Can you figure out these Arboretum inhabitants? This letter was a tough one! The answers are at the bottom of the newsletter.

by Sean Fox

Oh, wait… perhaps I should say serviceberries for June? No, no….maybe Saskatoon berries would be more appropriate. Hmmm… that won’t work. What about the folks that like to call them shadbush, sarvis, poirier or chuckley pears? Well, with over 80 different common names in use for the genus Amelanchier, maybe we won’t be able to come to a quick consensus, but let’s not let that stop us from discussing this wonderful and diverse group of plants a little further.

Amelanchiers are known not only for causing confusion due to their abundance of common names, but also for their tendency to perplex botanists and plant taxonomists with their tricky identification features. There are difficult-to-distinguish and subtle differences amongst species, but also great natural variation within individuals and populations, and even frequent sexual promiscuity leading to hybrids between species. The Arboretum’s first Director, Robert J. Hilton, summarized it well when he said that, “one has only to view the specimens in Eastern North American herbaria to realize how much ‘expert’ variation exists in the taxonomic fraternity studying Amelanchier.”

Doc Hilton was very passionate about Amelanchiers and spent many years observing and evaluating the genus while trying to promote their beauty and utility. His travels took him across North America to view specimens in the wild, and his expertise led to The Arboretum being named as the International Registrar for Amelanchier during this time. With this distinction, The Arboretum was responsible for maintaining a complete listing of registered Amelanchier cultivars (cultivated varieties), as well as evaluating any emerging cultivars that were developed at nurseries for specific ornamental or fruit-producing merit. Candidate registrants would submit information and material to The Arboretum, which was then verified for taxonomic accuracy and merit. In fact, several of the cultivars that you now see in garden centres were first approved and registered here in Guelph, including favourites such as Princess Diana Serviceberry. Doc Hilton also worked at developing his own cultivars, and after his retirement even had a cultivar named in his honour by some colleagues in Nova Scotia. Amelanchier laevis ‘RJ Hilton’, which can be found in several locations in The Arboretum, is unique in that its flowers open pink, as opposed to the typical white.

Perhaps what makes Amelanchiers most special is the incredible ecological role they play. As one of the first species to bloom in spring, they are critically important to pollinators. The flowers soon turn to fruit, and are a much sought-after early summer food source for birds and mammals. The fruit is quite tasty to humans, as well (I have a hard time passing a ripe crop without grabbing a handful, or five), and is one of the core ingredients of pemmican, which was a staple food for indigenous cultures in western North America.

Though many of the separately recognized Amelanchier species may not always appear very different from one another, they each play an important role in the unique landscapes they inhabit. Amelanchier laevis is a tree-sized species of the forest edge, while Amelanchier sanguinea is often found on rocky outcrops. Amelanchier spicata forms thickets in acidic soil, whereas Amelanchier humilis will do the same in environments where the soil has a higher pH. While all of the species look fairly similar in leaf, flower and fruit, learning how to recognize the subtle differences between them enables us to better understand the important niches that each species fills, and how we can most successfully utilize them when restoring natural habitat, growing a fruit crop, or even choosing the most suitable species to beautify our backyards.

This is where The Arboretum’s collection of Amelanchiers proves its value. With over 150 individuals representing 29 different taxa (species, varieties and cultivars) spread amongst the grounds, The Arboretum has one of the most diverse collections of Amelanchiers in the world. Here, scientists, botanists, landscape architects, hobbyists and school groups can study the subtle differences between this incredible group of plants in one convenient location. The collections also serve as an important archive for plant material that could hold value for habitat restoration and species recovery efforts. And, to top it all off, what a sight to see the incredible floral show these plants display in May, or the array of birds that visit to feast on fruit in June and July, or the blazing leaf colour covering the plants in autumn. Doc Hilton had good reason to admire Amelanchiers as much as he did, and we hope that your next visit to The Arboretum will increase that appreciation too.

 
1. Amelanchier laevis on left, and          2. RJ Hilton, the first Director of The
Amelanchier intermedia on right,            University of Guelph Arboretum,
blooming in 2015 outside of the          inspecting Amelanchier in Nova Scotia
OAC Centennial Arboretum Centre.      in 1988.

 
  3. A comparison of species being             4. A beautiful example of Amelanchier made by Doc Hilton in 1987.                           laevis captured by Doc Hilton in its
                                                        natural habitat in Newfoundland.

 
5. Late Arboreum Horticulturist, Henry Kock,   6. Young amelanchier grafts in
inspects amelanchiers in The Arboretum        The Arboretum nursery in 1986.
nursery in 1987.                                                             

 
7. Amelanchier intermedia, as              8. The large blooms of Amelanchier
captured by Doc Hilton in 1985,            laevis at their peak in The Arboretum's with a tasty-looking crop of fruit.                    collections in 2015.

Mark your calendars! We will be hosting the Arboretum Bioblitz on Sunday, June 21 in the J.C. Taylor Nature Centre. Visitors are welcome to join us anytime between 10 am and 4 pm as we look for all things alive! Many hikes will start at 10 am after a brief introduction but there will be instructors in the Taylor Nature Centre at all times and other hikes will start as people show up throughout the day. Last year we recorded over 400 species of plants, animals, lichens and fungi. Amazing!

Join Alexandra, our Summer Interpretive Naturalist, for Wednesday Night Walks at The Arboretum June through August. The cost is only $2 with children under 5 FREE! Walks take place every Wednesday evening from 7 - 8:30 p.m., beginning at the J.C. Taylor Nature Centre.

