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Box 1130, Dept. 1526 Buckeystown, Maryland 21717 Brookshire, Texas 77423 Thermru, California 92274 1-800-723-7667 eric an Horticulturist Volume 73, Number 10 October 1994 ARTICLES Poached ParkJands by Yvette La Pierre . ........ .. ... ..... .. .. .. .... .... 19 Too few rangers and ridiculously low fines make easy pickings of plants in our national parks. Golden Boughs by Molly Dean . .... ...... ........ .. ... .... .. ..... .. 25 Money may not grow on trees but gold sometimes does. Rustic Pleasures by Richard Iversen .. .... .. .. ... ... ... ... ... 30 These nature-inspired garden structures are part Chippendale, part Daniel Boone. Penstemon Heaven OCTOBER'S COVER by Robert Nold . .... .. .. ... .. .. ... ...... .... .... 34 Photographed by David Cavagnaro When the Great Rain Spirit shows no mercy, these natives are a godsend. "Against the Indian summer sky, a Eureka! tree lifts up its hands and testifies to glory, the glory of a blue by Art Ode . ..... .. .... ..... ...... ... ...... 41 October day." As usual, Natural A couple discovers the American dream in a former History of Trees author Donald Ozark picnic ground. Culross Peattie has just the right words, in this case in his entry for the sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum) . Found from Maine to DEPARTMENTS Florida, Michigan to Texas, its root bark was once considered a Commentary . ... .. ... .... .. ...... ........ ...... 4 powerful curative. Now its magical effects an: limited to the Members' Forum ... ... .... ..... ...... ........ ... 5 yellow-orange glow of its leaves in fall, when it's also decked with Offshoots ... .. ... ... .. .. ... .. .... ...... ... 6 dark blue fruit on red stalks. Beginning on page 25, Molly Dean Natural Connections . .. ...... ... .. ..... .. ...... ..... 9 offers a paean to trees that glow golden throughout the year. The Urban Gardener . .. ... ..... .... .. ...... .... ...... 11 Natives at Risk .. .. ............ ... .... .... ........ 13 Planting the Future ...... ... .. ..... .. .............. 14 Gardeners' Information Service ... .. ..... ......... ......... 15 Book Reviews .. .. .. .. .. .... ..... .. .... .... ... 16 Classifieds . .. .. .... .. .. .... ..... .. ... ....... .. .45 Pronunciations . ..... .. .. .... .. .. ...... .. ........ .47 American Horticultural Society The American Horticultural Society seeks to promote and recognize excellence in horticulture COMMENTARY across America. OFFICERS 1993-1994 Mrs. Sarah S. Boasberg Chairman et's give it a name!" That desire sep Washington, D.G. arates people who are content merely Dr. William E. Barrick to grow plants from those who truly First Vice Chairman L Pine Mountain, Georgia want to know plants-all of their special Mrs. W. R. J. Dunn ized parts, their botanical names and the Second Vice Chairman histories behind their common names, Birmingham, Alabama water requirements, pests Mr. William A. Pusey their light and Secretary and potential diseases. The challenge is Washington, D.G. virtually infinite, since there are 250,000 Mr. Gerald T. Halpin species recognized in Hortus Third! Treasurer Alexandria, Virginia I thought about the importance of names recently when our two-year-old grand BOARD OF DIRECTORS daughter, Elizabeth ("Miss Emerald" to Dr. Thomas Amason the family) charmingly asked me to remove Birmingham, Alabama Mrs. Suzanne Frurig Bales the hat on her strawberry because, she Bronxville, New York explained, "You never eat with the hat on." Soon I will tell her that the Dr. Sherran Blair "hat" is the plant's five sepals. Later, she will learn that the fruit is not a Columbus, Ohio Mr. William F. Brinton true berry, but a fleshy receptacle bearing achenes, or one-seeded fruit. Mount Vernon, Maine Although the structures she was eating with such enthusiasm are very Mrs. Nancy J'I. Callaway Pine Mountain, Georgia complex, she has already learned "the inside story" of many plants from her Mr. Paul E"ke Jr. father, and the discovery of each new name is greeted with joyful enthusiasm. Enoinitas, CaLifornia From Fruit: A First Discovery Book, she has learned the names of apple cultivars Dr. John Alex Floyd Jr. Birmingham, Alabama such as 'Granny Smith', 'Golden Delicious', and 'Russet'. She pronounces each Mrs. Julia D. Hobart new name with shining eyes and all the animation of Eliza Doolittle in "My Troy, Ohio Fair