Arboretum & Botanical Garden Bulletin Board
Plant of the Month
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris
Location: Grid R7, Q8, Q9, Above the gabion wall along the west side gravel
Unfortunately, this is perhaps a warning to avoid planting more Scots Pine in our area. We have now removed three mature trees all of which were killed by a microscopic nematode known as Pinewood nematodes. These nematodes are spread by bark beetles feeding on the tree and they reproduce rapidly and kill the tree in a matter of days.
Both the nematode and the bark beetle that spread it are considered native in this area, and they rarely kill the native pines like Pinus ponderosa or Pinus contorta. European pines, especially Scots Pine, Pinus sylvestris and Austrian Pine, Pinus nigra are very susceptible and the widely planted shrub Mugo Pine, Pinus mugo is considered moderately susceptible.
The three trees we have removed so far are all in three different spots in the Arboretum with other mature Scots Pine adjacent to them. So far, the neighboring trees are not showing symptoms. I see several other pines around town showing symptoms so it will likely continue to spread. Unfortunately, there is no effective control, and the best advice is to remove affected trees as soon as possible and try to maintain the health of survivors.
Monthly Projects
It has been a very good fall color display this year, although like most things as I age it seemed to go by faster than usual. The tender annuals didn’t freeze until well into October but there were enough cool nights to make for good color.
We have been busy finishing up fall planting, including several new trees and shrubs, over 600 new fall bulbs and dividing hostas to plant along the new rock steps. Probably the showiest new plants are three tree-form Hydrangeas planted on the east side of the upper pond. Unfortunately, they were showy enough for our moose to find them and one was broken up pretty badly. So, now they are protected with ugly snow fence for the winter.
We also made some progress on some donor funded improvements. The display maps in both kiosks were updated and replaced and we were able to post one in the breezeway in the Golf Course Clubhouse. Most of the prep work has been done to install new entry signs. There will be three new signs at the top and one new sign at the bottom. We also moved the top gate, the garbage can and the bike rack to make the entry more inviting.
We had another successful pumpkin hunt this year. More than 400 pumpkins were scattered over the site and they all disappeared in a couple of hours.
Upcoming Events
- TBD
When visiting the Arboretum, please remember that for your safety, the safety of others and for the protection of wildlife and plant collections, no pets are allowed. Ice on ponds is very unstable — stay off any ice.