For more information please contact The Arboretum at 519-824-4120 ext. 52363 or go to our website.

June 17th - Animal Behaviour: Why Do They Do That?
Animals can do some odd things at times, but it is all for a reason! Come learn about the odd things that animals do in order to survive, choose a healthy mate, and be a good provider. And learn about those sneaky guys who have learned to cheat the system!

June 24th - Boys vs. Girls
In the plant and animal kingdom, the males and females of a species often look very different. But why? We will look for some examples and learn why girls rule and boys drool… or vice versa.

July 1st - Nature’s Canvas
Take this Canada Day to appreciate the natural materials that our country has to offer and express some Canadian creativity! Everyone of every skill level can have fun in this workshop! We will explore creative pieces of art made from nature before we gather some natural materials for our own inspiration. Mother nature was born an artist and now we need to find her hidden works!

July 8th - The Art of Bird Identification
Birds are very detailed creatures and sometimes it is difficult to tell them apart, especially for beginner birders. We will be studying local bird species and what characteristics are important for identification. We will also use some artistic techniques to help us remember each bird’s field marks.

July 15th - Life Strategies of Plants
Plants have been on this earth much longer than we have, so they must know what they are doing! Different species have different methods to keep their roots and seeds planted. Now is our chance to understand some of their sneaky survival tips here in The Arboretum.


Wednesday Night Walk
photo by Bruce MacNeil

This is the popular time to get married. We have two picturesque outdoor ceremony sites as well as indoor space with a fabulous view for wedding receptions. If you or someone you know is looking for a space for your wedding ceremony and / or reception please contact Barb Watson – Ash at 519-824-4120 ext. 54110 or [log in to unmask]. Further information on our unique reception facilities and outdoor ceremony sites can be found on our website.

 
West Lawn                                       Auditorium

Looking for a great gift for your Dad? Is he a nature lover? We have a series of 5 booklets: Feeder Birds, Wildflowers, Mammals, Dragonflies and Summer Garden Birds. Each booklet is full colour and is $8. Details can be found on our website.

We also have a nature journal with a series of colour photos in the centre pages and lots of unique pages with leaf backgrounds for sketching or journaling. Each journal is $10.

Our Biodiversity placemats are $4 each or $40 for the set of all 12. Each double-sided, laminated placemat features a different group of local organisms.

Gift certificates are also available for our workshops.

To purchase these booklets, journals, placemats or gift certificates please call ext. 52358 or e-mail us at [log in to unmask]. We would be happy to mail these out to you (a mailing fee will apply).

Here are some more phrases that people sent in a couple months ago.

   

Close Up and Macro Photography, Biomimicry, Medicinal Plants, Dragonflies and Damselflies, Basic D-SLR Photography and Shorebirds workshops are approaching. The dates and registration deadlines can be found in our Coming Events Listing in the column on the left side of this newsletter. A detailed description of each course is available on our website. Help us promote our programs … please forward this e-mail on to your friends and colleagues who may be interested. The more participants we have, the more programs we can offer.

Registering early is important for us because we need lead time to decide if we are running the workshop or not. To encourage registering before the deadline, we now have an Early Bird Fee. You can still register after the deadline, but it will cost an extra $10, so why not register early? This plan will also help newspapers get the word out in time - we often get a great listing in a newspaper right after the deadline and after we have cancelled the program due to low registration numbers! Hopefully this new plan will ensure that most of our workshops get enough participants to run them!

Registration is available on-line which allows you to register for our programs at anytime, not just during our regular business hours. A secure link is provided on our website for this easy registration process.

If you do not have internet access registration can still be made by phone or in person at 519-824-4120 ext. 52358 as in the past. Please remember that a decision is made on the registration deadline as to whether the workshop will run or not, based on the minimum number of required registrants. You may still register after the deadline as long as the workshop is running and there is space.

June is our busiest nature sightings month and this year isn't disappointing any of our visitors. Butterflies are showing themselves everywhere including Tiger Swallowtails, Red-spotted Purples, Common Ringlets and Viceroys. We haven't seen a Monarch yet but hope to soon. As well, baby birds are making themselves known with begging calls being heard throughout our site. Our Pileated Woodpeckers are actively feeding their nestlings which will be leaving the nest soon. There are blooms everywhere, including everyone's favourite, the Tulip-trees. Our trees that got hit by frost while they were leafing out (such as the ginkgos, sumacs, Kentucky Coffee Trees, walnuts and hickories) are recovering with another set of leaves. All in all a great spring again in The Arboretum.

 
Pileated Woodpeckers                        Red Spotted Purple Butterfly
photo by Karl Egressy                         photo by Chris Earley

 
Magnolia tree with frost damaged       Tulip Tree
leaves and new leaves

Be a part of the BetterPlanet Project by donating on-line:

Your donation can be directed to The Arboretum online through the secure University of Guelph donation page: http://uofg.convio.net/arboretum

If you prefer not to make an online donation, there are several other ways to provide your financial support. You can choose to donate by telephone, mail, fax, or in person:

UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH Attention Alumni Affairs 50 Stone Road East Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 Tel: 1-888-266-3108 ext. 56934 Tel: 519-824-4120 ext. 56934 Fax: 519-822-2670 Email: [log in to unmask]

If you would like information on bequests and planned giving to The Arboretum please contact:

Ross Butler
Director, Gift Planning
at (519) 824-4120 ext. 56196 or by e-mail at [log in to unmask]