Mobile Botanical Gardens: Week of April 13

Lots going on at the garden, despite the astronomical amount of rain and thunderstorms we got this week. The Rhododendron Garden is full of azaleas in various stages of flowering in all different different colors of whites, pinks, purples and reds. It really is quite amazing to walk through and observe.

Here's a photographic snippet of how things are going in the garden:

Trillium Expedition to Northern Alabama with Christopher

So...remember last year I went to Washington, D.C. for the APGA Plant Collections Symposium. Well, that trip made this trip possible. I met both Christopher Elenstar, a horticulturist at Brookside Gardens in Maryland, and Carol Lambden, the special projects manager at Huntsville Botanical Garden, during the symposium and it was then these plans were hatched. Serendipity at its finest.

This is probably one of my favorite vignettes at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens: Sanguinaria canadensis, bloodroot; Trillium cuneatum, sweet betsy; Thalictrum thalictroides; and Xanthorhiza simplicissima, yellowroot.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, and we were still getting the logistics ironed out, but the trip was still on! Whew.
I started the long drive up Interstate 65 the overcast morning of April 2, IDing plants as I drove (and man, there were some impressive Cornus florida and a handful of Chionanthus virginicus). The weather held off for me until I got to Birmingham, when a thunderstorm of epic proportions chased me to the airport where Christopher was just about to land....(and yes, his pilot landed in the middle of the thunderstorm).

We started our epic journey with pizza. No! Who has time for food when there are awesome plants waiting to be found?!

Dodecatheon meadia, shooting-star, Primulaceae. Click for more photos.

Nope, food first. But afterward, we were off to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for a botanical primer of North Alabama plants (which are more akin to those in Maryland and the North Carolina mountains than those in southern Alabama). We pointed ourselves in the direction of the native wildflower garden and we were off. Neither of us were expecting the intricate detail of the floral and botanical offerings we witness therein. We recognized most, some only to genus, and then there were others we eagerly sought the tag for.



We closed down the Birmingham Botanical Garden (and killed our cameras) and then made the drive to Huntsville to stay the night.

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The next morning we got up to an overcast, humid morning, but our stop for breakfast made it all better. Christopher made an excellent find with the Mason Dixon Bakery. It was a great way to start the day!

We headed over to the Huntsville Botanical Garden first thing to meet up with Carol for a tour of the garden and the Trillium collection they are hoping to get NAPCC certified. It was a happy reunion and Christopher and I were quickly whisked off in a 6-seater golf cart with Harold Howard, the Trillium man.

Trillium pusilum, Melantiaceae. Click for more photos of the nursery.

Again, we were immediately in awe of what we'd signed up for. Harold gave us a two-hour tour of their native nursery area that was full of Trillium, native azaleas, Hexastylis, Asarum and a myriad of every other native flowering herb you could imagine. He picked up seed flats, trays, and pots; lifted leaves and pointed out flowers. There seemed no end to the experimentation and learning and discovery that was going on back there. I was so impressed with the volunteer support they have and their support of wild-collecting and rescuing of native plants. Whoa!


We were whisked off to the actual outplanted Trillium collection and the native wildflower area as soon as we could pry ourselves away from the nursery. Just countless "one more Trillium"s later, Carol, Christopher and I had gotten the crash course of a lifetime in the 28 species of Trillium Huntsville had. I was furiously taking notes and pictures and asking questions, and time flew by until my body reminded me it was lunchtime.

Trillium in the Woodland Garden at Huntsville Botanical Garden. Click for more photos.

Carol drove us through the rest of the garden, including the clever children's garden and butterfly house. Sadly it was a little early for the butterflies, but I guess I'll just have to see them on my next visit!

As if the morning-long tour wasn't enough, Christopher and I made out like bandits with Trillium flexipes, Asarum and Hexastylis, as well as several different native azaleas (which is exactly why I keep plastic in the back of my car)!

