At the beginning of fall term, leaves litter the ground in the arboretum. Some trees look vibrant, while others look suspiciously withered, like the end might be near. More than a month of dry, hot weather has resulted in alarmingly crispy leaves in our native trees. Shouldn't our Louisiana natives be able to withstand an August heatwave? Perhaps, but the trees in the arboretum catalogue have grown up in a human-dependent environment, with a sprinkler system and routine lawn maintenance, so we cannot make generalizations based on the well-fare of the individuals on display in the Centenary arboretum. But, it's sad to see!
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A blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica), located on the grassy slope near Cline Hall, is one such pitiful specimen. As remarked on previous blog posts (here and here), this is a tree with a special history: it resprouted after vandals broke the trunk at its base.
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The blackjack oak is pictured center. It's a small tree, growing in full sun. Typically during the summer months this grassy slope is irrigated. Unfortunately for these individuals, the irrigation system has not been working properly during the past several weeks, when the irrigation was needed most.
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Leaves of the blackjack oak are turning brown. This it not 'fall coloration'! We are three months too early for that. This tree has been featured on the blog for its remarkable autumnal color—check out the photos here.
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During this stressful period, the tree holds fast to its developing acorns!
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