This past week, we removed a long-time arboretum resident: one of our two Gummi Berry shrubs. One of the few intentionally-planted non-native species, these two specimens have been in the arboretum since 1997. That's nearly thirty years, older than most students on campus! When we covered these shrubs in 2019, both were healthy and prosperous. We last studied them in 2021, when they were providing some tasty treats to the Centenary squirrel population.
Entropy and time have worked together to compromise the health of one shrub. Ants and termites were present, chewing rotten wood and churning up the earth around the base of the shrub. Green leaves were still present, but three-quarters or more of the branches were bone-dry and naked. A colony of our small native black ants had taken up residence in its center. At this point, the main option presenting itself is removal.
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| Bare, brittle branches of the gummi berry (Elaeagnus multiflora) are pictured here. This shrub was planted as a pair, purchased from Mr. Sherwood Akin in 1997. |
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| We see mostly dead branches, although there are a few green leaves. |
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| During removal, the trunk of the shrub spontaneously split open, revealing plenty of rich dirt, termites, and ants where only healthy wood and roots should be. |
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| The shrub has been converted into a large pile of branches, twigs, and poles. |
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| Post-cleanup, only the small green sign remains, and it has since been moved over to the remaining shrub. |
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| We now have an opening in the landscape, and there are several months and two full seasons to think about what to plant here. |
