Win a REDBUD Seedling at July 6th Fireworks Event!
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Please visit us at our Green Earth Stewardship table at the Clubhouse July 6th!
Learn more about the Invasive Warriors’ efforts to preserve the common green spaces AND see photos of past Garden Tours in Glenmore.
All who stop at our table will have a chance to win a Redbud seedling propagated from native seed. Plant it this fall for a small flowering tree in just a few years!
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Photo: Curtesy Nancy Canavan
From Previous John Azzone Garden Tour, on
1406 Sandown Lane
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If you are interested in showcasing your garden please contact
Invasivewarriors@glenmore-community.org
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Garden Tour News
Thanks to John Azzone for allowing us to tour his beautiful garden on June 11th. His garden which frames the pond view, included many native plants and trees and other important pollinator plants that benefit wildlife. Please keep your eyes peeled for future information about our next Garden Tour.
| | Working Together: How Neighborhood Associations Can Address Invasive Plants | |
Blue Ridge Prism announcement:
Join Mike Littman of Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance, Ines Nedelcovic of Fairfax Invasive Removal Alliance, and Liza Moorman of Glenmore Invasive Warriors for a panel-style webinar when three neighborhood association leaders will share how their communities address invasive plants in their neighborhoods. They will share stories, discuss the hurdles, and give tips on how to organize and train a group to work together as a community.
This is a FREE webinar
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INVASIVE WARRIOR WORKDAYS:
Saturday, July 5th and Tuesday July 15th
from 9-11:30 am (weather permitting)
We will meet at the Country Club.
email Invasivewarriors@glenmore-community.org for any questions on workdays or events.
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DID YOU KNOW
That there are a number of problems with Bradford/Callery Pear Trees?
Now that Summer is in full swing, the Invasive Warriors will focus on eradicating invasive trees. Early this Spring, we identified many Bradford/Callery Pear trees and we will start to treat them now. If you would like to replace a Bradford or Callery Pear tree, consider a Black Gum, a beautifully shaped, colorful, medium sized native substitute.
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WHAT IS WRONG WITH BRADFORD/CALLERY PEAR TREES? Bradford pear was introduced in the mid-1960s and soon became the most popular cultivar of Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana).
In fact, it's so popular that the two terms are pretty much used interchangeably by the public.
It was a favorite of landscapers and municipal planners alike because the trees look gorgeous when covered in white flowers in early spring, grow fast and offer pretty fall foliage as well.
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But before long, problems arose: The Bradford pear tree was supposed to be small but ended up growing 40 to 50 feet tall, the flowers had a sickening aroma (often described as “rotting fish”) that hung in the air when the trees were planted or grew in groups, they have tire-puncturing thorns, and the branches are very weak and prone to breakage especially during storms. The trees are short lived and can literally fall apart after 20 years.
The biggest problem soon became evident: Bradford pear trees are invasive, spreading quickly and aggressively by seed and suckers, forming impenetrable thickets that CROWD OUT NATIVE PLANTS.
DID YOU KNOW WHY NATIVE PLANTS ARE SO IMPORTANT?
According to the Piedmont Native Plants 2nd Edition, “Native plants are the fundamental basis for biodiversity and the food web that sustains us.
These plants grow in community with one another across the landscape and are found in the same site conditions.
Human activity fragments habitats and infringes on our use of ecosystem services. The real cost of disruption to ecosystem services will be paid through expensive restoration projects when conservation is no longer (possible).”
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Plant This Not That!
Focus on Native Plants
Planting native plants in your landscape is a wonderful way to create a healthy habitat for native wildlife and pollinators. They also are easier to care for as they are well adapted to our climate and soil.
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Plant This:
Black Gum
The native Black Gum or Black Tupelo (Nysa sylvatica) is a great alternative to the Bradford Pear. It grows at a moderate pace (2'/yr) up to 50’ tall.
Although April greenish-white flowers are inconspicuous, their nectar is used by bees to make highly prized tupelo honey. The tree supports 35 butterfly species and in September and October, the trees produce a purplish blue stone fruit that the birds, like Eastern Bluebirds, tufted titmouse, love.
In fall their leaves turn to a stunning red and gold color. This wonderful shade tree is a great addition to the center or edge of your lawn.
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Plant This:
Downy Serviceberry
If you are looking for a stunning early bloomer to replace the Bradford Pear, consider the native Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea).
The Serviceberry is a small tree, growing up to 30’ tall. The fragrant, showy white flowers start in early March and continue through May.
The flowers attract native bees and pollinators. Later in the season, its blue-black berries attract over 40 bird species and hosts 119 native caterpillar species.
| In fall, the leaves turn a pretty orange and gold speckled with red and green. | | | |
Not that:
Callery Pear
Native to China and Vietnam, Callery Pears were brought over in the early 1900’s, and in the 1950’s, the Bradford cultivar (photo#1) was developed for use as an ornamental tree in landscapes.
| Easy to identify in early Spring, the Bradford Pear flowers in March with white five-petaled flowers in a ball-shaped bundle (photo # 2), that have an offensive smell of rotting fish or unwashed gym socks. | The tree does not produce pears, but tiny green to brown pear-shaped fruit that is woody in texture and not useful for wildlife. (photo#3) | |
This ornamental cultivar, like so many other nursery-grown plants, escaped from residential and commercial land and is designated as invasive in Virginia and in more than half of our states.
The Bradford Pear invades natural habitats and spreads by seeds and suckers, smothering out our valuable native species as they compete for sunshine, space and water.
| A single tree Bradford Pear can spread rapidly forming a large, dense thicket in just a few years (photo#4). | | | |
We look forward to seeing you on
Saturday, July 5th and Tuesday July 15th
to help us keep Glenmore’s woodlands and trails beautiful
(weather permitting)
Meet at the Club first.
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The Invasive Warriors work each month to remove invasive species from the common area, which promotes the growth of native plant species that are important to a healthy ecosystem. This month and in coming months, we will seek out and treat invasives, like Tree of Heaven, Autumn Olive, and Bradford Pear.
Wear long sleeves, long pants, work gloves and eye protection. Bring hand pruners, loppers, and an axe if you have them. We have supplies and equipment to share as needed.
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Invasive Species Warrior Contacts in your Neighborhood
Liza Moorman: Team Leader. Sandown Lane and Sandown Park- liza.moorman@gmail.com
Liz Burns: Scottish Homes- lburns1117@gmail.com
Cathy Martens: Piper East- steve.cathy@sbcglobal.net
Cathy Skelly: Highlands, Carroll Creek area- cathy.skelly@yahoo.com
Nancy Canavan: S section, Glenlochan pond- nancanavan@aol.com
Diana Ferguson: Darby West- dianasfergy@gmail.com
Bob Cox: Bremerton Cottages- robertwcox855@gmail.com
Anne Poland: Piper West- lauren.poland@att.net
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