New Recruits

We have four additions to the arboretum catalogue. All four plants are less than a year old. This past spring, they germinated in a large pot at a homeplace north of Shreveport. The pot was, at the time, meant for a satsuma tree. Oak acorns collected from the Centenary Campus were intentionally planted along with the satsuma, so that might explain the oak seedling that was found in the pot, but the other three seedlings volunteered and were allowed to grow in the pot over the course of the summer. On Wednesday, the four young trees were removed from the satsuma pot and transplanted into the arboretum.

 

A black cherry (Prunus serotina) was planted at the top of a slope, in full sun, at the southwest corner of the arboretum. It measures 2 feet, 1½ inches.

 

At the bottom of the same slope, in a sea of oak leaves, a leafless redbud (Cercis canadensis) was planted. The metal stakes marked with pink tape are absolutely necessary for protecting such an inconspicuous tree. It's the tallest individual planted, measuring 2 feet, 7½ inches.

Taking a closer look at the redbud, we see the characteristic zig-zag stem.

Across the sidewalk, closer to the Fitness Center, a red mulberry (Morus rubra) was planted. There are two red mulberry trees growing in full sun toward the top of the slope, so now we will see how the mulberry fares at the bottom, with more moisture.

 

Our red mulberry is 1 foot tall.

 

Lastly, we have a species of oak tree (Quercus sp.). This little tree, only 6 inches tall, was planted toward the top of the grassy slope on the north side of Cline Hall, not too far from the black cherry. We are hoping that this individual is a southern red oak (Quercus falcata). In the fall of 2022, acorns were collected from a mature southern red oak, growing on the Centenary Campus, near the intersection of Kings Highway and Centenary Boulevard. The acorns were planted in the satsuma pot, and in the spring, this oak sprouted, but its leaves do not resemble the leaves of the southern red oak from which acorns were collected. So, what are we to think?

Now, would you say that this oak leaf resembles a duck foot print? If so, then there is no reason to doubt that this is a southern red oak. The experts at LSU explain that, "...leaves of seedlings and saplings typically lack lateral lobes, and have only a few shallow terminal lobes and blade shape that is broadest near the apex, resembling a duck foot print" (Louisiana Plant Identification and Interactive Virtual Tours). At minimum, we must conclude that leaves from a mature tree and leaves from a seedling differ in appearance, so we should be hopeful. But, for now, we will error on the side of caution and tag this individual as Quercus sp.

Springtime Flowers

The first day of spring is a little more than a week away, on March 20th. If you look closely, you can already find redbuds flowering, but these trees aren't yet in their full splendor. In preparation for the show, let's relive past glories. Below, we have a few photographs taken by a local Highland Neighborhood resident, Mr. Bill Moe. All photos were taken by Mr. Moe one afternoon in the spring of 2011, a decade ago. Since all of the photos were taken on one day, it will be interesting to see this year if we can find all of the same flowers blooming at the same time.

The Student Union Building is pictured in the background, and a flowering redbud is pictured in the foreground. Among the pretty, pink-purple flowers you can also see a handful of the 'persistent fruits'. In the middle-ground, it looks like one of the remaining on-site native post oaks is covered in yellow-green catkins.

Mr. Moe snapped an up-close look at a globe of bright yellow flowers. This fragrant wildflower is called butterweed (Senecio glabellus). We do not have a designated location for butterweed; we just hope that it comes back every year. It's typically found in the wet areas of the arboretum.

 

 

In 2011, dewberry (Rubus trivialis) was abundant in the arboretum, and it is still abundant today. This is very much a weed in the arboretum, especially in the wet areas. There are several marked spots for dewberry. We like this spiny vine for both the white flowers and the delicious black berries.

 

 

These flowers look larger than life! In person, these are small wildflowers, but they really catch the eye when there is a grouping of them. This is commonly called pink-sorrel or wood-sorrel. The Latin name is Oxalis articulata. During the spring, there are typically several prominent patches in the arboretum.

New Leaves !

It's officially spring. Hurrah! A fine yellow dust imperceptibly floats through the air. Catkins accumulate in thick mounds. Bees bustle about in plum trees and redbuds. All the while Ivan Fyodorovich's sticky green leaves unfold.

The tips of the Hercules-clubs (Aralia spinosa) have started to turn green. This leaf bud was photographed on March 12, 2020.

Fuzzy new leaves of the smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) have emerged. 
Pictured March 12, 2020

Tiny, but quickly developing, heart-shaped leaves can be found among pink redbud flowers. 
Pictured March 12, 2020

Tree of the Week: Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

It's mid-march, and the redbuds have been blooming for more than a week in northwest Louisiana. You can find five very fine individuals in the arboretum on the Centenary College Campus. The specimen pictured above is particularly neat.

Our tree of the week appears to grow at a 45º angle, leaning over the junction of two gravel paths. The redbud's unique lean is a product of how it came into this world: a seed germinated beneath an old post oak (Quercus stellata). During its formative years, our special redbud struggled to find its own space while growing in the shadow of a large tree, which, as it were, also leaned. Today, the redbud remains with the stump of the now deceased post oak.

Redbud flowers are small but numerous and bees find them very attractive.

We're nearing the end of February. It's still winter, although the weather has been warm and rainy. For a couple of days, we had high temperatures near 80 degrees. The plants in the arboretum are making the transition from winter to spring.

During the fall and early winter we had drought conditions. Now the ground is soggy.

We do not typically see turtles in the arboretum.

We didn't bother the turtle too much; just enough for a photo shoot.

We see new leaves of the Georgia holly (Ilex longipes).

Red maples (Acer rubrum) produce red flowers, followed by red fruits. From a distance we can really appreciate the color. Here we have the immature fruits.

Shy trillium has been popping up for a couple of weeks. It hasn't bloomed yet.

We can always count on the redbud (Cercis canadensis) to provide some late winter color.

Tree of the Week: Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

It is now officially summer. Time to look for a spot of shade. For the next several weeks we will be looking at the arboretum's shade trees.

The redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a small shade tree. The long, slender limbs of the redbud stretch outward from the trunk, allowing the handsome heart-shaped leaves to block a good bit of the sun. Since the redbud stays small, it's a good tree to plant around buildings; you needn't worry about it getting too big and potentially hazardous. In the wild, redbuds occur as understory trees. As a result, they're shade tolerant and don't need full sun to thrive.

Due to their prolific seed production, redbuds spring up all over the arboretum. Ten individual trees of this species have been part of the arboretum collection. Currently we have eight and all have been volunteers. Since these trees started growing without authorization, it is impossible to say how old they are. The pictures below are from a tree that is at least a decade old, probably older.

This redbud tree (Cercis canadensis) grows along a major thoroughfare in the arboretum, providing good afternoon shade during summer time.

Mickle Hall stands to the east of this tree.

The redbud tree has slender branches and big leaves, blocking plenty of light.

Twigs and branchlet: underside of the heart-shaped leaves

The leaves of the redbud are a dark green in the summer.

The leguminous fruits of Cercis canadensis remain on the tree, maturing throughout the summer. They block additional sun.

Bark detail of mature Cercis canadensis

Flowers of the arboretum's redbuds can be seen here.

For more information about this species consult the following:
United States Department of Agriculture
Louisiana Plant Identification and Interactive Virtual Tours (LSU AgCenter)
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Cercis canadensis