What’s In Bloom? AT ADKINS ARBORETUM IN MARCH

Cornus florida ( KOR-nus FLO-ri-da ) Liquidambar styraciflua (lih-kwid-AM-bar Fagus grandifolia (FAY-gus gran-dih- flowering dogwood—Even without sty-rah-SIH-floo-ah) sweetgum—When FOH-lee-uh) American beech—This is a flowers or leaves, one can easily you walk over many prickly balls, you readily identifiable tree found through- recognize our native dogwood. The are probably standing underneath a out the Arboretum grounds. The bark is reminiscent of an alligator’s sweetgum. A sweetgum has a rather smooth bark is a silvery gray color often hide, with grayish-brown to blackish large (1/4”-1/2”) and very shiny bud at described as resembling an elephant leg. blocks. Topping many twigs is a biscuit the end of its branches. The grey bark The buds are also distinctive, long golden shaped flower bud pointing upwards. looks ridged and scaly. You might also brown cigar shapes, ready to pop open. Look for the flowering dogwood in the see corky ridges on smaller branches The twigs can have a zigzag appearance upland forests. and twigs. Sweetgums are abundant in with the buds sticking out at right the Arboretum’s young forest. angles, almost looking like thorns.

Asimina triloba (ass-uh-MEE-nah try- Carya tomentosa (KAR-ee-uh toh-men- Liriodendron tulipifera (Leer-ee-oh-DEN- LO-bah) paw paw—In March look for TOH-sah) mockernut hickory—In late drawn tu-lih-PIFF-er-uh) tulip tree— purplish, rounded flower buds growing winter, the terminal buds (at the end of Typically growing to heights of 70 to directly out of the smooth gray bark. In a twig) of this slow growing, medium- 100 feet with trunks perhaps as wide April, deep maroon flowers appear tall tree with a straight trunk and as 10 feet, the American tulip tree has from the buds just before the leaves do. furrowed grey bark appear covered in dark red winter buds with scales that The terminal bud (at the end of a twig) silky greenish scales. They are rounded become stipules (appendages at the may be ? to ? inch long and it looks like with a short point at the tip end. base of the leaf) for the unfolding a curved dark yellow flame. Paw paws “Tomentose” means finely hairy leaves. Each terminal bud is valvate commonly grow as a small suckering referring to the bud scales, twigs and (duck-billed). Large showy flowers tree throughout the Arboretum’s the undersides of the leaves for this appear from the buds in late spring. woodland paths. tree. Found along the Upland path and There are many large tulip trees along Tuckahoe Valley paths. the Blockston Branch path.

Adkins Arboretum, 12610 Eveland Road, P.O. Box 100, Ridgely, MD 21660, 410-634-2847, www.adkinsarboretum.org MORE ➛ What’s In Bloom? at Adkins Arboretum in March

Rhododendron periclymenoides (row-duh- Lindera benzoin (lin-DAYR-ruh ben-ZO- Mitchella repens (mit-CHEL-ah REE- DEN-dron pehr-ih-kly-men-OY-dees) in) spicebush—This understory shrub pens) partridge berry—Red berries often pinxterbloom azalea—These deciduous puts on an early show of flowers. The peek out from the rounded, opposite azaleas feature pink-tinged flower buds clusters of flowers are yellow and are leaves of this ground-hugging plant. that will soon produce a cluster of white held close to the slender greenish brown Found growing in acidic soils under to rose pink, honeysuckle-shaped branches. Some have called it the pine trees as well as hardwoods. flowers. They grow 3- 6 feet tall with “forsythia of the wilds”. The aromatic Partridge berry refers to the bird that upright stems that branch heavily leaves will emerge later in the spring. loves the fruit; though many other towards the tips. Grow in moist woods Look for it in the moist forested ground foraging birds share in the along the Tuckahoe Valley and floodplains. bounty. Common along the Tuckahoe Tuckahoe Creekside paths. Valley path.

Lycopodium obscurum (ly-co-PO-dee-um Symplocarpus foetidus (sim-plo-CAR-pus Polystichum acrostichoides (pol-ISS-tih- ob-SCUR-um) clubmoss—Also called FEH-ti-dus) skunk cabbage—In kum ak-ro-stik-OY-deez) Christmas fern princess pine or running cedar, this February, maroon colored “hoods” —This evergreen fern found in the moss relative reproduces by spores poke through the soil in the forest woods reminds many visitors of the rather than seeds. It forms large floodplains. These spirally sculpted ubiquitous houseplant Boston fern. colonies on moist, shady ground. hoods (spathe) encircle the flower head This time of year you can spy the Because the roots associate with a (spadix) of skunk cabbage. Skunk emerging downy, fiddleheads that will fungi, it is extremely difficult to cabbage flower heads produce their unroll into 1-2 ft fronds. This is a fern transplant. Look for a large patch at own heat to attract early flying insects. readily available from nurseries and the intersection of Tuckahoe Valley Bright green leaves unfurl in March. makes a welcome evergreen addition to south and the Upland Path. winter home landscapes.