A PUBLICATION OF the holden arboretum
Summer
2012
Summer 2012
1
leaves
Summer 2012
Cait Anastis, Editor
[email protected]
Jackie Klisuric, Graphic Design
administration
Clement W. Hamilton,
President and CEO
Jim Ansberry,
Director of Finance
David Burke,
Acting Director of Research
David A. Desimone,
Director of Guest Relations and Communications
Roger Gettig,
Director of Horticulture and Conservation
Brian Parsons,
Director of Planning and Special Projects
Stephen H. Sedam,
Senior Director of Development
Cedar Waxwing on
a serviceberry branch
Jackie klisuric
Paul C. Spector,
Director of Education and Information Services
Nancy Spelman,
Director of Human Resources and Safety
board of directors
Joseph J. Mahovlic, Chairman
Paul R. Abbey, Vice Chairman
Jonathan E. Dick, Vice Chairman
Robert R. Galloway, Vice Chairman
Sarah L. Gries, Vice Chairman
C. W. Eliot Paine, Vice Chairman
Stephen J. Knerly, Secretary
Barbara Brown
Christopher A. Cullis
Peter S. Hellman
Arlene M. Holden
Michael C. Marino
Cynthia A. Moore-Hardy
contents
Holden’s Horticulturists’ Favorites
Holden’s Work with the CPC
Ginni Roedig, Volunteer Gardener
A Visit From One of Holden’s Best Friends
Leaves
Purple loosestrife
2
departments
8 Plant Profile
9 Bird Bio
15 Ask Charles
News
and Highlights
18 Research
Shorts
19
Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay magnolia)
Constance Norweb Abbey
Ralph W. Abelt
Miriam N. Gale
Jeanette Grasselli Brown
Henry R. Hatch
T. Dixon Long
Henry L. Meyer III
William J. O’Neill Jr.
John Sherwin Jr.
Penelope Theis
Alton W. Whitehouse
honorary directors
Yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia)
Anne M. Clapp
Mary Groves
Alison C. Jones
Thomas W. Seabright
Erineum galls
Volume 10, Number 3
©The Holden Arboretum
Leaves (ISSN 0518-2662) is a class
and events magazine published
quarterly by The Holden Arboretum
for $10 per year for members
(included in membership fee) and
$50 per year for nonmembers
from the president
By the time you read this, I hope you will have visited
our newest annual exhibit, Vanishing Acts, which we
have adapted after it successfully premiered at the
Morton Arboretum last year. The exhibit’s core themes
are the rapid disappearance of tree diversity in many
parts of the world, and how that is diminishing the
present and potential uses of trees and tree products
for humankind. It always behooves us to be mindful
of the need to conserve and restore our natural
world, especially during the quadrennial political “silly
season” as we listen, usually in vain, for candidates of
either party to advocate strongly for wise stewardship
of our natural environment and resources.
The Search for
Endangered Plants
(see page 6 for full story)
Holden has a long history of biodiversity conservation, beginning with our
being a founding and active member of the Center for Plant Conservation, a
national consortium of 36 institutions that take responsibility for preventing
the extinction of native plants in the United States. Currently we devote
our primary efforts to surveying natural populations, collecting seeds and
conducting seed germination trials of three threatened Midwestern species of
particular interest. Special interpretive signs in our Myrtle S. Holden Wildflower
Garden will tell you more about many rare species we have helped conserve
over the years.
As a research taxonomist, I have encountered endangerment first hand, in
the Asian and American tropics, as well as Chile. While studying the tropical
genus Psychotria, known in Florida as “false coffee,” in 1985 I described and
named 15 new species native to Mexico and Central America, one of which was
Psychotria lamarinensis from the Costa Rican province of Alajuela. As often
happens in tropical taxonomy, I named this species based solely on dried
herbarium specimens, in this case excellent collections made in 1968. In the
early 1990s, when I had occasion to botanize in Costa Rica, I scoured the area
where it had been collected, seeking P. lamarinensis “in the flesh,” and found
only agricultural lands where forests had been cleared in the 1970s and ’80s.
I never will forget the eerie sensation of realizing that this species probably
already had become extinct, even before I described it as new to science.
Despite all of today’s anthropogenic changes to our environment, we remain
hopeful that we can indeed conserve the lion’s share of Earth’s biological
diversity. As in meeting all such challenges, the first step is heightened public
awareness. We hope you find Vanishing Acts a thought-provoking entry into
one of the most important issues of our time.
Periodicals postage paid at Mentor, Ohio
Postmaster:
Please send address changes to
Leaves: The Holden Arboretum,
9500 Sperry Road,
Kirtland, Ohio 44094-5172
On the Cover:
Arlene and Arthur S.
Holden Jr. Butterfly Garden
Clement W. Hamilton, PhD
President and CEO
Summer 2012
4 The Plants We Love
Search for
Endangered Plants
6 The
10 Volunteers
11 Holden Partnership
12 Plant This, Not That
Court
14 Lantern
Gardens
16 Ohio’s Ticks
directors emeriti
jackie klisuric
features
Ellen W. Jones Nordell
K.K. Sullivan
Timothy L. Swanson
Michael T. Victor
Ann T. Whitney
photos by nate beccue
3
The Plants We Love – Again!
Dawn Gerlica and Ann Rzepka
2012 Version of Holden’s Horticulturists’ Favorites
by Betsy Burrell, Holden volunteer
Once again we’ve asked The Holden Arboretum’s horticulturists to share some of their favorite perennials, shrubs and trees
with our readers. While it’s unfair to expect them to have only a few favorites, they have chosen some very special plants
that can grow here in Northeast Ohio and also be seen on Holden’s grounds.
Viki Ferreniea
is Abelia mosanensis (fragrant Abelia) because of its sweet
fragrance and lasting pink flowers that bloom in late
spring. This is a large, somewhat loose, semi-evergreen
plant with glossy simple leaves, growing up to 6 feet tall.
Abelia does well in sun to partial shade, preferring acidic,
moist, well-drained soil. In autumn the foliage turns pretty
shades of orange and red.
Camassia camas lily
It was difficult for Lead Horticulturist Viki Ferreniea to
prune her original list of 13 plants down but, when asked,
she reluctantly narrowed it down to Camassia spp. (camas
lily), Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’ (brilliance autumn
fern) and Polemonium reptans (Jacob’s ladder).
With its profusion of beautiful blue star-like flowers,
Ferreniea loves Camassia, a little known native bulb with
several species and varieties. In late spring to early
summer, strong 18-24” stems grow up through glaucous
strap-like leaves; the top third of these stems carry a mass
of lovely blooms. They do best in full sun and are tolerant
of moist soil. For a striking effect, plant camas lilies in
large groups among mid-sized perennials or low shrubs.
Like the alliums and daffodils, Camassia disappears into a
dormant state once flowering is finished.
The 14-18” tall evergreen fronds of Dryopteris erythrosora
have an attractive bronze sheen to them before maturing
to a rich glossy green and are perfection throughout the
whole growing season and winter. This is accentuated by
the coppery colored stems. Dryopteris performs best in
shady spots with a humus-enriched soil that is moisture
retentive; however, once well established it will tolerate
periods of dry weather. They make an excellent companion
for other shade loving plants such as epimediums, black
cohosh, azaleas and bulbs.
Lori Gogolin
Colchicum
‘waterlily’
Julia Viel, the horticulturist at Lantern Court,
recommends several beautiful flowering plants. She
loves the magical appearance of the bright, vaseshaped, lilac-pink blooms of Colchicum ‘Waterlily’ that
rise without warning in autumn. In the spring, a clump
of broad leaves emerges, stays awhile, and vanishes
by midsummer. Her next choice is the superb hybrid
bulb Allium ‘Ambassador’ with its long growing season.
