On 8/13/22, members of AYLUS Syosset went to the Brentwood LINPI (Long Island Native Plants Initiative) Greenhouse to pot the native plants such as milkweed, a species of aronia, joe-pye weed, button bush, . Some of the plants had yellow leaves, dried leaves and showed wilting behavior. It is important to remember to not rip apart the complex root systems of each sprout when separating them into their own pots.
Milkweed is important because it is the host plant of the monarch butterfly, specifically the butterfly larvae that depend on them for food. Joe-pye weed is important for attracting pollinators and has a history in native American traditional medicine. It is commonly used as a diuretic and is drunk as tea.
Aronia plants can produce berries that are capable of protecting the liver and can reduce symptoms and damage that comes with many stomach disorders. The button bush is an important host plant for pollinators and native moths as well.
Members who participated include:
Mia Li (2.5 hours), Junhao Chen (2.5 hours), Feilei Li (2.5 hours), Johnny Zhang (2.5 hours), Haoyu Qiu (4 hours), Angela Wang (3 hours), Michael Wang (2 hours), Sophie Liu (2 hours), Amy Wu (3.5 hours), Tommy Tang (2 hours), Alyssa Huang (4.5 hours), Nijun Wang (3 hours) Nian Li (3 hours) and Changbo Wang (3 hours).
