Plant Exploration in China: Travelogue Part II

Tony Aiello, our Director of Horticulture & Curator of the Living Collection is currently in north-western China on a month-long expedition. Traveling with colleagues from Beijing Botanical Garden, the Morton Arboretum, and Arnold Arboretum, the mission of the trip is to document paperbark maple (Acer griseum) across its natural range and study its genetic diversity.

“It's Monday afternoon and we just finished our last day in the field. Sunday was pretty low key and I think we all needed a day to relax, especially Kang. Saturday was a late one and we did not get to our hotel until close to midnight. We were staying in Louyang, a city of 1.8 million people in Henan province, a very cosmopolitan and modern city, which was an interesting change after several days in the countryside. One remarkable thing about our travels is that you get cultural whiplash, moving from villages with very simple lifestyles, to large modern cities in the matter of a few hours.

So far we've driven close to 2,000 miles on the trip. We are now in southern Shanxi, very close to where we collected in 2002. The landscape looks familiar, but we're not sure what town we stayed in back then, and even if we were, things have changed so much that the town probably would not be recognizable. We are here for two nights and then head back to Xi'an, where we will celebrate Kris's birthday, among other things.

We continue to have success in finding the populations of Acer griseum, which I call the red-barked needle in the green-leaved haystack. Even at best, there are a few dozen trees scattered throughout the hillsides, and we've learned to ask the local farmers if they know the tree that we are looking for. They usually do because of their close connections to the land and have been able to lead us pretty much directly to the trees. All of the locals have been very friendly and helpful, and without their help the trip would have been much less successful.

Since I last checked in, we visited two populations in Henan province. The first was at Bao Tian Man Nature Preserve, a beautiful location in the mountains, filled with streams and waterfalls. The population of paperbark maple that we found there was by far the most robust of the trip, with 60-75 large trees lining both sides of a valley. Among these larger trees were numerous seedlings, something that we had not seen before this location. The second area in Henan was a rural location, set among villages where much of the woodlands were harvested for fire wood. Still, we were able to find a good number of larger trees and again, a number of seedlings.

So today, we headed to Mang He Nature Preserve, where there is a native population of wild macaques, along with the northernmost paperbark maple. We had another successful day, collected samples from eight trees from another beautiful location.

Overall it's been a very successful trip and we've found Acer griseum at eight of the nine locations that we've visited. We've sampled 64 trees, including seed one from paperbark maple, and have also made another seven seed collections, including Hydrangea aspera, Acer oblongum, and Cephalotaxus fortunei.

Tomorrow we head back to Xi'an, where we will pack up our samples and seed so that they can be shipped back to the U.S., and do a little sight-seeing in Xi'an before returning to the U.S. on Friday.”

Read Travelogue Part I here.

Plant Exploration in China: Travelogue Part I

Pictured left to right: Tony Aiello of Morris Arboretum, Michael Dosmann of Arnold Arboretum, and Kris Bachtell of Morton Arbortetum with Acer griseum - paperbark maple

Tony Aiello, our Director of Horticulture & Curator of the Living Collection is currently in north-western China on a month-long expedition. Traveling with colleagues from Beijing Botanical Garden, the Morton Arboretum, and Arnold Arboretum, the mission of his trip is to document paperbark maple (Acer griseum) across its natural range and study its genetic diversity. 

“It has been a hectic trip so far and we have really been on the go. Basically, we've been staying in one place each night and then moving every day, so it's been hard to catch up. We are now in the town of Ankang, Shaanxi Province, and plan to stay here for two nights, which feels like a real luxury.

The trip has been a success so far. On our first day of collecting we found the solitary Acer griseum tree that we had seen in 2010 in Hong He Gu (Red River Valley) in Tai Bai Mountain near Xi'an. The next day was not so successful, when, after some long driving on dirt roads, we found the area where Acer griseum is reported but were not able to find the plants, even after climbing some steep terrain. 

This was discouraging and on our minds the next day as we drove 10 hours south to Sichuan. After a morning of driving through road construction and finding many other interesting plants, in the afternoon we found the trail that we had been looking for and began a strenuous hike up the mountain side. This was well worth it and that day we came across seven trees, including some large and magnificent old specimens. One of these had seed that we were able to collect.

