I'm so fascinated with the dynamic character of native flowers and it's finally manifested into a whole collection. At first glance the beauty of native flowers makes me think they're delicate, fragile and need a lot of care. When really, they are the most low maintenance, strong, hardy and resilient plants. There's something inspiring about the combination of beautiful and strong. And every Button in this collection is a representation of that.
 
Native plants are a very crucial part of keeping this world interesting, sustaining biodiversity, maintaining food webs, enhancing ecosystems and enabling so many living beings to have thriving lives.
 
It's my hope that when any Button from this collection is gifted, displayed and shared there will be a conversation around some of the same traits the native flowers have. Each Button being a reminder to...
keep this world interesting
support all of those we cross paths
foster collaborative connections
and to live our best lives by being in the moment
 
The Story Behind This Design...
Goldenrod, or Solidago, is known as a keystone plant for Michigan and the surrounding region. Being a keystone plant doesn’t always mean it will be the most abundant but rather that it has a significant impact on many parts of the ecosystem. It does this by creating a network of relationships, by being either food or shelter, for a variety of insects and animal species.
 
Just like the Aster plant, Goldenrod is one of the later bloomers with dramatic yellow flower heads. By showing up late in the season, Goldenrod is a critical food source for pollinators to stock up on for the winter months. Specifically, Goldenrod produces a high protein pollen which helps honey bees stay full and healthy all winter long. It’s also crucial in supporting and fueling Monarchs as they migrate to Mexico. This plant is commonly misunderstood as being the source of fall allergies, which is not the case, that is a different plant called ragweed.
 
Goldenrod is known in this region to be home to Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly which has the coolest checkerboard pattern on both the inside and outside of its wings. The mama butterfly will lay eggs in clusters of 100 and the baby caterpillars will stay together in a web as they feed and grow. It’s important to leave any fallen debris around Goldenrod because the Baltimore checker caterpillar will roll itself inside a leaf, drop to the ground and hibernate over the winter until it emerges as a butterfly the next spring.
 
Specifics Includes one magnetic Button.
Button size: 1.5” diameter [edge to edge]
Material: Scraps of reclaimed fabrics, ceramic magnet, brass, recycled thread