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A PUBLICATION OF the holden arboretum

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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

Periodicals postage paid at Mentor, Ohio

Postmaster: Please send address changes to Leaves: The Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland, Ohio 44094-5172

Cait Anastis, Editor editor@holdenarb.org

Jackie Klisuric, Graphic Design

administrationClement W. Hamilton, President and CEO

Jim Ansberry, Director of Finance

Jack Blackwell, Director of Human Resources and Safety

David A. Desimone, Director of Guest Relations and Communications

Pamela M. Eichenauer, Director of Development

Roger Gettig, Director of Horticulture and Conservation

Brian Parsons, Director of Planning for Special Projects

Paul C. Spector, Director of Education

Mary A. Topa, Director of Research

board of directorsJoseph J. Mahovlic, ChairmanPaul R. Abbey, Vice Chairman Jonathan E. Dick, Vice ChairmanRobert R. Galloway, Vice ChairmanSarah L. Gries, Vice ChairmanLeslie W. Jacobs, Vice ChairmanC. W. Eliot Paine, Vice Chairman Stephen J. Knerly, Secretary

Barbara BrownJeanette Grasselli BrownChristopher A. CullisSimin Gharib-NaraghipourJane GrebencStephen G. HartlePeter S. HellmanArlene M. Holden

directors emeritiConstance Norweb Abbey Ralph W. AbeltMiriam N. GaleHenry R. HatchT. Dixon Long

honorary directorsAnne M. ClappMary GrovesAlison C. JonesThomas W. Seabright

Henry L. Meyer IIIWilliam J. O’Neill Jr.John Sherwin Jr.Penelope TheisAlton W. Whitehouse

Michael C. MarinoCynthia A. Moore-HardyJeffrey K. OrloffK.K. SullivanTimothy L. SwansonMichael T. VictorAnn T. Whitney

leaves

Nature is beautiful, fascinating, complex, dynamic, diverse – and usually messy. I was reflecting on that while reading two thought-provoking books, E.O. Wilson’s The Future of Life (2002) and John Berger’s Forests Forever (2008), both of which you can find in our Warren H. Corning Library.

Students of human evolution contend that our most desired landscape is a savanna, an open landscape of grasses and forbs punctuated by occasional trees, recalling the African environment in which our species evolved. That certainly is the model landscape we usually create in idealized form – say, as lawned residential areas, parks, cemeteries and beyond the edges of golf course fairways – even where the natural ambient vegetation is very different, from Southwest desert to Eastern deciduous woodland. Unfortunately, our artificial savannas usually are simplified, static, of poor diversity and unsustainable without chemical management. And therein lies our challenge, to find the overlap between landscapes we instinctively are drawn to, and those that make sense ecologically.

One environment where we confront “messiness” in Northeast Ohio is our forest edges, especially plentiful given the patchiness of forests in our residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial contexts. The transition, often abrupt, between forest and open area is characterized by much denser understory than the forest itself; and provides important habitat for wildlife that seeks protection and safe nesting in the tangle, while foraging for food in adjacent open areas.

But our unfortunate tendency is to clear the understory at forest edges, to execute what I call the “tidying up” school of forest management. The result may be esthetic cleanness, but the devastation to wildlife and forests’ ecological integrity is huge.

So here I am, in the interesting position of encouraging everyone to embrace messiness! And, more fundamentally, to adopt a sense of “ecological esthetic,” where ecological richness is our primary measure of beauty.

There is one important exception to my core postulate, and that relates to invasive plants that threaten to homogenize our world’s flora. The forest edge is where so many exotics, such as buckthorn and multiflora rose, gain a foothold prior to invading the forest itself. They absolutely must be cleared, and the spaces replanted with natives such as shrubby dogwoods and shadbushes. Nate Beccue, Holden’s natural areas manager, has calculated that Holden has more than 30 miles of forest edge on our property. To show that Holden walks our talk, in the coming months our staff and volunteers will begin clearing out the exotics and replanting those areas with native species. Your discerning eyes will see the difference, and will appreciate how Holden leads our region in promoting forests’ ecological health.

Have a wonderful spring, and enjoy Holden’s gardens, forests and programs, both new and old.

Volume 9, Number 2©The Holden Arboretum

from the president

Clement W. Hamilton, PhDPresident and CEO

Shorts

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Plant Profile Fagus sylvatica (european beech)

Ask CharlesViburnum leaf beetle

Bird Bio red-bellied Woodpecker

The Legacy of David Leachholden’s rhododendron research

Call of the WildCoyotes Settle in the Suburbs

Spring 2011 Volunteeringnew opportunities

Tom Yates Retires40 years at lantern Court

The Importance of Mature Forests

departmentsfeatures

contents

Yeran Gift Revitalizes Layer Garden Bedholden Partnerships

JaCkie kliSuriC

JACKIE KLISURIC

Spring 2011

on the Coverdavid G. leach research Station by Jackie klisuric

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to flower, you must test your hybrid plant for five to six years and go through at least two severe winters. You rarely reach your goal in one generation; it takes at least two, about 18 years. Then, after you reach your goal, you really should test for another five or six years.”

In addition to the time it takes to evaluate new hybrids, there are also commercial factors involved. “Just because you create a plant and think it’s ornamental enough, that doesn’t mean that the trade will pick it up right away,” Krebs said. While new to the market place, R. ‘Summer Herald’ is an example of a plant that has been blooming at the Leach Station for over 30 years.