After another day of driving, we ended up in a small village in Chongqing (a large municipality and not technically a province), where we stayed in small local hotel, the Chinese equivalent to a b&b (Kang calls these family hotels). We were in a remote location and made a big sensation in this small town, with many of the locals, especially the kids, coming to see us and help us clean seed. We found a local farmer who knew about the trees that we were looking for, and again, after a rigorous hike (to put it mildly), we found a large population, and sampled 22 plants in an area smaller than a football field.

We are now in Shaanxi province, in the city of Ankang, which it turns out, is the namesake of our intrepid host and guide from Beijing, Kang Wang. Today we drove three hours to find the "holy hannah" behemoth of a tree that Rick Lewandoski had seen in 1995. Thanks to Rick's excellent notes, we found the same plant, and were equally impressed by its age and size. This tree is certainly the largest recorded in China, and we were all amazed to be in its presence. In the same area we saw what was by far the largest Corylus fargesii (Farges filbert) that any of us have seen and made a seed collection from it.

Tomorrow we head to Henan province to look for three populations of paperbark maple.”

Read Travelogue Part II here.

Follow along on this amazing horticultural journey on our blog and learn more about Morris Arboretum’s Collaborative Plant Exploration Program with China here.

3 Shade Trees for Small Spaces

Magnolia stellata – star magnolia

Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay magnolia)

Stewartia psuedocamellia (Japanese stewartia)

Nothing beats sitting under a spreading shade tree on a lazy summer day, enjoying something fresh from the garden, or an ice-cold drink. Many of us do not have the space for a full-size shade tree, or prefer not to have a large tree by the patio or close to the house. But, do not worry, there are plenty of options of small to medium-sized trees that fit the bill of providing shade in the garden, while also being in scale with smaller spaces, and not overwhelming the area in which they are planted.

By medium-sized trees, I am referring to trees that grow to between 15-25 feet within approximately 20 years. Think of these as plants that grow to between one and two stories tall, and you can get a sense of how they might work in your landscape.

With so many options to choose from, it is hard to pick just a few. Here are three to get you started:

1. Magnolia stellata – star magnolia: native to Japan, it is one of the earliest magnolias to flower, with bright white flowers in late March and early April.
2. Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay magnolia): one of the most adaptable magnolias, of all of the trees on this list, it is probably the best for urban conditions or heavy soils. Sweetbay is notable for its small, but fragrant, flowers in mid-June. Some varieties (M. virginiana var. australis) such as ‘Milton’, ‘Henry Hicks’, and ‘Green Bay’ are evergreen, holding their leaves throughout the winter.
3. Stewartia psuedocamellia (Japanese stewartia): is probably the most finicky plant on this list, and one that prefers a rich, well drained soil, high in organic matter. However, this is a plant that rewards throughout the year, with beautiful exfoliating bark, early summer flowers, and fantastic fall color. If you can grow this plant, it is one of the best to have in the garden.

Happy planting, and sit back and enjoy for years to come.


For even more small tree suggestions and information, join our new tour on Saturdays (June 13, 20, 27), Small Trees For Small Spaces.

Article contributed by Anthony Aiello - The Gayle E. Maloney Director of Horticulture & Curator, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
Photos: Paul W. Meyer

Tree of the Year

From time to time, a tree will flower with extraordinary abundance. This year, the three dovetrees (Davidia involucrata var. vilmoriniana) at the Arboretum, growing near the Mercury Loggia and the Log Cabin, flowered with an intensity that surpassed any year prior.

The dovetree is rich in lore and history. It was first discovered in China in 1869 by the French missionary Armand David. Though known by reputation, the tree remained rare in the western world. In 1899, Sir Harry Vietch of the famed English Vietch Nursery, commissioned a young recent Kew graduate, Ernest Henry Wilson, to go to China to collect seeds of the dovetree. After much effort, Wilson not only succeeded in collecting seeds, but also went on to become a famed plant explorer, collecting and documenting more than 1,000 Chinese species, (some of which he shared with the Morrises’ fledgling arboretum). It was the search for the fabled dovetree, however, that first inspired his efforts in China.

