Plant of the Month
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
There is nothing more exciting than taking a hike and stumbling into a patch of the eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis. It is quite common as an understory tree, with an extensive range from east coast to the central United States. Right now the vivid purple flowers are abundant at the Scott Arboretum. Although the straight species is exceptional by itself, there are several cultivars blooming in the Scott Arboretum that I would like to comment on.
The reason I love this small tree is its adaptability to sun exposure. Naturally occurring in the understory throughout Appalachia, it is a nice candidate…
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Friday, March 26th, 2010
It is official. Spring is on its way. Everyone’s mood is improving along with the weather. The doldrums of winter are fading as the remaining snow piles melt away. Color is igniting the landscape once again as spring ephemerals pop up all around the Arboretum. Pure white snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis, the winter aconite, Eranthis hyemalis, and myriads of tommies, Crocus tommasinianus are blanketing the ground. The witch hazel display continues to be as spectacular as ever, but now there are other trees and shrubs beckoning your attention. The Cornelian cherry was looking very impressive today, along with the beloved Persian ironwood,…
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Monday, February 22nd, 2010
When all of the deciduous trees drop their leaves in the fall we get the opportunity to admire the bareness of a landscape. There is something very pure about observing the structure of a tree, the sprawling nature of its branches, with the overall stature contrasting against the gray sky. In the winter, however, after a beautiful snow, we also look downwards. Silhouettes of smaller trees and shrubs become apparent against a pristine white backdrop. Today, I was walking past the fraternity houses, admiring the spectacular Hamamelis display, when I saw the outline of Zanthoxylum simulans. The lateral spines weren’t exactly…
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