The Polly Hill Arboretum Meristems West Tisbury, Massachusetts Vol. 16, No. 2 Fall 2014 Ilex opaca ‘Villanova’: a yellow-fruited American holly selected and named by Polly Hill. Education Center Receives Matching Grant PHA continues to grow at a measured Situated at the heart of the Arboretum qualities of plants inspires our day-to-day pace. In 2006 the Arboretum outlined sev - campus between the Homestead (our work. Coupled with this is our desire eral capital projects to advance our mission administrative offices) and the Cowbarn, to share our enthusiasm and knowledge of of education, horticultural experimentation, the Education Center and Botany Lab plants with a larger group of children and plant conservation. We have been will provide a climate-controlled indoor and adults. The proposed building helps successful with a new greenhouse (2006), environment to extend our education us accomplish all these goals. the Cowbarn renovation (2007), the programming year-round and the space and Now the amazing news! PHA has Littlefield Maintenance Building (2009), equipment to advance our plant research. received a $500,000 gift from the Cedar and a refurbished Far Barn (2011). Its central location is visible from State Tree Foundation (the family foundation Today one significant project remains: Road, making its design and positioning of our founder, Dr. David Smith) to raise the proposed Education Center and Botany critical to maintaining the spirit of our matching funds for this new building. Lab. We have completed plans for this historical landscape. This generous grant supports our most building slated to replace the dilapidated PHA staff and board of directors are important education and scientific building outbuilding known as the Gym. The design committed to building this new facility as project to date. Our 2014 fall appeal has was finalized last year by local architect a natural extension of our education, been sent to our entire membership with Margaret Curtin. An education and science research, and plant conservation mission. the hopes that all will recognize the impact facility, this project embodies our mission Polly Hill’s emphasis on observing, of the Cedar Tree Foundation’s grant. to the fullest extent. documenting, and recording the unique Please help make our vision a reality! CONTENTS 1 EDUCATION CENTER RECEIVES MATCHING GRANT 8 FROM THE LIVING COLLECTION 2 MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR 10 FROM THE VINEYARD FLORA 3 ARBORETUM NEWS 11 VOLUNTEERS IN THE ARBORETUM 7 EDUCATION AND OUTREACH 12 THEN AND NOW The Polly Hill Arboretum THE CORPORATION AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS Rachel Smith Alternative Timothy M. Boland Ex Officio Prentice Bowsher Sarah Griffin Pamela Kohlberg Iya Labunka Gary Montrowl Hunter Moorman Richard M. Reische Claire Sawyers E. Douglas Sederholm Lydia Hill Slaby Treasurer Joan Margot Smith President & Chairman Susan H. Wasserman Secretary HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS Robert W. Doran Lisina M. Hoch Philippe de Spoelberch Stephen A. Spongberg RESEARCH ASSOCIATES Melissa Cullina David R. Foster Matthew Lobdell Gregory Palermo STAFF OF THE POLLY HILL ARBORETUM Timothy M. Boland Executive Director Jill Bouck Youth Education Coordinator Tom Clark Elevation design for the new Education Center and Botany Lab at Polly Hill Arboretum. Illustration by Margaret Curtin Curator Barbara Conroy Administrative & Financial Officer Message from the Director Betsy Dripps Youth Education Coordinator Erin Hepfner Energy and passion! That best describes the staff particularly the escalation of plant pest problems Visitor Service s & Resource Specialist and volunteers of the Polly Hill Arboretum and and their dramatic impact on our native oaks. Ian Jochems provides the answer as to just how the Arboretum We are committed to studying local effects. Horticulturist grows, thrives, and makes an impact in our Locally our engagement with Cape and Island Stephen Masterson Senior Horticulturist/Arborist community both near and far. commercial arborists led to a day-long workshop Karin Stanley Within the confines of the Arboretum’s stone provided by ArborMaster Inc., an arboricultural Education, Membership & Outreach Coordinator walls, we welcomed three student interns last year education organization that teaches the latest tech - and watched them grow in their plant knowledge niques in tree care management with an emphasis The mission of the Polly Hill while gaining a deeper understanding of this special on safety. The Arboretum is a natural host for Arboretum is to perpetuate the experimental tradition in public garden. Just down State Road we are this type of activity. Our staff arborists had horticulture established by completing the second stage of the landscape plant - an opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues Polly Hill by sharing knowledge of plants and scientific procedure ings at the expanded West Tisbury Library. And in this specialized field of tree maintenance through educational programs, earlier in the season, we partnered with educator and everyone learned safer