After a tasty lunch from the garden cafe and a wonderful discussion about what we learned that day, we made our way to Monte Sano State Park, the mountain that loomed over Huntsville, to hunt for wild Trillium. The southeastern side of the mountain was a sheltered valley and looked promising after appraising the nice $3 map we got with our entrance fee.

Shades of spring in the canopy of the forest at Monte Sano. Click for more photos.

The overlook we parked at presented a beautiful view of the valley below and allowed us to feel the breath of spring coming up from it. We started on the Sinks Trail, slowly making our way to the trailhead down the hillside. At first it wasn't looking promising as the understory seemed empty, but as well looked closer the ephemerals of all sorts came into focus. And the Trillium appeared in great swaths. Score.

A ring of Jeffersonia diphylla, Cardamine concatenata, and an unknown herb.

As we made our way further into the valley, a more stunning diversity of plants dotted the landscape. We'd barely made it halfway the hillside when we came to a limestone shelf and Christopher saw the first patch of Jeffersonia diphylla, a rather curious mono-generic member of the Berberidaceae, barberry family. Suddenly there were several clumps and then the whole hillside was dotted with them. It was mind-blowing to see so many in one spot. There were other plants there too, Heuchera villosa growing out of the cracks in the rock and Hepatica nobilis doing its thing. Unreal.

We had to keep moving, though the going was slow. Every five feet was a new plant, a new photo we had to take. Everywhere I looked there was something astounding about the landscape: the contour of the hill, the way the light lit up the emerging leaves on the trees, the towering trees, the stream we came upon. Everything. It was all as if we'd stepped into a fantasy world you only read about in botanical fairy tales.

Mertensia virginica, Virginia Bluebells, Boraginaceae

Our cameras started dying as we came upon a valley of Mertensia virginica, Virginia Bluebells. What started as a random patch of the beautiful, true-blue flowers and a carpet of Sanguinaria canadensis, bloodroot, opened up into an almost acre blanket of the Mertensia in full bloom. We stared in awe as we tried to understand the scale of the scene we were seeing. A closer look showed more Sanguinaria, ferns and even a few Trillium flexipes in the mix. I went into the valley for a scale picture and then Christopher and I spent at least 20 minutes just taking in everything.

But I could hear thunder whispering in the distance and I could tell there was a warning in the air, so it was time to move on. The sun had disappeared behind the mountain towering over us and we had to make it out of the park before sundown. Time to move.

We booked it up the hill and down an adjoining trail back to our car. We got a few more photos out of our phones, playing hopscotch with each other as we tried to hurry down the path while also taking photos. Just as we were starting the final ascent, the thunder cracked above us and the rain came in a gentle, steady stream. We made it back to the car just a little damp.

