Bulletin of the Native Plant Society of Oregon Dedicated to the enjoyment, conservation and study of Oregon’s native plants and habitats VOlume 44, NO. 2 March 2011 The Life, Death, and Life of the Berry Botanic Garden by Ed Guerrant, PhD, Conservation Director, Berry Botanic Garden available to do something truly mean- ingful. Molly Grothaus, an early garden supporter and noted horticulturist her- self, had an original idea: use seed bank techniques developed for crop plants to conserve seeds of rare and endangered species. The Berry Botanic Garden Seed Bank for Rare and Endangered Plants of the Pacific Northwest was estab- lished in 1983, as the first seed bank in the United States dedicated exclusively to rare and endangered plants. Julie continued on page 10 In This Issue rrant E Ed Gu Seed the Bank ................... 2 A fine assortment of seeds from the Berry Botanic Garden. NPSO Calendar ................... 3 ike people, botanic gardens have alpine plants, and rare natives, a small Lcomplex and multifaceted identities group of private citizens rallied the Other Events ...................... 6 that change over time. From the late community and were able to purchase 1930s until her death in 1976, Mrs. the grounds and house from the estate. NPSO Occasional Paper 3 .... 7 Rae Selling Berry created a beautiful The Berry Botanic Garden was incor- and noteworthy private estate garden in porated as a non-profit organization Field Guide to Rare Plants of the Dunthorpe neighborhood of Port- in 1978, with conservation of rare and Washington ....................... 8 land. Rather than see the property sub- endangered species as a core part of 2011 Annual Meeting ......... 9 divided and risk losing her exemplary the mission. The challenge then was collection of primulas, rhododendrons, how best to use the limited resources NPSO Board Candidates for 2011 ................................. 9 IF YOU HAVEN’T RENEWED YET FOR 2011, NPSO Items for Sale ........... 9 ✯✯ YOUR MEMBERSHIP WILL LAPSE SOON! ✯✯ Plan Now for Native Plant Ap- Look at the label on this Bulletin and if “2010” appears along the top preciation Week ............... 10 edge, this is the LAST Bulletin you will receive. If you don’t want to miss out on any of this year’s Bulletin or Kalmiopsis issues, please send in your NPSO Contacts ................. 11 dues payment right away! Friends of OFP ................. 12 March 2011 1 OCIE Seed the Bank: Contribute to the T S TY N O A F L Conservation of Our Native Plants P O R E E he Berry Botanic Garden has closed but The V G I O T Rae Selling Berry Seed Bank for Rare and En- A N T N dangered Plants of the Pacific Northwest is now on the move! The Seed Bank will be relocating to a new home at Portland State University this spring, where Fo 1 it will become part of their Department of Environ- unded 196 mental Science and Management. This move will Native Plant allow the seed bank to expand and extend its im- portant work of ex situ conservation of our beloved Society of Oregon northwest plants. With global warming it is more important than ever that we save seeds to help pre- World Wide Web serve our biological diversity. Volunteers have been working hard to fundraise http://www.nPSOregon.org for this move. Berry Botanic garden member and philanthropist John Gray has generously issued a challenge grant. The John Gray E-mail Discussion list Native Plant Conservation Fund will match every dollar given by March 1, 2011 up to join, send a message to to 25,000 dollars. Please help ensure the future of this important resource by donat- [email protected], with the ing before March 1, 2011. Contributions can be made using Paypal at www.ber- following in the body of the message: rybot.org or by check to The Berry Botanic Garden, 11501 SW Summerville Ave, subscribe npso Portland, OR 97219. General Business Address P.O. Box 902 Eugene, Or 97440 or correspond directly with Officers and Committee Chairs listed on the inside of the back page. Membership Inquiries Only Clayton Gautier 3927 Shasta View St. Eugene, Or 97405-4442 Bulletin of the Native Plant Society of Oregon Editor: taya Cummins Layout artist: Jocelyn duffy ISSn 0884-599. Published 10 times per year. Subscription price $18/year. date and issue number on page 1. the submission date is the 10th of each month for the following month’s issue except for the aug/Sept issue which is July 24 and the dec/Jan issue which is november 24. Send submissions by e-mail to bulletin@ nPSOregon.org. y Opinions expressed in this publica- VE tion are those of the authors of the articles. they do not represent the Har anya t opinions of the native Plant Society Western yellow oxalis (Oxalis suksdorfii) is a native perennial in the Wood-Sorrel family and of Oregon, unless so stated. its flowering season runs April through August.Oxalis suksdorfii is usually found growing in meadows, moist woods and sometimes on dry open slopes. 