Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Woodsman’

When plant experts visit PHA there isalways lots of sharing. We take full advan-tage of their horticultural knowledge andwe share ours. We bring our best curationefforts (labeling, mapping, and mainte-nance) forward while we introduce visitorsto our collections and propagation facilities.What we get in exchange is helpful advice,plant verification, cultural suggestions, and suggestions of new plants to add to ourcollections.

The tradition of horticultural andbotanical experts visiting the Arboretumwas established by Polly Hill. The oldguestbooks contain the names of many leg-endary plantsmen and women who madethe pilgrimage to Barnard’s Inn Farm to seethe trees, talk plants with Polly, and shareinformation. The collective camaraderie of

plant enthusiasts is one of the best parts of being involved with plants. We continuethis practice today.

Over the past several years theArboretum has hosted several internationaltour groups. The fall of 2009 included avisit from members of the Holly Society ofAmerica. While walking through HollyPark, the group noticed a special Americanholly and encouraged us to give it moreconsideration. The plant has been propagat-ed and will be distributed for a more thorough evaluation, and, if worthy, given a cultivar name.

Members of the Magnolia SocietyInternational visited the Arboretum thisspring. A special part of the visit was an award given to PHA director emeritus,Stephen Spongberg. The Todd D. Gresham

award is given to individuals who havemade significant contributions to the overall knowledge of magnolias. A dinnerattended by plantspeople from around the world honored a legendary plantsmanfrom our own backyard!

More sharing: this upcoming fall a group of international oak experts will visit the Arboretum to look at our plantcollections and compare the performance ofour oak trees with others from across the United States and the world. The visitwill also include a look at our oak forestresearch project and side expeditions to thenatural areas of Martha’s Vineyard.

Sharing has many benefits. We are very proud of the ripple effect—increasedawareness of PHA’s plant collections andprograms worldwide.

The Polly Hill ArboretumWest Tisbury, Massachusetts

Vol. 13, No. 1 Spring 2011

Meristems

C O N T E N T S P H A C U LT I V AT E S A C U LT U R E O F S H A R I N G

M E S S A G E F R OM T H E D I R E C T O R

E D U C AT I O N A N D O U T R E A C H

A R B O R E T U M N E W S

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F R OM T H E V I N E YA R D F L O R A

F R OM T H E L I V I N G C O L L E C T I O N

V O L U N T E E R S I N T H E A R B O R E T U M

A R B O R E T U M D E S T I N AT I O N S

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PHA Cultivates a Culture of Sharing

I am accustomed, now, to the seasonal rhythms ofthe Vineyard. When answering the familiar question,how do you survive the winter? I realized that Ienjoy the solitude of the off-season. When not reading by the woodstove, I embrace the outdoorsthrough hiking and running, and walking around theArboretum—inspirational whatever the season! This past winter we all watched the Far Barn under-go rehabilitation with a sense of pride that the spirit of the old building will remain for future visitors and students.

Yet, I admit, a winter trip off-island especially to a sunny location is a welcome break. I felt fortu-nate this winter to have the opportunity to travel toCalifornia to participate in a not-for-profit leader-ship program at Stanford University. The focus wason mission, strategy, and economic sustainability. Attimes the process was overpowering—like drinkingfrom the fountain of knowledge through a fire hose!

Part of the training program focused on thequestion “What role does your institution play inyour community?” Not-for-profit institutions come

in many forms and serve a multitude of functions.Generally they bring social value to the community,i.e. they add to the quality of our lives by serving ourneeds. When I look at the Arboretum in this light,we are primarily educators. We educate through ourplant collections, education programs, research, and publications like the one you hold in your hands.We are an arboretum, a plant science institutiondevoted to our founder’s spirit of experimentation,observation, study, and sharing.

All of us at PHA (staff, board members, interns,and volunteers) are passionate about what we dohere. Perhaps what is most remarkable about whatwe do is the environment in which we do it—a beau-tiful, historic landscape with a unique sense of placethat inspires a sense of wonder in all who visit. Thereare so many wonderful things to see and interestingthings do at the Arboretum. Is that why I rarelyleave? Please join us for an exciting summer ahead!