But the view as we drove back down the mountain was incredible. The sun was setting, emerging from the clouds clearing the horizon. There was another dark warning coming on the western horizon, but for the moment we could enjoy the beautiful sunset, a few more healthy clumps of Trillium cuneatum and some Mason Dixon Gluten-free cupcakes.

~~~

An ocean of Mertenisa virginica in the morning sun. Click for more photos of the morning.

I'm not one for early rises....but this trip was a special occasion. We had a lot to fit into such a small amount of time. We rose just as the sun was coming over Monte Sano State Park and we were ready
for a follow-up trek to see some more of what we missed. It was surprisingly chilly that morning, in the mid-40s by the time we got to the top of the mountain. With out hand firmly buried in our pockets, we descended into the valley as the sun was lighting the mountain side. It seemed spring had taken a queue from the sunshine and a deeper haze of green lit the canopy around us. It was a brisk jaunt and very successful.

We'd started our morning with a minimal breakfast, so it was off to another lovely gluten-free place! We fueled up and then we were off to our final stop: Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.

It was still chilly in Decatur and it seemed the Saturday morning was prohibitive to many hikers. We stopped in the visitor's center to get our bearings and found out there really weren't many hiking trails. It makes sense, since it is a wildlife refuge, not a human recreation area. We found some trails though and so it was out to the Cypress Trail.

Clear morning path through the cypress swamp. Click for more photos.

It started as a beautiful walk on a boardwalk through the understory of a drove of Taxodium distichum. They were some of the largest I'd ever seen (and Christopher was wonderful enough to volunteer later to be my human yardstick so I could really show how large they were). After we left the boardwalk, however, there was a lot of evidence of invasive species. Ligustrum sinensis had taken over most of the understory and was working on choking out the overstory. It was a sad sight to see after such a beautiful stand of bald cypress. It was heartening to see their efforts to control the Phyllostachys though! Keep it up, USFWS!

Although not robust, these native azaleas made up for it in stature and the breadth of their colonies.

Our next and final stop was just across the road at a peninsula extending out into the Tennessee River. Our first impressions were full of more invasive species, including an Ilex cornuta, Chinese holly (which is a good argument again selling 'Carissa' hollies!!), which I took the liberty of taking out with my hand saw. It was hard to see any native shrubs and herbs through the thicket. There was a healthy overstory of pines, hickories and oaks though. A very interesting diversity of trees, which we'd hardly paid attention to the couple days before.

But finally, as we moved farther away from the trailhead, we started to see more natives than invasives, and then the invasives faded out almost completely. What came into view was a rich understory of native herbs and native azaleas. We saw at least three species of native deciduous azaleas: Rhododendron periclymenoides, R. alabamense and R. canescens. Just like with our experiences with the Trillium the days before, we saw one thicket of azaleas and then we'd look closer and see more and more. I was also heartened by the few healthy Cornus florida I saw as well.

~~~

And all of that was 50 hours curb to curb. Overall, it was an amazing adventure that turning into more than a pilgrimage for Trillium. It was an intensive field course in woodland ephemerals and the simple beauty in natural vignettes. It inspired me to bring more natural elements into the landscape and proves Mother Nature has better taste than I do.

I'M GOING TO EDINBURGH

Well, I have been very slow about my recent updates; I've still got three more posts from my trip back in December (and they are still coming!). It's been a pretty busy time being back in North Carolina and moving down to Mobile, Alabama.

Center circle of the Millie McConnell Rhododendron Garden in the morning light.

But, I have some very exciting news!

I've been accepted into the University of Edinburgh's Master's of Science in the Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants!

That's right: Edinburgh, Scotland. The year-long program is done in conjunction with the researchers at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and looks to provide an incredible opportunity to gain more training and experience in field botany and applied taxonomy (also to explore the beautiful country of Scotland and be involved with RBG Edinburgh). Wow.

I have some more good news.

I will be staying on at the Mobile Botanical Garden in Mobile, AL over the summer working on the grounds and staying plugged in with their other programs. I can't wait to really dig in and get more involved in the collections.

Finally, I would like to send out a general thank you for everyone who has kept up with me and my travels. It has meant a lot to me that I have friends and family that care about me and what I'm doing. I would appreciate if you would take some time to view my GoFundMe page and think about if there is anything you would care to donate.

Just like this little Pinus palustris seedling, I am just getting started, but I am well on my way.

Emergence: Mobile Botanical Garden Volunteering and Longleaf Pines

I've made it safely to Mobile, Alabama and I'm staying with my grandparents here for a few weeks. It is vastly different from Martha's Vineyard or North Carolina: the first day I was here it was hard to breathe because the air was so humid for winter! But, I've loved looking at the trees and seeing that the dominant pine is the longleaf, Pinus palustris (yes, it has needles and yes, needles are considered leaves). It is such a handsome tree and too rare a sight in my native Piedmont North Carolina. Obviously, it's one of my favorite trees.

The shining canopy of a longleaf pine, Pinus palustris. They really glisten in the mid-day sun. If you check out the photos, you'll notice I have a slight obsession with the little pine seedlings.

I decided since I was going to be here for a while that I would reach out to the local Mobile Botanical Garden to do some volunteering (please support your local botanical garden in time, participation and/or money!). I immediately got an email from the director welcoming me to come by anytime, so I went out there to check it out this morning as soon as I could.