Allium sends up foliage that dies back followed by 2 1/24 feet tall globular purple blooms from May and June
continuing through July. Even after the bulbs are done
blooming the flower stalks remain sturdy and add great
shape and texture to a garden or flower arrangement.
Holden Butterfly Garden horticulturist Lori Gogolin
submitted some lovely choices. One of her favorite shrubs
pHOTOGRAPHS IN ORDER: Viki Ferreniea, Jackie klisuric,
Ghislain118, hUNDA, jACKIE kLISURIC, tOBY dAVIDSON
Dawn Gerlica and fellow horticulturist Ann Rzepka work
together in the Myrtle S. Holden Wildflower Garden.
Because of Gerlica’s strong interest in ethnobotany,
she chose plants with intriguing stories behind them.
These plants are not only pretty; they have historical
uses and interesting relationships to humans and other
species. She collects different varieties and cultivars
of passion flower at home and most are tropical, but
the native vine Passiflora incarnata, passion flower
survives in Ohio. The flowers are built differently than
most, with special structures that add to the beauty
and make them strange little conversation starters.
The original stories of how Passiflora were named and
how people could see the different floral structures as
representations of parts of the story of the crucifixion
of Jesus Christ have always fascinated her.
For a favorite native shrub, she chose Vaccinium
corymbosum (highbush blueberry). This plant is the
main source for cultivars of blueberries that humans
eat -- that in itself is enough reason to love them.
They also feed birds, small mammals and other
larger mammals. Gerlica also likes them for their
interesting little white bell-like flowers that hang
down in the spring. Sometimes the flowers buzz when
the pollinators get momentarily trapped as they are
entering or exiting. When planted in enough sunlight,
the fall color is a very intense red.
Ilex verticillata
‘Winter Red’
Rzepka likes the American native shrub Ilex verticillata
‘Winter Red’. It is more profuse and vibrant compared
to other cultivars, producing beautiful bright red fruit
from early fall through winter. Ilex verticillata is shade
tolerant and does well in clay soil, wet soil and requires
little maintenance once established. It makes a lovely
hedge and is also effective for erosion control or as an
addition to a rain garden. More than 40 species of birds
are known to eat the fruit including bluebirds, brown
thrashers, cedar waxwings, flickers, gray catbirds,
mockingbirds and robins. The dense branching also
provides shelter, cover and nesting spots for birds.
For groundcover, the beautiful Tiarella cordifolia
Toby Davidson
Lindera angustifolia
narrow-leaved spicebush
Display Garden horticulturist Toby Davidson’s top
picks for 2012 include some great selections. He likes
Lindera angustifolia, (narrow-leaved spicebush), a large,
multi-stemmed shrub growing from 10-15’ tall. The
3-4” long leaves are green in the summer then turn
a spectacular combination of yellow, orange and red
in the fall. This shrub holds onto its leaves all winter
(leaves are pale brown in winter) making it useful as a
screen. The spicebush prefers full sun to part shade in
moist but well-drained soil.
Another favorite is Lespedeza thunbergii ‘Gibraltar’
(Thunberg’s bushclover), a semi-woody plant that
is easy to grow and easy to maintain. Bushclover
needs full sun and soils on the dry side; the reward of
growing this shrub is a 6’ mass of rose-purple flowers
that are so heavy they arch over, producing a fountainlike effect. The flowers appear in September. All of the
stems are killed to the ground during our cold winters
so cutting them back in March or April is needed. This
leaves room for spring bulbs to grow around the base
of this lovely lespedeza. We hope you’ve been inspired to explore Holden’s
gardens and grounds to view these favorite picks – or
perhaps try your hand at growing them yourselves.
To see more of our horitculturists’
favorites, see the extended version of
this story at http://www.holdenarb.org/
resources/Horticulturistsfavorites.asp
Summer 2012
Leaves
Julia Viel
For a fast growing groundcover that can fill in problem
areas, Viel selected Epimedium versicolor, a part shade
to full shade loving plant with delicate yellow flowers in
the spring time. After blooming, compound red-mottled
medium-green leaves with pointed, heart-shaped leaflets
form on wiry stems.
Abelia mosanensis
fragrant Abelia
4
Gogolin also chose Erythronium ‘Pagoda’ (trout lily) as
one of her top spring bulbs. She loves its wide mottled
leaves and yellow nodding flowers that bloom in April and
early May. ‘Pagoda’ is a strong grower, taller than other
Erythroniums at 10” or so and easy to grow in partial
shade, especially at the foot of trees and shrubs where the
soil is rich and woodsy.
Passiflora incarnata
‘Brandywine’ is one of her favorites. Introduced in the
early 1990s from a nursery in the Brandywine River
Valley, Tiarella is a vigorous grower with beautiful,
glossy leaves that turn a lovely bronze in the fall and
winter. The creamy white flowers, wispy and pixie-like,
last for 6 to 8 weeks. As a flowering perennial Rzepka’s
pick is Rudbeckia hirta ‘Indian Summer’, a really showy
black-eyed Susan. It has extra-large, golden yellow
flower heads and blooms from early summer until first
frost. They will self-sow but need full sun and moist,
well-drained soil. Rudbeckia looks wonderful in borders,
gardens, meadows, or for naturalizing, and attracts
butterflies. Another perennial favorite is Anemone
hupehensis ‘Prince Henry’, also known as Japanese
anemone or windflower. This anemone is medium sized
to 18” and has beautiful 2” flowers in deep rose-pink
with star-shaped petals. Rzepka likes the contrast of it
against the dark foliage of Hellebores.
5
The CPC was founded in 1984 with the sole purpose of preventing the
extinction of plants native to the United States. The organization is
comprised of 37 renowned botanical institutions who work together
to collect seed and genetic material to maintain a National Collection
of Endangered Plants. This collection contains over 750 of America’s
most imperiled plants and serves to safeguard the genetic integrity
of declining plant populations, provides a seed bank resource for
immediate and future restoration needs, and creates a safety net
against unforeseen future threats of extirpation or extinction.
The Search for
Endangered Plants
by Ann Rzepka, wildflower garden horticulturist
Have you ever heard of Houghton’s goldenrod? Or
seen a bumper sticker that says “Save the Cirsium?”
Probably not, but these are just two of many plants
that are endangered and at serious risk of extinction.
According to the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC),
“Almost 1,000 U.S. plant species are already listed
under the federal Endangered Species Act or qualify for
listing.” These species regularly fall prey to the negative
effects of habitat destruction including development,
construction, mining, and trampling by ATVs and
foot traffic. Clearly, these species aren’t as cute as a
tiger cub or as awe-inspiring as a whale so they don’t
typically garner quite the same attention; however, they
are in need of protection just like the large wildlife we
see vanishing from the earth.
Rzepka counting
Solidago houghtonii
at Camp Grayling
Military Reservation
Holden has served as a member of the Center for Plant Conservation’s
nationwide consortium of botanical institutions for more than 25 years.
As a member of the CPC, Holden has partnered with state institutions,
nonprofit agencies and local landowners to secure the collection of
more than 100 rare and endangered species throughout the Great
Lakes Region for the purpose of seed preservation and research.
Holden is the custodian for 15 endangered species listed by the CPC.
Many of these species are displayed in the Myrtle S. Holden Wildflower
Garden, a five-acre garden dedicated to representing the native habitats
of Ohio, which serves as gene repository for these rare plants.
In 2011, Holden received a grant from the CPC to survey and collect
seed for Solidago houghtonii (Houghton’s goldenrod) on Department
of Defense Lands at Camp Grayling Military Reservation in Michigan.
