Local entry in the 2015 Wild Ones photo contest

By Dawn Weber

Wild Bergamot leaf with water drops from guttation

“Under Pressure” photo by Dawn Weber – click for a larger image

I have a photo in the Wild Ones 2015 photo contest. It’s in the Flora category, called “Under Pressure,” a photo of wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) guttation.

Guttation occurs when a plant has turned off its transpiration processes, usually at night, so excess moisture cannot evaporate from the surface of the leaf. Instead, root pressure will cause the moisture (along with other chemicals and sugars indigenous to the plant, known as xylem) to get pushed out through the leaf edges.

I took the picture on May 9th, just before heading out to the wildflower market at SNR. There was significant rain the day before, so the soil moisture levels were high, producing the right conditions. I discovered it by accident, looking around the garden in the morning, noticing that it looked different than just moisture on the leaf surface.

Wild Ones members can vote by logging into the national website.

Update:
My photo won the People’s Choice category in the Wild Ones photo contest. Thanks to everyone who voted! I received $50 in gift cards from Prairie Nursery (Wisconsin) and received a nice certificate. View all the winners.  
Thank you! Dawn

6 Comments

  1. Kathy Bildner
    July 16, 2015 at 11:23 am

    I too posted photos for the Wild Ones contest.
    I have never heard of guttation. Thanks for the information. I wonder if those water dropletts would have a taste?
    I have actually seen this before and did not know what I was looking at.
    I would have voted for you but I have all ready voted for a photo. (not my own).
    Kathy Bildner

  2. Betty Struckhoff
    July 16, 2015 at 2:34 pm

    You made my day — I learned something. I’ll go vote for you right now!

  3. Marilyn Chryst
    July 17, 2015 at 6:30 am

    Frost flowers occur when this release of water occurs in the winter.

    Marilyn

  4. Dawn
    July 17, 2015 at 7:35 am

    Thanks all!

    Kathy I didn’t think to taste it, that might have been interesting

    I didn’t know what it was either, someone online helped me as what it was, after I posted the picture. I was hoping that wild ones would use similar text as above to go with the picture that I sent, but they didn’t as part of the contest.

    Marilyn, I planted some dittany (cunila origanoides) and white crownbeard (white crownbeard) in hopes of getting some frost flowers in the fall.

  5. Jeanne Cablish
    July 19, 2015 at 9:15 pm

    Beautiful!

  6. Dawn
    September 13, 2015 at 9:06 pm

    Just a quick update, thanks to voters like you I won the People’s Choice category in the photo contest! 🙂

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