The rehabilitation of the Far Barn preserves our agricultural history.

Message from the Director

The Polly Hill Arboretum

THE CORPORATION AND

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rachel Smith AlternativeTimothy M. Boland

Ex OfficioWilliam R. HambrechtTatnall HillmanLisina M. HochPeter NorrisClaire SawyersE. Douglas SederholmLydia Hill Slaby, TreasurerFrank R. SmithJoan Margot SmithPresident & Chairman

Philippe de SpoelberchKimbrough TowlesThomas C. Wallace

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS

Robert W. DoranStephen A. Spongberg

RESEARCH ASSOCIATES

Melissa CullinaDavid R. FosterEric HsuShigeto Tsukie

STAFF OF THE

POLLY HILL ARBORETUM

Timothy M. BolandExecutive Director

Tom Clark Collections & Grounds Manager

Barbara Conroy Administrative & Financial Officer

Jill BouckYouth Education Assistant

Betsy DrippsYouth Education Coordinator

Stephen MastersonSenior Horticulturist/Arborist

Karin StanleyEducation & Outreach Administrator

Nancy Weaver Volunteer Coordinator & Plant Recorder

The mission of the Polly HillArboretum is to perpetuate the experimental tradition in horticulture established by Polly Hill by sharing knowledge of plants and scientific procedurethrough educational programs,research, plant conservation, and exploration. The Arboretumseeks to preserve its meadows and woodlands, to promote anunderstanding of its collections,and to encourage their utilizationfor scholarship, observation, and the enjoyment of all.

Meristems © The Newsletter of the Polly Hill Arboretum

News and Photography PHA StaffEditor Laura CoitDesign Lorraine FergusonPrinting Bolger, Minneapolis MN

Printed on recycled paper.

E D U C AT I O N A N D O U T R E A C H 3

Homestead, Cowbarn, Far Barn: these oldfarmstead buildings along with our stone walls and open meadows form the backbone of the Arboretum. While theArboretum is known for its remarkable collection of woody plants, it is equally significant as a rare surviving agriculturallandscape, one of the few publicly accessibleIsland properties to preserve a continuumof land use from the late 17th century tothe present.

And now, thanks to assistance from the West Tisbury Historic Commission, we have received recognition from theMassachusetts Historical Commission(MHC). After extensive review, the MHChas listed the Polly Hill Arboretum as aHistoric Area on the Inventory of theHistoric and Archaeological Assets of theCommonwealth. MHC defines an Area as

The National Register of HistoricPlaces is the nation’s official list of build-ings, districts, sites, structures, and objectsimportant in American history, culture,architecture, or archaeology. The NationalRegister encourages recognition “and the use of the places of our past to createlivable and viable communities for thefuture.” To receive this honorary listingmore work needs to be done with MHC to complete the nominating process.

To learn more about our historic landscape and the MHC recognition joinKarin Stanley, PHA staff member, amateurhistorian, and West Tisbury Local HistoricCommission board member for a walkingtour this summer. Tours take place on June 16 and August 25 at 10am and are $5 or free to PHA members.

Recognition of our Historic Landscape

Our historic stone walls form the framework of the PHA landscape.

a geographically defined area which encom-passes a distinct group of interrelated build-ings, objects, structures, landscapes, or siteswhich exhibit a common history of use,associations, and/or form and appearance.

In addition MHC has determined ourproperty is eligible for listing in theNational Register of Historic Places since it fulfills the National Register criteria forhistoric and architectural significance. Theynote, “The property’s buildings, structures,and landscape features together reflect thehistory and evolution of this place acrossthree centuries of Vineyard history, fromearly farm to summer retreat to arboretum.”

These designations acknowledge thecontinuum of historic land use this propertyrepresents, the care it has been given overthe years, and the unique contributionsmade by Polly Hill.

Wish List

families to discover nature together. Our new family backpack tour will help make this experience even more fun and informative. Each self-guided educational backpack contains an infor-mative Arboretum map, field guides, magnifying glasses, sketch pads, and other materials to engage the entire family in nature study during their visit. Please help us fund these packs.

