Four Nature Books To Read This Spring While we (not so) patiently wait for the last frost to rear its head and the weather to warm, why not read a new-to-you book about plants and nature? While we (not so) patiently wait for the last frost to rear its head and the weather to warm, why not read a new-to-you book about plants and nature? Mia Hoppel—Philadelphia high school student, home gardener, and volunteer gardener with the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education as well as Laurel and West Laurel Hill Cemetery—rounded up four of her recent favorite books on nature, ranging from the story of a teenage climate activist in Northern Ireland to Robin Wall Kimmerer's critically acclaimed  Braiding Sweetgrass .   Image Diary of a Young Naturalist By Dara McAnulty Ebury Press, 2021 Diary of a Young Naturalist  tells the story of 15-year-old Dara McAnulty, a young climate activist from Northern Ireland. His journal entries are separated by season, allowing the reader to witness changes in the natural world alongside the changes in McAnulty himself as he gets older and his perspective evolves. This is a heartwarming tale, which offers insight into the struggles young people are facing today. From the expected difficulties that come with growing up during a pandemic and climate crises, McAnulty, an autistic teenager, is in the middle of it all, balancing schoolwork, activism, personal relationships, and his deep care for the environment. McAnulty’s writings on nature are vivid, drawing the reader into the moment and sharing everything he’s witnessed, from the smallest creature to the tallest mountain. McAnulty has done incredible work as an activist and is the youngest ever recipient of the RSBP Medal, but  Diary of a Young Naturalist  is not wholly about activism; it’s a book containing a year of McAnulty’s life in which climate activism is an intrinsic aspect. His joy in nature is what draws the reader in; it’s inspiring, hopeful, and offers a relatable experience …

Are You Barking Up the Wrong Tree? Explore Penn Plant Explorer! Have you ever walked Penn’s campus and wondered what kind of trees loomed ahead? Have you ever wandered the leafy campus looking for a quiet park in which to sit? Image Blanche P. Levy Park at Penn, commonly known as “College Green,” featuring  Ulmus americana  ('Penn Treaty Elm'), a descendent of the original American elm under which William Penn, founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, signed a treaty of friendship with Lenape Chief Tamanend in 1682. Have you ever walked Penn’s campus and wondered what kind of trees loomed ahead? Have you ever wandered the leafy campus looking for a quiet park in which to sit? Have you ever wondered about the beauty of Penn’s green campus, especially as it is in the middle of the country’s fifth largest city? Well wonder no more,  Penn Plant Explorer  answers all your questions! To the surprise of many, the Morris Arboretum isn’t the only Penn arboretum: the University’s West Philadelphia core campus is also an accredited Level II Arboretum, making Penn the only Ivy League whose working campus is an accredited arboretum. Of our campus’s 300 hundred acres, 100 are green spaces, home to approximately 6,300 trees and 240 species, many of which are mature and historic. Not only are these trees magnificent in their seasonal beauty but they are also hardworking members of Penn’s campus, storing well over a million pounds of carbon and annually saving the University many thousands of dollars in building heating/cooling energy costs. Through the  Penn Plant Explorer  interactive website, anyone with a mobile device can easily locate and identify trees and shrubs across the campus. There’s a number of staff-curated tours (e.g. Historic and Significant Trees, Trees of Locust Walk, Class Trees) and users can organize their searches by individual interests. Trees can also be located and identified by scientific names, common names, or plant families. If you are looking for …

Morris Arboretum Retired Executive Director Receives the Veicht Medal The retired F. Otto Haas Executive Director of the Morris Arboretum, Paul Meyer, was recently honored with the Veitch Medal of the Royal Horticultural Society Image The retired F. Otto Haas Executive Director of the Morris Arboretum, Paul Meyer, was recently honored with the  Veitch Medal  of the  Royal Horticultural Society , awarded annually to those who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the science and practice of horticulture. Congratulations Paul, and thank you for everything you've done for the Arboretum and beyond! For more information about the Royal Horticultural Society People Awards, please visit their  website . Blog Image March 11, 2022 … Morris Arboretum Retired Executive Director Receives the Veicht Medal …