practices. research, plant conservation, Kendra Buresch to develop a habitat garden of Our energy and passion doesn’t wane during and exploration. The Arboretum seeks to preserve its meadows native plants at the Chilmark School. Further afield the winter months. Our day-to-day activities will and woodlands, to promote an we participated in two successful seed-collection focus on our new Woodland Garden and Forest understanding of its collections, and to encourage their utilization expeditions, one to the Ozark Region of Arkansas Ecology Trail (which is beginning to take shape) for scholarship, observation, and another to the Southeast. and our campaign to build a year-round education and the enjoyment of all. Last summer we welcomed Morton Arboretum building, as well as planning our next season’s president Dr. Gerard Donnelly to give the annual programs. We welcome you to join us on one of Meristems © The Newsletter Frank and Lisina Hoch lecture. Gerry’s talk our free winter walks. I hope to see you here! of the Polly Hill Arboretum focused on how climate change has brought serious News & Photography PHA Staff challenges to the future health and welfare of Editor Laura Coit Design Lorraine Ferguson plants, locally, regionally, and globally. Several of Printing Bolger, Minneapolis MN the challenges have not spared Martha’s Vineyard, Printed on recycled paper. ARBORETUM NEWS 3 Summer Intern Report This year’s Feldman interns, Eva Colberg After Tessa’s first week, she realized she was the world of public horticulture. By the and Tessa Young, were beaming by working with people fanatic about plants. end of the summer both felt excited about summer’s end. Both women felt some She clarifies, “We’re eating lunch together, continuing their studies and exploring apprehension before coming sight unseen and people are still talking about plants. their future options. to Martha’s Vineyard for an internship. It’s not just a job thing. It’s something Eva returns to her junior year at the But after their welcome into the PHA people are passionate about.” College of William and Mary, beginning family, their concerns vanished. By the first As the summer sped by, Eva and Tessa with a study abroad biodiversity and natural week, they knew an amazing opportunity engaged in all aspects of the public garden resources semester in Madagascar. Tessa lay ahead. experience while enjoying the mix of begins her sophomore year at the The best part of Eva’s first week hap - horticultural work. A highlight was their University of Rhode Island. We wish both pened between tasks when Curator Tom trip to the Woody Plant Conference of these enthusiastic horticulturists much Clark said, “Let’s go wander!” She explains, at the Scott Arboretum in Swarthmore, luck on their chosen paths. As always we “He was talking about plant species, open Pennsylvania, where they visited gardens, heartily thank the Feldman family for their to questions, willing to answer anything. conversed with professionals, and discov - continuing support of the PHA summer I was amazed by the level of engagement.” ered the range of opportunities found in internship program. Collections management intern Amanda Wilkins and summer interns Eva Colberg ( middle ) and Tessa Young ( right ) enjoy a day at Chanticleer after attending the Woody Plant Conference in the Delaware Valley. 4 – ARBORETUM NEWS Seed Collecting Across the USA PHA staff travel the world in search of seed! This year Curator Tom Clark, Executive Director Tim Boland, and Horticulturist Ian Jochems embarked on botanical road trips in the U.S.A. In October Tom was on the road in Georgia and the Carolinas searching for seed of deciduous azalea species (a particular interest of Polly Hill’s). The trip was underwritten by a $2,500 grant from the American Rhododendron Society Research Foundation awarded to PHA to fund Tom’s proposal. His collection efforts focused on increasing the genetic diversity in cultivation of three rhododen - dron species threatened in their native habitat: Rhododendron eastmanii , flammeum , and vaseyi . 47 collections were made on Tom’s trip including some valuable “off- mission” seed of mountain stewartia. Tom was accompanied by Harold Sweetman, director of the Jenkins Arboretum in Devon, Pennsylvania. This collaboration forms the foundation for future trips to meet conservation goals set forth by the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. Also in October (prime month for seed collection), Tim and Ian participated in a seed collection trip to the Ozark Mountain Region of Arkansas. They collected seed of 34 different plants ranging from trees to herbaceous perennials. A few great finds were maple-leaved oak (Quercus acerifolia ) and Ozark witch-hazel (Hamamelis vernalis ). The oak is listed as a threatened species with only an estimated 200 known living trees. In addi - tion to Tim and Ian, the botanical team for the Ozark trip included Anthony Aiello, director of horticulture and curator at the Morris Arboretum, and Michael Botanist Brent Baker ( left ), Tim Boland ( on tree ), and Ian Jochems collect seed from a rare population of overcup oak in Saline County, Arkansas.