Herbarium Field Press - $85.00 eachThe Arboretum uses field presses to takeplant samples of our collectionsand naturally occurring plants on theisland. They allow for easy transportof pressed specimens back to our offices.The samples are used for plant identifica-tion classes and to help verifythe cultivated specimens in our garden. Weneed two new presses for our interns!

Herbarium Block Weights - $100.00 eachThese highly specialized weights are madeof high density wood.They are used to flatten field collectedspecimens in preparation formounting on herbarium sheets for long-term storage.

Should you be interested in funding one ormore of these items, call Barbara or Tim at508-693-9426. We extend our sincerethanks to those of you who have generouslyresponded to our previous requests.

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Most gardeners value books as a source for information, ideas, and pictures. Polly’sbookshelves were lined with hundreds oftitles from which she regularly drew knowl-edge and inspiration. In cataloging andorganizing the PHA archives, KarinStanley discovered Polly’s annotated list ofher top ten horticultural books. The bookson the list, many still regularly consulted by PHA staff, reflect Polly’s personal inter-ests that, in turn, formed the foundation of the Arboretum we know and love today.Polly credits Richardson Wright’s The Story

Polly’s Top 10 Books Polly’s Top 10 List

Come explore together! Photo by Gary Mirando

The Stephen A.Spongberg Library isopen by appointment.

1. The Story of Gardeningby Richardson WrightPolly notes, “the first book that got me interested.”

2. Garden of Trees and Shrubs: Practical Hints for Planning and Planting an Arboretumby Fred LapePolly notes, “consulted this book a lot, early and often.”

3. Trees for American Gardensby Donald Wyman

4. The Flowers and Gardens of Japanby Ella Du Cane

5. Gray’s Manual of Botanyby Merrit Fernald and Asa GrayPolly notes, “2 years at U of D to learn how to use it.”

6. Rhododendrons of the Worldby David Leach

7. Manual of Cultivated Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Americaby Alfred Rehder

8. Azaleas and Holliesby Fred Galle

9. A Handbook of the World’s Conifersby William Dallimore and Bruce Jackson

10. Wyman’s Garden Encyclopediaby Donald Wyman

of Gardening as “the first book that got meinterested.” We certainly owe Mr. Wright adebt of gratitude! For more information onour library collection, visit our website“library” page, or better, stop by for a visit.

Our wish list contains unfunded items that would enhance the services we provide at PHA.

Family Explorer Backpacks – $75 eachThe Arboretum is the ideal place for

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This year’s David H. Smith memoriallecture features Coastal Maine BotanicalGardens director of horticulture/plant cura-tor Bill Cullina. In his talk, “The Web ofLife: Taking the Long View,” Cullina willexplore what a long-term geological per-spective can bring to concerns like rarity,extinction, and the concept of “native.”

Other programs include workshopswith Holly Bellebuono of Vineyard Herbs and a visit from John Forti, curatorof historic gardens and landscapes atStrawbery Banke Museum. Also DonSibley will speak about the art of bonsaiand Susie Bowman will present a programon butterfly gardening.

We enthusiastically thank our friendsand sponsors—Bartlett Tree, Eden Market/Tea Lane Nursery, Heather Gardens,Middletown Nursery, and SBS—for theirgenerous support of our lecture series. AllWednesday evening lectures are also spon-sored, in-part, by the Martha’s VineyardCultural Council. For our complete summer schedule look for our educationbrochure mailing or visit our education

We are planning a variety of programs forour summer season and, as always, mostevents will take place in the Far Barn.

In celebration of our refurbished FarBarn we launch our summer lecture serieswith a wine and cheese reception followed by a talk on arboretum activities by PHAexecutive director Tim Boland. Up next,native plant advocate and author CarolynSummers will discuss garden design usingnative plants. Garden design on a larger scale will be addressed by Pat Cullina, vice president of horticulture and park operations for Friends of the High Line,New York’s unique public park located along an abandoned elevated rail line.

Morton Arboretum director of collec-tions Kris Bachtel will share his experiencesplant collecting in China and explain whyplant collecting expeditions are important inour rapidly changing global climate. And,later this summer, we welcome EldredgeBirmingham, director of the SmithsonianTropical Research Institute, who will dis-cuss the conservation work of the premier tropical biology research institute.