After securing numerous federal and state permits, Nate Beccue,
natural areas manager, and I traveled to Grayling, Mich., to fulfill the
commitment to the CPC. Our objective was to determine the size
and phenology of the population of S. houghtonii at Camp Grayling
Military Reservation and to collect seed to send to the USDA-ARS
National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP) in Fort
Collins, Colo.
S. houghtonii is a perennial with an upright, reddish stem bearing
numerous small yellow flower heads that resemble tiny daisies in a flat
cluster and looks similar to grass-leaved goldenrod. It grows on moist
sandy beaches and in shallow depressions between low sand ridges
along the shoreline called interdunal wetlands. O. hougntonii occurs
nowhere else in the world but along the Great Lakes shoreline along the
northern shores of Lakes Michigan and Huron.
Solidago houghtonii in flower
After two 12 hour days of trampling through fields and Jack-pine forests,
Beccue and I identified five large populations on the military reservation
and, through surveying and data extrapolation, estimated the population
to consist of more than 3 million plants. The survey methodology used
to determine size and phenology of the population began with obtaining
GPS points from the perimeter of each subpopulation of S. houghtonii to
determine the total area of occupancy. If the subpopulation was relatively
small, Beccue and I counted all ramets (or individual plants that have
grown vegetatively from another individual as a clone of that plant). To
determine phenology, they counted all flowering and seeding stalks.
If the subpopulation was large, the survey methodology became a
bit more involved. We set up main transects along the longest axis
through the center of the subpopulations. Then we set up transects
perpendicular to the main transects every 2.5 meters. Finally, a half
square meter quadrant was set up along the perpendicular transect lines
every 2.5 meters. To determine density, all mature and juvenile rosettes
within the quadrants were counted and to determine phenology, all
flowering and seeding stalks within the quadrants were counted. Data
acquired from the transects was then used to extrapolate information
about the surroundings subpopulations. Seed was collected from one
stem in each quadrant and resulted in the collection of over 3,000 seeds.
strewn across the landscape. This is because C. pitcheri is monocarpic
which means that the plant flowers, sets seed, and then dies.
The search for I. lactustris was a little more trying. I. lactustris spreads
by underground rhizomes. These rhizomes give rise to fans of flattened
leaves that reach a maximum height of 6 inches. The leaves are light
green and less than half inch wide. In mid-May to June they form a carpet
of showy, deep blue flowers and can be distinguished from other iris by
their miniature size.
Since it was September and there were no flowers to help make this
plant stand out in the landscape, after 10 miles of hiking, we had all
but given up hope for finding this plant. On the way back to the vehicle,
at the edge of the dune along a ridge of cedars, Beccue spotted a very
small population of 12 plants. Fortunately, from those 12 plants, we
were able to collect 230 seeds and one ramet. The seeds were sent to
the USDA – ARS NCGRP and Holden has one plant in its possession for
propagation trials and display for the Holden Wildflower Garden.
The final stop on the collection trip was the most rewarding. Thirsty’s
Bar and Grill. No, just kidding. But across the street from Thirsty’s was
the trail head access to Grass Bay Preserve, a property owned by the
Nature Conservancy and a mecca for plant nerds. The trail head was
dotted with orchids and lilies and opened into a wetland filled with
Kalm’s lobelia and a small carnivorous plant called Sundew. The edge of
the wetland was met with bear-berry and creeping juniper which rolled
into dunes and flat marshlands covered with gentians, lilies, and grassof-Parnasus. The Houghton’s goldenrod glistened in a sea of yellow that
rolled as far as the eye could see. We collected their last few bags of
Houghton’s goldenrod and Pitcher’s thistle seed (and accidentally, a few
dozen spiders that had taken up residency on these species) and began
our journey home. While we did not spot an endangered tiger or whale,
we were still inspired, humbled and thankful for having the opportunity
to see and help protect some of the rarer plant species left on this earth.
While securing federal and state permits for S. houghtonii, Holden
also decided it would be a good idea to pursue permits to collect two
additional endangered CPC species seeds found in the area: Cirsium
pitcheri (Pitcher’s thistle) and Iris lacustris (dwarf lake iris). Like Houghton’s
goldenrod, Pitcher’s thistle and dwarf lake iris are only found on the open
sand dunes along the shores of the western Great Lakes.
6
Summer 2012
Leaves
Rzepka at Wilderness State Park recording habitat information for Iris lacustris
We traveled to Wilderness State Park and Grass Bay Preserve on the
second leg of their journey to collect these two additional species. At
Wilderness State Park, a park owned by the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources, we were able to find both C. pitcheri and I. lacustris.
The search for Pitcher’s thistle was easy. Its silvery appearance due to the
dense, white, woolly hairs which cover its bluish-green leaves and stems
and its height made it easy to spot. We found that it occurred all along
the Lake Michigan coast line in interdunal wetlands. We were also able to
collect hundreds of seeds as there were dried seed heads and dead plants
Beccue at Grass Bay Preserve
7
Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay magnolia)
Yellow warblers are one of the easiest warblers to recognize
in Ohio. They are properly named yellow warbler because
they are the brightest and most extensively yellow of all
warblers. They are the only warbler with yellow tail spots.
Yellow warblers can be quite tame and show little fear of
humans. However they are sometimes hard to view because
of the wet, brushy, successional habitats they inhabit
including riparian edges, fence lines and old fields.
by Ethan Johnson, plant records curator
The primary charm of sweetbay magnolia is its flowers, having one of the
most pleasing fragrances in the arboreal world. The blooms start perfuming
the garden in late May or early June and continue through much of July, even
appearing in August in some years. While the season is long, the white, twoto-three-inch flowers are the most diminutive of all American magnolias. The
blooms are not nearly as profuse as are those of star or saucer magnolias.
However the flowers of sweetbay are not affected by frost in three years out of
five as is typical for the precocious Asian magnolias at The Holden Arboretum.
Male yellow warblers arrive in Ohio in mid-April, a few weeks
before the females. Soon after they arrive males begin to
select and defend their territories. Male yellow warbler
territorial requirements include suitable nest sites with
concealing cover, tall posts and feeding areas in trees. Once
the females arrive, males court the females with their loud,
high and clear song. They are primarily monogamous and
form pair bonds.
The foliage of sweetbay has silvery undersides that are dramatically displayed
on windy days. Its leaves do not commonly break bud until mid-May and are still
expanding through the first week of June. The lustrous green
foliage remains late into November before falling. This was
a drawback in 1996 when the snowstorm of Nov. 9-13
caused some broken limbs here and there, but overall
Holden’s specimens have fared remarkably well.
‘Henry Hicks’ and other evergreen varieties
of sweetbay magnolia are not highly
recommended for Northeast Ohio as
they may suffer significant snow and
ice breakage. One new semi-evergreen
sweetbay, now growing in our gardens
is Moonglow a.k.a. ‘Jim Wilson’. This
southerner develops a single trunk
like ‘Henry Hicks’. One Moonglow now
measures 15’ x 7’ after 9 years And can
be found northwest of Oak Pond in the
Helen S. Layer Rhododendron Garden
where it is accompanied by four of
David Leach’s fragrant, pink flowering
‘July Joy’ azaleas.
Other suitable garden companions for
sweetbay magnolia include the shrubby
dogwoods including Cornus racemosa
and C. amomum, (highbush blueberry),
Vaccinium corymbosum, Fothergilla
gardenii & F. major, (summersweet),
Clethra alnifolia, (Virginia sweetspire), Itea
virginica, and (winterberry) Ilex verticillata,
all of which do very well in moist to wet soils
ranging from sand to clay.
