Southwest Corner of Mickle Hall

Architectural plans for the renovation of the Centenary College science building, Mickle Hall, include an addition to its west side. The building project necessitates the removal of a significant number of specimens from the arboretum catalogue. A small number of individuals can be transplanted; that work has already begun (see here). Unfortunately, most of the trees will perish in the name of progress, as they are too large and too old to relocate. In this post we will continue to document the appearance of the arboretum before the renovations change its layout. Below, we take a look at one of the groupings of plants.

Here we see the southwest corner of Mickle Hall. In early January 2022, a mature post oak (Quercus stellata), in declining health, was removed from this location. It stood to the right of the entrance. During the course of the proposed renovation, we will see the removal of the grouping of plants to the left of the entrance.

All of these plants will be removed. Within the leaf litter, there are several seedlings that could be collected and potted for future plantings within the arboretum, but all of the larger plants will be cut down and/or torn up with machinery.

In this photograph, we see the arboretum shed on the far left. It will also be removed, as Mickle Hall is expected to expand into this area.

The largest individual in this grouping is a toothache tree (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis). We have discussed this individual on previous blog posts, found here. It is very tall and over 15 years old. With the proposed addition to Mickle, it will die. However, looking on the 'sunny side of life', we must note that two seedlings were identified in the leaf litter yesterday, and two young toothache trees have already been transplanted elsewhere (read here).

This toothache tree has grown tall, but the curves in its trunk do not inspire confidence in its longevity, so perhaps we ought not be too upset about its destruction. Furthermore, this photo is a reminder that we ought to carefully stake young trees to encourage good upward growth.

This imperiled individual certainly can boast of having a unique trunk, with all of its bumps and spines. It will take some time for the young toothache trees to develop such interesting bark.

Here we see the reproductive structure of the toothache tree. You can find pictures of mature fruits on an older blog post, found here. Fruits from this toothache tree have successfully germinated in the soil of the arboretum, and, depending on the construction schedule, the developing fruits pictured here might have time to ripen and then potentially germinate.

A French mulberry (Callicarpa americana) grows directly next to the toothache tree, and a coral bean (Erythrina herbacea) grows on the other side of the French mulberry. Given its size and this species' tendency to resprout, the French mulberry could perhaps be successfully transplanted. However, the arboretum collection would best be served by focusing on nurturing the numerous seedlings that this individual has produced. Back in February, we collected five seedlings from this corner and transplanted them to other locations in the arboretum. More French mulberry seedlings remain in the leaf litter.

This French mulberry leaf is 5 inches long. It is floppy, fuzzy and very fragrant. Crush one and think about what you can detect. Some say that the strong fragrance serves as a natural mosquito repellent! 

Underneath, white hairs are visible on the French mulberry leaf.

 

Our greatest loss from this grouping of plants will be the coral bean (Erythrina herbacea). Over the winter, the root structure of this plant was examined, and it looked like it would take a backhoe to pull it up out of the ground―the trunk was large and bulbous. This plant is more than 10 years old and looks stuck in its place. It's unfortunate to lose this plant because it is a very handsome specimen, and, at this moment, it appears to be the only coral bean currently in the collection. There is one more coral bean, but it has not yet put up new leaves this spring.

 

Coral bean leaves are compound: this is one leaf with three leaflets. This leaf measures 7½ inches long.

 

Underneath, leaflets are a lighter shade of green. How would you describe the shape of the leaflet? Spade-shaped?

 

A black cherry (Prunus serotina) and its accompanying Carolina moonseed (Cocculus carolinus) must also be removed according to proposed plans. The black cherry was planted here in April 2019. You can read about its history on an old blog post found here. Pieces of Carolina moonseed resided in this sunny location prior to that time.

 

Taking a closer look at the black cherry, we see an irregular trunk. The trunk has the characteristic handsome bark, but the trunk is curved and divided. It never developed a straight form, turning into more of a shrub than a tree. So, it won't be sad to depart with this individual, especially since black cherry seedlings are commonly found in the leaf litter of the arboretum.

Caronlina moonseed is weedy in the arboretum. There are plenty of locations with Carolina moonseed, but there are few places where we would want to actually encourage it to grow. So, it might be a little challenging to find a new spot for our sign.

Carolina moonseed leaves are neat! Do you see an elephant's head pictured here? Two big ears and a trunk?

Interestingly, Carolina moonseed leaves resemble coral bean leaflets. On the left, we see a coral bean leaflet. On the right, we see a Carolina moonseed leaf. There are two different shades of green, but both the leaf and the leaflet have the shape of an elephant's head.

Underneath, the coloration is similar as well. Holding them in your hand, you can quickly tell them apart. The coral bean (pictured left) feels very delicate this time of year, as if it would easily tear or crumple. By comparison, the Carolina moonseed leaf (pictured right) is rigid. Also, underneath, the Carolina moonseed leaf has fine white hairs and feels soft to the touch.

 

Within this grouping of plants, five individuals are expected to be removed for construction and renovation on Mickle Hall. This is only one of several groupings that are imperiled by the proposed plans.