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Internship Program Reports Education and Visitor Experience

3-2008

Propagation of Native Woody and Herbaceous Plants for the Morris Arboretum and a Woodland Garden at Chanticleer

Alice Lumb

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Recommended Citation Lumb, Alice, "Propagation of Native Woody and Herbaceous Plants for the Morris Arboretum and a Woodland Garden at Chanticleer" (2008). Internship Program Reports. 108. https://repository.upenn.edu/morrisarboretum_internreports/108

This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/morrisarboretum_internreports/108 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Propagation of Native Woody and Herbaceous Plants for the Morris Arboretum and a Woodland Garden at Chanticleer

This report is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/morrisarboretum_internreports/108

Title: Propagation of Native Woody and Herbaceous Plants for the Morris Arboretum and a Woodland Garden at Chanticleer

Author: Alice Lumb The Martha J. Wallace Endowed Plant Propagation Intern

Date: March 2008

Abstract:

Seed from a range of native species was collected and propagated to supplement the current native collection held at the Morris Arboretum and to provide plants for Chanticleer Garden. The focus for the Arboretum was initially twofold. One aspect was to help increase plant diversity in the wetlands; the intention being that some new species would be introduced, increasing the numbers of species currently on the site and simultaneously providing important new germplasm. Secondly, collection of Quercus seed was made to increase the native oak population in the Arboretum. In addition, it is now likely that some of the herbaceous species will also be incorporated into the new native planting designs being undertaken at the Arboretum’s main entrance this year. Chanticleer Garden is in the process of restoring a woodland garden; this project was designed in part to produce native plants suitable for use in this development. All seed, both woody and herbaceous, was wild collected in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, from sites of known provenance. To date, 27 species have germinated, from a total collection of 49.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ...... 3

Seed Collection Sites ...... 3

Seed Processing ...... 5

Seed Treatments ...... 5

Conclusion ...... 6

Acknowledgements ...... 7

References ...... 8

Appendix 1. Wild Collected Accession List...... 10

Appendix 2. Presentation Handout: List of species intended for introduction into the Morris Arboretum wetlands ...... 10

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INTRODUCTION

One focus of this project was the production of plants for Chanticleer Garden, in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Chanticleer Foundation sponsors the propagation internship at the Morris Arboretum and also provides financial support for the Morris Arboretum’s Botany Department for ongoing field work on the Flora of Pennsylvania project. My focus for Chanticleer was to propagate native species for a garden there under the direction of horticulturist Przemek Walczak. This section of Chanticleer Garden includes a wooded area near water, currently undergoing restoration. Plants to be propagated for the location included native wetland and shrub species and also herbaceous shade-tolerant plants. The site becomes very wet in parts during the winter and conversely extremely dry in mid-summer.

The Morris Arboretum wetlands have been evolving since the autumn of 2001. Horticulturist Pam Morris introduced tree, shrub and herbaceous species yearly into this native, local ecosystem, increasing biodiversity with the provision of habitats and food for a range of native birds, amphibians and insects. The wetlands also serve as an important educational resource for the Arboretum. A goal of this project is to collect seed from species suitable for introduction to the wetlands area, alongside increasing numbers of species already on site.

Several native oak species are to be collected for this propagation project. The focus is to add to the current collection held at the Morris Arboretum by introducing locally sourced material in an attempt to ensure plant hardiness.

SEED COLLECTION SITES

Seed was collected from known sites, identified by Dr. Ann Rhoads, Senior Botanist and Dr. Timothy Block, Director of Botany. All seed was collected either by me, under the guidance of Dr. Rhoads, Dr. Block or Tony Aiello, Curator and Director of Horticulture, or by Dr. Rhoads and Dr. Block while working in the field during the autumn of 2007, at various locations in Pennsylvania or by Tony Aiello (in New Jersey). The timing of collection was under the direction of Dr. Rhoads. Seed was received at the greenhouse for propagation by me.