Females build nests in forked branches of small saplings or
shrubs. The nest is made of bark and grass and lined with
plant down and hair. Males bring food to the females while
they incubate four to five gray, green or blue with olive and
brown marked eggs for 11 to 12 days. Snakes and large
climbing rodents are significant nest predators. Red fox and
domestic or feral cats are known to prey on young yellow
warblers and eggs. The biggest threat to yellow warbler nests
are cowbirds. Cowbirds frequently parasitize the nest by
laying their eggs amongst the yellow warbler eggs. However
yellow warblers have adapted to recognize abnormal eggs
and often build a new nest directly on top of the parasitized
one, sometimes resulting in nests with up to six tiers. Yellow
warblers are the only birds that have a regular and relentless
response to the repeated egg laying of the cowbird.
David Stephens, Bugwood.org
plant facts
Light
Full sun to part shade
Soil type
Acidic to neutral, moist to wet
Mature size
20’-30’ with a variable spread
Best location
USDA Zones 5b-9a
Source
Select garden centers
mike dougherty
Yellow Warbler
(Setophaga petechia)
by Rebecca Thompson,
Once all eggs have hatched both parents feed the young.
The young leave the nest eight to 10 days after hatching.
The parents continue to feed the young for up to three
weeks after they leave the nest. Yellow warblers search for
food at various levels in brushy vegetation. Generally males
forage higher in vegetation than females. They glean insects
including caterpillars, beetles, and other small arthropods
from small limbs and leaves. Besides gleaning for insects
they also have been known to fly out and catch insects midair
or forage for fruit on branches.
Yellow warblers are one of the first neo-tropical migrants to leave
Ohio in early to mid- September. They are generally common and
occur over a wide range. Local population loss is generally due
to habitat destruction and pollution, mainly by land clearing and
overuse of herbicides and pesticides in agriculture.
Growing Students in Science program coordinator
brian parsons
8
bird facts
Description
Male: Face, throat and under parts bright yellow.
Chest streaked with reddish-brown lines below
throat. Female: Under parts bright yellow. Back and
most of face greenish-yellow. Container grown nursery stock is recommended because the fibrous coarse
root system is difficult to transplant. Supplemental watering is beneficial
during establishment.
Size
Sweetbay magnolia makes a fine patio or small specimen tree and is useful
in rain gardens, by watercourses or up on hummocks or mounds in swampy
areas. This fine small tree also provides food for songbirds and small mammals
with fruit ripening mostly during September and October. The numerous bright
orange seeds emerge from the pink fruits and dangle on white filaments briefly
before falling where wood thrush, eastern towhee, and other ground feeding
birds can snatch them up.
Breeding Atlantic to the Pacific in both Canada and
the United States and from the Barren Grounds in
northern Canada to Mexico and the Gulf states. Winters in Central and South America
Magnolia virginiana is a native of the southeastern U.S. coastal plain from the
Gulf of Mexico inland to Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee to Florida and up the
Atlantic seaboard to Long Island, and eastern Massachusetts.
Best location to view at Holden
5 inches Wingspan: 8 inches
Range
Voice
Sweet, high and clear notes.
“Sweet, sweet, sweet, I’m so sweet.”
Franklin Bonner, USFS (ret.), Bugwood.org
Corning Lake, Blueberry Pond and Buttonbush Bog
mike dougherty
Summer 2012
Leaves
Most of the handsome mature specimens of
sweetbay magnolia at Holden are deciduous, multistemmed small trees of a more northern provenance
than the semi-evergreen to evergreen varieties. Generally,
specimens grown in shade will be taller than wide, and those in full
sun, wider than tall. The 50-plus-year-old specimen in full sun on the north side
of Corning Lake measures 25’ tall and 36’ wide. The mostly shaded 25-year-old
specimen in the Layer Rhododendron Garden measures 30’ x 17’, and the partly
shaded 42-year-old specimen on the west side of the Layer Garden is 35’ x 32’.
9
volunteering
by Robin Ott, volunteer coordinator
partnerships
Jackie klisuric
Ginny Roedig,
Volunteer Gardener
might like to lend a hand, giving her, she said, “…an excuse
to be there and get my plant fix.”
When she’s not digging around the rhododendrons, Roedig
is running around town sharing her musical talents as a
first alto in the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and a master
organist who plays for churches all around Northeast
Ohio. Also a “fitness nut,” the evenings she’s not singing
or playing she can be found at her local YMCA. You’d think
this would be more than enough to keep her busy, but last
year she also started beekeeping!
Roedig at work in the Helen S. Layer Rhododendron Garden
Many visitors to the Helen S. Layer Rhododendron
Garden find inner peace in its picturesque landscape
of colorful azaleas and rhododendrons under a canopy
of majestic trees. For the past two years, volunteer
gardener Ginny Roedig has also found bliss from pulling
its weeds.
A couple of years ago, after moving back to the United
States from Germany when her husband retired, Roedig
found she had more time and opportunities to follow her
interests. One of these hobbies, gardening, brought her
to The Holden Arboretum. Roedig thoroughly enjoyed
wandering through Holden’s gardens and thought she
Roedig has found volunteering in the garden helps her
decompress from all this activity. She likes the peace and
quiet she finds out in the garden. She says, “Being in the
middle of the [Layer] Rhododendron Garden feels like I
am in an old English garden; its idyllic, less formal feeling
than some of the other gardens … it’s a very relaxing
atmosphere and a quieting place.” She spends much of
her time there weeding, but this does not bother her
one bit. Roedig describes it as “elite weeding; the soils at
Holden are much better than mine at home and it’s much
easier to tackle. It’s great to be able to step back and see
this big patch you’ve cleared. Really gives you a sense of
accomplishment. I enjoy being able to make this place even
more beautiful for the visitors who come into the garden.
It’s my way to give back.”
Angus with his friend Michelle Capdeville
A Visit from one of
Holden’s ‘Best Friends’
Get Your Hands Dirty at Holden
Jackie klisuric
10
Jackie klisuric
Each year thousands of people visit The Holden Arboretum in
search of the serenity and inspiration that can be found in the
gardens and natural areas. There are currently 6,335 household
members of Holden and about 87,500 people, members and
nonmembers a like, visited the grounds in 2011.
Yet some of Holden’s favorite guests go uncounted as they
pass through the gates. They have no membership. Their
knowledge of botany is severely limited. They don’t make good
volunteers at special events and they never attend Holden’s
annual summer benefit. Yet these guests are always welcome
and never fail to bring friends with them when they come to
walk the trails.
sees at Holden, though he’s mostly interested in squirrels.
During our walk, Angus found numerous points of interest.
He sniffed the dwarf Himalayan boxwood in the Helen S.
Layer Rhododendron Garden and enjoyed the air of the hedge
collection. While out on the Woodland Trail, he proudly picked
up a big stick. Smart fellow that Angus!
The trails are familiar places for both Angus and Michelle.
Michelle, an anesthesiologist with the Cleveland Clinic, has
been coming to Holden with her dogs for 10 years, since she
moved to Munson, Ohio. “All my dogs have been here,” she
said. Before Angus, there were three other Labrador retrievers.
Angus, a four-year-old, 92-pound Chesapeake Bay retriever, is
one of Holden’s frequent canine guests. He recently brought his
best friend and owner, Michelle Capdeville, out for a 90-minute
hike around Holden’s grounds. It’s a trip he loves to make.
Her demanding work schedule includes running a fellowship
at the Cleveland Clinic, but she takes a few moments here
and there to help promote Holden. Last year, she successfully
encouraged one of the fellows and his family to visit Holden
and enjoy the Gnomes in the Garden exhibit.