While the treasure trove of genetic material will keep hybridizers at Holden busy for years to come, Leach’s most visible legacy may be the dazzling display of blossoms that greets visitors to the garden. Each year, the Leach Research Station hosts spring open house weekends, allowing the public to visit Leach’s gardens and see his work firsthand. Other Leach rhododendrons have found a home in Holden’s Helen S. Layer Rhododendron Garden. The blooming of the rhododendrons each May and June creates a brilliant exhibition of color that rivals some of the best fireworks displays.

“There are few Midwest gardens with rhododendrons of comparable age, size, and diversity,” Krebs said. “That’s the reason why most visitors are awestruck by their flower power.”

Leach’s work focused on creating rhododendrons that had a broad range of colors, bloomed at different points during the season and were winter hardy, with flower buds surviving temperatures – 15° F or lower. While cold-hardiness is still a core goal, Holden researchers want to build on the foundation Leach left behind. Krebs is now working on rhododendrons that are heat tolerant and disease resistant, hoping to find the right combination of genetic traits to produce plants that will thrive in a wide range of climates.

In addition to the test site in Madison, new hybrids are also being evaluated at Holden’s Lower Baldwin field site in Kirtland and at Hidden Lake Gardens, a botanical garden in southeast Michigan operated by Michigan State University. Beginning next year, Krebs will also be testing new hybrids in the Gulf South for heat tolerance. The additional test sites provide an opportunity to see how different hybrids do under a greater range of conditions, Krebs said, with the result that consumers are getting new plants that are more ‘proven’ and likely to be successful in their gardens.

For nearly 50 years, David G. Leach searched for the right combination of genetic traits that would produce unique rhododendron hybrids, superior to everything else available and able to survive winters where the temperature dipped well below freezing.

His efforts resulted in 72 hybrids ranging from compact plants suitable for today’s smaller yards to towering 20-foot-high hybrids that fit into the landscape of parks and around large buildings. While many of the plants he introduced are hard to find at garden centers, about a dozen still remain popular and are grown across the country. In addition to his work with rhododendrons, several of Leach’s hybrid yellow and salmon-colored magnolias and his ‘Popcorn’ viburnum are becoming increasingly popular for landscaping.

Perhaps Leach’s greatest legacy is the vast collection of genetic material he left behind. Before his death in 1998, Leach took steps to ensure that the gardens and test site he created in Madison, Ohio would remain a site for hybridizing. An agreement with The Holden Arboretum, signed in 1986, created the David G. Leach Research Station on the property, now dedicated to plant hybridization research.

“Most of his selections – the unnamed rhododendrons that form the bulk of the Madison display gardens – constitute a one-of-

a-kind collection of hardy plants that are still being evaluated and, in some cases, introduced as new cultivars,” said Steve Krebs, director of the Leach Research Station. “They are also indispensable for current breeding efforts.”

The combination of Leach’s groundwork and continued study by Holden’s research department has led to two new hybrids – R. ‘Solar Flair’ and R. ‘Summer Herald’ – being selected for release to the nursery trade in 2011 and 2012. A long time partner in Leach introductions, Briggs Nursery in Washington State is handling the propagation, sale and distribution of the new rhododendrons at the wholesale level.

Creating new hybrids is not an easy task. Leach once said it took diligence, exactitude and a long perspective to develop a viable hybrid.

“It takes six or seven years from seed to flower,” he said in a 1992 interview with Leaves magazine. “In that first generation, you can usually impart only intermediate characteristics. You can successfully add only one characteristic at a time because you are always held back by the necessity to maintain cold-hardiness.

“From the time you begin a hybridizing project to your earliest plausible outcome, you have invested 25 years. After seven years from seed

by Cait anastis, editor

The Legacy of David LeachPHOTOGRAPHS BY JACKIE KLISURIC

Viburnum plicatum ‘Popcorn’

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tongues than females. This difference may allow pairs to forage in slightly different areas within their territory. Red-bellied woodpeckers may store food in crevices of tree bark to hold for later in the year. Spring through summer red-bellied woodpeckers prefer eating insects, spiders, nuts and fruits. During winter, their diet can consist of seeds and suet from feeders.

Red-bellied woodpeckers are protected birds that are not currently listed as a threatened or endangered species. They have extended their breeding range north over the past 100 years. Populations have increased throughout most of their range. Dead or decaying trees are essential for red-bellied woodpeckers and other cavity nesting species survival. Retention of logs and decaying trees are a necessary component of any yard wishing to attract wildlife. “If we recognize and understand the natural value of snags, dead limbs, and logs, they become more appealing to the human eye.” -Melissa J. Santiago and Amanda D. Rodewald, Ph.D. School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University.

bird factsVoiCe Harsh rolling churr by both sexes or a cha, cha, cha by mates

beSt loCation to VieW at holden Woodland Trail, Layer Rhododendron Garden, Buckeye Bud’s Feeding Station.

deSCriPtionHead and belly cream color. Wings, tail and back barred with black and white stripes. Nape of neck red-orange in both sexes. Male red-orange nape continues to beak. Red-orange belly can be seen on rare occasions.

