Conifer Quarterly
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Conifer Quarterly Vol. 20 No. 1 Winter 2003 Pinus sylvestris ‘Buchanan’s Gold’ in March. This cultivar glows yellow during the winter but turns green in the Summer due to a higher rate of metabolism and chlorophyll production. (See article on page 10.) Brita Johansson Abies procera ‘Blaue Hexe.’ Blue coloration in conifers is caused by a waxy coating on their foliage. (See article on page 10.) Brita Johansson The Conifer Quarterly is the publication of the American Conifer Society Contents Feature Articles 5 Are Your Conifers Well Connected? By Bob Steele 10 What Makes Conifers Yellow and Blue? By Brita Johansson 12 Do You Want Ice with That? By Dennis Groh 20 Conifers at Denver Botanic Gardens By Panayoti Kelaidis 26 An Introduction to the Conifer Database By Bill Barger Denver Preview by Don Howse 34 Part 1: Crossing the Great Divide 36 Part 2: The Ancient Bristlecones of Windy Ridge 42 Part 3: The Limber Pine Grove ACS Departments ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH 2 President’s Message National Meeting, Denver, CO July 17–19, 2003 4 Editor’s Memo 25 Seed Exchange See the registration details mailed with this issue! 46 Grant Announcements ROCKY MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE Also with this issue... Coach Post-Tour for Members • Seed Exchange Order Form July 20–23, 2003 • News from the Regions Read about some of our tour • National Meeting destinations on pages 34-45. travel information Cover photo: Pinus sylvestris ‘Hexguld,’ like other yellow conifers, contains a higher ratio of carotenoids to chlorophyll than its relatives displaying normal green coloration. (See related article on page 10.) Vol. 20 No. 1 AMERICAN CONIFER SOCIETY 1 Conifer PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By the time you read this message it will be 2003 and our Society will be Quarterly starting its 20th year! We all owe thanks Winter 2003 to the founders for their vision and per- Volume 20, No. 1 sistence. We also need to applaud all The Conifer Quarterly (ISSN 8755-0490) those who carried the load and sacri- is published quarterly by the American Conifer ficed to help shape what is today’s great Society. The Society is a non-profit or- organization. ganization incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is tax ex- This is the first Conifer Quarterly empt under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Rev- published by our new Editor, Anne enue Service Code. Brennan. Thank you Anne for all the You are invited to join our Society. Please address membership and other inquires to the hard work of meeting the Editorial ACS National Office, P.O. Box 3422, Crofton, challenge and switching to a new print- MD 21114-0422. Membership: US$25 (indi- er at the same time. Anne will need our vidual), $35 (joint), $30 (institutional) $50 (sustaining), $100 (patron and corporate/busi- help to keep a steady flow of high qual- ness). If you are moving, please notify the ACS ity articles coming. Anne is interested Office 4 weeks in advance. to hear about both your ideas for possi- Editorial and advertising matters should be sent to the Conifer Quarterly Editor, 1820 ble articles as well as articles you are Bridgetown Pike, Feasterville, PA 19053. willing to prepare. I I would like to thank Jane Frampton Editor for all her help in ensuring a smooth Anne Brennan transition of the Editor’s responsibilities Technical Editors to Anne. Jane also prepared a timeline Ethan Johnson of key dates for the Quarterly for an en- Susan Martin tire calendar year cycle. This timeline R. William Thomas will serve as a helpful reminder to both Conifer Quarterly Advisory Committee Anne and the Officers to ensure that im- Dennis Groh, Committee Chair portant information is included. Jane Charlene Harris also was kind enough to help convert Tom Schlereth ex officio: Marvin Snyder some of the archived versions of old ex officio: John Martin publications into more usable formats. I Thanks also to John Frampton for your support during Jane’s contributions. Copyright © 2003, American Conifer Soci- If you haven’t looked at the Conifer ety. All rights reserved. No material contained herein may be reproduced in any form with- Society Website lately, please do! Bill out prior written permission of the publisher. Barger and Charlene Harris have been Opinions expressed by authors and advertis- hard at work again and have come up ers are not necessarily those of the Society. with an eye-popping home page and Note: Hardiness Zone references in the Conifer Quarterly are USDA classifications great information on the 2003 National unless otherwise specified. Meeting and Tours. Much thanks for a great job! 2AMERICAN CONIFER SOCIETY Vol. 20 No. 1 Anne Brennan has completed the energy from the organizers and atten- final