What’s in Bloom

Saturday’s Tree Symposium was a big success, judging by the enthusiastic comments from 70 participants.  Four excellent speakers engaged the audience with the latest information on the impact of trees in our environment, as well as the challenges facing their survival.  Bruce Crawford, MCPC Garden Manager, gave the final talk on special trees at the Arboretum and led a walking tour to point them out.  At the end, he demonstrated best practices for tree planting at the edge of the great lawn in front of the mansion.  We are grateful to Bartlett Tree Experts for sponsoring the event and donating the tree that was planted.  Read more in the upcoming issue of Arboretum Leaves. Judy Snow

Thank you to Marge Hulstrunk and Russell Gatzke for the lovely table arrangements, see photo.

Thanks to Kathy Kirk for the photos of our speakers and to Judy Snow for the photos of Bruce Crawford on the tour and tree planting.

Here are some photos of trees in the Arboretum’s collection that will be talked about during the Symposium.

Heptacodium miconioides, or Seven-Sons-Tree, a member of the honeysuckle family and native to China, has creamy white scented flowers, each with a showy red calyx and a beautiful exfoliating trunk. The specimen at the Arboretum is a NJ State Champion Tree.

Oxydendrum arboreum, or Sourwood, a member of the Heath family and native to the East Coast of the United States, exhibits canoe shaped leaves, pendulous flower racemes and striking red fall color.

Ginkgo biloba, known as Maidenhair Tree, is a large shade tree native to eastern China with fan-shaped leaves that turn a lovely, lemony yellow color in fall. There are Ginkgo fossils dating back over 270 million years!

Thanks to Lisa Bencivengo for all photos, except Margery’s closeup of Ginkgo leaves.

Member Deborah Holz recently visited the Arboretum and shared some of her photographs with us. The calendar may say late October, but Deborah found a lovely pale pink Iris in full bloom, as well as Roses in full bloom in the garden behind the Mansion – don’t they look beautiful with the fall foliage as a backdrop? The Japanese Maples are donning their colorful fall coats and a planter with ornamental cabbage, grasses, chrysanthemums, etc. is a bright spot on the sidewalk going towards the Haggerty Education Center.

Thank you Deborah for these lovely photos.