This year’s David H. Smith memorial lecture featuresBill Cullina.

Summer Program Preview

What a time we had! Our first DelawareValley garden tour was a resounding success. In mid-May our group of 14 metin Wayne, Pennsylvania, for two and a half days of garden bliss. The tour included visits to the private gardens of Eve and Per Thyrum and Andrew Bunting, andmany public gardens: Winterthur, the ScottArboretum, Chanticleer, Mt. Cuba Center,and the Jenkins Arboretum. The highlightof the trip was a private tour, reception, and dinner at Mt. Cuba Center, a gardenand horticultural institution in northernDelaware. Director Rick Lewandowskirolled out the red carpet for this very spe-cial experience. Actually, it was the personalattention we received at each garden thatmade this a truly memorable trip. Polly Hill and Tim Boland both have had a connection to the people and plants of theDelaware Valley and, now, so do our luckytour participants. Watch for more trips in the future.

page at www.pollyhillarboretum.org. To receive email program updates contactKarin at karin@pollyhillarboretum.org.

Happy gardeners at the conclusion of the Delaware Valley garden tour.

Garden Tour

Welcome Back Alyssa!

In May following the Magnolia SocietyInternational’s annual meeting inProvidence, Rhode Island, more than 40magnoliaphiles (translation: human beingscrazy about magnolias) visited PHA tostudy and enjoy our diverse collection ofmagnolia trees as well as take in the manyother botanical splendors of the season.Their visit provided PHA with theopportunity to tap the knowledge andexperience of several internationally rec-ognized magnolia experts and to shareour remarkable landscape with an appre-ciative audience. Because of our coolspring weather, the participants were wel-comed by many blooming magnolias.Their post-conference tour of mainlandcollections unfortunately featured treeswell past their peak. Many commentedthat our trees saved their best display fortheir final tour visit. We smiled andagreed!

Magnolia SocietyVisit

It is with great pleasure that we welcomeAlyssa Janilla back to PHA as our 2011collections management intern. Alyssa maylook familiar; she was a summer intern in2008. After her PHA internship shereturned to the University of Wisconsin–River Falls where in 2009 she received a BSin horticulture. Since then, she has com-pleted a horticultural internship at theSmithsonian in addition to gaining consid-erable experience through hands-on work atgreenhouse and nursery operations in hernative Stillwater, Minnesota. She assertsthat PHA is a source of infinite learning

opportunities and she looks forward to,once again, enthusiastically immersing herself in all that PHA has to offer. Alyssaaspires to narrow her horticultural focusand hone her academic skills in preparationfor graduate school in public horticulture.The mentorship of young horticulturistslike Alyssa reflects the PHA’s interest ingrowing people along with plants. Thesharing of knowledge and enthusiasm forplants is the best part of the plant-peopleconnection. Be sure to welcome back Alyssa when you visit this summer. We areso thrilled to have her back!

What is that contraption? Bird feeder?Rain chain? Sculpture? No, none of theabove. It’s a Lindgren funnel trap . . . stillwondering? Let us explain. Visitors toPHA this summer may come across threestrange-looking devices. These temporaryadditions to the landscape are part of collaboration with a USDA pest alert pro-gram to trap, identify, and detect variousspecies of exotic wood-boring and barkbeetles in southern New England. Includedon the list is the “bad boy” of exotic insect

USDA Bark Beetle Trapping

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Collections management intern Alyssa Janilla (in green) helps install beetle traps.

PHA research associate Dr. David Fosterof the Harvard Forest begins the secondfull year of our long-term ecological foreststudy. The PHA woodlands that were soseverely impacted by successive infesta-tions of fall cankerworm are reboundingwith exuberant understory growth. Theloss of the mature oak canopy has resultedin increased light to the forest understory,along with less competition for water. As a result, the woodland shrub layer hasresponded with tremendous growth, andyoung tree seedlings are also appearing.The 9 plots established for the study will be monitored for succession changesin species diversity along with the physical and chemical characteristics ofthe soil. As this project progresses moredetailed information about our changingforest will be shared with our member-ship and the Vineyard community.

pests, the Asian long-horned beetle. Thisand other target species are not known tooccur on Martha’s Vineyard, but do occurin other parts of Massachusetts. ThroughSeptember, PHA staff and interns will regularly monitor traps, collect capturedinsects, and dispatch them to a regionalUSDA facility for identification. PHA’scooperative role aligns with our scientificmission relating to the health of trees,indentifying threats, and the environmentalassessment of our forests.