Size9 to 10.5 inches long

ranGeForest in eastern United States, except for northern New England.

mature size 70’-90’ tall by 2/3 to equal spread.

best location uSda zones 5a - 7b

Source local garden centers or through a landscaper

mike douGherty

Fagus sylvatica is a magnificent tree. European beech is native from the southern parts of Sweden and Norway to Spain, Italy, Greece, northeast Turkey and Ukraine. It is a common tree in the “old world” where it is often found in association with oaks, European fir and Norway spruce. Close relatives in the beech family (Fagaceae) include chestnuts (Castanea) and oaks (Quercus). European beech is a symbol of wisdom.

At The Holden Arboretum there are 42 specimens of European Beech including 18 cultivars. The largest is a purple beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropunicea’) measuring 78’ tall by 52’ wide that was planted in 1958 in the Nut Tree Collection at Baldwin Acres. A purple beech named ‘Swat Magret’ in the crabapple collection north of the Corning Visitor Center is a selection from a German nursery that retains its leaf color better through the summer than the aforementioned cultivar. This 20’ x 17’ tree was planted on May 7, 2002 as a 3” caliper balled and burlapped specimen.

In the Display Garden west of the lily pool is a weeping beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula’) that has become a destination for children who

often venture under its canopy that extends 19’ x 35’. The tree was planted on Nov. 14, 1983 and has an irregular outline with branches going every which way in addition to branches that cascade down.

A 24’ x 24’ specimen of fernleaf beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Asplenifolia’) is on the southeast side of Heath Pond in the Helen S. Layer Rhododendron Garden. It was planted on May 25, 1994 and now displays a rounded outline with closely spaced horizontal branches with upswept ends. The branches become more ascending toward the top of the crown. At Lantern Court there is a beautiful fernleaf beech east of the entry drive planted in the early 1930s that measures about 70’ x 60’.

Along the Corning Visitor Center entry drive, north of the gate house is an 8’ tall European beech planted in 2009 that is a seedling originating from the Carpathian Mountains of the Ukraine. Like most seedling beech, although its leaves

light Full sun to part shade

Soil type Moist, well-drained, acidic to somewhat alkaline

plant facts

BRIAN PARSONS

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) by rebecca thompson, Growing Students and Science program coordinator

continued on page 15

JACKIE KLISURIC

In early spring red-bellied woodpeckers in forests, woodlands, and wooded suburbs tap on trees, gutters, roofs and siding to claim territory and to attract a mate. When a mate is found, tapping is shared by both sexes at a desirable nesting site. In seven to ten days the breeding pair excavates a cavity in a dead tree or pole. Occasionally pairs will take over the nests of other birds. Once the cavity is made or chosen courtship continues with one red-bellied woodpecker entering the cavity and listening to the other red-bellied woodpecker tapping outside. Each woodpecker takes turns tapping to the other.

Red-bellied woodpeckers are thought to be monogamous. Some pairs may stay together for several breeding seasons. They raise 1-2 broods, group of young birds, each season. Females lay 4-5 smooth glossy white eggs on a bed of wood chips remaining from excavating the cavity. Both sexes incubate their eggs for 12-13 days. Young birds are tended to by both parents, and leave the nest at around 26 days.

Once leaving the nest, red-bellied woodpeckers use their long barbed, split tongue to forage on prey in crevices on limbs and trunks of trees. Males have longer, wider tipped

mike douGherty

Fagus sylvatica (European beech)ethan Johnson, plant records curator

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partnerships

The Max and Irene Yeran Bed in the Helen S. Layer Rhododendron Garden is a gift filled with meaning. For visitors, it is a beautiful spot filled with trees, shrubs and flowers, all selected to please the eye.

It also represents the continuation of life for The Holden Arboretum’s landmark white oak. The tree, estimated to be more than 380 years old, was removed from the garden this past fall. Near where it was growing, a younger tree, grafted from the older white oak, was planted several years ago.

But for Irene Yeran, who donated the new bed, it represents a lifetime of memories and the time she spent at Holden with her late husband, Max, who died in 2006.

The couple first visited Holden in the 1960s and over the years they came back again and again. Over the years, they created wonderful memories at Holden calling it their “little piece of heaven” and taking long walks on the trails; feeding the birds at the Holden Shelter House, where a baby bird came and fed from Irene’s hand; watching geese on Lotus Pond; or simply sitting on the patio overlooking the Arlene and Arthur Holden Jr. Butterfly Garden.

After they retired, they enjoyed traveling and visiting many other arboreta around the country. They would always return to Holden realizing how fortunate they were to have such beauty in their own backyard.

While Max and Irene Yeran made plans years ago to make Holden a beneficiary of their estate, Irene Yeran decided that she didn’t want to wait to make her gift to Holden. Instead, she chose to fund a new bed within the Layer Rhododendron Garden while she could watch it take shape in the garden. Working with Holden’s staff, including Viki Ferreniea, Holden’s lead horticulturist who oversees the Layer Rhododendron Garden, she chose to rejuvenate a place where she and her husband often came to sit on a bench near Oak Pond. They would watch the white oak, listen to the breeze rustling its branches and leaves, and wonder what tales it would tell if it could talk.