The Arboretum’s largest dovetree is a multi-stem specimen just above the Mercury Loggia. This tree was acquired in 1954 as a cutting from Clement E. Newbold’s estate, Crosswicks, in Jenkintown. It “died” and was cut to the ground in 1984 and a young replacement was planted nearby. Amazingly, the dead plant re-sprouted vigorously the following year, rejoining the newly planted specimen in a cluster.

Dovetrees can take more than 10 years to reach flowering maturity, and many more years to flower heavily and reliably. The trees at the Arboretum usually bloom around the time of the Plant Sale in early May. In recent years, the dovetrees have all flowered reliably, but this past spring produced the heaviest flower set previously seen at the Arboretum on a dovetree.

 In his 1929 book, China – Mother of Gardens, Wilson wrote, “To my mind Davidia involucrata is the most interesting and beautiful of all trees in the north temperate flora.” After observing this year’s Davidia display, it is easy to understand his enthusiasm!

Article and photos contributed by Paul Meyer, The F. Otto Haas Executive Director, Morris Arboretum

Article and photos contributed by Paul Meyer, The F. Otto Haas Executive Director, Morris Arboretum

Why Dead Trees Make Great Homes

This morning, the staff working hard down at the Horticulture Center on Bloomfield Farm were lucky to be joined by a pileated woodpecker, who was also working hard at a stump twenty feet from our window.

At the Morris Arboretum, dead trees are usually completely removed to reduce the hazards they pose to passersby.  However, dead wood can serve as food and habitat for all sorts of organisms – from insects and fungi, to squirrels and birds!  The Morris Arboretum Urban Forestry Consultants advocate leaving standing deadwood as “wildlife trees”, where it is safe and appropriate, because they add enormous ecological value to a landscape.  Because this stump outside of the Horticulture Center was purposefully cut to a safe height, it can be enjoyed by this handsome pileated woodpecker.

Contributed by Corey Bassett, the Martha S. Miller Urban Forestry Intern,

Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania

5 Fast Facts About Cherry Blossoms

There is nothing quite like the show of small petals covering flowering cherry trees on a clear spring day; their flowers are beautiful at all stages – from first bud break through emergence into full flower… and even as the petals shower onto the ground.  The ephemeral nature of ornamental cherries is what makes them all the more special.

Here are a few facts about cherry blossoms:

1. Flowering cherry trees are small to medium-sized plants and they are one of the most diverse groups of ornamental trees in our area.
2. Cherry trees are members of the rose family, and like all its members, they require full sun and good drainage.  
3. Their small delicate petals come in colors ranging from white to light pink, and even some darker pink-reds.   
4. As part of the Sesquicentennial celebration of 1926, the Japanese government gifted flowering cherry trees to the city of Philadelphia and some of these original trees can still be seen in Fairmount Park.  
5. Since 1998 the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia has planted more than 1000 cherry trees throughout the city.  

See Morris Arboretum's cherry blossom collection in bloom this April. Learn more.

5 Cherry Trees for Gardeners

Cherry Trees have a very fine texture and even in autumn they reward gardeners with excellent fall color.  There are an immense number of varieties but the main ones for gardeners to consider are:

• Prunus ‘Okame’: the Okame cherry is one of the most commonly planted cherries and the first to bloom in Philadelphia - usually in late March or early April.  It has dark pink flowers that fade to pale pink as they open.  It grows to 25 feet at maturity.  Okame was introduced to the United States through the Morris Arboretum in the 1940s.
• Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula’: the weeping Higan cherry is the most common of the weeping cherries and one of the most graceful garden trees.  Its small April-blooming flowers are pale pink and cover the branches, giving the plants a beautiful overall look.  These plants grow to 25-30 feet.
• Prunus ‘Snofozam’:  SNOW FOUNTAINS weeping cherry is a slower growing and smaller weeping tree, making it useful in smaller spaces.  Its branches are held more stiffly than the weeping Higan cherry, but the overall effect is very attractive.  Its small white flowers completely cover the branches, making a fantastic display.
• Prunus x yedoensis, the Yoshino cherry is probably the best known flowering cherry, famous for the display surrounding the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.  This is a medium-sized tree that will grow to 40 feet.  Its flowers are pink in bud, opening to a pale pink-white at full flower.  A common variety of Yoshino cherry is Daybreak (‘Akebono’) known for its soft-pink, semi-double flowers that cover the branches. 
• Prunus sargentii: Sargent cherry is native to northern Japan and is among the hardiest and largest of the flowering cherries. Its single rose-pink flowers emerge in mid April before the foliage and at the same time as the Yoshino cherries. The deep red-brown lustrous bark of Sargent cherry adds interest throughout the year.