PHA ForestEcology StudyUpdate

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Board News

Welcome Summer Interns

We are pleased to welcome two new members to the PHA Board of Directors:Claire Sawyers and Doug Sederholm. As the director of the Scott Arboretum inSwarthmore, Pennsylvania, Claire Sawyersbrings a wealth of experience in public horticulture to the Board as well as a long-time connection with PHA. She wasinspired by Polly Hill and advised DavidSmith and Stephen Spongberg with theinitial formation of the Landscape DesignIntent Plan for the Arboretum. Claire looks forward to working with PHA andfeels she will gain as much from her association with us as she can contribute.

Doug Sederholm is an attorney livingin Chilmark with his wife, Susan Gilligan(a special education teacher at the WestTisbury School), and two sons. Doug alsobrings a wealth of professional experienceto the Board. He is a member of theMartha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC)where his currently serves as chair of theland use planning committee. He was chair of the MVC in 2007–2008 and hasalso served on the Town of Chilmarkfinance advisory committee. Doug has hada lifelong interest in the natural world and hopes to help grow the Arboretum’srole in the Vineyard community.

At the same time we bid fond farewellto two members: Corinna Borden Hill and Cynthia Walsh. Corinna has recently

No sooner than one pair of summer internsdeparts, we begin the process over again:inquiries, applications, interviews, selection.By the end of February we had 29 applica-tions in hand from students in 19 states.This year the process culminated with theselection of Sarah Dickert and DavidWeller. Sarah graduated this year fromPennsylvania State University with a degreein landscape contracting and a minor inhorticulture. When you meet her, be sure toask about the medieval garden she helped

Arborist/senior horticulturist SteveMasterson attended a three-day Rutgerssymposium in February focused on thepractical application of current arbori-cultural research. Steve attended lectures,workshops, and demonstrations regardingthe latest developments in plant health care, fertilization, pruning and planting, and other related topics.

In March Executive Director TimBoland participated in the ExecutiveProgram for Nonprofit Leaders, a residen-tial two-week program offered through the Center for Social Innovation atStanford University, Palo Alto, California.Key topics of this intensive program included leadership, strategic change, andmarketing. Tim gained a better understand-ing of how to integrate the Arboretum’sorganizational mission with economic strategy, and extensive training in strategicplanning. Tim’s participation was madepossible through a prestigious ChanticleerScholarship in professional development.

Tim also remains involved with plants!He recently published “Oak Diversity and Ecology on the Island of Martha’sVineyard” in International Oaks, the journalof the International Oak Society. This paper outlines the landscape history of the Island and the species diversity of our oak habitats. Tim was also recentlynominated and accepted into theInternational Dendrology Society (IDS).The IDS is devoted to the study and protection of trees around the world.

Claire Sawyers joins PHA board. Doug Sederholm joins PHA board.

Staff News

develop last summer! David graduated this spring from the

University of Minnesota where he majoredin environmental horticulture. His interestin a PHA internship stems from a desire towork at a public arboretum and learn newskills. As we have from Day One of ourinternship program, we extend a heartfeltthank you to the Feldman family for theirsupport and continued dedication to thisvitally important PHA program.

stepped down from the Board. She and her husband, Walter, will be relocating tothe Hudson River Valley where Walter willjoin a physicians practice and Corinna willpursue her food and nutrition interests. Wethank Corinna for all of her enthusiasticsupport and look forward to seeing her inthe future as she begins this exciting new chapter in her life.

Cynthia Walsh has also stepped downfrom the Board. We also thank her for her hard work and dedication to PHA, asboth a board member and loyal volunteer.As a West Tisbury neighbor Cynthia hasdeep ties to Polly and the Arboretum andwe look forward to her frequent visits.

