NEWS FROM SUMMER HILL Winter/Spring 2003 INVASIVE ??? HEAT, DROUGHT AND COLD Lately, the word “invasive” has What a year this has been! When I become quite prevalent in the attacks TRAVEL wrote last year’s newsletter, the head- made by environmentalists on some of the plants in the nursery trade. AND PLANTS line said “This Is Winter?” (with a big question mark ) We were going Nurserymen will have to learn to be far Last year, as usual, more people through the mildest winter any of us more selective in the use of this term. talked to me about my article on our could remember, but of course, it “Invasive”, as I see it being used now by travels than anything else in the turned out to be an ugly, cold spring. All the “do-gooders”, means plants that newsletter. Perhaps this was because spread by seed production and overrun of us have had a trying time with we drove to Alaska a second time, and extensive areas, choking out native weather in the last eighteen months or that was of interest to a lot of people. growth, or just plain competing with so. We knew we had a drought in the This past year we only took a couple of native growth, or perhaps living along fall of 2001, but certainly thought it relatively short trips, but they were of side native growth. In any case, the envi- would be alleviated during the winter. ronmentalists want the sale of these interest plantwise. However, one of our major ponds plants curtailed and I must say, in the In late September, early October, which is always full by Thanksgiving case of Multiflora Rose, Elaeagnus, we went up to Acadia Park in Maine was still only two-thirds full come Oriental Bittersweet, and Hall’s and did a lot of hiking. We saw a multi- March. It did finally fill up by the end of Honeysuckle, I agree with them. These, tude of native species, especially on April before we started irrigating, but indeed, can become invasive and spread the mountaintops. The plant that the water table was so low that all our by seeds to locations where they were impressed me most up there was not meant to be grown. ponds went down quite rapidly when Potentilla tridentata, which was grow- However, for years, we in the trade we finally got some hot, dry weather in ing in a lot of areas between rocks and have grown certain plants that do spread the summer. It was only by strict water in dry gravely places. I have never naturally by rhizomes but do not neces- conservation that we managed to get seen this plant growing in the wild sarily move by seed distribution. A good through the year, but we did make it example of this is the many forms of before, and it was very interesting to and some rain finally came. bamboo. A lot of people term some see since we’ve been growing it here at Fortunately, we’ve had quite a bit of species of bamboo as being ”invasive” the nursery for about six or seven rain down our way since September, when actually they just spread and form years - an excellent little ground cover and the water situation at the moment colonies in the location they have been for a tough spot. Also, on the hilltops is looks fine. planted. Bamboo cannot spread by seed a plant that we don’t grow but will start The temperature was another mat- very readily since most of the species of growing - Gaylussachia baccata. The bamboo that are hardy in our area only ter, and I must say I was very worried fall color was excellent on these plants seed every 50 to 100 years or so, and at about the nursery at the end of June. A which we saw in large groups, once the time of seeding, the original plants lot of people have forgotten how cold again in the upper areas of the Island. die. These plants spread by underground the month of June was - nothing want- All in all, of the forty-three species of rhizomes, but not by seed distribution, so ed to grow for we were getting nights they cannot escape to areas far from native plant material that we grow here down in the 40’s. The tomato plants in where they are planted, as in the case of at Summer Hill, we saw twenty-three my garden seemed to want to dig a the “invasive” plants being mentioned by growing wild up there, plus half a hole and cover themselves up every the environmentalists. “Spreading” plants dozen more at the Garden of Acadia night. Nursery stock, with a few excep- can be controlled by underground barri- which is a wildflower garden planted in tions, was just standing still; but then, ers and other methods, which is another the middle of the park by the Bar of course, we went in the other direc- difference from the way “invasive” is Harbor Garden Club. being used for seed producing plants. tion with extreme heat for a long period As was the case in most of New Nurserymen are going to have to of time in the middle of the summer England, due to a couple of years of use alternative terms for this type of plant which made most items grow but made drought, the berry set on most native growth. “Spreading” or “running” may not some varieties check their growth to be the right words - maybe someone else plants was spectacular. The color on some extent. Overall though, by the can come up with a more appropriate Sorbus americana, Mountain Ash, and continued on pg 2 phrase. continued on pg 2 1 Drought continued from pg 1 Travel continued from pg 1 ease that is wiping out all, and it does appear to be all, of the Ponderosa and end of the season, everything seemed the Ilex verticillata, Winterberry, was Pinyon Pines in the Four Corners area. to even out and just about all our plants spectacular. I saw one plant of Ilex This bark beetle is a native, naturally went into the winter in excellent shape. verticilllata with very large berries and occurring insect and usually doesn’t Of course, this winter has been just the an extremely heavy berry set, probably cause too much damage because pine opposite of last year - constant cold dri- better than any of the named varieties pitch normally produced by these pines ving the temperatures in the quonsets in the trade today. I took a few cuttings, tends to flood the tunnels and drown down. The lowest we have had so far is but it was too late in the season and we the larvae, keeping the damage of this minus 7°F at the main nursery and couldn’t get them to root. If I ever get insect under control. However, due to minus 12°F at our Rockland Lot. This is up there in the summer, however, I the excessive drought in this area (we a year when the extra protection that remember where that plant is and will were told the wood in living trees is we give our root tender plants really take a few cuttings at that time. even drier than kiln-dry lumber) the pays off. Recording thermometers Bar Harbor, itself, is sort of a neat trees are not producing any pitch. down between the containers under little town but was quite crowded. I was Therefore, the beetles have proliferat- this protection seemed to be in the very surprised to look out in the harbor ed and just about all the Pinyons and 28°F range which means the root ten- to see a cruise boat anchored there, Ponderosas are either dead or dying. der plants that are covered should and then we realized why there were We went through areas where every make it through the winter in fine so many people walking around town single Pinyon Pine was brown. This is shape. I’m writing this in early that late in the season. We did visit a a great loss to the area for many rea- February, and I’m hoping that most of few very good restaurants, by the way. sons. Ponderosa Pine, of course, is a the extremely cold weather is just Acadia is a very nice place to visit, timber tree, and Pinyon Pine is valued about over, although a cold spell is pre- except I wouldn’t think of going there in by Native Americans and others there dicted for the end of next week. the summer when I’m sure the crowds for pine nuts, which are produced One good thing about having these make it impossible to find a place to every few years in great quantities, and cold temperatures is we will be able to park. If you are into birds, we saw a are a food source for people and observe the damage that occurs at low great array of sea birds while climbing wildlife. They are also a cash crop for temperatures with some plants we along the seaside cliffs on parts of the many people who sell the nuts. have planted out in the past few years. Island - eider ducks were everywhere. Probably less known is the use of We haven’t had any really low sus- A few weeks later, we took a two Pinyon Pine pitch by the Navahos in tained temperatures to cause damage week trip out to one of our favorite finishing their pottery - all their pots are to most of the borderline plants we are areas: New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.