Come explore Morris Arboretum's cherry blossom collection in bloom this April. Learn More

Predicting Cherry Blossoms

Photo: Judy Miller

Author: Anthony Aiello - The Gayle E. Maloney Director of Horticulture & Curator, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania

Ornamental cherries (Prunus) are one of the main reasons that spring is my favorite time of year.  I know that spring has reached its peak when these trees are in full flower. After our hard winter and cold start to spring, you may be wondering if and when the cherry blossoms will arrive.  I can easily answer the ‘if’ question and say definitively that they will flower this spring.  As for the ‘when’ question, that is more complicated, but I can at least provide some background.

Recently the National Park Service has predicted that peak bloom dates for the Yoshino cherries around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C will be delayed until sometime around April 11-14th (see D.C. dates).  Similarly, Jason Samenow of the Washington Post has predicted peak dates between April 9-13th.  Either way, this is about one week later than the historic peak of April 4th in Washington.

Now what does that mean for us in Philadelphia? Normally, I would predict that the peak flowering for the Yoshino cherries along Kelly Drive is roughly one week behind that of Washington.  A lot depends on what happens in the next two weeks, but if temperatures remain below or close to normal, we should expect our Yoshino cherries flowers to peak sometime around April 17-20th.  Although this may seem late, last year the peak along Kelly drive was right around April 16th, so we are not far off from last year, which you might remember was another cold winter.

We invite you to start your own search for the first blossoms of the season at Morris Arboretum's Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival on April 11 and 18. Enjoy traditional cultural events such as performances by the Kyo Daiko Drumming Crew, origami workshop for kids, and tours. See the full line-up here.

Green Roof Springs to Life

Photo: Louise Clarke

With winter's snow at last melted, it is time to cut back grasses and other  foliage on the Arboretum's intensive green roof at Bloomfield Farm. Pictured is Anna Bower, the Hay Honey Farm Natural Lands intern, using a Japanese rice sickle to trim last year's little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) prior to new growth.  The rice sickle is a lightweight, ultra sharp tool with a curved stainless steel blade ideal for cutting thin, brittle grass stems. As the sickle is not suited to dense, woody material, pruning shears are used to cut back other plants such as Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), and Yarrow (Achillea millifolium).
With full sun and a southern exposure, it won't be long before the green roof sports new spring growth.

A good time to see the eco-roof is during the annual plant sale in May, click here for details.

Author: Louise Clarke, Bloomfield Farm Section Leader

Magnificent Magnolias

Morris Arboretum has 166 magnolia plants representing 79 different kinds of magnolias planted in the public garden (35 additional plants which include 7 additional kinds of magnolias are on the Bloomfield Farm side).

Interested in adding magnolias to your garden? The start of April is a good time to select and plant magnolias. A favorite variety is a butter-yellow flowering variety called Magnolia Elizabeth. This relatively new hybrid does best in full sun but tolerates light shade. It grows fast and will eventually become a big shade tree. Other brighter yellow forms will soon be coming on the market but the paler forms combine better with the other pink and lavender magnolias.

Magnolia Elizabeth was bred to bloom later than most magnolias and therefore is more likely to miss a late frost which sometimes kills the flowers.

Magnolias are available from better garden centers and from specialty mail order nurseries.

Photo: Paul Meyer

Photo: Judy Miller

Photo: Judy Miller

Rejuvenative Pruning of Mature Shrubs

by Anthony S. Aiello, The Gayle E. Maloney Director of Horticulture and Curator

If you are like me, you never have enough time to accomplish all of your gardening tasks throughout the year, and eventually those well-behaved shrubs in your garden grow beyond their desired size and start to crowd other plants in the garden. The beauty of growing and pruning deciduous shrubs is that they can be maintained at a desired size through rejuvenative pruning.