The Yeran bed is being created in the area where the white oak once stood, with work starting in the fall, after the declining 380-year-old tree had been removed. Included in the bed is the young tree propagated in 1999 by Charles Tubesing, Holden’s plant collections curator, who grafted a scion from the old white oak onto a swamp white oak. His efforts produced a replacement for the aging tree when it finally succumbed. The addition of the white oak’s offspring in the bed that is being developed gives Irene Yeran a lot of pleasure.

“I will not see the ‘baby white oak’ grow into the splendor of its parent oak,” she wrote after a visit to the new bed, “but I will whisper in its leaves when my time comes to pass and tell those who listen that only God can grow a tree with Viki’s help.”

Swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), was selected as root stock for the graft because it grows well in wet soils, as the soils in this bed next to Oak Pond are wet or moist throughout the year.

The wet soil presents some challenges for landscaping, as Ferreniea attempts to create beautiful patterns in the garden with plants. In making selections for the new bed, Ferreniea said she “wants to try some things on a small scale first to see how they perform before finalizing the plantings. The idea is to have sweeps and ribbons of color to provide impact.”

The new bed reflects the changes that guests will see throughout the garden in coming years –subtle introduction of new plants that make good companions for rhododendrons and add interest to the already popular garden without changing its appeal as a spot for quite mediation and peaceful walks along shady pathways. This will also include the little known summer flowering hybrids of native azaleas many of which are fragrant.

One new aspect Ferreniea would like to add to the garden as a whole are plants whose ultimate size is smaller than we typically think of for rhododendron and their relatives, which will serve as inspiration for home owners who want to add rhododendrons and azaleas to their own landscapes.

by Cait anastis, editor

“As we move forward we will be selecting plants that are smaller, easier to find and easier to grow in Northeast Ohio,” she said.

While guests have come to associate the brilliant colors of the garden with the bright blossoms of the rhododendrons, Ferreniea is interested in bringing color into the garden in other ways.

“We should not always focus on interest in the garden being flower color; it can be leaf color, colorful fruit or attractive seed heads,” she said.

Ferreniea will also be adding grasses with their ornamental and colorful seed plumes and plants that display variegated foliage, which adds another level of interest to the plants.

“These are all plants that have a look to them that make them a natural fit in a shady, woodland situation. We’re going to keep the characteristics of the garden. It’s too lovely and perfect to change; the idea is to make it more interesting and for a longer period of time.”

Irene Yeran said that she feels privileged to have lived a full life and loved a wonderful man. She is thrilled to now see her gift come to life in the form of a beautiful memorial bed at The Holden Arboretum. It is her hope that her legacy gift to Holden will be enjoyed by many for years

irene yeran

Yeran Gift Revitalizes Layer Garden Bed

to come. Her decision to make her gift now has given her the opportunity to meet with Ferrenia on several occasions to discuss the plans for the bed, how it will develop and the plants selected.

“I am extremely grateful to Mrs. Yeran as this has given me a wonderful opportunity to create a special garden, one that ties into the very nature of the existing one,” Ferreniea said “She has been keenly interested from the very beginning and wants to watch the garden as it evolves. It’s something for us both to look forward to through next year and beyond as the garden matures.”

Irene Yeran at the Yeran Bed

all PhotoS by Pam eiChenauer

Japanese maple in yeran bed. Acer palmatum (emperor one)

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volunteering

Spring 2011: Volunteeringby robin ott, volunteer coordinator

Volunteers’ Creative talents Featured in art & Poetry exhibitMany of the volunteers at The Holden Arboretum have an artistic side and this spring we are showing off their talents at Created By A Force of Nature, a Holden Volunteer Art and Poetry Exhibit. The show will be displayed in the Warren H. Corning Visitor Center from April 8 through May 22, 2011.

The exhibit features artwork and poetry with a literal or abstract connection to nature. Participants may submit work done in any medium and you can expect the show to be as diverse as the volunteers themselves. Holden members and the general public are invited to come and see the natural world through the eyes of those individuals who share their time to care for, and educate people about, it.

Volunteers interested in exhibiting their art or writing can find entry forms and rules at holdenarb.org or at the Corning Visitor Center desk beginning Feb. 1. There is no fee to participate and entries will be accepted at the Corning Visitor Center March 1-31.

opening reception and 2011 opportunities Fair Friday, April 8, 6-8pm Warren H. Corning Visitor Center

Come out to view the exhibit and learn about the numerous volunteer opportunities available at The Holden Arboretum. Staff and veteran volunteers will be on hand to provide information and answer questions. Enjoy door prizes and light refreshments. Bring a friend – this event is free and open to the public.

make 2011 your year to become a holden Volunteer If you have been considering whether or not you want to volunteer at The Holden Arboretum, now is the time to stop thinking about it and sign-up!

Opportunities are as diverse as Holden’s plant collections. Whether you are interested in working in one of our gardens, helping a child connect with nature or providing a memorable experience for guests, there is a position for you.

New volunteers are required to complete a volunteer application (available online or in the kiosk next to the restrooms in the Corning Visitor Center), interview with staff and attend a New Volunteer Orientation

Preserve & Protect native Forests: become a holden land StewardHolden Volunteer Land Stewards promote biodiversity by “adopting” a natural area in which they help manage and control non-native, invasive plant species.

About 25 percent of plants known to occur in the wild are non-native, having been introduced from other regions or countries. Some of these species become very invasive and displace native plants in woodlands, wetlands, prairies and other natural areas. In Ohio, several non-native plants are invading woodlands and displacing native spring wildflowers. Others are impacting our wetlands by creating monocultures. Native plant diversity is important for wildlife habitat as many animals depend on a variety of native plants for food and cover.

