Volume 1, Number 1 A Delaware Native Plant Society Publication SPRING 98 The TURK’S CAP?? PICK THE TURK’S CAP The DNPS That’s right, The Turk’s Cap. This is the Q. Can lawn chemical treatments such as Vision newsletter sponsored by the DNPS. The name fertilizer, lime, and pesticides hurt my gardens? was adopted from one of Delaware’s more A. Absolutely, aside from direct contact damage The purpose of the aesthetic native plants, the Turk’s-cap Lilly these chemicals cause to garden vegetation, they Delaware Native Plant (Lilium superbum). This newsletter will be may cause other serious problems. The bulk of Society (DNPS) is the distributed quarterly to provide seasonal these problem focus on the change in soil prop- preservation, conservation, information on native plant care, special erties. For example, liming a lawn helps main- restoration, and propagation events, DNPS articles, and answers to tain a healthy near neutral soil pH (6.5 to 7.5). of Delaware’s native plants questions submitted to the editor. Send to the A large number of garden plants, especially and plant communities. The DNPS, c/o Douglas Janiec, 908 Pickett Lane, most evergreen shrubs and trees, prefer a soil pH Society provides Newark, DE 19711. between 5.5 and 6.5. Improper pH may cause information to government shrub to discolor, retard growth, and possibly officials, business people, die. If you elect to use chemical lawn treat- educators, and the public at large on the protection, MILFORD NECK REFORESTATION ments, take special precautions while apply the management, and chemicals, and do not over apply. It is also rec- The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Dela- restoration of native plant ommended that you test your garden pH to ecosystems. The DNPS ware Wild Lands are reestablishing native for- ensure it meets the need of the vegetation. est habitats in Kent County, Delaware. encourages and advocates Approximately 10,000 native tree and shrub the use of native plants in the landscape by seedlings will be planted, mostly in the Milford HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED? homeowners, businesses, Neck area on Delaware Wild Lands property, and local and state with a small percentage of the seedlings going DNPS is open to everyone ranging from the novice to expert. One of the primary goals of governments through an on- to a few smaller sites in other parts of Kent going distribution of the society is to involve as many individuals County. The Milford Neck planting sites will information and knowledge help to increase contiguous forest areas that as possible. Our meetings are held on the by various means that have been fragmented, which will benefit third Tuesday of each month at 7:00, at the includes periodic migratory songbirds that require forest interior Aquatic Resource Education Center, publications, symposia, habitat. Native species being planted include, Woodland Beach Wildlife Area, Rt. 9 (Hay conferences, workshops, white oak, red oak, blackgum, persimmon, Point Landing Road). The meeting location is fieldtrips, and a statewide membership organized by holly, and others. subject to change. For directions or questions, call Keith Clancy at (302) 674-5187. the DNPS. This initial effort began during March 21 and Board of Directors & Chairs DNPS WEB PAGE 22. Volunteers are needed for April 4 and 5. Keith Clancy - Correspondence For more information contact Rick McCorkle Starting in May, the DNPS will have a web 674-5187; [email protected] at (302) 653-9152, ext. 17. page. The page will be able to be visited at Bill McAvoy - Conservation www.delanet.com/~wildlife. Just click on the (410) 398-8931; [email protected] DNPS in the main page. Craig Smith - Native Landscaping 737-9335; [email protected] Look for these spring events Joe Arsenault - Nominating (609) 697-6044; [email protected] ASHLAND NATURE CENTER NATIVE PLANT SALE MAY 2 & 3 Douglas Janiec - Outreach 454-7112; [email protected] DNPS’S “A WALK THROUGH THE NEW WILMINGTON STATE PARK” APRIL 25 MEET AT THE ALOPOCAS DRIVE PARKING AREA. CALL CRAIG SMITH FOR DIREC- TIONS AT 737-9335 Volume 1, Number 2 The Newsletter of the Delaware Native Plant Society SUMMER 98 The TURK’S CAP?? MILFORD NECK REFORESTATION The DNPS This is the newsletter sponsered by the DNPS. The name This past March and April, approximately 10,000 native was adopted from one of Delaware’s more aesthetic trees and shrubs were planted on Delaware Wild Lands Vision native plants, the Turk’s-cap Lilly (Lilium superbum). property in Milford Neck. The seedlings were planted in This newsletter will be distributed quarterly to provide areas that were historically forested, but had been The purpose of the Delaware seasonal information on native plant care, special events, cleared and used for row crop production until its recent Native Plant Society (DNPS) DNPS articles, and answers to questions submitted to the purchase by Delaware Wild Lands. Much of the land is the preservation, editor. Send to the DNPS, c/o Douglas Janiec, 908 had become marginal crop land due to Northeaster- conservation, restoration, and Pickett Lane, Newark, DE 19711. driven high tides washing through the area which kept propagation of Delaware’s many low spots too wet