The first thing to keep in mind when pruning shrubs is to have the proper (and properly sharpened) tools. These will include a good pair of hand pruners, a pair of loppers, and a hand saw. When it comes to hand pruners, I prefer a good pair of bypass, or scissor pruners, that make smoother and cleaner cuts than anvil type pruners. There are a range of pruning saws available, and again the most important aspect is to have a saw that is specifically designed for pruning and is fitted with a good, sharp blade.

The second most important aspect of pruning is appropriate timing, and this is based on when the plant flowers. Spring flowering shrubs are those that flower before June 15th. These plants set their flower buds on new growth in the previous growing season, and so they should be pruned soon after they flower. Examples of spring flowering shrubs include lilacs, azaleas, and forsythia. Summer flowering shrubs are those that flower after June 15th and set their flowers on new growth formed during the same season. This group includes chastetree (Vitex), bluebeard (Caryopteris), and crape myrtle and these can be pruned in spring, before flowering.

There are many different methods and techniques of shrub pruning, but most overgrown shrubs can be completely rejuvenated in two to three years. The first step is to remove any dead or crossing shoots; after this, prune out approximately one-third of the oldest shoots at the ground. Remove overhanging branches that shade out the lower portions of the plant and tip-back any leggy young shoots. If you repeat this process for three consecutive years, you will have completely rejuvenated your shrub, with the end result being a more robust, healthier, and floriferous plant.

So start thinking now about which of your shrubs could use some pruning this spring, and don’t worry when it comes time to get started. The beauty of shrubs is that they are a lot like dogs – they are very forgiving and they always come back with enthusiasm.


To learn more about pruning, join one of our upcoming horticulture classes.

Spring Tasks: Dividing Perennials

Late March is a good time to divide perennials like Chrysanthemums, daisies, black-eyed susans and Daylilies.

Why divide plants? 
Dividing perennials serves to rejuvenate the mother plant and provides more for your garden and for friends.

How to Divide
    •    
It's important to dig carefully with a digging fork.
    •    Lift and gently shake
   
    •    Using the fork, insert through the center of the clump.
    •    Take a second fork and insert it back to back with the first and pry the clump apart.  For larger clumps repeat.


Replanting
    •    Replant what you need and give a friend the rest!
    •    When replanting, work the soil first and plant at the same level that it was before lifting.

Some perennials like daisies and lambs ear require division every 2-3 years or they loose vigor and decline.

5 Heralds of Spring

Happy First Day of Spring!
Signs of the season are popping up everywhere around the Arboretum. Here are a few of our favorite surefire signs of spring. How many have you spotted?

1. Crocus tommasinianus (crocus) and Galanthus (snow drops)

Photo: Paul Meyer

2. Eranthis hyemalis (winter aconite)

Photo: Paul Meyer

 3. Robins

Photo: Susan Marshall

4. Hellebores

Photo: Paul Meyer

5.  Willows

Photo: Paul Meyer

Early Spring Round-up

With the official start of spring just around the corner, it's time to trade the snow shovels for garden spades! Here is our early spring round-up for tips to get you prepared for garden season:

• Start your seeds indoors.
  Our horticulturist, Louise Clarke has some quick tips for getting started. Read more...
• Get to know your site. The best landscapes come to life when plantings match the site's characteristics. Check out this useful video for inspiration. Prefer more hands-on guidance? Learn from an expert at this workshop with former Brooklyn Botanic Garden Horticulture Educator, Charles Mazza.
• Brush up on your pruning skills. We know it can be exciting to see our yards come alive with leaves and new shoots each spring, but before you know it things can get a little, well, Gray Gardens... Learn proper pruning techniques before the bushes get a chance to take over. When purchasing a new plant, ask your nursery how to care for it or take a local workshop like this one on Pruning for the Homeowner.
• Kick it up a notch.
  Already a savvy gardener? Elevate your plant knowledge by taking a botany class. This one on fungi is a great place to start.