Volunteer Land Stewards learn how to spot and control — by hand or chemically — these alien invaders in our forests. They may choose to work in pairs or as a group, and when it is convenient for them — weekdays, evenings or weekends, year round or just during one season. Most work sessions last a couple of hours and frequency depends on the volunteer’s chosen location.

Whether it is “off the beaten path” or just on the edge of the trail, there is a perfect spot for each and every volunteer. Volunteer Land Stewards enjoy many benefits, including:

•The opportunity to spend time outdoors and add a new sense of purpose to their hikes and walks.

•Learning about invasive plant species and how they can manage them on their own property.

•The ability to choose where and when they volunteer.

•Knowing that they are helping to promote biodiversity and protecting our native forests.

•Holden volunteer program benefits, including the opportunity to connect with like-minded people, monthly newsletters, invitations to special events and a volunteer uniform, based on total hours of service

Request an information packet by calling 440.602.8003 or visiting the volunteer page of holdenarb.org.

Spring new Volunteer orientation Schedule:tuesday, march 22 9am-noon

Saturday, march 26 9am-noon

Saturday, april 16 9am-noon

tuesday, april 19 9am-noon

Wednesday, may 18 9am-noon

Sunday, may 22 1-4pm

All sessions will be held in the Corning Visitor Center.

RSVP to the volunteer office at 440.602.8003 or e-mail rott@holdenarb.org .

Prospective Volunteer Land Stewards complete a volunteer application, interview with a staff member and attend a New Volunteer Orientation and Land Steward training. A minimum commitment of one season is required.

If you, or your group, are interested in volunteering for the Holden Land Stewardship Program, contact Robin Ott, volunteer coordinator, at 440.602.8003 or e mail rott@holdenarb.org.

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Invited speakers in Holden’s 2010-11 Scientist Lecture Series have discussed some of the impacts of forest loss and habitat fragmentation on biodiversity, including amphibian and bird populations, and how science can inform efforts to conserve biotic diversity in forests of the Great Lakes region. The United States loses roughly one million acres of forested land to development every year. Development activities, such as new housing subdivisions, break up the size, extent and contiguous nature of existing unbroken forests. Forest health is impacted because smaller forest fragments are usually more prone to site degradation resulting from invasion by exotic species and other disturbances associated with the development, for example, urban runoff, dumping, stream water contamination and illegal use or overuse of bikes and off-road vehicles. Forest health is also impacted when mature forest remnants are lost due to development or to the selective harvesting of big trees from private and public lands.

Scientists and managers are often asked what size and quality of unbroken forest are necessary to conserve existing biodiversity, and the answer to this question often depends upon the species of interest. For example, forest interior birds are very sensitive to forest size and quality, and Amanda Rodewald, Ph.D., will be ending our Scientist Lecture Series with a discussion of this very topic on April 27. But the answer to this question also depends upon having high quality forests to use as a baseline for comparison of biodiversity and function. Scientists turn to mature forests for this critical baseline information and often define an old-growth forest – in its simplest definition – as a mature forest that is relatively free from human disturbance, particularly logging. Consequently, old-growth remnants can be

relics of undisturbed woodlots, or they may contain large old trees that predate or are coincident with European settlement but have experienced some disturbance by humans, as is more likely in the eastern United States. Documenting the structure (diversity) and function of these mature remnants is critical for the establishment of baseline data that can then be used to monitor environmental change and be compared to younger or more disturbed forests to help make science-based management and restoration decisions. Holden scientists and conservation staff have established long-term plots in Holden’s natural areas for this very purpose.

There are few surviving old-growth forest remnants in the eastern United States, and Holden is very fortunate to be the steward of the best of those remnants in Northeast Ohio. The 947-plus acres of the Stebbins Gulch Natural Area contain outstanding examples of mature beech-maple and hemlock-hardwood forests and provides excellent habitat for bird species of regional conservation interest, in particular, those requiring large forest blocks or forest interiors, mature forest structure, or cool, damp conditions. Its large contiguous tract of forest with mature forest remnants, high biodiversity, restricted access and “pristine” nature makes Stebbins an ideal long-term research site. Indeed, in 1967, the U.S. Department of the Interior recognized the significance of these unique mature forest remnants and associated plant and animal communities by designating Stebbins Gulch, along with Bole Woods, as National Natural Landmarks. (www.nature.nps.gov/nnl)

The mature beech-maple forest in South Stebbins is considered exemplary for the Lake Erie Watershed and has been described as fitting several definitions of old-growth proposed for eastern deciduous forests1. Holden scientists have established long-term research plots in this pristine forest to examine plant-soil interactions, in particular, carbon and nutrient cycling patterns, and the role soil microbes play in tree health and litter decomposition.