French Creek State Park, Berks/Chester County border This site was visited on September 5, 2007 with Dr. Rhoads and Dr. Block and again on October 8, 2007 with Dr. Rhoads. Seed collection took place at several locations within the park:

- Woodland edges (various) On the margin of a moist acidic oak forest, the substrate is Stockton Formation. Surface water is strongly acidic runoff from an adjacent quartzite ridge. Seed collected here included Actaea racemosa, Anemone virginiana, Arisaema triphyllum, Chimaphila maculata, Maianthemum racemosum, Mitchella repens, Pyrola, Quercus alba, Quercus rubra, Quercus velutina, Helianthus divaricatus and Symphyotrichum racemosum.

- A disturbed area in the vicinity of an abandoned diabase quarry in Berks County, which may have been a settling basin. Rhus glabra seed was collected here.

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- A red maple/black ash swamp in a poorly drained basin on Stockton Formation sandstone and siltstone. Carex crinita, Ilex verticillata, Maianthemum racemosum and Symplocarpus foetidus seed was collected here.

- The marshy edge of an abandoned diabase quarry in shallow, standing water, Berks County. Seed collected included Ludwigia alternifolia and Penstemon hirsutus.

- A moist old field, former horse pasture on a substrate of Stockton Formation sandstone and siltstone, with surface water that is strongly acidic runoff from an adjacent quartzite ridge. Seed was gathered across the field and along bordering woodland edges. The collection included Asclepias incarnata, Carex intumescens, Carex lurida, Crataegus flabellata, Eupatorium dubium, Helianthus giganteus, Lyonia ligustrina, Nyssa sylvatica, Rosa palustris, Sambucus canadensis, Scirpus cyperinus, Scirpus expansus, Solidago nemoralis, Verbena hastate and Vernonia noveboracensis.

- A disturbed area along an old railroad line in the vicinity of abandoned diabase quarry, Berks County. Cornus florida, Hamamelis virginina and Lespedeza capitata seed was collected here.

Poyntelle Lake shore, Wayne County This site was visited on August 24, 2007 by Dr. Rhoads and Dr. Block. Seed of Viburnum cassinoides was collected from the shoreline of a natural glacial lake; the geology, glacial till/Pocono Formation.

West shore Poyntelle Lake, Wayne County This site was visited in September, 2007 by Dr. Rhoads and Dr. Block. Seed of Ilex Montana and Quercus prinus was collected from the shoreline of a natural glacial lake; the geology, glacial till/Pocono Formation.

Ocean City, Cape May County, New Jersey This site was visited on September 14, 2007 by Tony Aiello. Seed of Myrica pensylvanica was collected from a plant near the shore, growing in a very sandy soil.

New Britain, Bucks County This site was visited on October 7, 2007 by Dr. Rhoads and Dr. Block. Seed of Quercus alba was collected from a mixed oak forest remnant along a stream, on Stockton Formation sandstone and siltstone.

Delhaas Woods, Bucks County This site was visited on October 7, 2007 by Dr. Rhoads and Dr. Block. A wet coastal plain forest; the geology is recent unconsolidated sand and gravel and acidic. Quercus phellos seed was collected.

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Woods off Dixon Ave/Bristol Pike, Bristol Township, Croydon, Montgomery County This site was visited on October 1, 2007 with Tony Aiello. Seed of Quercus phellos was collected from four single trunked trees, between 60-80 feet tall. This was a mixed deciduous wood with Quercus phellos, Quercus velutina, Liquidambar styraciflua, Nyssa sylvatica, Lindera benzoin and Clethra alnifolia. The soil was a sandy loam with a mixture of river stones.

Mount Pleasure, French Creek State Park, Chester County This site, a dry, very acidic slope on Chickies quartzite, was visited on October 7, 2007 by Dr. Rhoads and Dr. Block. Quercus prinus seed was collected.

Dr. Ann Rhoads’s Property, Bucks County Quercus velutina seed was collected on October 26, 2007 by Dr. Rhoads. This site is a remnant mixed oak forest, the geology Stockton Formation sandstones and siltstones; well-drained.

Fulshaw Craeg Preserve, Montgomery County Symphyotrichum laeve seed was collected on November 16, 2007 by Dr. Rhoads. The site is a moist-to-dry meadow on diabase.