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Picture this: dense, twiggy colonies of dark, gnarled branches buried in sand alongthe barrier dunes of Lambert’s Cove Beach. What is this tough plant that thrivesin such a challenging environment? Theanswer is obvious each May when thesesame branches erupt with beautiful whiteflowers. It’s our native beach plum (Prunusmaritima). This exceptional spring displaylasts a few weeks, then, something even better follows. Over the following monthsplump, tasty fruits ripen often creating abountiful crop for harvest by the end of thesummer.

As its common name implies, beachplum is found in or around beaches insandy, exposed, full sun locations. Moreshrublike than a tree, its natural rangeextends along the Atlantic coast from NewBrunswick, Canada, south to Virginia.

When in bloom you’ll notice it inmany Island locations. A devoted group ofbeach plum enthusiasts reside on Martha’s

Beach Plum: An Edible Island Favorite

Fruits ripen in late summer.

Vineyard, many with favorite plum trees inundisclosed locations from where to securea harvest. Ask for a jar of beach-plum jelly,but don’t ask where the fruit came from.

At one time the beach plum wasthought to have great potential for com-mercial orchard production. A book pub-lished in 1892, Cultivated Native Plums andCherries by L.H. Bailey, details efforts made to establish named varieties as well as cultural recommendations for differentparts of the country. Regional study includ-ed the work of Edgar Andersen, a geneticistat the Arnold Arboretum in the 1920s and 30s. Andersen was interested in explor-ing the genetic diversity within the speciesbut first had to determine its geographicaldistribution. Frustrated in his own attemptsto document populations by car, he enlistedthe help of a pilot named Oliver Ames.They took to the sky during the bloomperiod, botanizing by plane, and developed

a distribution map along the Atlantic coast.The white blooms of beach plum create a spectacle even from the wild blue yonder!

Beach plum madness caught fire hereon Martha’s Vineyard when summer resident Ruth Eldridge White began herattempts to commercialize the fruit in the1930s. She describes her motivation, “Thedevelopment of an industry from this nativeproduct seemed a sensible practical idea to me. A great industry has been developedon the Cape through the Cranberry . . . Why shouldn’t the beach plum make asimportant an industry as the cranberry?The flavor is certainly more appealing. That sweet bitterness comes from a life ofhardship, I guess.” Yet this wild plum hasresisted large scale domestication. Perhapsthat’s part of its allure.

Today there is no viable industry onthe Vineyard but there are plenty of devotees who harvest the fruits in early to

Beach plums natural range extends along theAtlantic coast from New Brunswick, Canada, south to Virginia. This map was produced whilebotanizing by plane. Compiled by Edgar Andersenand pilot Oliver Ames, 1932. © President andFellows of Harvard College. Arnold ArboretumArchives.

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mid-September to make their own jams,jellies, and preserves. I have never madejam; my travels around the Vineyard harvesting fruit are for seed collection pur-poses. We grow beach plum from local seedto offer young plants at our plant sale. Each year we can’t grow enough to meetdemand!

Attempts to improve the selection andculture of beach plum have revealed that it makes a decent orchard crop. One troubling aspect for commercial fruit pro-duction is that beach plum tends to bealternate bearing—fruiting heavily one yearbut not the next. This may be a resourceallocation strategy of the plants, balancingvegetative growth with flowering and fruit-ing or it may have to do with weather-related factors. Certainly it’s a wonderfulornamental edible plant for the home garden as well as useful for erosion control.The beach plum is suitable for the land-

scape for use as a low-branched shrub, anddesign-wise can be used much like dwarfornamental crab-apples. Critical compo-nents for beach plum culture include fullsun, free-draining soil, and organic nitrogenat moderate levels.

Interest in local food production hasled to a resurgence in efforts to domesticatethis wild fruit that has thus far beendifficult to tame. For additional informationon beach plum culture, harvesting, andmyriad fruit recipes and uses, see theCornell University website, Beach Plum: anew crop for new markets.(http://www.beachplum.cornell.edu/).

Beach plum thrives in a seaside sandy location.

The bright white bloom of beach plum Yellow fruited forms also appear on the Vineyard.

10 – F R O M T H E L I V I N G C O L L E C T I O N

Hope-of-Spring Magnolia

Early and elegant, hope-of-spring magnolia may bloom as early as mid-March.