Lady" discovering the rain in Spain. Learning is such fun! Dr. RiGhaEd L. Lower Madison, Wisconsin These family experiences send me back to the American Horticultural Mrs. Martyn L. Miller Society with a clear resolve to make sure our educational programs reach Ashton, Maryland Mrs. Walter M. Morgan Jr. their full potential. Our children's gardening symposia-our third will be Nashville, Tennessee June 27 to 30 next year in Pasadena, California-are a big step. We must Mr. William G. Pannill make sure our programs continue to evolve as we work toward making Martinsville, Virginia Dr. Julia W. Rappaport ours a more environmentally sane society in this time of rapidly changing Santa Ana, California modes of communication. We are constantly seeking new ideas for ways Mr. Geoffrey L. Rausch to accomplish this, and we always welcome yours. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Mrs. Jane N. Scarff One big step toward more environmentally responsible gardening is New Carlisle, Ohio learning to get by using less water, especially in semi-arid regions. In this Mrs. Josephine M. Shanks Houston, 1'exas issue Robert Nold, a gardener in a Denver suburb, offers some unconven Mr. EmanuelShemin tional gardening advice for fellow dry land residents in the course of Greenwich, Connecticut describing one of his favorite low-water plants, penstemons. Mr. Andre Viette Fishersville, Virginia City slickers visiting our national parks may be tempted to try a bit of plant Ms. Katy Moss Warner rustling when a pretty specimen tempts the eye. In another article writer Yvette Lake Buena Vista, Florida La Pierre reminds us why such collecting is verboten in describing the wholesale Mr. Monroe Whitton Alexandria, Virginia damage being caused by both professional and amateur poachers. We also celebrate yellow trees-of fall as well as other seasons; take a look at "rustic adornments" that go back to colonial times but also complement today's PRESIDENT natural gardens; and spotlight the Eureka Springs Gardens in Arkansas, an Dr. H. Marc Cathey unusual for-profit enterprise in a unique setting. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT We always welcome your ideas for topics you would like covered in our publications. Within our families, and throughout our extended AHS Mrs. Helen Fulcher Walutes family, we all have much to teach and learn, plant by plant, season by season. We want that learning to make a difference to our environment and we want it to be fun! H. Marc Cathey, President 4 OCTOBER 1994 American Horticulturist Editor Kathleen Fisher MEMBERS' FORUM Managing Editor Mary Beth Wiesner Assistant Editor David Ellis Editorial Assistant Praise and Please acetate, providing a balsamic odor. For A. Nikole Williamson I have just read the July issue concerning rugosa, as in anise hyssop, the principal Design Director children and gardening. Although this is constituent of th e essential oil from the Joseph Yacinski not my primary interest, I think it is won fo li age is commonly 56 to 96 percent es Designer derful to bring children into gardening tragole but a variant has been reported to Pam Johnson early (I wish this had happened to me!). contain 84 to 92 percent methyl eugenol Membership Director While I am writing, I may as well request and onl y two to six percent estragole. This Darlene Oliver more pieces in the magazine concerned with latter variant is somewhat clove-scented in Editorial Advisory Board country gardens. I (and numbers of friend contrast to the French tarragon odor of the Jobn Bryan gardeners) have places of five acres or so normal plant. The scent of the foliar o il of Sausalito, California that we care for ourselves, and we would A. mexicana is due to 47 to 73 percent John Creech really enjoy and profit from exa mples and menthone and 14 to 40 percent pulegone, Hendersonville, North Carolina advice. We don't want statues and neat providing a peppermint-pennyroyal odor. Keith Crotz Chillicothe, Illinois brick paths and wooden structures-we The Herb Sociery of America is proud to Panayoti Kelaidis just want nice country gardens with trees have provided a grant to Dr. Lester Wilson Denvet, Colorado we ll placed as well as mixed borders and at Iowa State University to research Richard Lighty small shrubs. Annette Folsom Agastache. Arthur Tucker Greenville, Delaware Tallahassee, Florida Dover, Delaware Peter Loewer Asheville, North