to dependably yield successful native plants and plant crops. HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED? communities. The Society provides information to government officials, DNPS is open to everyone ranging from the novice to Species planted included white oak (Quercus alba), business people, educators, expert. One of the primary goals of the society is to swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), pin oak (Quercus and the public at large on the involve as many individuals as possible. Our meetings palustris), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), willow oak protection, management, and are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00, at the (Quercus phellos), black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), eastern restoration of native plant Aquatic Resource Education Center, Woodland Beach red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), groundsel tree ecosystems. The DNPS Wildlife Area, Rt. 9 (Hay Point Landing Road). The (Baccharis halimifolia) and marsh elder (Iva frutescens). encourages and advocates meeting location is subject to change. For directions or Approximately 30 acres were planted, mostly in areas the use of native plants in the questions, call Keith Clancy at (302) 674-5187. where reforestation would reduce forest fragmentation, increase forest interior, or increase the width of existing landscape by homeowners, wildlife corridors. There were many volunteers, businesses, and local and NATIVE PLANT HIGHLIGHT including students from the University of Delaware and state governments through an AMERICAN BITTERSWEET Delaware Native Plant Society’s own Keith Clancy, who on-going distribution of helped to plant the overwhelming number of seedlings information and knowledge by various means that American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens L., which were purchased by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife includes periodic CELATRACEAE, staff-tree family) is a woody vine with a Service’s Partners for Wildlife Program. Delaware Wild publications, symposia, native distribution in North America that ranges from Lands Ecologist, Peter Martin, planted at least a couple conferences, workshops, Canada south to Texas. Habitat for this plant includes thousand seedlings himself! In addition, Delaware Wild fieldtrips, and a statewide thin woods, thickets, and the edge of woods and Lands contracted Garcia Forest Service to plant membership organized by roadsides, preferring moist, rich soils. In Delaware, the approximately half of the seedlings. Cost-sharing was the DNPS. American bittersweet has become a rare species and is also provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). All of the planted areas were enrolled in the known from only a few locations in the state. One reason for its rarity is likely due to the establishment and USDA Conservation Reserve Program. aggressive nature of the Oriental bittersweet (C. orbiculatus Thunb.), which can co-occur with the For more information about funding and technical N HIS SSUE American bittersweet. assistance available through the Partners for Wildlife I T I Program (now the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Oriental bittersweet is known for its colorful fruit, which Program), contact Rick McCorkle at 302/653-9152, Page 1 persist into the winter and are used in floral extension 17. Native Plant Highlights arrangements. It was introduced into this country in the Milford Neck Reforestation late 1800s from China and Japan where it is indegenous. Oriental bittersweet has escaped from cultivation and is Page 2 now well established in natural areas from New England Message From the Editor Asian Beetle Threatens Native south to the Carolinas. Once established the bittersweet Trees can displace native vegetation and disrupt interacting DNPS Web Page ecological processes. To correctly distinguish between the two species, flowers or fruit are needed. Flowers of Page 3 the American bittersweet are found at the tips of Native Plant Community branches and flowers of oriental bittersweet are found in Highlight the leaf axils. Before attempting control measures of Oriental bittersweet, be sure that it is correctly identified Page 4 as the exotic and not the native. Upcoming Events By William McAvoy, DE Natural Heritage Program The Turk’s Cap, Volume 1, Number 2 Page 2 LETTER TO THE EDITOR ASIAN BEETLE THREATENS NATIVE TREES EXOTIC ORGANISMS – AN EXECUTIVE ORDER FORGOTTEN A longhorn beetle is killing street trees in Brooklyn and Amityville, New In 1987, President Jimmy Carter issued Executive Order 11987, York. Native to Japan, Korea, and southern China, Anoplophora regarding “Exotic Organisms.” According to this executive order, glabripennis is a newcomer to North America. Longhorn beetles usually Exotic Species are “all species of plants and animals not naturally attack stressed, diseased, and dying trees. However, A. glabripennis occurring, either presently or historically, in any ecosystem of the seems to be an exception to this general rule and there is concern that United States.” This definition can be expanded more broadly to this exotic insect will become a major pest in the United States.