Tree Growth

Written by Heleigh Bostwick Thursday, 10 April 2008

One of our Daily Dirt readers wrote the other day and asked a very good question. He wanted to know what it means in terms of measurements when one says that a tree is fast growing. Trees grow horizontally (as in growth rings) and vertically; however fast growing refers to vertical growth and not horizontal growth. I found this definition on the Arbor Day Foundation website: “Rate of growth refers to the vertical increase in growth unless specified differently. Rate, as is true for size, is influenced by numerous variables such as soil, drainage, water, fertility, light, exposure, ad infinitum…The designation slow means the plant grows 12” or less per year; medium refers to 13 to 24” of growth per year; and fast to 25” or greater.” (Source: Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, by Michael Dirr). These measurements refer to ideal growth conditions. Because trees and other plants do not live in a perfect world (like us!), environmental factors such as light, soil fertility, drainage and hydrology, and exposure to the climatic elements (wind for example) also affect tree growth rates.

Five: Poisonous Plants

Written by Heleigh Bostwick Friday, 18 April 2008

When you choose a plant for your garden you’re probably thinking about color, form, and texture--not whether the plant is a potential health hazard for your pets, or for that matter your children, and in some cases adults. Unfortunately many of our favorite garden flowers are poisonous including yew (pictured above), foxglove, larkspur, bleeding hearts, wisteria, autumn crocus, and jasmine. Plants are tricky sometimes. It may be that leaves or flowers are edible but berries are not. In other words the one part of the plant may be perfectly safe to munch on while another plant part on the same plant is poisonous. If you have pets or kids roaming through your garden gates, here are five things you might want to keep in mind when buying a new plant or planning your garden. 1. Periwinkle You may know it as myrtle (Vinca minor and it’s a popular groundcover in some parts of the country. 2. Yew Those pretty red berries (botanically referred to as arils) on English and Japanese yew shrubs are extremely poisonous to pets and people. Keep pets away from bark and leaves as well. 3. Castor Bean The seeds of castor bean plant are highly toxic. Just one or two seeds is close to a lethal dose for an adult. 4. Ivy Another reason to rid our landscapes of this pesky invasive vine is that the leaves are considered moderately toxic causing gastrointestinal symptoms, difficulty breathing, and possibly inducing a coma if enough of them are ingested. 5. Sago Palm All parts of the sago palm are poisonous, particularly the seeds.