3 Steps to Big Beautiful Roses

1. Prune! Now's the time to start pruning your repeat-blooming roses: hybrid teas, floribundas, and modern shrub roses. An easy rule of thumb is "Prune when the forsythia bloom." If you have species or old garden roses, wait until after flowering to prune, or else you'll cut off their spring blooms.
2. Feed After pruning your roses, give them a boost with organic fertilizers. Compost, manure, blood meal, kelp meal, and fish emulsion are just some of the great nutrient sources your roses need for big, beautiful blooms.
3. Deadhead After your roses have started to bloom, keep up on deadheading to keep your repeat-flowering roses looking great and blooming all season long.

Want your roses to be the envy of the neighborhood? 
Join our upcoming class, Rose Pruning Basics, for even more great tips! Register Now

Mulch Matters

Photo: Arnold Winkler 

 by Louise Clarke, Horticulture Section Leader, Bloomfield Farm  

Gravel, river rocks, seashells, tumbled glass, and shredded tires can all been used as mulches, some of which have decorative as well as functional uses. Any material that is applied to the soil’s surface as a covering is considered mulch, but organic mulches are especially beneficial to the garden.

In addition to helping retain soil moisture, controlling erosion, moderating soil temperature and suppressing weed growth, organic mulches such as shredded bark, leaf mold, and pine straw provide the additional benefit of decomposing into soil-enriching humus. Humus builds soil structure and increases its capacity to hold nutrients and water.

With the advent of colored organic mulches, gardeners now have a rainbow of choices. Is colored mulch safe for your family, pets, and plants? That depends. Dyes are typically vegetable or mineral-based and are nontoxic; iron oxide (rust) is used to make red mulch, and carbon black (think charcoal) is used for dark mulch. However, the source of the wood used to manufacture mulch can be more troubling. Wood is recycled to create mulch, but unscrupulous recyclers may grind chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood, which is commonly used to build rot-resistant decks and play equipment. CCA-tainted mulch can leach arsenic, a known carcinogen, into your soil. Hmmm, anyone for arsenic-laced tomatoes?

When buying bagged mulches, look for a certification seal on the bag from the Mulch and Soil Council (MSC). Big box retailers and independent garden centers stock MSC approved mulches. Founded in 1972, the MSC is a national non-profit trade association that has developed product certification programs for potting soils and mulch. See http://www. mulchandsoilcouncil.org/ for more information. Mulches that display the MSC seal have been tested and found free of CCA. There is no risk of CCA contamination if you know that your mulch is sourced from raw lumber. If you employ a landscape contractor who delivers bulk mulch to your property, be sure to ask if they know the source and the components of the mulch being used.

Now that you’ve selected the mulch for your garden beds and trees, are you or your landscape professional applying it correctly? Take a walk in the Arboretum’s Widener Woods to see how Mother Nature mulches; the optimal depth of organic mulch is two to three inches. Excessively thick mulch application results in decreased air circulation and water-logging, which encourages root rot diseases and provides cozy homes for bark-chewing rodents. The ever popular “mulch volcanoes” applied to trees (often seen at apartment complexes and shopping centers) lead to disease and injury which shorten tree life spans. Shrubs that have shallow roots like azaleas and boxwoods, as well as some trees, will grow new roots upward into thick mulches to avoid suffocation, but potentially risk drying out and will decline as mulch decays.

As an integral component of home landscapes, mulch provides beauty and benefits to shrubs and trees when applied and maintained in a responsible fashion. Organic or inorganic, colored or natural, choose and apply wisely for optimal plant health.

Learn more at one of our upcoming Landscape Design classes.

Spring 'Yard Work'

by Jessamine Finch, Hay Honey Farm Endowed Natural Lands Intern

About once a month or so, the horticulture staff unites for a morning to undertake a large job made much more manageable - and enjoyable - when tackled as a group. This past Tuesday was a “project day” in the natural lands area, under the guidance of Natural Lands Horticulturist, Tracy Beerley. Having labored diligently over the winter months to remove invasive plants from Penn’s Woods and along Paper Mill Run, Tracy was able to select native tree and shrub species to fill these newly emptied spaces. The planting list included sugar maple, red maple, mountain laurel, rhododendron, and winterberry holly. The beautiful weather made for a wonderful day, and we look forward to seeing these plantings thrive and mature in the years to come.  

All work...

....and some fun, too!

Wonderful Witchhazels!