North Stebbins also boasts some mature forest remnants – the hemlock-hardwood forest is home to locally or regionally rare plant and animal species, while the north rim contains some of Holden’s oldest chestnut oaks (Quercus montana) in what was probably an oak-American chestnut forest as suggested by the large American chestnut (Castanea dentata) stumps and sprouts. In 1983, Edward Cook, PhD, director of the Tree-Ring Laboratory from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, cored and dated 24 of these chestnut oaks. This sampling was part of a larger scientific study to help reconstruct climate patterns in North America during the past 1,000 or more years. The tree ring data was used to develop the North American Drought Atlas, and is being used to help refine climate change models. This data is publicly available from the International Tree Ring Data Bank, and can be found on their web site – http://hurricane.ncdc.noaa.gov/pls/paleo/fm_createpages.treering – by typing in “Holden” or “Stebbin”.

Since Arbor Day is upon us, it seems appropriate to celebrate some notable birthdays in this rare chestnut oak stand. Of the 24 trees, six are currently between 249-299 years old, nine trees are between 300-350 years old, and nine trees are between 351-400 years old, with one tree celebrating its 400 birthday!

by mary topa, PhD, director of research

The Importance of Mature Forests

1Forrester and Runkle 2000. “Mortality and Replacement Patterns of an Old-growth Acer-Fagus Woods in the Holden Arboretum, Northeastern Ohio” in The American Midland Naturalist, Vol. 144(2), pp. 227-242.

400 year old chestnut oak

BRIAN PARSONS

PHOTO BY BRIAN PARSONS

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In Native American mythology, coyote is a trickster and a wise man; both the creator of the world and the tribes, and a sucker who is outsmarted by other animals. Today, the coyote still evokes mixed feelings. But, love them or hate them, coyotes are here to stay.

The coyote, Canis latrans, is very closely related to domestic dogs and wolves; in fact, all three are capable of interbreeding and producing viable offspring. These three canids can also be very similar in appearance, so it’s not unusual for coyote sightings to be reported as wild dogs or wolves. Coyotes are far smaller than wolves, weighing in at 30-50 pounds versus the wolf’s 80-100 pounds. The coyote’s lanky frame and bushy coat make them appear larger, though.

Coloration varies, but typically coyotes are a mix of greys, browns and white, usually with a dark band running down their back, and black markings on the fronts of their legs. They often resemble a medium-sized German Shepherd.

A coyote holds its tail low when running, as opposed to a dog which holds its tail parallel to the ground or higher.

Coyotes are relatively new to Ohio, probably arriving about 100 years ago. They are a highly adaptable prairie species that was able to expand its range east as wolf numbers declined. As the Midwest was settled, humans killed or drove off large predators, such as wolves, mountain lions, bobcats and black bears. This created a sort of predator vacuum, which the coyote has been able to exploit.

The coyotes that are moving into the eastern United States appear to have taken two routes. One group traveled east across the northern Midwest to arrive in western Ohio in the early 1900s. The coyotes that we see at The Holden Arboretum are from this group. Another group, moving much faster, traveled north around the Great Lakes, through Canada, and then south into the United States. DNA evidence shows that along the way, these coyotes interbred with wolves, resulting in larger

REBECCA RICHARDSON

BER’zOPHUS

JEFFREY LACOMBE

ALAN VERNON

continued from page 6

Call of the Wild

Coyote, Canis latrans

lose their chlorophyll in fall, a significant number of those leaves are not shed until spring.

The extensive shallow and intermediate roots of European beech combined with the deep shade cast by the tree in full leaf allows little opportunity for plants to grow in its shade. Pachysandra and hellebores have been successfully grown beneath them however. The handsome foliage, growth habit and the smooth grey bark are the primary ornamental features of European beech. Fall foliage is in shades of brown and greenish-yellow from late October through mid-November. The inconspicuous wind-pollinated flowers are borne in early to mid-May. Triangular nuts in small burs are produced irregularly and seldom if ever in abundance on trees, which usually mature at 30-50 years of age. Grafted cultivars bear beech nuts sooner but no more abundantly.

There is no finer specimen or shade tree for Northeast Ohio landscapes than a European beech. While American beech (Fagus grandifolia) graces our woodlands, European beech is a more practical tree for planting in a lawn or garden as it does not sucker profusely from the roots. In the landscape, beeches can be infested by scale insects that lead to infection by Nectria canker, but the scale insects can be treated effectively during their “crawler” stage in late summer.

During inventory of European beech at Holden, no matter the imperfections a particular specimen might have had, volunteer Laurence Groves was so enamored with these trees that he proclaimed them all “excellent”. His eyes were so lit up with joy and admiration, I had to agree.

coyotes with more wolf-like behaviors. These coyotes have moved into New York, parts of Pennsylvania and much of the northeastern United States.

Coyotes typically live in small family groups made up of dominant adults and one or two generations of offspring. Mating, pup birth and rearing occurs during the months of February through June. During this period, coyotes will be extra vigilant when defending their territory. Pups spend much of their time in and around the den and begin learning to hunt at roughly two months of age. Older offspring help raise new pups and defend the territory. Hunting is usually done alone or in pairs; coyotes typically do not hunt in packs to take down large game. Their diet consists of rodents, rabbits, other small mammals, snakes, eggs, fruit and carrion. Coyotes will take advantage of non-wild food, such as dog food and trash as well.

These highly intelligent animals quickly adapt to humans, but generally avoid contact with people. As a matter of fact, hundreds of coyotes live in Chicago and its suburbs, but are rarely seen by their human neighbors. Radio-collar studies of the Chicago coyotes show that homeranges are limited to the areas with the lowest levels of human development, such as small parks, and that the coyotes generally avoid the areas with high human densities, such as residential neighborhoods.

