlesnake master, moss pink, alum root, amsonias, foxglove beard tongue, purple cone flower (not blooming, but I recognize it cause I also planted plugs this year), and a variety of sedges and grasses. Also a bunch of something that might be some kind of goldenrod, aster or monarda (or all three) but I didn't feel like busting out the plantID app.
Whoever at the Philly airport was responsible for this: Good job. I see you. Can't wait to see what these beds look like once they've had a couple of years.
by blurryrose
5 Comments
Cool!
It is super exciting. I think the more people who see the garden potential of native and regional plants, the better! Plus it will be cool for international travelers (who like plants) if these aren’t common plants in their regions.
Not saying this to bed negative but with native plants there’s also the ecological consideration of the “where.”
The airport is a notorious bird kill zone with bright runway lights at night and large glass windows and wide open spaces that some species prefer. It’s not unique to Philly and birds are airport pests because plane engines and flying things don’t mix.
For this reason many airports put effort into designing to reduce bodies of water, plants that attach attract insects birds eat. They use tools like weed killers and deterrent systems like air horns, decoy birds of prey, bird netting.
So while I think it’s a great space and design good for bees and butterflies I do have some concern about seed-feeding birds like migratory sparrows, finches, etc., drawn to feed there during the day but then being close proximity to a high danger window strike-prone area at night. For this reasons I worry it could eventually get replaced if birds become frequent visitors.
It’s unfortunate given the huge footprint of airports in the first place but creating a buffer zone and instead investing in the surrounding huge wetlands would be greater benefit.
Philly airport does have an oppprtunity in surrounding land. Airport expansion into wetlands required creating offset wetlands a la John Heinz. Those were poorly engineered and mostly invasive Phragmites grass that offers almost no food or nesting resource to birds compared to cattail or sedge-dominated native wetlands.
A lack of tidal influence and failure to allot funds to properly maintain these spaces has made them unsafe with high deer/tick populations and severe ecosystem impairments from invasive turtles, plants, and disease-bearing pests.
That in my opinion is where the money, engineering, and plantings should be invested. Creating a function wetland finally where the space was allotted for wetland but offers little biodiversity, somewhere people can walk and observe nature safely for a city with millions of people deserving of such opportunity.
Same, except Ohio rest stop!!
Gayfeather? City of Brotherly Love? A coincidence?