Sunday, May 5th for our 2013 Open House

April 22, 2013

Dear Members & Friends,

Each season brings its own beauty to the Pine Hollow Arboretum. Whether exploring the trails, taking in the blossoms, or simply relaxing, a new discovery awaits you with each visit to our 25-acre preserve. To mark the arrival of spring, we invite our members and friends to join us to celebrate nature’s renewal on Sunday, May 5th for our 2013 Open House from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at 16 Maple Avenue in Slingerlands for walking tours, family fun and refreshments.

Our Open House will feature a magnificent display of magnolias & azaleas, which bloom throughout the month of May. Dr. John Abbuhl will be on hand to lead a tour of the grounds. A self-guided tour is available to those who wish, on their own, to explore the trails, groves and 12 wild life ponds. This season, we will add over 50 new plants to the 3,350 trees in the collection. We are open dawn to dusk for visitors to enjoy the longer days.

Experience the Arboretum, become a supporting member, or renew at your current expiration date. Your contributions support proper care and upkeep of the grounds and environmentally conscientious preservation of the horticultural collection.

Enjoy the peace, tranquility and especially, the trees. We look forward to a wonderful season, and hope that you will drop by for our Open House on May 5^th and experience for yourself the ways in which your support helps sustain “trees in a natural environment”.

Sincerely,

Dr. John W. Abbuhl

Founder

FIRST DAY OF SPRING

Still in winter's grip. The first day of Spring came to Pine Hollow Arboretum with a coating of sticky snow and only a few occasional breaks in clouds to bring sun to the fields. A pleasant day for a walk on the grounds with surprising white snowball tree-flowers and shadows on the snow that were identifiable by genius and species. These photos were all taken on a late morning walk on March 20, 2013
                               --Alan Casline      click on photos to enlarge them

snow field for walking

The cultivation of trees is the cultivation of the good, 
the beautiful and the ennobling in man.
                                                                       -- J. Sterling Morton

Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods 
and poets.
To plant a pine, one needs only a shovel.
                                                ---  Aldo Leopold

snow flowers look like white magnolias

stuck with snow flakes

shadow sketched on snow

Each generation takes the earth as trustees.
We ought to bequeath to posterity as many
forests and orchards as we have exhausted and consumed.
                            ---J. Sterling Morton

Human Health And Tree Health Go Together

      SOME GOOD NEWS AND SOME BAD NEWS

Good News: You will be healthier if you live near trees

Karen Engel, New York State Department of Environment Conservation Green Infrastructure Coordinator, has my name on an e-mailing list which sends me posts which are always interesting to look at.  It often goes too far afield to be of use at Pine Hollow Arboretum but still is nice as it shows impressive activity through-out New York State and the Northeast. She sent some information recently that seems to fit our efforts here and reinforces what many of us tree planters have known intuitively. Research published January 2013 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggests that tree loss from the spread of the emerald ash borer is associated with increased mortality related to cardiovascular and lower-respiratory-tract illness. The U.S. Forest Service study collected data in nearly 1,300 counties in 15 states over 18 years.  A short article by Alliance for Community Trees summarizes the research and helps to show the implications. The findings support all our efforts to preserve and enhance the living environment.  The article is titled: New Research: Trees Prove Vital to Human Health.  It is good that such a large-scale study has been conducted and points to a welcome conclusion. It is bad, however, that the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) , a beetle that kills ash trees, is a proxy for tree loss.

Researchers analyzed demographic, human mortality, and forest health between 1990 and 2007. Geoffrey Donovan, a research forester involved with the study, said “There’s a natural tendency to see our findings and conclude that, surely, the higher mortality rates are because of some confounding variable, like income or education, and not the loss of trees but we saw the same pattern repeated over and over in counties with very different demographic make-ups.” The researchers found those that lived in areas infested by the emerald ash borer and impacted by ash tree death “suffered from an additional 15,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 6,000 more deaths from lower respiratory disease when compared with uninfected areas. The association linking tree and human health is significant when found in such a large-scale study.

click on map to enlarge

Bad News; Emerald Ash Borer found in Selkirk, New York

The emerald ash borer is responsible for the loss of 100 million trees in the eastern and midwestern United States since its first discovery near Detroit, in 2002. The insect threatens the entire North American Fraxinus genus. The green ash and the black ash trees are preferred. White ash is also killed rapidly, but usually only after green and black ash trees are eliminated. EAB has an eleven year life cycle and most infected trees die two to four years after being infected. Where this happens there are landscapes of dead ash trees because the trees all die at the same time. Dealing with the infested dead branches and trunk wood is a problem all in itself. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced in 2009 that the emerald ash borer was recently discovered for the first time within the borders of New York State, in the Cattaraugus County town of Randolph. In October 2011 the emerald ash borer was found in Selkirk, Albany County only approximately ten to fifteen miles distant from Pine Hollow Arboretum. Currently we had no signs of EAB infestation at Pine Hollow Arboretum.