SEED PROCESSING

Seed received at the Morris Arboretum greenhouse was accessioned, checked for signs of pest or disease damage, cleaned, counted, and where appropriate placed in cold storage in the refrigerator. All seed with a fleshy fruit was cleaned immediately to remove germination inhibitors. Research was then undertaken to decide on appropriate propagation methods. Morris Arboretum propagation records were used extensively for the seed of woody species, in addition to other reference material. Shelley Dillard and I also attended a course in native wild flower propagation at Mount Cuba Center. Multiple propagation treatments were trialed on species where large quantities of seed were collected. Detailed records were kept at every stage of the propagation process.

SEED TREATMENTS

Seed of many woody and herbaceous species required a period of cold stratification before sowing. This was achieved using the refrigerator, with a constant temperature of 410F where seed was either kept in a sealed bag of moist perlite, or, in the case of small seed, sown directly in trays and then placed in the fridge. The medicinal house was also used to give cold stratification to herbaceous seed sown in trays as second treatments (first treatment being placed in the refrigerator). Temperatures in this glasshouse fluctuate, but remain above 330F. The following seed received cold stratification for between 1 and 4 months, depending on species: Anemone virginiana, Arisaema triphyllum, Asclepias incarnata, Carex crinita, Carex intumescens, Carex lurida, Cornus florida, Eupatorium dubium, Mitchella repens, Myrica pensylvanica, Nyssa sylvatica, Penstemon hirsutus, Quercus phellos, Quercus rubra, Quercus velutina, Rhus glabra, Sambucus canadensis, Scirpus expansus, Scirpus cyperinus, Solidago nemoralis, Symphyotrichum laeve, Symphyotrichum racemosum, Symplocarpus foetidus, Verbena hastata and Vernonia noveboracensis.

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A number of species required a period of warm stratification prior to one of cold stratification. This was achieved by placing the seed in moist perlite in a bag, out of direct light on a greenhouse shelf with a constant temperature of 680F. Seed given this treatment included Actaea racemosa, Crataegus flabellata, Hamamelis virginiana, Ilex montana, Ilex verticillata, Rosa palustris, Viburnum acerifolium, Viburnum cassinoides, Viburnum prunifolium and Viburnum recognitum. The period of warm stratification again depended on the particular species. Maianthemum racemosum seed often requires multiple cycles of warm and cold to germinate.

While oaks in the black oak group all required a period of cold stratification, Quercus alba and Quercus prinus, both white oak species, whose radicles emerge in the fall, could be sown directly. All oaks were treated with mothballs once grub damage was noticed, then white oak seed was sown and placed in the propagation greenhouse. Other species sown directly included Chimaphila maculata, Helianthus divaricatus, Helianthus giganteus, Lespedeza capitata, Ludwigia alternifolia, Lyonia ligustrina and a pyrola. Research suggested both Chimaphila maculata and Pyrola were very difficult to propagate from seed as it is thought they require a fungal partner for germination.

Rhus glabra and Lespedeza capitata required scarification due to their hard seed coats. Sandpaper was used to scarify seed, prior to overnight soaking in hot water. Chemical scarification could have also been tried.

CONCLUSION

The project was designed to fulfill many of the skill goals required for me as the plant propagation intern. These included seed collection, extraction, cleaning and processing, storage, and propagation, plus trying techniques for overcoming dormancy. Propagation methods varied as species included both herbaceous and woody material. The project also provided the opportunity for aftercare of germinated seedlings; overwintering, pricking out, potting on, pest and disease identification and management, watering and weeding. Record keeping was also an integral part of the project, and results were documented where possible. Herbarium vouchers of all species were collected and these were then mounted in keeping with the Arboretum recording systems. Successful integration of project work into ongoing nursery duties and responsibilities through the year was also a skills target.

Through the opportunity to participate in field work with Tony Aiello, Curator, Dr. Ann Rhoads, Senior Botanist and Dr. Timothy Block, Director of Botany, I have be able to begin developing my knowledge of both Pennsylvanian and North American herbaceous and woody species. This experience has increased my awareness of a range of native habitats and deepened my understanding of the importance in, and benefits of, preserving native plants in the environment. Lastly, and importantly, the plants produced from this project will serve to increase native biodiversity within two cultivated landscapes.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks go to Tony Aiello, Dr. Ann Rhoads, Dr. Tim Block, Shelley Dillard, Jean Cooke, Dianne Smith, Bill Barnes and the greenhouse volunteers for their help.

