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Blue Ridge PRISM's 2022 Spring Meeting
"All About Callery Pear" (with Q&A)
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
(via Zoom)
REGISTER
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An engaging speaker and a recognized expert on forest health and invasive species, Dr. Coyle will take us through the problematic history of Callery pear. He will also talk about the applied research he’s done to demonstrate ecological impacts as well as discuss some management strategies that do (and do not) work to mitigate and manage its spread. Dr. Coyle will answer questions from the audience at the end of his presentation.
We encourage you to submit your questions for Dr. Coyle beforehand (at the bottom of the registration form), but you will also have the opportunity to ask them live during the webinar.
Blue Ridge PRISM's quarterly meetings are free and open to all.
This is a free online event and includes a question & answer period with the audience. Those who register will receive access to the recording.
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Dr. David Coyle teaches about forest health and invasive species in the Forestry and Environmental Conservation Department at Clemson University. He is a member of the Society of American Foresters and the Entomological Society of America, serves on the Board of Directors for the North American Invasive Species Management Association, and is Co-Director of ProForest (an organization working to promote proactive forest pest management). Dr. Coyle has been instrumental in the success of South Carolina's Bradford Pear Bounty program.
You can read more about Dr. Coyle's work in this New York Times article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/26/us/bradford-pear-tree-south-carolina.html
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"Native Alternatives to Callery Pear"
By Rowena Zimmermann
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For many years, the Callery aka Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana) enjoyed huge popularity among landscapers due to its white blooms in spring and relatively fast growth. However, that easy growth habit contributed to the tree's unchecked spread throughout the eastern United States. Currently, our forests and fields are at serious risk from being overrun by this invasive tree. Despite this, Callery pear's cultivars continue to be sold in Virginia.
Because the Bradford pear was so ubiquitous and readily available from nurseries for so many years, it was an easy choice when a homeowner wanted to plant a flowering tree. Now we know there are better choices: native spring-blooming trees. These trees are not only lovely (and often smell better), they also support our native wildlife and ecosystem-- something that Pyrus calleryana does not do.
Most of the native trees below are not as well-known as the Bradford pear, but they are far more beneficial to your landscape. Look for them at your native plant nurseries and box stores. If you do not see them, ask the store to stock them. Customer demand is powerful, and you can make a difference in increasing the supply of native plants in the retail industry.
Flowering trees are a beautiful part of spring. Enjoy your native selections and know you are helping to preserve a diverse network of birds, butterflies, trees, and plants in your corner of the world.
Help spread the word.
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Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium)
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Image: Viburnum prunifolium, Ansel Oommen, Bugwood.org
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The flowers of blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium) attract many (mainly small) bees, flies and Lepidoptera. It is a larval host to various moths including Hummingbird Clearwing. Its creamy white flowers give way to pink berry-like fruits that feed birds and small animals.
Height: 12-15 ft
Fall Color: Flaming red to burgundy
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil Moisture: Average, well-drained
Bloom Time: April - June
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Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
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Image: Chionanthus virginicus, Denise Ellsworth, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org
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The flowers of fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) attract native bees and butterflies. Fruit attracts more than 75 bird species. Native Chionanthus virginicus hosts eight species of native caterpillars.
Fringetree is a deciduous tree that grows up to 30 feet tall. In late spring, fragrant, white flower clusters 2 to 3 inches long mature and hang from 4 to 8-inch stalks.
Height: 10-25 ft
Fall Color: Yellow
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil Moisture: Adaptable, rocky, well-drained; pH acid-base
Bloom Time: April - May
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Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
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Image: Cornus florida, Wendy VanDyk Evans, Bugwood.org
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This is Virginia's state tree. The flowers of flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) attract native bees and other pollinators. Fruit attracts songbirds and game birds. Native dogwoods host 115 species of native caterpillars including summer and spring azure butterflies.
As a small understory tree, it does well in partial shade. Dogwoods, unlike most other trees and plants, have the ability to "mine" calcium from soil and rocks. The trees concentrate the mineral in their leaves and wood; when the leaves fall in autumn, that calcium becomes available to the rest of the plants and animals in the forest. It is vital for the forest nutrient cycle.
Height: 15-20 ft as an understory tree and 40 ft in the sun
Fall Color: Red to maroon to purple
Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil Moisture: Loam, clay, rocky, well-drained; pH acid-moderate
Bloom Time: March - May
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Alternate-leaf Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
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Image: Cornus alternifolia, Dow Gardens, Bugwood.org
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The alternate-leaf dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) is sometimes referred to as the "pagoda dogwood" because of its distinctive tiered, horizontal branching and upward-turning tips. It has small, fragrant, yellowish-white flowers in late spring and bluish-black fruits on red stalks in summer.
