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| What's in Bloom? |
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Fall 2003 Featured
Plants
November: Witch
Hazel
Witch hazel, or Hamamelis virginiana, is our featured plant
for November. This diminutive understory tree has no close
relatives that grow in Pennsylvania. It is readily identifiable
from its multi-stemmed habit, wavy-margined leaves and nut-like
capsules that explosively eject the seeds. However we feature
witch hazel for a more remarkable characteristic. This species
begins to bloom in October, and extends into November. The
long-lasting lightly-scented flowers with stringy yellow petals
are pollinated by midges, flies and beetles that survive late
in the season. Once value for its medicinal properties, the
aromatic extract of this plant continues to be a popular ingredient
in personal care products. At Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve,
specimens are conveniently located very near the Visitor Center
Gardens. Hats off to this plucky plant that blooms during
our coolest month! (Photo courtesy
of W.L. Wagner at USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database)
October: Sugar Maple
Sugar maple, or Acer saccharum, is our featured fall plant.
We select this species in honor of its brilliant fall foliage.
Although maples have only inconspicuous greenish flowers in
spring, few trees can rival the visual impact of a sunlit
sugar maple in fall. This large tree is a significant component
of forests in cool moist regions, and it has economic as well
as aesthetic value. Sugar maple is an important source of
wood products and, as the name suggests, it is also the principal
source of maple sugar. Each year in late February/early March,
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve holds very popular maple
sugaring programs, in which we tap a live tree at the Preserve
to demonstrate the process for the public. (Check the Calendar
of Events for program dates.) Specimens of sugar maples
can be found at the Preserve near the Visitor Center and in
Penn's Woods. While sugar maple is a very desirable tree,
its European relative, Norway maple, is an invasive plant
in our region. With so many excellent native trees from which
to choose, the use of Norway maples is not recommended.
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