2024 -2025 Public Horticulture Intern Seamus Lewin reviews how to identify and remove invasives plants commonly found in PA woodlands.

Tune into the Gardener’s Almanac to learn what we are doing in the garden at this moment. Learn from Scott Arboretum staff which plants we are pruning, planting, weeding and which pests we are monitoring and removing right now. This virtual almanac is a great reference guide for gardeners.

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Summer Intern Zoe James demonstrates how to dig and divide irises and hostas.

Tune into the Gardener’s Almanac to learn what we are doing in the garden at this moment. Learn from Scott Arboretum staff which plants we are pruning, planting, weeding and which pests we are monitoring and removing right now. This virtual almanac is a great reference guide for gardeners.

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The newest emerging disease affecting shade trees, Beech Leaf Disease, is spreading across the Northeastern states and it is on campus. This disease affects American beech, European beech, and Oriental beech. It is currently having a devastating effect on the predominant beech/birch/maple forest in New York state and has been present in Massachusetts since 2020.

Symptoms include leaf striping, curling, and leathery texture. These symptoms can be observed from May to October by looking up into the canopy. Microscopic worms, known as nematodes, feed on plant foliage, affecting the leaf tissue and photosynthetic process, which in turn weakens the tree. As the disease progresses, leaf and bud production is impacted along with heavy leaf loss. A single tree can have heavily infected branches and unaffected branches. 

The beech genus, Fagus, lacks any natural defenses to this disease. The two options for treatment are foliar sprays and trunk injections. Foliar sprays are typically for young specimens while mature, large specimens require a trunk injection. Many homeowners are choosing to protect their large, mature specimens with these treatments. 

Here at Scott, we are proactively treating approximately 30 specimen trees in the heart of campus, where we are seeing little to no symptoms at this time. 

Unfortunately, our predominantly maple/beech forest along the Crum Creek is extensively affected. We are letting nature take its course in the woods and are developing plans to replant the beech-dominated areas with native trees. We plan to use a selection of white oaks (Quercus alba), hickories (Carya spp.), and maples (Acer rubrum), and also allow our tulip poplars (Liriodendron tulipifera) to seed in. In the understory, we are planting redbud (Cercis sp.), chokeberry (Aronia sp.), and native dogwood (Cornus florida). 

Learn more about this disease in Pennsylvania here. 

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This August, Scott Arboretum & Gardens created its latest ephemeral environmental art piece, Little Princess! Horticulturist Josh Coceano and Arboretum interns painted a lifeless tree an efflorescent pink to encourage reflection on the fragility of trees and to inspire people to notice the landscape, rather than take it for granted.

This Chionanthus retusus (Chinese fringe tree) was an older specimen that had been in decline and was ultimately lost earlier this summer. It is the fourth tree that Scott Arboretum & Gardens has transformed in this way, using striking color to draw the community’s attention to the ever-changing landscapes in a beautiful and meaningful way. The bold pink gives new “life” to the dead tree, honoring its presence and history while prompting reflection on impermanence and renewal. 

Delightfully named Little Princess, the ephemeral art piece will be on display until natural decay claims the tree. Come visit our princess in all seasons as she makes a charming and thought-provoking statement adjacent to the Dean Bond Rose Garden. 

Learn more about how this ephemeral art will age in the landscape with the story of our 2016 ephemeral art installation, Tsuga canadensis Pendula Purpurea. Check out this great recap of ephemeral art installations at the Scott Arboretum & Gardens with this 2021 Hybrid article (page 6.)

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Summer Intern Olivia Colangelo demonstrates how to create a Kokedama display.

Tune into the Gardener’s Almanac to learn what we are doing in the garden at this moment. Learn from Scott Arboretum staff which plants we are pruning, planting, weeding and which pests we are monitoring and removing right now. This virtual almanac is a great reference guide for gardeners.

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Interim Executive Director of the Scott Arboretum & Gardens and Grounds Jeff Jabco shares tips and tricks to selecting the perfect bloom for peony competition.