Coyotes have been seen across Holden property, with multiple sightings in Pierson Valley and Strong Acres. Many of the reports of coyotes in Pierson Valley and Strong Acres come from hikers walking dogs during the denning season – February though June. The behavior of coyotes in this area suggests that at least one mating pair has established territory and raised young nearby. During the mating/denning season coyotes are on high alert and consider dogs to be especially threatening. Hikers without dogs rarely see coyotes, even during the denning season.

As relatively large carnivores, care must be taken around coyotes. Though they generally avoid interacting with humans, there have been a number of reported injuries, though none at Holden. Nearly every one of these incidents resulted from an animal that was being fed, either intentionally or unintentionally. When this happens, the coyote can become accustomed to the presence of humans and the chances of an interaction increase. Some simple things you can do to reduce the chances of an incident include: keeping pet food indoors, securing lids on trash cans, turning on a light and checking the yard before letting pets out a night, and keeping your pets on a leash.

If you are hiking and encounter a coyote that doesn’t run away or that approaches you, you should face the animal and maintain eye contact. Opening your coat or spreading your arms will make you appear larger. Yelling at the animal may help scare it away. If it does not run, you should slowly back away while maintaining eye contact. Do not turn and run as this could trigger a predatory chase instinct. If you have a pet with you, keep it on leash and under control.

Remember, you are several times bigger than the coyote and they do not think of you as prey. They are simply concerned about your presence in their territory; perhaps they have young pups that are venturing out of the den. They do not want a conflict, but just want to ensure the safety of their family. So if you do not act threatening and do not act like prey by running there is

no reason for the coyote to come any closer. They may follow you until you leave their territory and then trot back to keep an eye out for other potential threats.

If you do encounter a coyote that is aggressive or territorial, please contact the Holden Police Department or leave a message at the information desk at the Warren H. Corning Visitor Center.

Fagus sylvatica (European beech)

by mike Watson, conservation biologist

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Lea

ves

Spring 2011

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Q: Late last spring, I noticed the leaves on my viburnum shrubs had turned brown, and when I checked more closely, I noticed something had eaten almost all of each leaf, except for the veins. What is doing this and how can I control it?

a: The culprit is viburnum leaf beetle, or vlb, a native of Europe that was inadvertently introduced into North America in the first half of the 20th century. We first observed viburnum leaf beetle damage to viburnums at Holden in the spring of 2009. The leaf damage you observed resulted from feeding by the beetle larvae, which emerge in early to mid May and feed for about a month before dropping to the ground to pupate in the soil. Adult beetles emerge from the pupae in early July and begin to feed on viburnum foliage. Feeding continues, along with mating and egg laying, until the beetles are killed by frost. There is just one generation per year. The viburnums most subject to attack are Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum) and V. opulus (European highbush cranberry). Two to three years of defoliation by the beetle will usually result in death of infested shrubs.

The beetle lays eggs in the twigs at the tips of the branches of the shrub on which it is feeding. The sites where the eggs were laid are easily spotted as a series of small bumps in rows on the twig tips. For small plantings of viburnum, control can be achieved by pruning off and destroying the infested twigs during the period from October to April. Once the larvae emerge, they can be controlled with spray applications of horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. The larvae feed on the underside of the leaves, so the spray application must be thorough to insure that the larvae are contacted. Efforts at long-term management of viburnum leaf beetles with insecticides in large plantings are not sustainable and replacement of susceptible viburnums with a non-susceptible species is recommended. Viburnum leaf beetle only infests species of viburnum, and a few viburnums are considered resistant. These include the fragrant species Viburnum carlesii (Koreanspice v.) and V. x juddii (Judd v.), as well as V. setigerum (tea v.) and V. sieboldii (Siebold v.).

ask Charles

by Charles tubesing, chief horticulturist

More detailed information on this pest is available online at http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/cals/entomology/extension/idl/upload/Viburnum-Leaf-Beetle.pdf

PAUL WESTON, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, BUGWOOD.ORG

JACKIE KLISURIC

PAUL WESTON, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, BUGWOOD.ORG

Viburnum leaf beetle, Pyrrhalta viburni – damage

Viburnum x carlcephalum in the Display Garden

Viburnum leaf beetle, Pyrrhalta viburni – adult(s)

JACKIE KLISURIC

magnolia ‘yellow bird’ in

the main display Garden

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Lea

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Spring 2011

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His involvement with new employees wasn’t limited to family. Yates was the first Holden Arboretum employee that Johnson met when he started work as an intern in 1981 and benefited from the experience.

“I was housed at Lantern Court. Tom was my supervisor for the first two-week rotation. Thanks to Tom, I had a very positive work experience,” Johnson said. “One project I helped with was the installation of the rocks in the central island of the parking lot. I was entrusted with the job of pruning a couple of hawthorns along the work road leading back to the compost site. After I finished, Tom kidded me that he had to ‘glue a couple branches back on.’ I remember getting a lot of work done and really enjoying it.”

Looking back, it is the gardens of Lantern Court, which Yates helped shape and care for over the years, that he views with the most pride.

“I was given a lot of freedom,” he said. “I was able to work with volunteers and staff and student interns along the way and helped make it a good garden.”

