All Point Bulletin, Newspaper of Point Roberts, Washington and Delta, British Columbia

IN THE GARDEN

By Caroline Collins

Have you ever fallen for a whole family? Perhaps not, because human families can be such unlikely collections of oddballs. But plant families are another matter.

During my quest to identify the silver-leafed tree behind my house (Populus alba, the white poplar), I found out that the poplar and willow species are in the same family, Salicaceae. It makes sense that many tree species that have grown, unaided, in and around Point Roberts are members of the same family it’s obviously one that is well suited to the terrain. And, it bodes well for the weeping willows (another Salicaceae, Salix babylonica) I planted near the ditch, though it will be years before they catch up with the local talent.

There’s another family whose species are well suited to the Point:

Rosaceae. Roses, those we cultivate, and those fragrant wild ones in shades of soft to deep pink that adorn the roadways and walking paths, are the most obvious members in this family. Maybe they’re the ones who invited the blackberries to the party? Blackberries, of the genus “Rubus” are members of the Rosaceae family, too. It makes sense once you think about it thorns, canes, and blossoms that resemble small, simplified roses. Washington is kind to Rosaceae, generally speaking, with its climate almost ideal for growing a third important Rosaceae genus, the apple tree (Malus)!

I have a favorite plant family, and have been thrilled to discover that its prettiest species grow better here than they do in the arid southwest. Did you ever notice the similarities among the foliage of anemone, clematis, helleborus, delphinum, larkspur, and columbine? Toss in our beloved (or is that much-hated?) wild buttercups, along with amazingly colored ranunculus, and you’re looking at some of the most popular cottage garden plants here and abroad, the genus Ranunculaceae.

All the Ranunculaceae listed above have three-part leaves with varying degrees of laciness and serration. There is a tendency toward spurred flowers (columbine, delphinium, larkspur). Oddly, the highly similar corydalis and dicentra are not members of Ranunculaceae. Despite (especially in the case of corydalis) the similarity to columbine, right down to the leaf structure and nodding, spurred blossoms, corydalis and dicentra belong to Fumariaceae, a family distinguished by its complex, interesting flowers.

Biological classifications are somewhat arbitrary, though, and subject to change. The biologists perform that same kind of sorting technique I use when tidying my office, “like goes with like.” So, plants with similar leaf structures, flower structures or root structures get lumped together. Of course, the “like goes with like” method of classifying biological entities is very old, and its groupings have been subject to change over the years. Most gardeners know, for example, that the plants colloquially known as geraniums are actually pelargoniums; the confusion resulted from a reclassification by biologists. The various peony species were once classified in Ranunculaceae, but left to form their own club.

With DNA research advancing rapidly, the old classifications may one day be quaint memories. But a deep blue delphinium will still have that surreal glow in twilight. Roses (and blackberries) will still prick you if you’re not careful.