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REFERENCES

Cullina, W., 2002. Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, New York.

Cullina, W., 2000. Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, New York.

Dirr, M.A., Heuser, Jr. W., 1987. The Reference Manual of Hardy Plant Propagation. From Seed to Tissue Culture. Varsity Press, Athens, Georgia.

Dirr, M.A., 1997. Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs. An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Timberland Press, Portland, Oregon.

Hartmann, H.T., Kestler, D.E., Davies, Jr. F.T., Genere, R.L., 1997. (6th Ed). Plant Propagation, Principles and Practices. Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

MacDonald, B., 1986. Practical Woody Plant Propagation for Nursery Growers. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.

McMillan-Browse, P., 1999. The RHS Encyclopedia of Practical Gardening. Plant Propagation. Octopus Publishing Group, London.

Rhoads, A.F., Block, T.A., 2000. The Plants of Pennsylvania. An Illustrated Manual. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia.

Stansbery, S., 2006. Seed Propagation at the Morris Arboretum. (Intern Project)

Thompson, P., 2005. Creative Propagation. Timberland Press, Portland, Cambridge.

Toogood, A., 1999. The Royal Horticultural Society. Propagating Plants. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London.

Young, C.G., Young, J.A., 1986. Collecting, Processing and Germinating Seeds of Wildland Plants. Timberland Press, Portland, Oregon.

Young, C.G., Young, J.A., 1992. Seeds of Woody Plants in North America. Disocorides Press, Portland, Oregon.

Other References:

Bill Barnes, Nurseryman and IPPS Eastern Region Vice President as consultants.

International Plant Propagator’s Society literature and research information

Seed catalogues

Internet research

Mount Cuba Center- Course on native wild flower propagation

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Wild Collected Native Seed List

Tree and shrub species

Cornus florida (Flowering dogwood) * Crataegus flabellata (Fanleaf hawthorn) *** Hamamelis virginiana (Witch-hazel) * Ilex montana (Mountain holly) *** Ilex verticillata (Winterberry) * Lyonia ligustrina (Maleberry) *** Myrica pensylvanica (Bayberry) * Nyssa sylvatica (Sourgum, blackgum, tupelo) * Quercus alba (White oak) Quercus phellos (Willow oak) *** Quercus prinus (Chestnut oak, basket oak) * Quercus rubra (Red oak) * Quercus velutina (Black oak) *** Rhus glabra (Smooth sumac) *** Rosa palustris (Swamp rose) * Sambucus canadensis (American elder) * Viburnum acerifolium (Maple-leaved viburnum) * Viburnum cassinoides (witherod) *** Viburnum prunifolium (Black-haw) * Viburnum recognitum (Northern arrow-wood) ***

Herbaceous species

Actaea racemosa (Black cohosh) Anemone virginiana (Thimbleweed) Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit) Asclepias incarnata (Swamp milkweed) * Carex cirnita (Short-hair sedge) * Carex intumescens (Sedge) *** Carex lurida (Sedge) * Chimaphila maculata (Spotted wintergreen) (Evergreen) Eupatorium dubium (Joe-pye-weed) *** Helianthus divaricatus (Woodland sunflower) Helianthus giganteus (Swamp sunflower) Lespedeza capitata (Round-headed bush-clover) *** Ludwigia alternifolia (Seedbox) * Maianthemum racemosum (False Solomon’s-seal) Mitchella repens (Partridge-berry) (Evergreen) Penstemon hirsutus (Northeastern beardtongue) *** Pyrola Scirpus cyperinus (Wool-grass) * Scirpus expansus (Wood bulrush) *** Solidago nemoralis (Gray goldenrod) *** Symphyotrichum laeve (Smooth blue aster) *** Symphyotrichum racemosum (Small white aster) *** Symplocarpus foetidus (Skunk cabbage) Verbena hastata (Blue vervain) * Vernonia noveboracensis (New York ironweed) *

* established species in the Morris Arboretum wetlands

***species to be introduced in the Morris Arboretum wetlands

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