Retirement does not mean Yates is leaving Holden. He is now volunteering with Johnson, helping with a plant inventory. He also hasn’t ruled out returning to the gardens as a volunteer.

“You may see me weeding some where in the future,” he said.

It was a six-week job as a seasonal worker that started Tom Yates’ 40-year career at The Holden Arboretum

Yates applied at Holden in 1970 at the urging of his brother, Doug, who worked at Holden. Just out of the military, Yates had visited the grounds as a child. Now he would be helping to care for those grounds.

“I started working with the hort crew under Paul Martin, who was superintendent at that time, and I did everything they asked me to do – mulching, planting weeding, transplanting trees sometimes,” he said.

The seasonal position evolved into a full-time job. Later Yates started working one day a week at Lantern Court. It gave him the opportunity to learn from gardener, Joe Kenny, who had been trained at a botanic garden in Ireland. After Kenny died, Yates was asked to stay on at Lantern Court. “I did that for 40 years,” he said.

During that time he watched Holden evolve and grow, becoming more visitor friendly. Yates helped introduce Holden to the growing number of guests, leading tours and teaching classes. Some of those hikes were walks in the gardens to see what plants were in bloom, while others were more adventurous.

Ethan Johnson, Holden’s plant records curator, remembers taking an all-day snowshoe hike led by Yates in 2000.

“We started at the Thayer Center and snow-shoed down the Pierson Creek Trail and through the woods to the Firman Nursery, then over the East Branch of the Chagrin River (it was frozen), up the slope to Upper Baldwin where we ate our brown bag lunches, then over to Carver’s Pond, Stebbins Gulch, and up the slope to the Sugarbush Woods, around Corning Lake and back to the Thayer Center. What a great way to see Holden’s natural areas!”

Another hike Yates led explored one of the caves on Little Mountain. Yates and his tour waded waist deep in water as they explored a cave.

“The cave goes for about 100 feet and you can stand up most of the way, but it’s narrow,” he said. Roger Gettig,

director of horticulture and conservation describes the cave as the place where “claustrophobia was invented.”

The opportunities to explore areas such as Stebbins Gulch or Little Mountain are one of the things that make life in the region special.

“I think we’re lucky in where we live,” Yates said. “If you are tuned into nature, you know that there are wonderful places to see. I think a lot of Holden members appreciate what’s here.”

In addition to his work in Holden’s gardens, including partnering with Brian Parsons, director of planning for special projects, in the expansion and development of the Holden Wildflower Garden, Yates took part in seed collecting expeditions, both nationally and internationally, bringing new plants to Holden.

During one trip to southern Ohio, Yates and Gettig went looking for Chionanthus virginicus (fringe trees).

“Tom found one tree with seven seeds on it,” Gettig said. “We collected those seeds and that is the origin of one of the fringe trees in the Pennington Bed.”

Another trip led to the discovery of a Passiflora incarnata (passion flower) next to the Ohio River. They had to cross railroad tracks, go down a long, steep ditch and climb part way up a rock face to reach the fruiting plant growing amongst other vines including poison ivy and trumpet creeper, Gettig said.

“I think it was only there because it was in a protected south facing location,” he said.

For Dawn Gerlica, a consultant to Holden’s horticulture and conservation department, some her earliest memories are of visiting her Uncle Tom at Lantern Court, where she would wander the gardens to see the new flowers and plants he brought into them.

When Gerlica decided to pursue a biology degree, Yates asked her if she was interested in working as a summer seasonal employee at Lantern Court.

“I had never thought about it, but I jumped at the chance, and in one way or another, I’ve worked for Holden ever since,” she said. “Because I always learned best by experience rather than books and lecture, in those first four summers at Lantern Court Tom probably taught me more about plant science, and most importantly about nature’s interconnectivity than I learned in college.”

obituaries CorrectionIn a feature on J. Lynn Fordham printed in the winter issue of Leaves magazine, included a sentence recognizing Fordham’s roll in technological innovation and entrepreneurial business. The sentence should have read: “His research has been acknowledged to be significant internationally, he has provided the leadership for the generation of major new profit from technical innovation, and he has played a key role in establishing entrepreneurial businesses.”

Check out the Warren h. Corning library

tom yates retires after 40 years in the garden

Tom Yates continuedHave you browsed through the Corning Library at Holden recently? All members of Holden may now check out books, DVDs, and videos for three weeks at a time. As an added convenience, these items may be returned to any public library in Lake County. Check the next issue of Leaves for information on the Online reserve system now being developed.

Mary Jean Lamberton, 82, died on Oct. 17. An active member of the Twinsburg Garden Club, she served as a volunteer at The Holden Arboretum for many years and was awarded the Holden Arboretum Wildflower Garden Volunteer of the Year Award in 1999. She was granted lifetime membership in the Garden Club of Ohio.

shorts

9500 Sperry RoadKirtland, Ohio 44094440.946.4400holdenarb.org

Celebrate National

Wildflower Week

Please notify Holden of change of address.

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pancake breakfast yum!

gluten-free pancakes available

Nothing is better than hot pancakes dripping with sweet maple syrup. This year we have something special planned with guided hikes allowing you to explore the grounds before or after your breakfast reservation. It’s a perfect way to work up an appetite or burn off a few calories after breakfast.

For details on this year’s Spring Hikes and Pancake Breakfast event, see page S11 or visit us online at holdenarb.org.

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