Plant Names and Provenance: Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar) Juniperus virginiana  (eastern redcedar) is a common native evergreen tree spread by birds that eat and disseminate the blue, berry-like seed cones. Image 1936-6741*A  Juniperus virginiana Juniperus virginiana  (eastern redcedar) is a common native evergreen tree spread by birds that eat and disseminate the blue, berry-like seed cones. Historically, it has been highly valued by Native Americans for healing purposes, by American colonists as a cedar wood replacement, and by 18th-century Europeans eager to embellish their landscapes with attractive, hardy plants from the American colonies. Juniperus  is the Latin name for this type of conifer, and virginiana  means “of Virginia.” The common name eastern redcedar conveys key features: its eastern North American nativity, reddish-brown bark, and dull red heartwood that is aromatic like true cedar wood. Eastern red-cedar can be written with a hyphen, signaling that this tree is not a true cedar; no  Cedrus  is native to North America. The seven specimens of  J. virginiana  at the Morris Arboretum have interesting backstories. Two specimens of the cultivar ‘Glauca’ were accessioned in 1932 as existing plants on the Morris Estate, indicating that the Morrises appreciated this silver redcedar, a cultivar known before 1868 in France. The single straight species was planted as a seed in 1936 by “Unspecified Morris Arb. Staff” and the photo below shows its characteristic shaggy, reddish-brown bark sometimes compared to pulled pork. ‘Globosa,’ a cultivar with a spherical habit, was planted in 1947. ‘Pyramidalis,’ showing a narrow, upright growth form, was obtained as a cutting from the New York Botanical Garden in 1949; NYBG’s specimen is no longer alive, demonstrating the value of sharing. Image 1932-2833*A  Juniperus virginiana  ‘Glauca’ Image  1949-5628*A  Juniperus virginiana. ‘Pyramidalis’ Image 1947-205*A  Juniperus virginiana  ‘Globosa’                 …

When Your 188-Year-Old Tree Has Issues... Who You Gonna Call? When the Haverford College Arboretum staff was concerned about one of their historic trees, they called the Morris Arboretum Urban Forestry Consultants for advice. Image John B. Ward & Co. staff using the AirSpade tool and an air compressor on the roots of the bur oak. Photo: Eugenia Warnock. When the Haverford College Arboretum staff was concerned about one of their historic trees, they called the Morris Arboretum Urban Forestry Consultants for advice. The 188-year-old  Quercus macrocarpa  (bur oak) planted in 1834 is one of Haverford College Arboretum’s unique and revered amenity trees planted as part of English gardener William Carvill’s original landscape design. The massive oak is highly valued and loved by faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and watchful eyes are always focused on this piece of the College’s history. Recently, it was noted that a mass fruiting of fungus was growing at the base. The Morris Arboretum’s Urban Forestry’s Associate Director of Arboriculture Outreach, Mike LaMana and Urban Forestry Intern Eugenia Warnock conducted a series of visual and physical observations followed by resistance-drill testing of specific areas at the tree’s base. Resistance drilling is used to determine the amount and location of potential internal decay. Significant changes in drilling resistance mark internal cavities and decay, and the resistance is recorded on a graph. The results did not reflect decay and the trunk flare appeared sound for an oak of its age. The species of fungus previously seen at the base of the bur oak was determined to be  Grifola frondosa , more commonly known as hen-of-the-woods. It is a common species of fungus which can cause a spongey, white rot condition that could impact structural roots. As this initial review and testing focused only on above ground portions of the tree, the Morris Arboretum staff suggested air excavation be conducted to reveal the condition of the …

Provenance and Plants: Juniperus rigida (temple juniper) Temple juniper is an evergreen conifer tree whose common name conveys that it is traditionally found planted on temple or other sacred grounds in Japan. The evergreen nature of the plant imbues it with an air of immortality. Temple juniper is an evergreen conifer tree whose common name conveys that it is traditionally found planted on temple or other sacred grounds in Japan. The evergreen nature of the plant imbues it with an air of immortality. This majestic tree, that can grow up to 32 feet and is native to Northeastern Asia, has graceful weeping branchlets and a deep resinous scent. Male and female trees are separate, and female trees bear dark purple, berry-like cones often called “juniper berries.” Temple juniper is also prized as a bonsai subject.  The scientific name,  Juniperus rigida , is much more pragmatic.  Juniperus  is from the classic Latin name for the genus. Rigida refers to the rigid, needle-like leaves, so sharp that another common name for this tree is “needle juniper.” The species was discovered by  Philipp Franz von Siebold  during his exploration of Japan. Image Juniperus rigida  bonsai in training since 1996. Photo taken in 2007 at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum of the U.S. National Arboretum. Photo by Ragesoss,  CC BY-SA 3.0 Image 1935-6324*B  Juniperus rigida  (temple juniper) showing cascading branchlets with bright green new growth, and a circled cluster of male pollen cones. Photo by Katherine Wagner-Reiss. Image 1935-6324*B   Juniperus rigida   (temple juniper) planted at the Morris Arboretum in 1935. Photo by Katherine Wagner-Reiss.                                 As with art, the provenance of a botanical garden specimen tree is critical; a misidentified tree could cause mass confusion. The Morris Arboretum has two specimens labeled  Juniperus rigida , each with its own fascinating history. The 1935 accession was acquired as a plant from the Montgomery Evergreen Nursery …