Angus will only sit in the front seat of her car, Michelle said,
and once they turn on to Sperry Road he gets very excited as
this can only mean one thing. Michelle shares the enthusiasm
Angus has for Holden. She finds Holden to be “relaxed, quiet,
not crowded.” The pair returns to Holden again and again,
Michelle said. “It’s a lot cleaner, safer and prettier than other
places we visit.” Though Angus is unable to swim here and
always on leash, he loves it at Holden
A Holden member, Michelle began at the Aspen level of
membership in 2002 and generously has expanded her support
to become a member at a leadership level in the Rhododendron
Society. While Angus, lacking a source of income and a
bank account, has not made a financial contribution to the
arboretum, Michelle said she appreciates donating to Holden
because “you can see where your money is going.”
In keeping with Holden’s mission, he finds the trees here to be
his favorite things to sniff. “He respects the gardens and leaves
all flowers alone,” according to Michelle. Apparently aware of
the damage they cause, Angus will often bark at any deer he
We hope you say hello to Angus and Michelle should you see
them enjoying the trails at Holden. We thank all the dog lovers
who not only support Holden but who also take care of their
canine friend while visiting.
Summer 2012
Leaves
Green thumbs and beginner gardeners alike are invited to join Holden’s crew of volunteer gardeners. Each
of our gardens offers a unique opportunity to gain new knowledge from expert horticulturists in a fun,
relaxed and beautiful setting. Shifts are offered weekday mornings, Tuesday through Thursday. There is no
minimum commitment – come out as often or as few times during the season as your schedule allows. General
orientation required but garden training is provided on the job.
Get started by completing a volunteer application online at holdenarb.org or contact the Holden volunteer
office at 440.602.8003 or send an email to [email protected].
11
plant this
not that
by Luke Williamson, education intern
Hundreds of plants have been introduced to the United States from other parts of the world. Some have come
here accidentally in seed stock, while others were brought here intentionally for horticultural use. A small
number of these introduced plants have gotten a little too comfortable in their new environment. Because they
have no native predators and produce a lot of fruit and seed that are efficiently dispersed, they are invading
natural areas. The aggressiveness of these invasive plants affects natural areas and wildlife by decreasing
biodiversity, competing with native and rare plants and eliminating wildlife habitat and food sources.
Plant This, Not That features a list of native alternatives to a commonly used landscape plant that has become
invasive. The alternatives were chosen because their characteristics – form, flowers, fruit or fall color – are similar
to that of the invasive and fulfill the same landscaping need. On a broader scale, native plants help create a
healthier ecosystem, attract a greater diversity of wildlife and may minimize the need for fertilizers and pesticides.
The Native Alternatives
Liatris spicata (dense blazing star,
dense gayfeather, marsh blazing star)
Though blazing star is a well-known plant
to the cut-flower industry for its stalks of
densely-packed flowers, which range in
color from rose-purple to mauve and even
white, it makes a great addition to any
prairie garden, perennial border or rain
garden. The protruding styles of each tiny
disk flower gives the Dr. Suess-like blazing
star a generally feathery appearance, hence
its alternate common name, ‘gayfeather’.
Dense blazing star blooms in midsummer
The Invasive
and has the unusual habit of blooming from the top of the stalk
and working its way down. The flowers are often frequented by
bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, while birds enjoy eating
the seeds in the fall. Hardy to Zone 3, this clump-forming plant
grows 2-4 foot tall stalks from a basal tuft of grass-like leaves.
The stalks may need staking to keep them erect. Dense blazing
star does best in rich, evenly moist soils with full sunlight, but can
tolerate clay soils and drought. While many species of Liatris are
available for the home garden, L. spicata (dense blazing star) and
L. pycnostachya (prairie blazing star) tolerate the most moisture.
Many different cultivars are also available, often with variation in
flower color. Check out the white-flowered ‘Floristan White’ and
the purple-flowered ‘Floristan Violet’ growing in the Arlene and
Arthur S. Holden Jr. Butterfly Garden.
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife)
Like so many other invasive plant species, the seeds of
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) arrived in North
America in the ballasts of ships travelling from Europe
throughout the 19th century. The wetland species gradually
spread along canals and railroad ditches and can now be
found in all Canadian provinces and U.S. states except
Florida. Purple loosestrife has a tendency to overcrowd
wetlands and turn them into homogenous fields of purple
flowers, inhospitable to waterfowl and other plant species.
A single, mature plant can produce over 2 million tiny
seeds in a year, which are then spread via wind, water,
or the fur and feathers of animals. Desired for its showy
purple flower spikes, purple loosestrife began to be planted
as an ornamental in the late 1800s and it can still be found
today in many garden centers, mail order catalogs and seed
mixes. Though “self-sterile” cultivars exist, they almost
always produce viable seed when cross-pollinated with wild
purple loosestrife or any other cultivars.
12
Stands of purple loosestrife overcrowd native wetland plants.
Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture, forestryimages.org
A red admiral on a blazing star. Brian Parsons
Filipendula rubra (queen-of-the-prairie)
Queen-of-the-prairie is a robust perennial
plant that is admired for its flowers and
its foliage. Hardy to Zone 3, queen-ofthe-prairie grows 3-6 feet tall with frothy,
rose-pink inflorescences that range from
5-9 inches in width. Each inflorescence
is made up of clusters of tiny flowers
with five petals and long stamens, which
gives queen-of-the-prairie its distinctive
cotton candy appearance. Its deep green,
pinnately compound leaves can be over
a foot long, each with a large, lobed
terminal leaflet. The seed heads are
attractive in the winter. Queen-of-theprairie prefers moist, humus-rich soils
The flowers will bloom
with
full sunlight or partial shade. Despite
from bottom to top.
its name, queen-of-the-prairie also grows
Brian Parsons
well near streams and ponds. Bloom time
for this plant begins in early to late summer and lasts about three
weeks. Look for these standout tufts of pink flowers in the prairie
section of the Myrtle S. Holden Wildflower Garden.
Queen-of-the-prairie growing in the Myrtle S.
Holden Wildflower Garden. Rick Hederstrom
Summer 2012
Leaves
The showy flowers and lance-shaped leaves of purple
loosestrife. Linda Wilson, University of Idaho, forestryimages.org
Purple and white varieties of Liatris spicata growing in the Sally Gries
Entrance Bed. Brian Parsons
13
Lantern Court Gardens (continued)
And the grounds are a lovely place for a summer stroll, Viel said. The high trees
provide shade and the grounds offer hidden surprises for guests, including a
view of the waterfall in the ravine behind the house. She hopes guests will come
either for a tour or just to enjoy a quiet day in the serene garden.
ask
Charles
“It’s nice to have people come over and walk the paths, she said.
Viel is relatively new to Holden, joining the staff in 2011. Her task is to carry on
the work started by retired horticulturist Tom Yates in caring for the grounds.
In her first year, Viel chose four or five of the gardens numerous beds to work
on and spent the summer reshaping them, adding new plants purchased at area
nurseries or relocated from other areas of the garden.
by Charles Tubesing,
chief horticulturist
“There are so many flower beds which this garden contains that you could easily
get overwhelmed,” she said. “By selecting a few existing beds to work on each
season, I have a goal to focus on.”
Viel has also been working to increase the number of display labels in the
garden to make it easier for guests who come out to Lantern Court to identify
the plants the find there.
The Holden Arboretum is known for the
beautiful gardens at its core, but guests
visiting Lantern Court, a short drive from
the Warren H. Corning Visitor Center, will
be enchanted by what they find there.
In the past few years, Lantern
Court has become a popular location for couples hosting small, intimate
weddings and receptions, and the gardens provide a stunning backdrop for the
ceremonies and parties held there.