It's about this time of year when most of us have had quite enough of bleak winter weather and are longing for the vibrancy of spring. It seems nature has a way of knowing this and provides a mid-winter reprieve: colorful, sweetly-scented witchhazels!

Join us Sunday, February 17 from 1:00 - 3:00pm for our annual Witchhazel is Your Favorite family event, a day of outdoor fun and garden exploration! Follow the prepared scavenger hunt map to discover the many varieties of witchhazels growing at the Morris Arboretum. Ranging in color from yellow and orange to pink and red, witchhazels are some of the first harbingers of spring, and the Arboretum’s witchhazel collection is unparalleled in the area. The scavenger hunt invites visitors to compare the different varieties’ beautiful flowers and take in their heady scent. After the hunt, visitors can stop back at the Visitor Center to make a fun craft. This event is free with regular admission and registration is not required.

Download the scavenger hunt map (also available at the Visitor Center): http://bit.ly/14UBeTs

Don't Forget: Kids under 17 visit Free in February!

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Can't get enough of witchhazels? Register for an exclusive, inside look at the collection with Morris Arboretum Director of Horticulture, Anthony Aiello.

An Inside Look at the Witchhazel Collection 
March 2, 1:00 - 3:00pm Register Today

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Jump-Start Your Spring Planting


"And so ye faithful, there is no shadow to see

An early Spring for you and me." -Punxsutawney Phil

What better way to jump-start your garden plans than by attending one of our many Spring course offerings. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or an eager novice, there's something for everyone! Below are a few course highlights.  Click here to see our full offering of classes.

Planting Design for the Home Landscape  
with John Shandra, Registered Landscape Architect
Five Wednesdays: March 20, 27, April 3, 10, 17 
• 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Register Now

Topics include: site analysis, developing functional diagrams, and considerations of color, form, and texture in the garden.

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American Idols: Native Plants to Love
with Catherine Renzi, Owner, Yellow Springs Farm Native Plant Nursery
Saturday, March 16 
• 10:00a.m. - 12:00 noon 
Register Now

Learn about great native plants for your garden. They require less maintenance, do not need watering (except during establishment), chemical pesticides and fertilizers, or frequent cutting back.

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Three Seasons of Outrageous Color from Perennials 

with Kerry Ann Mendez, Garden Designer and Owner of Perennially Yours

Friday, March 22 
• 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. 
Register Now

Discover spectacular perennials for sun and shade that will brighten your landscape from spring through fall.

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Great Hardy Native Ferns

with Gregg Tepper, Director of Horticulture, Mt. Cuba Center
Wednesday, March 27
 • 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Register Now

Gregg will discuss native fern identification, growth habits, as well as culture, and point out the many redeeming qualities that make ferns a pleasure to grow and show in the garden.

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Rhododendrons for Your Landscape
with Karel Bernady, American Rhododendron Society 
Saturday, May 18 
• 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Register Now

In this class you will learn what a rhododendron is and how to choose plants that will do well in our area and how to care for them once they are planted.

Checking on our young ones...

by Jamie Berlin, Alice & J. Liddon Pennock, Jr. Endowed Horticulture Intern

After trees have shed their leaves and the cold weather moves in, the Arboretum begins to move at a slower pace. During these months, the Arboretum staff has time to check on younger plantings and newer transplants. By visiting these plants individually, staff can evaluate health and initiate proper management practices. Younger trees are more vulnerable to the elements, so checking on them annually can help reduce problems in the future.

After checking that all accessioned plants are alive and accounted for, staff can focus on:

• Minor pruning - cutting off branches that are rubbing one another or that might be a problem in the future.
• Staking - protecting the young plants from buck rub (the practice of male deer rubbing their antlers on the stems of small trees to remove the velvet from their antlers).
• Trunk protection - using netting around the base of the trunk to stop animals, such as groundhogs, from eating the bark.
• Insect damage - taking note of the insect causing the damage, evaluating if it will cause a major problem to the plant, and taking the necessary management steps, such as pruning or spraying.
• Labeling issues - accessioned plants within the Arboretum are assigned a specific number so they can be tracked over the years. If tags fall off, or are missing, this needs to be dealt with right away.

Deer damage

Staking around young trees

Trunk protection

Click here to learn more about Arboriculture at Morris Arboretum.