Emerald Ash Borer

There are hundreds of ash trees at Pine Hollow “if you count the small ones”, Arboretum founder and tree planter John Abbuhl said.  They are predominately Northern White Ash ( Fraxinus Americana) and Green Ash (Franxinus pennsylvanica) which prefers wetter areas.  Where ever there is a clear untended area at the Arboretum seedling ash trees will appear. The largest Northern White Ash at Pine Hollow Arboretum has a three foot through trunk at its base and is found in the western corner of the arboretum at the far end of the Magnolia Field. The largest Green Ash is two foot through and is found just west of the All Purpose Swamp. The ash is related to the olive tree. John Abbuhl said that in an evolutionary sense it is one of the more of recent species. The Mountain Ash is not an ash. It is named Mountain Ash because its leaves look like ash leaves.

The colorful Asian beetle that causes so much destruction is an unwelcome visitor. One that we are on the look-out for.

Why Evergreens are Green in Winter – Winter Photosynthesis

  When you look off the back patio at the arboretum during the winter months it’s such a different scene then during the spring, summer or fall because most of the leaves are off the trees.  Not only can you see farther down into the property from the same vantage point but what really stands out to me are the highlights of green trees scattered throughout the property. We all know that when the seasons change and it starts to get cold and the days get shorter deciduous trees automatically cut off connections to their leaves and stop performing photosynthesis in order to save energy for the upcoming winter months.  But some plants and trees keep their leaves all winter and they stay green.Trees like evergreens and conifers continue to stay green all winter because they have evolved special adaptions to survive the cold climate where they grow.

  First, these trees have needles rather than leaves.  The needles are a way of protecting their foliage all year round.  Snow easily falls off them.  The shape of the needle and its waxy coating is also designed to conserve water and minimize evaporation.  These trees feed themselves all winter by keeping chlorophyll in their needles by using smaller amounts of energy it produces during the winter.  The chlorophyll is the chemical that makes photosynthesis possible and what causes the needles to look green.  Plants that perform winter photosynthesis spend time during the spring and summer storing energy.  In simple terms, during the coldest months, evergreens convert these starch cells back to simple sugars that can be used to produce energy and food for the plant system, or to provide energy for new growth in the spring.  

  Also, evergreens are able to conduct photosynthesis in winter because the cells in the needles are protected by a type of self-made antifreeze that is carried in the tree sap.  The cold temperatures and lack of sunlight cause the photosynthesis process to occur more slowly and it is not as efficient as warm weather photosynthesis which is why some needles end of falling off the tree but many do not.

  If you want to see some winter photosynthesis in action visit the arboretum and see what nature has to offer.  The arboretum grounds are open all year round.  Happy New Year!

                                                                                  --- Sue Abbuhl

CAMASSIA PLANTS AT PINE HOLLOW ARBORETUM

A purple flowering plant which grows on the shore of Greenhouse Pond and photographed by John Abbuhl is being featured in the 2013 Pine Hollow Arboretum Calendar.  The plant is a Camas (Camassia) and it was cool to discover what an interesting plant the camas is. Our caption for under the photo was getting longer and longer until we decided we had to cut it down to a reasonable length. I figured a short write-up on this small species could share our discovered  information with others. John Abbuhl said the camas was a native plant but not native to the shore of Greenhouse Pond where he had planted it. I found out that native was true if you are talking about the large expanse of North America where the camas naturally ranges. The perennial six-petaled plant is native to Southern British Columbia to Northern California and east to Montana. The plant existed in great numbers in meadows and could color the whole meadow in purple when they flowered. Later in history settlements reduced the prairies filled with camus because of grazing by cattle and hogs. There are still places in the Great Basin out West where they fill the landscape.

Camassia species were an important food staple for natives and even for early settlers in parts of the West. They were harvested in Autumn with the bulbs roasted or boiled. The experts say camas bulbs when cooked taste like a sweet potato but sweeter. I wonder if they have unexplored agricultural potential?.

The bulbs can be dried and  pounded into flour. Folklorists have suggested the camas was also a important food source as a "cultivated plant" among the Tillamooks and other coastal peoples. These natives used burning to clear space for camas to grow out from under the forest cover. They were the second most popular trade good behind only dried salmon. Attention SCRABBLE players: the Kutchai called the camas "xapi".  Common names for the plant are "Wild Hyacinth" and "Bear Grass".

There is no danger the camas are going to spread wildly and take over large sections of Pine Hollow Arboretum. John Abbuhl said that even though they were planted years ago there are only the original four camas plants growing in one small spot. The current year (2012) only two of them bloomed. Still it is worth the effort to find these out of their range but never-the-less interesting perennials. Deer do not like them which is an advantage around here.