Between May and October
Lantern Court was the site for
36 different events, with the
majority of those being
wedding related. Carri-An
Varga, Holden’s private
events coordinator, said that
many couples choose to get
married at Lantern Court
because it offers them a
private setting surrounded by
the beauty of nature.
brian parsons
Older yews were removed this
year and will be replaced with
different plants, Viel said.
“My plan is to have low maintenance, deer resistant conifers of different widths
and textures,” she said. “Once the evergreens are in, it will frame different parts
of the garden.”
Jackie Klisuric
A:
The conspicuously colored growths are
not a symptom of disease, but are a type
of gall. Galls are abnormal growths of
plant tissue produced in response to the
presence of a foreign organism. In this
situation, the presence of tiny eriophyid
mites during leaf development results in
the production of the fuzzy patches, which
are officially referred to as erineum galls.
Now for the good news: No action on your
part is necessary. The erineum gall normally
affects only a small proportion of the leaves
on any one tree, and as for most galls, it
has negligible impact on the health of its
host. So when you notice it you can just
appreciate it as a colorful quirk of nature!
Similar galls may occasionally be observed
on leaves of Tilia (linden), Acer (maple) and
viburnum. The fuzzy or felt-like patches
may occur on either surface of the leaf.
photos Jackie Klisuric
Summer 2012
Leaves
“The neat thing about this garden is it’s an estate
garden so you can take home ideas to use at your
own home,” said Julia Viel, horticulturist in charge
of the garden. “There are a lot of unique plants here
that you don’t see elsewhere at the arboretum.”
by Cait Anastis, editor
Gardens
14
“It’s not a big party center
where there are other events going on at the same time,” she said. Instead,
couples can exchange vows under a green canopy of tree branches on the side
terrace of the house, host cocktails in the formal living room and dance under
the stars in the courtyard of the Arcade.
Near the entrance to Lantern
Court are flower beds
surrounding a small sundial.
The area has been planted
with day lilies and phlox,
which look beautiful while in
bloom, but don’t offer yearround interest. Viel said she
will be adding a mix of plants
that bloom spring, summer
and fall, as well as woody
plants to give the area winter
interest.
Lantern Court
Some of the leaves of my Betula nigra (river
birch) have pink, fuzzy patches on them.
The shape of affected leaves is somewhat
distorted as well. Is this a disease? If it is,
what should I do to control it?
This year she is focusing on
four or five new beds. One
area that is getting her
attention is the front of the
property, where the garden
borders Kirtland-Chardon
Road. Viel said she wants the
beds to be aesthetically
pleasing, with a layered look
to provide visual interest while
blocking the view of traffic on
the street.
The gardens surround the country estate
built in the 1930s as a home for the Warren
H. Corning family. Arriving at the home on
Kirtland-Chardon Road, visitors can wander
along garden paths and visit a hidden waterfall
near the headwaters of Pierson Creek.
Although Holden’s guests might not have large
country estates to care for, they can still find
inspiration for their own landscapes.
Q: See the Classes & Events schedule for guided tour dates of Lantern Court.
15
Ohio’s Ticks
by Mike Watson, conservation biologist
For most people, ticks fall in the same category as snakes,
bats, spiders and other creepy critters. In fact, they are
closely related to spiders – ticks and spiders are both
arachnids. The fact that ticks, as blood sucking parasites,
can spread disease to humans and our pets makes them
even less popular.
Lyme disease has been lingering in Ohio for decades, but
conventional wisdom suggested that Ohio cases of Lyme
were the result of people making trips to other states
and picking up ticks en route. There’s no question today,
though, that blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks,
have become established in Ohio. Ohio Department of
Health entomologists report a dramatic increase in 2011 in
the number of blacklegged ticks that have been submitted
for identification. These ticks were collected from 52
counties, including Lake and Geauga counties.
But ticks are important beyond the diseases they can
spread to humans. These little critters play an interesting
and complicated role in the ecosystem. And since we have
to share our fields and forests with them, we should at
least try to appreciate that role.
Ticks and your health
If you are active outdoors in Northeast Ohio you have
almost certainly encountered the dog tick. These ticks
are common and widespread in Ohio and prefer tall grass
fields, overgrown lots, and woodland edges. Adults are
relatively large compared to other tick species – about
the size of the sesame seed – and ornamented with white
markings on their back.
If you’ve spent time in southern Ohio, especially in the
southeast parts of the state, you may have encountered the
Lone Star tick. They are found in meadows and woods, and
seem to prefer shaded areas. Lone Star ticks are slightly
smaller than dog ticks and have a white spot in the middle
their back, the ”Lone Star.”
Both dog ticks and Lone Star ticks are capable of carrying
and spreading diseases to humans. Dog ticks can be a
vector for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, whereas Lone
Star ticks can carry Erlichiosis.
But the big star of the show, certainly the tick that is
making Ohioans most nervous, is the black-legged or
deer tick. This tick is relatively new to the state, and
they carry and spread Lyme disease, the most frequently
reported vector-borne disease in the United States. Ohio
is situated between two areas with high incidence of Lyme
disease, yet for a long time Ohio did not seem to have a
resident population of deer ticks. According to the Ohio
Department of Health, field work done in 2010 was the
lone star tick
first to show an established population of these ticks.
Despite the fact that deer ticks appear to be relatively rare
in Ohio, there were more cases of Lyme disease reported
in 2010 than Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Erlichiosis
combined (43, 15, and 8 reports, respectively).
Ticks don’t fly, and they don’t drop out of the trees onto
your head. When they are in search of a host, ticks will
climb to the end of a blade of grass, the tip of a leaf or
twig, and wait for an animal to walk by. Once on a host,
they don’t immediately bite, but may wander around for
a couple hours or a couple days before biting. Even if the
tick is infected, the bacteria do not immediately enter the
body. So, it is wise to shower and conduct a careful tickcheck after you’ve spent time outside. Odds are, if you
are careful, you’ll find the tick before it has a chance to
introduce anything nasty to your bloodstream. And keep in
mind that the majority of ticks don’t carry these diseases.
Ecological Interactions
Due, in part, to the health concerns related to Lyme
disease and other tick-borne illnesses, research has been
done on tick population dynamics and interactions with
other species in the ecosystem. This research has revealed
some fascinating and complex webs of interactions.
First, it is important to understand the tick’s life cycle.
Although this description is generally accurate for all three
of Ohio’s tick species, some details apply more specifically
to deer ticks.
Eggs in the forest leaf litter hatch in late spring and early
summer. These larval stage ticks will molt into nymphal
stage ticks, which will molt into adult ticks. Each of these
molts requires a bloodmeal. Generally, larval and nymphal
ticks will get that bloodmeal from a small mammal, though
birds and reptiles can also act as hosts for these ticks.
The adult ticks also require a bloodmeal. It is especially
important to female ticks so that they can produce and
lay eggs. These adult ticks, when searching for a host,
climb higher than the larval or nymphal ticks. As a result,
questing adult ticks often end up on larger mammals; most
often on deer, which is how the deer tick got its name.
Adults may stay on the deer for several days or a week,
and will often mate on the deer. Then they drop off of the
deer and the female winters in the leaf litter on the forest
floor. She will lay eggs the following spring or summer.