Tune into the Gardener’s Almanac to learn what we are doing in the garden at this moment. Learn from Scott Arboretum staff which plants we are pruning, planting, weeding and which pests we are monitoring and removing right now. This virtual almanac is a great reference guide for gardeners.

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Public Horticulture Intern Seamus Lewin highlights native plants that Indigenous people used for medicinal purposes.

Tune into the Gardener’s Almanac to learn what we are doing in the garden at this moment. Learn from Scott Arboretum staff which plants we are pruning, planting, weeding and which pests we are monitoring and removing right now. This virtual almanac is a great reference guide for gardeners.

Sources:

https://www.fao.org/4/xii/0191-a2.htm

https://www.portland.gov/trees/pacifi…

https://vetmed.tamu.edu/peer/wp-conte…

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/art…

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Summer Intern Annarose Klinger explains the Heritage Tree program and how you can protect your older trees.

Tune into the Gardener’s Almanac to learn what we are doing in the garden at this moment. Learn from Scott Arboretum staff which plants we are pruning, planting, weeding and which pests we are monitoring and removing right now. This virtual almanac is a great reference guide for gardeners.

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Public Horticulture Intern Seamus Lewin helps us identify and remove 7 common garden weeds.

Tune into the Gardener’s Almanac to learn what we are doing in the garden at this moment. Learn from Scott Arboretum staff which plants we are pruning, planting, weeding and which pests we are monitoring and removing right now. This virtual almanac is a great reference guide for gardeners.

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Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ (maiden grass)

Standing proudly in the center of the John W. Nason Garden is a cluster of 7-foot-tall ornamental grasses known as Miscanthus sinensis. Their inflorescence provides great winter interest and appears almost fountain-like as they sway in the cold gusts of wind. This grass is native to the lowland areas of Asia, in countries like Japan, Korea, and China, but has since naturalized in over 25 states in the Central and Eastern United States. 

The particular cultivar of M. sinensis found in the Nason Garden is ‘Morning Light’; is notable for its narrow green leaves with white variegation on the outer margins. It features a dense clump of upward-arching stems and leaves. During the winter months, the foliage fades to a beige-green, losing most of its interesting color. ‘Morning Light’ blooms later than most other Miscanthus cultivars. This, along with the fading interest in its foliage, brings extra attention to the showy, silvery-white inflorescence during the winter. 

Acer x conspicuum ‘Phoenix’ (snakebark maple)

Nestled on the eastern side of the Science Center, at the bottom of the roundabout, is a remarkably showy maple hybrid. Whereas most maple species lose their interest after dropping their leaves in the fall, Acer x conspicuum ‘Phoenix’ gains interest as its bright orange-red bark is put on full display. 

The cultivar ‘Phoenix’ is an interspecific hybrid resulting from the cross between the Chinese Acer davidii and the North American Acer pensylvanicum. Interspecific refers to the fact that both species used in the cross are from the same genus. It is a slow-growing maple with upright, slender branches and bark that is a deeper red than A. pensylvanicum, one of the species crossed to create it. The common name “snakebark’ refers to the striped pattern of the bark, and I believe that all maple enthusiasts should have at least one snakebark in their collection. 

Abies pinsapo ‘Aurea’ (Spanish fir)

Featured prominently in the front of the Pinetum and visible from Magill Walk is a small, coniferous evergreen tree known as Abies pinsapo ‘Aurea.’  This Spanish fir typically features a wonderful yellow foliage color, but in colder climates it reverts back to a deep green during the winter months. Fortunately, this loss of color does not mean a loss of interest for this species of fir.

A. pinsapo features short and straight needles that are densely and seemingly perfectly distributed on cylindrical stems. These needles are remarkably soft, and I think that the plant must be touched in order to be fully appreciated. When not mature, it has quite an interesting silhouette, appearing more bushy and having an irregular shape. When mature, this cultivar forms a more uniform pyramid shape that reaches about 25 feet tall and 12 feet wide. This fir does quite well in warm temperatures and is native to USDA zones 6-8. 

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