It was breezy and a little cooler than it had been the last few days, but the sky was clear and the day was gorgeous. The longleaf pine forest welcomed me along Museum Drive and I was so excited to be there as soon as I got out of my car.

Taiwan cherry in the Rhododendron Garden circle.

I briefly walked through the Millie McConnell Rhododendron Garden, taking in the mauve Prunus campanulata. Taiwan Cherry, blooming in the center and dreaming of the spring when the azaleas (actually Rhododendron cultivars) put on a show. There were even a few early blooms on the azaleas. If you ever get to visit Mobile in March or April, dear reader, please check out the garden and its spectacular collection of the many groups of azaleas. This is one of the most comprehensive azalea collections that showcases the Deep South's azalea breeding heritage.

It would have been a shame to skip over the Kosaku Sawada WinterGarden, where I knew I would see the wonderful diversity of Camellia cultivars blooming. Even on the second of February most of them were blooming heavily in all shades of white, pink and red, and in all sizes, from quarter-sized to almost six inches wide. Being on the Vineyard really taught me an appreciation for these wonderful plants, despite how common they can be in the landscape.

Camellia japonica 'Kitty'

After my quick jaunt on the grounds, I went to check in about volunteering. It looks like I came at the right time and I can't wait to get to work tomorrow! (Update, 2/3/15: six hours of pruning work and the azalea garden looks great!)

After my meeting, I finally had the time to walk through the Longleaf Pine Forest. Although it's been in existence since the 50's when the pond nearby was used as Mobile's water source, I've never had the opportunity to see it during my brief trips to the garden. Robin suggested I get the worm's eye view of the forest floor because this year was the heaviest seed cast in recent history. She was not exaggerating! Tiny seedlings, their cotyledons unfurling from their tan seed coats like octopi, carpeted the ground, coming up among pine needles, grasses, goldenrods (Solidago ssp.) and everything else in between. Longleafs in the grass and rocket stage were everywhere as well. The whole walk was like traveling to a different world for a moment.

Pinus palustris seedling.

Please do take a moment to appreciate this very sobering fact: prior to European settlement the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates there was almost 90 million acres of longleaf pine forest stands. Today, there is only a little more than 500,000 acres. It may not be a rainforest, but the Southeastern United States is the only place in the world where the longleaf pine savanna ever existed. Please check out the Longleaf Partnership Council's website for more information.

Eva Colberg's Adventures in Madagascar: ISP and Reflections

Here's the last installment of Eva's updates. Everything below is Eva's own words. I hope you enjoy!

Check out Eva's Instagram for more photos of Madagascar and her other adventures:


If you would like to contact her, feel free to email her here.
~~~

Final Mada Update

Eva Colberg

December 19, 2014

It still doesn’t quite seem real; my semester in Madagascar is over, and I’ve now been in Alaska for five days. It doesn't seem so much like reverse culture shock as it does simply figuring out how to live in this country without wasting or forgetting what I've learned and experienced overseas. 

The majority of November was dedicated to my independent study project (ISP). It began with a solitary taxi-brousse ride to a town on the northeastern coast to finally meet my ISP advisor, a botanist for Missouri Botanical Garden. After another, shorter taxi-brousse ride and then a three-hour boat trip up the river to my base village of Manjato, he spent two days of preliminary fieldwork with me. Then he departed, leaving me with my own devices.

Francine (my cook), Edrissia (her step-daughter), and Theresis (Francine's husband and one of my guides) preparing cloves to be dried.

I had two guides and a cook who barely knew any French and certainly not any English between the three of them, making charades and Malagasy the main options for conveying my research methods, daily needs, and basic interactions. Between the language barrier, exhausting days traipsing through the hilly swamps and littoral forests, and minimal contact with the outside world, my ISP was the most mentally, physically, and emotionally challenging portion of my trip.

A lone mature individual of Ravenea krociana, one of my target species.

Triumphantly, though, it paid off. My Malagasy improved greatly, I mastered balancing on one-log bridges, and most exciting of all, I documented the populations of four threatened, endemic palm species, one of which had only been known to exist in two other locations prior to my study. Additionally, my village was incredibly welcoming to me. I had a first-hand view of the intricacies of community-based forest management, and every day of field work was an adventure full of new surprises, from chameleons to rare and bizarre plants. 

After writing up my findings, I reunited with my group in Tulear, on the west coast, for our final presentations, exams, and re-entry sessions. As we made our way back up to the capital, we snorkeled in Ifaty with the NGO ReefDoctor, camped in the canyon of Isalo National Park, hiked to the top of the Tsaranoro Valley near Andringitra National Park, and received parting blessings from the fanahy (spirits) on top of the sacred mountain Andatabo.

The sandstone formations of Isalo National Park.

Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) in the Tsaranoro Valley.

According to the fanahy, I will return to Madagascar, but I already knew that in my heart. On my last night in Manjato, my cook gave me a sprouting potato to plant in her backyard. It felt powerfully symbolic, as if I was leaving a little part of me to grow in Madagascar and give back to it in some way, a small gift of gratitude for all that it has given me.

Sacred cave with offerings as we await our blessings from the fanahy.

Eva Colberg's Adventures in Madagascar: Lemurs and Sambatra

Here is part three of Eva's updates. Everything below is Eva's own words. I hope you enjoy!

Check out Eva's Instagram for more photos of Madagascar and her other adventures:


If you would like to contact her, feel free to email her here.
~~~

Mada Update 3

November 2, 2014

Today I parted ways with all my teachers and fellow students, embarking on a solitary journey to the northeast of the country, where I will be working with the Missouri Botanical Garden to conduct research on the abundance and distribution of several endangered palm species. I am both nervous and incredibly excited, but I should first bring you up to date with the rest of my trip.

Back when we were still stationed in Manakara, we took a few days out to Kianjavato, where the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership has a research station. Their headline projects all involve lemurs, as nine species of lemur live in the forest there (two of which are endangered: the black-and-white-ruffed lemur, Varecia variegata, and the greater bamboo lemur, Prolemur simus). Since this was our lemur ecology unit, we spent our time out in the field learning behavior, population, and habitat-monitoring techniques, and thus also got to witness the fantastic creatures in their natural state. They are really quite funny to watch; they make pig-like noises to each other, leap about the canopy at daredevil heights, and get in spats with each other over jackfruit.

Greater Bamboo Lemur, Prolemur simus

Black-and-White-Ruffed Lemur, Varecia variegata

Aye-aye

One of the lemur research programs there is focused on aye-ayes, and we were lucky enough to attend the release of an aye-aye that they had just attached a tracking device to. Aye-ayes fall on the side of the more bizarre lemurs, with their ridiculously long fingers and wide, round eyes.

We spent our last week together in Mananjary, witnessing and even participating in some of the festivities of the Sambatra (Here's a Peace Corps Volunteer's Impression -Amanda W.). Sambatra, which means happiness, is a cultural event that happens every seven years. It involves many parades, processions, singing, dancing, and rituals, and culminates in the circumcision of all the young boys in the participating clans.

Most importantly for the Antambahoaka of this region, the circumcision represents the boys finally being recognized as male, and thus gaining a place in their society (most boys are actually now circumcised at birth, so the ceremony is just the official acceptance of their boyhood). It is interesting to see how globalization is affecting the tradition, though. Crowds now gather around every event with cameras, tablets, and video recorders in hand; there are some foreigners, but the majority are simply Malagasy from other regions. We spoke with one of the clan leaders, and he expressed concern about the Malagasy media’s portrayal of the event as betraying the traditional purpose. Nonetheless, it is fantastic to watch when scores of women dance across the beach in colorfully striped lamba-hoany carrying reeds for mat weaving back to their tranobe (Tranobe is the "palace" of the clan; the king holds meetings and important events within this single-roomed building. Literally translated it means big house. -Eva C.).