Parks, Recreation & Leisure

Parks, Recreation & Leisure / Parks & Forestry

Tree Talk

Landscaping Tips | Plant of the Month | Tree Talk

Volunteers
Harry B. Vunderinck Jr. taught me how to be ruthless in gardening. I worked for Mr. Vunderinck during my teen years helping to tend the perennial beds at his home in Parma. I once shredded an entire bed of marigolds at his direction as it was time to display the mums which had summered in the back corner of the vegetable garden. Any errant trees that sprouted out of place in that yard went into the shredder.
Volunteer trees often sprout in yards and I have somewhat softened since my lessons with the Dutch master gardener.

Nut trees grow well from seed and it is the best way to start tap rooted trees. Oaks, hickories and walnuts are often planted by squirrels in landscape beds amidst shrubbery and if you identify the plant and have a place to move it to while young you can get a very nice "free" tree in less time than you think. The key is to move the plant before digging up the tap root becomes too difficult. Most nut trees become very large with time so be sure the place you select has ample room. It is also good to plan for a location where falling nuts will not cause a problem.

Maples will also seed with reckless abandon. Sugar maple seedlings can result in nice trees but red maple (Acer rubrum) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum) seedlings will not result in plants as nice as the named cultivars such as October Glory available at nurseries. Norway Maples also seed freely but are also unpredictable. I do not recommend planting silver maples at all, neither volunteer seedlings nor ones still unfortunately sold commercially. There are simply many superior alternatives.

Many seedlings that appear in Upper Arlington yards are those of invasive non native weeds. Garlic Mustard ,Asian Bush Honeysuckle and Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) grow everywhere and one must wage constant battle to keep ahead of them. White mulberry (Morus alba) will also grow in any fencerow or hedge that it can. This tree produces blackberry shaped fruits with surprisingly little flavor. Birds spread these seeds everywhere in big purple splotches.

I find it hard to be completely ruthless in my gardening. I have a large black birch that grew from seed near my roses as it grew lots better than the roses ever did. My yard harbors a few Eastern white cedars brought by birds . Mr. Vunderinck knew you see that neither he nor I were ever in total control of the garden.

Charles J Hickey
Vice Chair, Upper Arlington Tree Commission

Parks & Forestry Division
Parks & Recreation Department
City of Upper Arlington
3600 Tremont Road
Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Phone: 614-583-5340