Just by understanding this life cycle, we can see that ticks
have direct interactions with a wide range of animals,
from mice to deer to humans. And, of course, with the
bacteria that cause Lyme and other diseases. These direct
interactions are important in any ecosystem, but there
blacklegged tick
American dog tick
5mm
4
3
Leaves
1
16
0
Center for Disease Control Archive, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Bugwood.org
Jim Occi, BugPics, Bugwood.org
Susan Ellis, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org
Ticks are involved in a much larger ecological web than
what I’ve described so far. Let’s start with the oaks. Like
many other tree species, oaks have periodic “mast” seasons
during which they produce huge numbers of seeds. Two of
the animals involved in the tick life cycle eat acorns: deer
and mice. During the fall of a mast season, deer migrate
into the parts of their range with high concentrations of
oaks to take advantage of the acorns. Mice generally travel
over smaller ranges, so there may not be much movement
into the oak forest in response to a mast, but the mice
that are already in the oak forest will do exceedingly well
and produce many offspring, something that mice are very
good at even under normal conditions. As a result, mouse
populations in oak forests are very high during the summer
after the oak mast.1
What does this mean for ticks? Well, the deer bring adult
ticks into the oak forest in the fall and then the females
drop off and winter in the leaf litter. When their eggs
hatch in the following spring there will be a large mouse
population to act as hosts to the larval ticks. Because mice
are an excellent reservoir for the bacteria that causes Lyme
disease, there will now be a lot of larval ticks infected with
the bacteria. They will drop off of the mice and spend
almost a year in the leaf litter. Then, in the spring of the
following year they will have molted to the nymph stage
and will be hungry for another bloodmeal. But, because the
acorn crop is gone by this point, the mouse population will
have declined. At this point in the oak forest, we have a lot
of nymphal ticks and many of them are infected. But the
mice, which would normally provide their next bloodmeal,
are harder to come by. Where will the ticks find a nice
warm body to provide their needed bloodmeal? Two years
after an oak mast appears to be a great time to pick up an
infected tick, a fact that could improve our ability to predict
Lyme outbreaks.1
Just for fun, let’s add one more player to this story: the
gypsy moth. This introduced species shows a preference
for oaks and when populations are high, the caterpillars
can defoliate trees. But, mice are quite fond of gypsy moth
caterpillars. If the mouse population is high when the
moth population is low, the mice will eat most or all of the
caterpillars and prevent an outbreak. This is good news
for oak trees, of course. A low mouse population, though,
will not consume as many caterpillars, and the gypsy moth
population can increase to outbreak levels. So if you like
oaks, mice are your friend, but if you are concerned about
Lyme disease, mice are your enemy.1
Now, let’s step out of the oak forest and look at a few
other interactions involving ticks. In areas where the deer
population has been high for a long period of time, the
native plant populations can be nearly wiped out and nonnative plants often take hold. Honeysuckle and Japanese
Barberry are two of the common non-native invasive shrubs
in Ohio’s forests. Dense populations of either of these
shrubs are attractive to deer and mice, and as a result can
lead to increased densities of ticks and increased rates of
infection with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
Japanese barberry is another non-native, invasive shrub
that has become a problem in many of Ohio’s forests. This
thorny little shrub can form dense clusters in the forest and
produces small red berries. Mice like the little red berries
and enjoy the protection offered by the dense mat of thorny
branches. As a result, mouse densities are higher in areas
invaded by barberry than in the surrounding landscape. So,
too many deer can result in barberry invasion, which results
in high mouse densities. Both animals are vital to the tick
lifecycle. Not surprisingly, this results in increased tick
numbers and increased infection with the bacteria causing
Lyme disease.2
The complexity of nature can lead in interesting directions.
The tick life cycle connects to some of the most important
conservation and natural resources management challenges
that we face at Holden: deer overabundance, invasive plants
and invasive pests. Removal of dense honeysuckle and
barberry stands has been shown to reduce tick densities.3
Reducing deer densities to 10 per square mile resulted in a
dramatic reduction in Lyme disease cases in Connecticut. 4
Holden’s deer density goal is 10 to 20 per square mile, and
we’re not there yet. Correct stewardship of our forests will
not only improve their health and increase biodiversity, it
could also reduce tick densities and our risk of tick-borne
diseases.
Beyond their impacts on our physical health, ticks and the
diseases they can spread can have important impacts on
our attitudes and behaviors. Residents in areas with high
tick densities or disease outbreaks report feeling wary or
distrustful of nature and will change their behavior to avoid
areas they feel are likely to have a lot of ticks.5 Being aware
of the risks and acting in ways that reduce those risks
is perfectly reasonable. But in this day of ‘Nature Deficit
Disorder’ there is the risk that negative attitudes towards
spending time outside could further insulate us from
nature. Be aware and be careful, but don’t let those risks
prevent you from enjoying what nature has to offer.
The Ohio Department of Health has some useful and informative
tick information on its website (http://www.odh.ohio.gov
odhPrograms/dis/zoonoses/vbdp/vbtick.aspx).
1. Ostfeld RS, Keesing F, Jones CG, Canham CD, Lovett GM. 1998.
Integrative Ecology and the Dynamics of Species in Oak Forests.
Integrative Biology 1 (5): 178-186.
2. Williams SC, Ward JS, Worthley TE, Stafford KC. 2009.
Managing Japanese Barberry (Ranunculales: Berberidaceae)
Infestations Reduces Blacklegged Tick (Acari: Ixodidae)
Abundance and Infection Prevalence with Borrelia burgdorferi
(Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae). Environmental Entomology
38(4): 977-984.
3. Allan BF, Dutra HP, Goessling LS, Barnett K, Chase JM, Marquis
RJ, Pang G, Storch GA, Thach RE, Orrock JL. 2010. Invasive
Honeysuckle Eradication Reduces Tick-borne Disease Risk by
Altering Host Dynamics. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences. 107 (43): 18523-18527
4. Kilpatrick HJ, LaBonte AM. 2007. Managing Urban Deer in
Connecticut: A Guide for Residents and Communities. Second
Edition. Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection,
Bureau of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division.
5. Padawer J, Altman C. 2009. White-trailed deer in Greenburgh,
Westchester County, NY. A Comprehensive Review of Deer
Overpopulation Problems and Control. Report to Greenburgh
Town Council.
Summer 2012
2
are always indirect interactions occurring, as well. Indirect
interactions involve a middle man, of sorts. When an owl
catches and eats a mouse, it has an obvious, direct impact
on that mouse. But it also has an indirect, and positive,
impact on the oak forest because there’s one less mouse to
eat acorns. That owl also has a negative, indirect impact on
the tick population, because it ate one of the ticks’ hosts.
These indirect interactions are what build the complex
ecological webs that make nature so interesting.
17
Research News and Highlights
News
Holden’s tree collections used in doctoral dissertation research
Arboreta collections are appreciated as living collections
of diverse woody plant species from around the globe,
but they are often undervalued as a resource for
scientific research. However, many arboreta collections
represent a controlled environment for asking
fundamental questions about the evolution of traits in
woody plants. Collection specimens are often grouped
by family, adequately spaced, and grown in similar
conditions with respect to soil and climate, making it
possible to compare individuals from different plant
lineages. Oscar Valverde, a doctoral candidate at Kent
State University, has been researching the evolution
and importance of tree root morphology and function
across various tree families that represent major
lineages of flowering plants (angiosperms). He believes
that many forest species coexist in tree communities
by having rooting systems that provide different
strategies for acquiring soil resources, thus allowing
them to effectively compete with one another in a
non-detrimental manner. Valverde, along with his PhD
adviser Christopher Blackwood and Holden scientist Kurt
Smemo, has been working in both native Northeast Ohio
forests and Holden’s specimen collections to address
the evolution and significance of rooting patterns and
nutrient acquisition strategies in a variety of tree species
common to temperate forests in Northeast Ohio. His
basic approach is to study the root morphology patterns
in specimens growing in a common garden (Holden’s
tree collections) and compare them to those of species
growing under natural conditions (native forests).
