Woodruff Library Spring 2002 Flower Tour Report

April 15

Organized by Tim Bryson and led by Jimmy Powell, Superintendent of Roads and Grounds, and John Wegner, campus environmental consultant and lecturer in Environmental Studies.

See also Flower Tour Slide Show and Landscape Plants at Woodruff Library

Last time (fall 2001) the library nature tour moved from the front entrance to the upper ravine, to Baker woods and back via the lower ravine. This time we went directly to Baker Woodlands at Jimmy's suggestion to get a view of the progress there toward full restoration to natural conditions and installation of a full palette of native azalea. We were joined by Nancy Seideman (director, University Communications) and Alice Hickcox (Beck Center). We came back via the lower ravine where we talked about plans for restoration there as well. The others had to disperse at this point, but John and I also visited the upper ravine which is probably the richest area for flowers right now.

Blooming at the front entrance currently are Fothergilla, Fringe tree or Grancy Graybeard, and three varieties of native azalea.

After several years of ivy-removal, Baker woods is finally beginning to look like a natural woodland. Many native plants have reappeared on their own and, in addition, Jimmy Powell, in consultation with Professor emeritus Bill Murdy (of the Murdy/Carter report), has planted representatives of ten of the approximately fifteen azaleas native to this area. Once the palette is completed, this woodland will probably be unique in the metro area for its collection of azalea. Jimmy heard from one eyewitness that in the nineteen-twenties and thirties, rich women from Buckhead would drive up to the woodland area and instruct their chauffeurs to dig up the wild azaleas for their own gardens.

Lots of English ivy remains to be removed on the library side of the bridge and on the far side of Baker. Most of the ivy in the clean area was removed by hand. Selective spot spraying with trichlopyr (Ortho Brush-Killer) took care of the rest. Apart from smothering native ground cover and in some cases killing trees, English ivy harbors mosquitos. Too bad the tent caterpillars don't eat ivy.

Today we identified (more or less by species) the following in Baker Woodlands:

• Oxalis or wood sorrel. Our best guess for the species is Oxalis violacea. It is the most widely distributed of the pink/purple sorrels. The two other possibilities are O. rubra and O. acetosella.
• Cyclamen is not native but neither is it aggressively invasive. It was not in bloom and we were not sure of species. Here are possibilities:
  • C. hederifolium
  • C. cilicium
  • C. purpurascens
  • C. repandum
• Wild ginger (Hexastylis spp.) Our photos from the tour (Photo 1, Photo 2) show the flowers that were hiding under leaves in the center of a circle of leaves.
• Trillium was in bloom (Tour Photo 1, Tour Photo 2). We haven't identified species yet. Persistens and reliquum are both listed as endangered. Cuneatum is another possible species. Check-out these trillium sites: http://www.goldsword.com/sfarmer/Trillium/Keys/atbi.html, http://www.goldsword.com/sfarmer/Trillium/
• Jack-in-the-pulpit was not in flower yet;.only the leaves were showing for our tour photo. A photo from Lullwater taken last year shows the flower.
• Azaleas
  • Rhododendron canescens
  • Rhododendron prunifolium
  • Rhododendron flammeum
  • Rhododenron bakeri
• False Solomon Seal (tour photo) was not in flower but it is a species of lily and produces red berries.
• Sassafras tree. Yes, they use the leaf in sassafras tea; it has a nice aroma even on the tree.
• Devil's Walking Stick has one of the largest compound leaves. The trunk gives it its name.

In the lower ravine behind the cataloging team (who are able to enjoy the view through the large picture windows) we saw the following:

• Native Azalea (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3)
• River Oats planted to stabilize the stream bank while the trees mature.
• Viburnum along the stream in flower.
• Sweet Shrub also in flower. The seed pods usually offer plenty of viable seeds if you want to try them in your own garden.
• Mountain hydrangea
• Climbing hydrangea
• Silverbell
• Star Anise
• Mushrooms

In the upper ravine on the Asbury Circle side, the following were seen if not identified:

• More azalea
• Green-and-gold
• Cranesbill wild geranium
• Dwarf Crested Iris
• Virginia Willow
• Still waiting to be identified are the following:
  • Item 1
  • Item 2

If you'd like to do your own identification of native plants in this area, Prof. Eloise Carter (of the Murdy/Carter report) uses the following as a text in her Oxford College field botany class.

Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. (General Stacks QK178 .R32)

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Last Update: Monday, 12-Jul-04, 13:09:48