Cornus alternifolia attracts birds and butterflies.
Height: 15-25 ft
Fall Color: Reddish-purple often tinted yellow or green
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil Moisture: Acidic, well-drained, medium moisture
Bloom Time: May - June
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Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
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Image: Cercis canadensis, Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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The flowers of Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) attract native bees and other pollinators. Seeds attract game birds such as bobwhite. Native redbuds host 19 species of native caterpillars including Henry’s elfin butterfly.
Rosy pink flowers typically appear in late March or early April. Reddish-purple leaves change to dark green, then to yellow as the year progresses. The branches form a spreading, graceful crown.
Height: 15-40 ft
Fall Color: Yellow to yellow-green
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade (best in hot summer climates)
Soil Moisture: Medium moisture, well-drained; pH moderate base
Bloom Time: Late March - April
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Note: Make a point to check the Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora to make sure the species is native to your particular geographic region in Virginia.
Learn more:
Wildflower of the Year 2018 Flowering Dogwood
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Rowena Zimmermann is the Director of Communications & Outreach for Blue Ridge PRISM. She is the former executive director of a performing arts organization and was the principal grant writer for Virginia GrantWorks. She has served on the boards of several nonprofit institutions where she focused on public relations and event management. Prior to her nonprofit work, Rowena was a senior analyst for JLARC, the oversight agency of the Virginia General Assembly. She has an M.P.P. with a specialty in regulatory economics, and lives in Albemarle County with her family and dogs.
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National Native Plant Month
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Image: The logo for National Native Plant Month features the silhouette of a grand oak (bur oak, Quercus macrocarpa). You can use this logo to help promote native plants every April.
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During the month of April, people and organizations across the country celebrate native plants by planting native species, planning educational events, hosting workshops, removing invasive plants so native plants can thrive, and restoring areas with native habitats to allow birds, bees, butterflies, and wildlife to flourish.
Read more: https://mercerme.com/what-is-up-with-native-plants-and-why-do-they-get-so-much-hoopla/
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Rush River Cleanup | Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection | April 8 from 10 am - 12 pm (registration required)
Tree Planting at the Buschow Property in Culpeper County | Piedmont Environmental Council | April 18 from 10 am - 4 pm (registration required)
Tree Planting at Cool Lawn Farm in Remington | Piedmont Environmental Council | April 22 from 10 am - 4 pm (registration required)
Watershed Cleanup at Meadow Creek in Charlottesville | The Nature Conservancy | April 22 from 1-3 pm (registration required)
Tree Planting in Warrenton | Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay | April 22 from 10 am - 2 pm (registration required)
Light Gardening and Planting in Charlottesville | The BridgeLine | April 24 from 9 am to 12 pm (registration required)
Garden Guardians | Botanical Garden of the Piedmont | May 3, May 17 from 10 am - 12 pm (registration required)
Mile-a-Minute Invasive Plant Pull on Wild Oak Trail | Friends of Shenandoah Mountain | June 3 from 10 am - 3 pm (one hour shift; registration required)
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20th Annual Bluebell Walk | Bonny Brook Farm in Fauquier County | April 16 from 11 am to 1 pm
Spring Quarterly Meeting: "All About Callery Pear" | Blue Ridge PRISM | April 19 from 11:30 am - 1 pm
Earth Days at the Garden | Botanical Garden of the Piedmont | April 19-23
"Nature for Everyone" Earth Day | Greene County | April 22 from 11am - 3pm
Front Royal Earth Day Celebration | Downtown Front Royal | April 22 from 10 am - 3 pm
Earth Day Staunton | Shenandoah Green | April 22 from 11 am - 3 pm
Native Plant Sale at Morven Park | Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy | April 22 from 9 am - 3 pm
Virginia Land Conservation and Greenways Conference | VaULT | April 25-27
Native Plant Sale at Ivy Creek Natural Area | Virginia Native Plant Society (Jefferson Chapter) | April 30 from 1 pm - 3 pm
Rivanna RiverFest | Rivanna Conservation Alliance | May 20 from 2 pm - 9 pm
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Watch videos of past meetings and workshops. Check out our curated invasive management playlists covering topics from invasive plant IDs to herbicides.
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