Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)

Highbush Blueberries, a Philadelphia native

Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)

The bell-shaped blossoms of the Highbush Blueberry are blooming in my garden.  This will be the first year of abundant blueberries. I planted two plants last year.






The plant is self-pollinating, but increases fruit-set  and the berries are earlier and has more seeds, if there are two to cross-pollinate. 

This plant is a native and occurs naturally throughout Eastern North America. It’s natural habitat is in wet areas, in and around marshes, swamps and lakes. But it also occurs in drier areas like dunes, barrier beaches, rocky hillsides, oak woods and pine woods. 

All this means that the Delaware Valley and Philadelphia is a natural habitat. Here we have wet areas around all the rivers, creeks and streams. And we have drier areas in the wooded rolling Piedmont area. 

The plant is not tolerant of shade but likes a sunny open spot. This means if you look for naturally occurring plants in natural places, that the plant will be found in open sunny places along watercourses or open meadows or woodland edges. 

Bees are the chief pollinators. The little bell-shaped flowers are short and allow insects with short tongues to easily access the nectar. 

I doubt I will get very many berries from my plants as the songbirds, game birds  and mammals love them.  I just hope for a small handful. 

Plant a tree, Shape the Future

Where would we be without trees? This news story on Chester High School students who planted 30 mostly native trees on the school campus, is more important then most people know.

For years environmental groups bemoaned the fact that so few "people of color" populated their ranks. But, with truthful insight, the groups realized that it was because the media, including their very own magazines and brochures, rarely featured faces that where shades of the beiges, tans, browns and deep chocolates that people come in.

The use of only Caucasian faces said to "minorities" that "this is not for you, stay away". This is not far-fetched given the exclusionary practices in the country in the past.

To give the environmental groups their credit, they have made big strides in changing this unfortunate situation.

Perhaps it was the appointment of Lisa Jackson as the first African-American to head up the Environmental Protection Agency, to spur on the many environmental stories that include "people of color". Believe me, they weren't there before.

It is good to see this. It is good to young people of color highlighted for good deeds, especially environmental good deeds. Because, so often it is the negative stereotypes that are given air time.

All of us belong to this Earth. And all of us need to be involved in taking care of this precious place we all call home.

Garlic Mustard (Allaria petiolata)

Garlic Mustard an invasive species in Philadelphia

I found just two Garlic Mustard plants in my garden this past week. This is the result of pulling the plant up year after year. It can be controlled by hand pulling. I use my Hori knife to get down to the roots and get as much of the plant out of the ground as possible. Garlic Mustard only spreads by seed, so removing the plant before it seeds, is the best way to eradicate it. The plants die after producing seed. 

Garlic Mustard is an invasive species that pops up all over Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. It was probably bought to North America by early European settlers. 

I was in Fort Washington State Park last year on a bird walk and the plant was all over the place. It was in long groups along the trails. This was just the kind of place the plant thrives in shady areas and along streams. 

The park workers and volunteers ripped the plants out but more seem to pop each year. Perhaps at some point it will be eradicated.  From what I understand if you keep pulling it up , after five years it should be gone. After five years the seeds that are in the ground are no longer viable and won’t grow.

The space and soil nutrients that Garlic Mustard uses, take from a native plant that could be there instead. The plant quickly dominates the an area crowding out others. A native plant such as Coral Bells or Virginia Bluebells would provide nectar and fit in with the natural ecosystem. Native plants such as ferns can be planted to fill in so Garlic Mustard can not re-establish itself. 

I feel I am helping to restore and keep healthy the natural ecosystem that I live in.