Valverde has found
that root morphology
in tree groups that are
evolutionarily older, such as
magnolids-magnolias and
tulip trees, is substantially
different from more
recently evolved groups like
maples or ashes. In general,
magnolids showed thicker,
less branched roots than
Oscar Valverde, doctoral candidate
at Kent State University, collects soil
those of other groups, and
and tree root samples in Holden’s
might be more dependent
Wildflower Garden.
on mycorrhizal fungi for
nutrient uptake. He also found large differences in root
chemistry between groups, with trees from the rose
family having tough long-lived roots that are low in
nitrogen content. When Valverde studied how all these
different kinds of roots interact in natural conditions, he
found that roots modify their morphology in response
to other species competing in the same soil location.
Moreover, there was more root biomass and greater
coexistence when adjacent root systems were more
unrelated (evolutionarily father apart). His overall
findings suggest that variations in the evolution of
tree rooting patterns actually improve the use of soil
resources and productivity of the entire ecosystem.
Part of his dissertation has already been submitted
for publication. He hopes to defend his dissertation
and complete his doctorate in December 2012.
18
The vast wetlands that dominate earth’s high latitude
landscapes are of great ecological importance. Besides
being vital habitat for many migratory animal species,
northern wetlands have a unique set of environmental
conditions that link them directly to the earth’s climate
system. Namely, cold, wet, anaerobic conditions result
in plant growth exceeding decomposition of dead plant
material. The dead plant material accumulates as peat
and can be very deep. These peat deposits represent an
important storage unit for carbon dioxide, a greenhouse
gas, which came from the atmosphere and would go
back to the atmosphere if not stored in peat. However,
the same environmental conditions that allow peat to
form also allow microorganisms to produce methane,
a greenhouse gas 10 times more potent than carbon
dioxide. For more than a decade, Holden research
scientist Kurt Smemo has been studying the processes
that control carbon dioxide storage and methane
production in these northern wetlands. Smemo, along
with colleagues Nathan Basiliko (University of Toronto),
Joseph Yavitt (Cornell University), and University
of Toronto graduate students Michael Preston and
Varun Gupta, have
recently published
several wetland
microbiology and
ecology papers in the
international journals
Biogeosciences,
Microbial Ecology, and
Frontiers in Terrestrial
Microbiology. One of
those studies (see
Michael Preston, visiting scientist and
highlights section)
doctoral candidate from the University of
Toronto, and Holden research specialist
was made possible
Charlotte Hewins conduct biological assays
by a grant from the
to estimate the activity of organic matter
decomposing microorganisms in peat from
National Science
the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Canada.
Foundation that
funded a monthlong visit to Holden by Michael Preston. Preston
used his time at Holden to work with Smemo and
learn new techniques for measuring the activity and
function of microorganisms in peat and design future
experiments for a portion of his doctoral dissertation.
Future ecology of northern wetlands depends on vegetation change
The James Bay Lowlands of northern Canada are a vast
complex of wetlands and peat deposits that remain largely
unstudied. Climate change models predict the region
will experience warmer and drier conditions, potentially
altering plant communities and soil microbial processes
that decompose organic matter. Visiting scientist Michael
Preston, along with Holden scientist Kurt Smemo and
colleagues, conducted the first study of soil microbial
populations in this wetland wilderness and looked at how
those populations respond to environmental changes. The
results of this study were recently published in Frontiers in
Terrestrial Microbiology (doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00070)
and showed that the same groups of microbes dominate
northern wetlands in this region, regardless of differences
in chemistry and vegetation. Although the microbial
communities were similar, the processes carried out by
these microbes did vary among the sites and were primarily
influenced by soil pH and the dominant vegetation. These
findings suggest that expected regional climate change
and replacement of mosses with shrubs and grasses
could increase methane emission from these wetlands
and decrease the amount carbon dioxide stored in peat.
shorts
Correction
The R. Henry Norweb Fellowship was misidentified in the article
The Invisible World of Soil and How We Study It, published in
the Winter 2011 issue of Leaves magazine. We apologize for the
editorial error.
Getting Geese to Leave the Gardens
The Holden Arboretum is using modern technology to
combat a long standing problem, an over abundance of
geese in the gardens.
Based on a recommendation from the Ohio Department
of Natural Resources, Mike Watson, Holden’s conservation
biologist, is using lasers as a means of harassing the
Canada geese and prevent them from nesting.
The Canada geese are a species that can increase in
population very quickly if left alone, Watson said. In large
numbers, they also can cause a great deal of damage and
create a safety concern for Holden visitors. In the past, Holden has used a number of methods to
discourage the geese from nesting in the core areas of
Holden, including harassment. However, the effectiveness
of these methods is limited in places like the gardens
because of the number of ponds.
“Chasing the geese will get them to fly, but they just
retreat to the ponds,” Watson said. “And then it’s hard to
scare them off the water. Lasers though can get them off
the water.”
Watson is using the lasers, which are most effective in
low light, in the early morning and evening. The idea is to
shine the laser around and onto the goose, which seems
to scare them into flight. Caution is used not to shoot the
laser into the bird’s eyes, which can injure the goose
“They graze on plant material, so they can be a headache
in the gardens, tearing up turf and damaging the gardens,”
Watson said. “They poop everywhere, which is messy. And
“Combined with daytime harassing by the horticulture staff,
once they get into their nesting cycle, they can become
very aggressive. They’ll attack people who get too close
I hope we can make the area unattractive to geese and
they’ll choose to move somewhere else to nest,” he said.
to their nests, so there is a safety issue.”
16th Annual Members Photography Exhibit Saturday, Sept. 1 - Sunday, Oct. 28
The 16th Annual Members Photography Exhibit is an
opportunity for you to showcase your beautiful photos
taken at The Holden Arboretum.
A People’s Choice award and a President’s Choice award will
be presented in each division – adult and junior. The awards
reception will be held on from 2-3pm, Saturday, Oct. 13.
Adult members – ages 18 and over – and junior members –
ages 17 and under – are encouraged to submit their color,
black and white, or digitally manipulated photographs.
Entry forms and complete rules can be obtained from
the Corning Visitor Center, or at holdenarb.org. For
additional information, contact Julie Dougherty at
440.946.4400, ext. 140.
The entry fee is $4 per photograph. Each member
can submit up to five total entries. Exhibit entries
will be accepted July 30 through Aug. 26 at the
Warren H. Corning Visitor Center.
Summer 2012
Leaves
Holden’s ecological research extends to northern wetlands
Research News and Highlights
Highlights
19
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9500 Sperry Road
Kirtland, Ohio 44094
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printed on recycled paper
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Please notify Holden of change of address.
exhibit
Vanishing Acts:
Tr e e s U n de r Th r e at
Open daily, now until Oct. 28
printed on recycled paper with
Take a closer look at the threats facing
trees in the wild. This special exhibit,
created by the Morton Arboretum in Lisle,
Ill., turns the spotlight on 15 different tree
species in danger of vanishing from our
landscape. An easy-to-follow, one mile
trail through Holden’s gardens allows
guests to learn more. Family activities
along the trail will help families discover
what is threatening these trees and
what we can do to help save them.
In addition to the activity stations along
the trail, Holden will offer free family
activities on the weekends in conjunction
with the exhibit. They include:
For Families
of All Ages
Plant Explorers, Assemble! Become a
plant explorer and put yourself to the test
as we search throughout Holden for an
undiscovered tree.
Trees: Not Just for Us Join Holden staff on
a hike to search for animal signs high in the
trees and under fallen logs and discover
who uses the trees in our forests.
Alien Invasion Forests in Ohio are under
attack from aliens! Discover how these
“aliens” got to Ohio, how they are taking
over the forests and how we’re trying to
stop them as you join Holden staff for
some games.
Organized and circulated by The Morton Arboretum, in partnership with the Global Trees Campaign. This traveling exhibit is made possible by a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.