Out and About in the Arboretum

Red Maple “October Glory” is a native Maple tree that is known for its exceptional fall color. It is often planted as a specimen tree, and there are a number of these trees on both Campuses of Medford Leas.

Winterberry, Ilex verticillata, is a deciduous shrub native to our area. Right now you can enjoy the red berries that have been produced, and the birds will soon be flying in to feast on them.

Larry Weaner Associates (LWA) is on site this week to work on planting of perennials and wildflowers in the Meadow. We are pleased to see this project, sponsored by the Arboretum Fund, move along. We look forward to years ahead of increased wildlife and native plants for all to enjoy.

Don’t panic! Though we call them “evergreens,” conifers such as pine, arborvitae, and spruce lighten their load of old needles at this time of year, with a show of yellowing or browning and dropping of needles that can scare a bystander at first. But needle-drop is a normal part of the life cycle, though the rate varies by species.

Malus x scheideckeri ‘Red Jade,’ the weeping crabapple, is a magnificent specimen tree. We see it in the Atrium of the Medford Campus Community Building, where it welcomes us with a burst of red color of the fruit that has recently matured. It provides a wonderful show of white blooms in the spring, and now we can enjoy the abundant fruit and unusual weeping shape. Enjoy!

The Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve of Medford Leas is proud to announce that four trees located on the Medford Campus have been designated as Champion Trees in the Big Tree Registry developed by the New Jersey Forestry Service. Ken Hutz, our Arborist, submitted the application for the American Holly Ilex opaca located at the entrance to the Community Building Parking Lot. When the state representative arrived on Campus, he measured the Holly, toured the Campus and found other trees that are of note:
Japanese Maple Acer palmatum in Court 7
Seven Sons Tree Heptacodium miconioides in Court 20
Incense Cedar Calocedrus decurrens in the Pinetum
Arizona Cyprus Cupressus arizonica in the Pinetum