                                                      ----- Alan Casline

PINE HOLLOW ARBORETUM HOLIDAY CRAFT SALE

STOP BY THE VISITORS CENTER

Thursday, November 29, 2012  5-8 PM

16 Maple Ave, Slingerlands, NY

Hosted by Sandra Zwink, (518) 439-8105

Participating crafters include:

Kate Nare  jewelry

Indigo fields  handmade cards

Nancy Miller  jewelry

Bake for You Happy

Happy Scraps  (North Carolina)

AN INTERVIEW WITH DAWN REDWOOD

AN INTERVIEW WITH DAWN REDWOOD
Interviewed by Bob Gordon

Hello, Dawn. May I call you Dawn?

That’s OK. Dawn Redwood is my common name. But, ironically, as people get to know me better, they call me by my proper name, Metasequoia. It’s short for Metasequoia glyptostroboides.

Since this is my first interview with you, I’ll call you Dawn. You and your family have moved around quite a lot. Where are you living these days?

My immediate family came to the US from China in 1946. They were seeds brought here by an expedition from the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, who then gave the seeds to arboreta around the country. My family has an interesting history. My ancestors’ fossils had been discovered in the early 1940’s and we were thought to be extinct. But then a couple of years later, a small stand of the trees was discovered in a remote Chinese valley. Despite the excitement, World War II prevented much from happening until our move to Boston in 1946. Then there was another lull in activity as US-China relations chilled. In the 1980’s, after relations between the two countries improved, new seeds were brought to the US. That finally allowed greater genetic diversity among the Metasequoias in the US, since that first group of us all came from just a single collection.

You didn’t answer my question. Does that mean you’re practicing for a career in politics?

No, I just got sidetracked. Sorry. What was the question, anyway? Although I’m about 50 years old, which is certainly not over the hill for my species, I still sometimes forget. Oh, now I remember the question; it was about where I live. My siblings and I live in the arboretum’s Metasequoia Field and Chinese Strip, just over the Japanese Hill. So I guess you could say I’m over the hill after all.

What about your extended family?

My distant cousins, the Coast Redwoods and Giant Sequoias, have lived in California since ancient times, where they grew big and became famous. Their publicity agent says they’re the biggest living things on the planet. I used to think that was just Hollywood hype, but it’s true. And besides, they’re in northern California, not Hollywood.

You sound jealous of your cousins.

No, not at all. I like living in upstate New York where I’m well cared for, with just the right climate and other growing conditions. As one of the 30 featured trees among the 3500 at the Pine Hollow Arboretum, I get all the attention I want.

Are your siblings both brothers and sisters?

Yes, … literally. Each mature Metasequoia contains both male and female cones, like most conifers. But I’m proud to belong to a select group of trees, the deciduous conifers. So like larches and just a couple of other trees, I have needles that turn color in the fall then drop off for the winter.

How many siblings do you live with? What are their names?

I have six siblings. They’re all named Dawn Redwood, too. By the way, there is no truth to the rumor that we Dawns gave Bob Newhart the idea for the brothers Larry, Darryl and Darryl.

You’re denying a rumor. Are you sure you’re not going into politics? If you’re all called Dawn Redwood, how do you identify yourselves?

We were all born in the late 1960’s and 70’s, so we distinguish ourselves by where and how we grow. I’m the widest, but my doctor, a tree surgeon, says I’m not overweight. Another Dawn is the tallest, since it’s able to grow very straight. Our colors are a little different, too. One of us has yellowish foliage; another one has light green foliage. Another sibling is distinguished by its dark trunk. Among the seven of us, the two tallest are more than 70 feet and still growing. Since Metasequoias are fast-growing trees, two others getting there quickly. The other three are still waiting for their adolescence.
Do you have marks on a closet door that show how much you’ve grown?

Don’t be silly. We outgrew closet doors years ago. My siblings and I started being measured two years ago when the American Conifer Society requested that our heights be monitored as part of a nationwide project to learn more about Metasequoias. People still don’t even know how big we can get or how long we can expect to live because there aren’t any old trees or family records in existence. That’s because many years ago the Chinese villagers used Metasequoias for lumber. Some people think we can live 400 or 500 years. Check back with me in a couple of hundred years and I’ll let you know if I’m having a mid-life crisis.

Do you have any children?

My siblings and I have all put down roots in Slingerlands and have decided to raise families here. The four oldest of us are already producing cones and we have produced seedlings.

You mentioned the ideal climate in upstate New York. Are you concerned about climate change?

Metasequoias are one of the few species that won’t be hurt by a little warming as long as we get the right amount of moisture. We can also tolerate temperatures that are much colder than what we get here. While a warming trend won’t affect me personally, I am still deeply concerned about the effects of climate change on other trees and on the whole planet. The edge of Hurricane Sandy didn’t damage any of us at the arboretum, but with more occurrences of extreme weather as the planet warms, I’m not sure we’ll continue to be so lucky.

I share your concern. I’ve enjoyed speaking with you and feel that I’ve gotten to know you better. Thank you, Metasequoia.
                                                              ---Bob Gordon