2 NPSO Bulletin NPSO CaleNdar May 26, Thursday, 7-8:45 pm Information: 503-835-1042, livesim- Blue Mountain [email protected]. For information on Blue Mountain Program: Rare, Threatened and Chapter call Jerry Baker,541-566-2244. Endangered Plants. Lindsey Wise, botanist with the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center at Portland State Corvallis Cheahmill University, will familiarize us with spe- For questions, information on upcoming cies that are rare, endangered, and/or events, or to be on the Corvallis chapter For more information, visit the chapter threatened in nearby locales in Oregon. e-mail list, contact Laurel Moulton at Web site, www.oregon-nativeplants.com. She will focus on identifying plants [email protected]. To be added to the e-mail list for upcom- which we might see in nature nearby. ing programs and events, please contact Location: Carnegie Room, McMin- March 14th, Monday, 7:30 pm [email protected]. nville Public Library, 225 N.W. Adams Meeting: Stories about David Doug- March 24, Thursday, 7-8:45 pm St. (Highway 99W). Parking lot en- las. Margaret Anderson, author of the trances on Adams and Second streets. historical fiction children’s book “Olla Talk: Native Plants in the Garden: A Piska: Tales of David Douglas,” will Historical Perspective. Linda McMa- join us to talk about this important fig- hon of Corvallis, staff chair of the OSU IMPORTANT NOTE TO ure in Pacific Northwest botany. In the Extension Office in McMinnville, will FIElD TRIP 1820s, David Douglas, an adventurous give an illustrated historical perspective PARTICIPANTS young Scot with a passion for plants, on how Americans garden with na- covered over 7,000 miles in the Pacific tive plants. Location: Carnegie Room, Field trips take place rain or Northwest in search of specimens and McMinnville Public Library, 225 N.W. shine, so proper dress and seeds to send back to the Horticultural Adams St. (Highway 99W). Parking footwear are essential. BRING Society in London. Dozens of our na- lot entrances on Adams and Second WATER AND luNCh. trips may tive plants here in the Northwest bear Streets. Information: 503-835-1042, be strenuous and/or hazardous. his name, the most notable being the [email protected]. Participation is at your own risk. Be prepared to sign a release Douglas fir. All ages are welcome! Loca- April 28, Thursday, 7-8:45 pm form indicating this. For a sample tion: Avery House Nature Center, 1200 copy check out the nPSO website. Southwest Avery Park Drive, Corvallis. Talk: Wildflowers of Mary’s Peak.Dr. Please contact the trip leader or Information: contact Laurel Moulton at Steven E. Carpenter of Corvallis, retired chapter representative about dif- [email protected]. professional botanist and author of the ficulty, distance, and terrain to beautiful pocket guide, “Wildflowers be expected on field trips. dogs of Mary’s Peak Meadows,” will speak. are not allowed. all nPSO field Emerald Mary’s Peak, the highest mountain in trips are open to the public at no Visit the Emerald Chapter Web site at the Coast Range, boasts a vast array of charge (other than contribution http://emerald.npsoregon.org to learn native forbs. Location: Carnegie Room, to carpool driver) and newcomers more about the latest chapter events, plant McMinnville Public Library, 225 N.W. and visitors are always welcome. lists and botanical information about Adams St. (Highway 99W). Parking lot national Forests require a north- Lane County plants and the people who entrances on Adams and Second streets. west Forest Pass for some field love them. Information: 503-835-1042, livesim- trip locations. Permits can be ac- [email protected]. quired at forest headquarters and March 5, Saturday, 9:00 am May 21, Saturday 10 am-3 pm ranger districts. Field Trip: Mount Pisgah. View early Special event: Wildflower Show. wildflowers and habitat restoration NOTICE TO FIELD TRIP work on the floodplain of the Coast NPSO Cheahmill Chapter’s annual CHAIRS AND LEADERS wildflower show will include hundreds Fork of the Willamette River. The walk of labeled native plant samples, a mi- the Forest Service and other is 3 miles, and we will see dwarf iso- Enemion stipitatum croscope to help everyone identify plant agencies have set policies limit- pyrum ( ) in bloom. parts, other educational displays, and ing group size in many wilderness Bring snacks and water. Location: a native plant sale. Location: Carnegie areas to 12. the reason is to limit Mount Pisgah Arboretum. Information: Room of McMinnville Public Library, human impacts on these fragile 541-345-5531. 225 N.W. Adams St., McMinnville. areas. Groups using wilderness More information to come later. areas should be no larger than 12.