Open flowers of Magnolia biondii reveal the floral parts inside.

“The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.”

– Henry van Dyke

This perceptive observation penned in 1899 certainly proves true here on Martha’sVineyard. Spring arrives slowly on theIsland; most plants cautiously waiting tobreak bud until well after the calendar offi-cially proclaims the First Day of Spring.

There is a tree with the delightfulname hope-of-spring magnolia (Magnoliabiondii) that often greets the vernal equinoxwith flowers. Too brazen to care about lingering cold and wintery spring weather,it is the first of the magnolias to bloom atthe Arboretum. And if the brave flowersescape the frosts of early spring they are awelcome tonic; a veritable sight for soreeyes.

The elegant flowers of Chinese willow-leaf magnolia, another, less poetic, commonname for M. biondii, form a slender whitechalice lightly suffused with a touch of yellow and streaked pinkish-purple towardthe base. The beautiful flowers emit a delicate fragrance, fresh and slightly fruity,lighter than the heady perfume of someother magnolias. As the blooms pass over,they open wide revealing the inner botani-cal workings of the flower.

Aside from their visual appeal, theflowers also have medicinal applications.Many species of magnolias are valued inChinese folk medicine however M. biondiiis considered the best for a range of uses.Preparations derived from the flower buds appear to be particularly effective intreating sinus-related allergy symptoms.These claims have been largely substantiat-ed by extensive research that has identifiedthe various compounds responsible.

The tale of how this precociousbloomer was introduced to western gardensbegins in 1906 (a year before Polly Hill was born) when it was discovered in Hubei,China, by the Italian botanist and mission-ary Reverend P. C. Silvestri. He named thenew magnolia in honor of another Italian

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Diana Reische points out features of her favoritetree, the stewartia.

You only get one chance to make a firstimpression. Fortunately for PHA, DianaReische is often the first to welcome people to the Arboretum. Fascinated byboth people and plants, Diana has beensharing her enthusiasm for PHA for wellover ten years. In her post at the VisitorCenter she quickly engages visitors in friendly conversation helping them tomake the most of their visit based ontheir interests.

With a degree in journalism fromColumbia University, Diana has alwaysbeen interested in people and their sto-ries. From the very start she found PollyHill’s story compelling. She comments, “I was lucky enough to begin volunteer-ing at the Arboretum when Polly was stillout and about on her yellow golf cart, and to have had the opportunity to knowthis truly remarkable and generouswoman. She never failed to give otherscredit for growing her garden, or to shareher decades of knowledge about theplants with strangers as well as with thoseof us who volunteered.”

Diana became interested in theArboretum after reading about volunteeropportunities in the newspaper. She was looking for something to do for thecommunity during her summers on theVineyard where she could meet peopleand learn something new. Although along-time gardener she didn’t know muchabout trees and shrubs and was excited todiscover more. When she took the PHAguide training she realized it was a perfect fit. Like other volunteers Dianahas recently found an Arboretum project

Diana Reische

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which taps into her professional career. Using her writing experience Diana, pitchedin to update the PHA volunteer handbook.

She also enjoys being part of our family of volunteers. She notes that PHA isvery good to volunteers, recalling the firstvolunteer thank-you party when then executive director Steve Spongberg made the delicious hors d’oeuvres by hand. Ourstaff-hosted volunteer party with a spread ofhomemade delicacies is now a tradition.Diana won’t miss it!

Over the years Diana has found herArboretum volunteer work to be rewarding.She says, “my time at the PHA has given me a deeper appreciation of the world ofplants and of the people who study and protect them.” We truly appreciate Diana’senthusiasm and loyal support. She will be at the Visitor Center most Tuesday mornings throughout the summer to talkplants.

Would you, like Diana, enjoy greetingvisitors and learning more about theArboretum and our plants? Considerbecoming a Visitor Center docent. Every day from Memorial Day throughColumbus Day we rely on volunteers to

botanist, Antonio Biondi. Other westernplant explorers including the industrious E. H. Wilson observed the plant in thewild. Perhaps with a tone of frustration,Wilson wrote in a letter, “It is the onlyMagnolia I found in China which I failedto introduce into gardens.” It would take 70 years before plants took root in NorthAmerican soil and a few more years toreach Martha’s Vineyard.

