Tre e C a re A d v i s o r N ew s l e t t e r http:// www.mntca.org
Gary Johnson and Dave Hanson, Managing Editors Persistent Fruits Enhance
Inside This Issue:
Landscapes Beyond Autumn Color
Persistent Fruits… By Mike Zins
1
Quick Hits /
2
Volunteer Opps Putting Down Roots By Cliff Johnson
3
Sidewalks and Trees
4
With Rubber Sidewalks, Trees Rebound
5
A Note: Andy Sobert
7
What’s New… By Dave Hanson
8
Research Rambles… By Gary Johnson
8
Contacts
Sorbus Accuparia Fruit
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By Mike Zins Are you tired of leafless landscapes from October to May? After the last leaf lazily lands and is carted off to the compost pile you may feel resigned to another winter of bland-looking bare branches. But there is hope! Beyond autumn leaf color, many of our deciduous plants produce attractive, fleshy fruits that persist in various degrees throughout the winter. Some of them attract fall migrating birds and can disappear quickly while others decorate our gardens until the rigors of winter cause their demise. Some even persist until spring migratory birds feast on them or until new growth causes them to drop. So why not look into adding plants with fruiting capabilities to enhance your winter landscape? The plants discussed in this article will have fleshy fruits. While there are many other plants with attractive dry fruits that also persist, the fleshy fruits tend to be the most prominent and perhaps most colorful in season. As any birder knows, it is also the fleshy fruits of some species that seem to attract migrating birds to a landscape. And it is the same fleshy fruits of some species that ferment over winter causing more than one returning robin to become a bit tipsy after indulging on them! The following species or
Volume 9 Number 3
groups of related species will be most fleshy fruit selections for discussed, not to the exclusion our landscapes. They vary in size from low creeping plants of others of equal interest. such as Cranberry Cotoneaster Trees to tall almost tree-like ViburNot surprisingly, three num. Like their tree countergroups of plants to be discussed parts, they vary in fruit colorahere all belong to the Rose fam- tion, persistence and usefulness ily. Crataegus spp. or Hawthorn, to wildlife. Of course being smaller in stature gives gardenMalus spp. or Crabapple, and ers an opportunity for more Sorbus spp. or Mountainash all variety in smaller spaces. have fleshy fruits that can be Groups of cultivars of a given brightly colored from yellow, orange, pink and many shades of species such as Winterberry can make for spectacular fruiting red. Most fruits on the desirable ornamental crabapples tend displays. to be about ½ inch in diameter Glossy Black Chokeand are generally found in clusberry, Aronia melanocarpa, deters. Depending on the species, velops shining purple-black some are more desirable for fruits that persist well into winbirds than others. Foraging ter. The ½ inch oblong fruits animals such as squirrels and are not taken by birds. Plants raccoons will utilize them as grow in partial shade, wet or well. Many cultivars of crabapdry conditions. Two species of ples have been selected for fruit Barberry have been grown in quality and persistence. An our landscapes for years. The older standby, Cockspur HawKorean Barberry, Berberis korethorn, Crataegus crus-galli, has ana, has ¼ inch rounded bright bright red fruits that persist well into winter. Three Mountainash red fruits hanging in elongated species have nice, showy fruits. clusters throughout the winter. The European Mountainash, The Japanese Barberry, Berberis Sorbus accuparia, has several thunbergii, is a shorter stature cultivars with a variety of colplant with small leaves and 1/3ored fruit. Pink, orange and red inch oblong bright red fruits predominate. The Korean that are solitary along the stem. Mountainash has delightful pink- Both species are not eaten by ish to scarlet fruits. Last but our native birds. not least, the Showy MounAnother group of tainash, Sorbus decora, native to plants in the rose family with northern Minnesota has large very showy and persistent fruits clusters of dark red fruits that are the Cotoneasters. They tend to overwhelm the range in size from ground hugbranches. It is also a favorite of gers to over 12 feet tall. Most many birds. species have bright red crabapple sized fruits that persist to Shrubs mid fall. Continued on page 7 The shrubs offer the