Farewell to the Beloved Cathedral Sycamore For the past 10 years, the Morris Arboretum’s Urban Forestry Consultants have been honored to monitor the health and well-being of a renowned and beloved mature  Platanus occidentalis ( American sycamore) in Bryn Athyn, PA. For the past 10 years, the Morris Arboretum’s Urban Forestry Consultants have been honored to monitor the health and well-being of a renowned and beloved mature  Platanus occidentalis ( American sycamore) in Bryn Athyn, PA. Hal Rosner, formally a Bartlett Tree Expert employee now working for Schectman Tree Care, has cared for the tree over many years. Hal has asked the Arboretum's Urban Forestry team to periodically inspect the tree, often referred to as the Cathedral sycamore because of its proximity to the Bryn Athyn Cathedral. The sycamore is estimated to be 200 years old, stands about 95 feet tall, with a diameter at standard height of nearly 79 inches (54 inches above grade). The tree was likely planted in front of a springhouse, where it had plenty of water with little competition from surrounding trees, so it grew relatively quickly. Planting American sycamore’s adjacent to springhouses seems to have been a tradition in the 1700s and 1800s. Image Morris Arboretum Associate Director of Urban Forestry Jason Lubar, homeowner Susan Asplundh, and Urban Forestry Intern Eugenia Warnock standing with the  Platanus occidentalis  (American sycamore), known locally as the Cathedral sycamore. Image Condition in April 2016. Image Condition in December 2021.                                 Over the years the owner has followed recommendations provided by the tree’s professional caregivers, including having an extension of the former house on the property (which was relatively close to the tree) carefully removed thus increasing the available rooting space near the tree. Unfortunately, due to the onset of severe and extensive decay within the base, a decrease in the structural roots’ strength, and proximity to …

Plant Names Tell their Stories: Fern Fever Morris Arboretum is the perfect place to indulge in a little pteridomania: a mania for ferns!  Image The Dorrance H. Hamilton Fernery. Photo by Paul Meyer. Morris Arboretum is the perfect place to indulge in a little pteridomania: a mania for ferns!  John T. Morris (the original owner of the Morris Estate, along with his sister, Lydia Morris) was a fern fan; this is not surprising as fern collecting was all the rage in Victorian England. Combining his Haverford College studies in engineering and his love of tropical plants, Morris designed a cutting-edge, eight-sided glass conservatory called the Palm House. Unfortunately, the first iteration of his greenhouse, heated with a firebox boiler, was destroyed by a fire in 1895, quite soon after its construction. The replacement glasshouse was completed in 1899; it was and still is a marvel, benefiting from the latest, award-winning winning ideas about greenhouses promulgated at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Morris filled it with over 500 fern specimens, ordered from one expert English gardener; he made sure to specify in his order that he would prefer to have no more than two ferns of any one species. Image The Morris Arboretum Stumpery. Photo by Lynn Weaver. Of course, greenhouses require upkeep, and in 1994 a group spearheaded by Dorrance H. Hamilton matched a major National Endowment for the Humanities grant to redo the conservatory with up-to-date materials and climate control systems while remaining true to Morris’s architectural vision. Today it remains the only surviving freestanding Victorian fernery in the US. Here is a self-guided tour of the current fernery to whet your interest about the exotic ferns that are cultivated inside. Image The Morris Arboretum Stumpery. Photo by Lynn Weaver. Stumperies are another Victorian innovation, and the Arboretum’s Hardy Fern Garden/Stumpery is located just across from the Fernery entrance. Stumperies use tree stumps as a …