Credit for introducing M. biondii tohorticulture goes to Boston College botanyprofessor Y. C. Ting. His first efforts toobtain seed were thwarted by a strongearthquake that cut short his trip to hisChinese homeland in 1976. Undeterred, he made a successful trip the following yearwhen he secured a supply of magnolia seed and consigned it to the ArnoldArboretum. Seeds were germinated there in the greenhouses. Later, plants were propagated by cuttings and the resultingprogeny distributed to members of theAmerican Magnolia Society.

Polly, among the first gardeners toexperiment with the new introduction,received a rooted cutting from the Arnoldin 1982. She planted it in her nursery in the shadow of the M. macrophylla ‘JulianHill’, a large-leaf magnolia she had namedand registered in 1982—an auspicious year for magnolias at the arboretum!

The PHA’s only specimen of this rareChinese species grows at the north end of the pine grove not far from the VisitorCenter. Here it is snugly embraced by several brethren including willow-leaf magnolia (M. salicifolia), a Japanese speciesto which it is closely related. In hope-of-spring’s native central China it may reachnearly 40 feet but the PHA specimen is a little more than half as tall after 29years, nearly as long as it has been in western cultivation.

Our efforts to propagate hope-of-spring magnolia should result in opportu-nities for more Vineyard gardeners to growthis still rare plant that bridges the gapbetween winter and spring. Perhaps you’llplan a visit to the Arboretum to look forthe hope-of-spring; mark your calendar for the first day of spring: March 20, 2012.

Visitor Center Volunteers Needed

welcome the public. We truly appreciate our front line ambassadors who meet and greet the public and make our first impression. For more information on joining our team, contact Nancy at 508-693-9426.

V O L U N T E E R S I N T H E A R B O R E T U M

MA I L I NG ADDR E S S

PO Box 561West Tisbury, MA 02575

508-693-9426 Tel508-693-5772 Faxwww.pollyhillarboretum.org

ADM IN I S T R AT I V E O F F I C E S

The Homestead809 State Road West Tisbury, MA 02575

V I S I T O R C EN T E R

795 State RoadWest Tisbury, MA 02575

A C C E S S I B I L I T Y

The Visitor Center is wheelchair accessible.

V I S I T O R C EN T E R HOUR S

Memorial Day weekend toColumbus Day: 9:30 am–4 pm

A R BO R E T UM GROUND S HOUR S

Sunrise–sunset, year-round

TOU R S

Memorial Day weekend throughColumbus Day: 2 pm daily

ADM I S S I ON

$5 suggested donationFree to members and children under 12

F R E E P A R K I NG

D R I V I NG D I R E C T I ON S

See www.pollyhillarboretum.org

mer.i.stem: n. botany. The growingpoint or area of rapidly dividing cellsat the tip of a stem, root, or branch.

The large stone fireplace near the FarBarn incites curiosity. The orange-greencast to the stone is from maritime starburst lichen (Xanthoria parietina)that grows on the limestone mortar.With its craggy lichen-covered rocks,the fireplace appears as old as the

adjacent stone walls, however, it wasbuilt in 1940s as a sort of outdoorkitchen. Nearly every Friday during thesummer, Polly’s mother, MargaretButcher, hosted a party at the Far Barn;she had the fireplace built by localstonemason Jim Norton to facilitate

her entertaining. It is believed thatcrane, rack, and the andirons weremade by Jim’s brother, Orin Norton, anEdgartown blacksmith. The bottompieces of the andirons are purported tobe chunks of rail from the Martha’sVineyard railroad that ran from Cottage

City to Edgartown between 1874 and1896. Although rarely fired up anymore,the fireplace continues to create a homey feeling to its corner of theArboretum.

T H E P O L LY H I L L A R B O R E T U M

T H E P O L LY H I L L A R B O R E T U M

PO Box 561

West Tisbury, MA 02575

www.pollyhillarboretum.org

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P A I DPERMIT #3723

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A R B O R E T U M D E S T I N AT I O N S