version of the index project for the dees. My hat is off to the Regional lead- first 18 Volumes of the (American) ership. However, the plant auction Conifer Society Bulletin (Summer 1983 process was not uniform and needs bet- to Fall 2001). The Index has three sec- ter documentation. Ellen Kelley has tions: A Subject Index (~50 pages), an agreed to lead this effort. Thanks Ellen! author index (~15 pages) and a plant The new President’s Award for Vol- names index (~100 pages). Once the unteerism was not available in time for publishing costs are finalized, order in- the Central Region Meeting, but award formation will be provided. presentations were made at all the other In the last Conifer Quarterly (Vol. Regions. The winners for 2002 were 19 No. 4, Page 191), Charles Fooks Orlan Gaeddert (Northeast), Jordan Jack asked for donations to the Seed Ex- (Southeast) and Don Howse (Western). change. The seed order form is included These individuals have all given gener- with this issue. Thanks Charles for all ously of their time and talent for the your time and leadership as Chair of the benefit of the Conifer Society over an Seed Exchange. extended period of time. Please take the I attended all the Regional Meetings time to let these individuals know YOU last year. They were all well attended, also appreciate their contributions when fun-filled and successful, with positive you see them! Dennis Groh, President Publication Dates Deadline to Publication Date Issue Calendar Quarter submit articles Approx. mailing Winter Jan/Feb/Mar Oct 31 Jan 15 Spring Apr/May/Jun Jan 31 Apr 15 Summer Jul/Aug/Sept Apr 30 July 15 Fall Oct/Nov/Dec 31 July 31 Oct 15 Submit articles/photos to: Anne Brennan, Conifer Quarterly Editor 1820 Bridgetown Pike, Feasterville, PA 19053 • PH (215) 364-0566 FAX (215) 827-5926 • E-mail: [email protected] Vol. 20 No. 1 AMERICAN CONIFER SOCIETY 3 EDITOR’S MEMO During these short winter days, I hope which our plants originally developed. that all of you are enjoying your conifer Bob Steele’s article, “Are Your Conifers gardens in what is arguably their most Well Connected?” not only explains the glorious season. My tiny plants were importance of these fungi but also de- nearly buried by an early December scribes practical ways to add them to snowstorm here in the northeast, but your own created forest. they appeared content with only a top- Next, Brita Johansson discusses some most inch or two protruding above the causes of yellow and blue needle color in snow to designate their locations. conifers, such as those pictured on the The Pinus sylvestris ‘Hexguld’ on front and inside front covers. Then, Den- this issue’s cover inspires me to add at nis Groh surveys the damage caused by least one yellow conifer to my garden the ice storm that hit the midwest a year this year. Which yellow cultivar is your ago this month. Why do some trees suffer favorite, and why? These glowing plants more damage than others? Dennis shares will be the focus of an article later this his observations and theories. year, so send me your ideas and photos. The second half of this issue is dedi- I must thank my predecessor, former cated to the natural and cultivated conif- Editor Jane Frampton, for the expertise erous wonders we’ll find in and around and documentation she’s shared with me Denver, Colorado, site of the 2003 Na- during our editorial transition. About half tional Meeting in July. Haven’t decided of the articles in this issue were initially whether to join us yet? Read the articles conceived and written during her tenure. by Panayoti Kelaidis and Don Howse and you’ll be making reservations for sure! In this issue Though some of us try to create a Upcoming featured conifers woodland feeling in our gardens, our As I mentioned in my introduction plants are not easily fooled. One element article last Fall (Vol. 19, No. 4, page we may be missing is the mycorrhizal 188), I plan to highlight a particular fungi that exist in the natural habitats in conifer genus in each issue and encour- age members to contribute propagation tips, species/cultivar recommendations In a Rare Mood … and photos to present a multi-faceted try our • Japanese Maples view of the genus. The firs (Abies) will • Dwarf Conifers be featured in the Spring 2003 issue, • Bonsai followed by hemlock (Tsuga) in the • Bonsai Supplies Summer. Take a walk through your own 1451 Pleasant Hill Road garden or a nearby public collection, Harrisburg, PA 17112 then share your discoveries and tech- (717) 545-4555 niques with other readers. www.natureswaybonsai.com 4AMERICAN CONIFER SOCIETY Vol. 20 No. 1 Are Your Conifers Well Connected? Bob Steele Gardeners often pay more attention to the chemicals help release plant nutrients above-ground portion of plants than the from the soil, especially nitrogen and below-ground portion even though they phosphorus.