spring 1997 botanical garden university of california berkeley newsletter

8/9/2019 Spring 1997 Botanical Garden University of California Berkeley Newsletter

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Volume 22, Number 2 Published by the UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BOTANICAL GARDEN at Berkele y

Desert Ferns

Oneof the newest plantings at the Garden is astriking display of xerophytic ferns in aconcrete planter extending along the south outer

side of the Desert/Rainforest greenhouse. Garden visitorsmay be surprised to find a group of plants usually associ-ated with shaded, moist habitats placed in an exposed hotsouthwestern-facing position (“the fern frying pan” as Iterm it). But these ferns normally grow in hostile desertconditions that we have tried to duplicate in our cool,fog-shrouded canyon location. Ferns of dry habitats arevariously called rock, dryland, desert, or xerophytic ferns.They belong to several genera in the family Pteridaceae,a family that includes the more typical wet-growingmaidenhair ferns. These ferns are widely distributed in

many dry regions of the world and are particularlydiverse in the American Southwest and Mexico.

Unlike many desert plants, these desert ferns are notsucculent, and their roots are the delicate threads typicalfor ferns of moister habitats. However, their aerial partsexhibit various adaptations to arid habitats. In some

species, such as members of the cliff-brake gethe leaflets are very small, have a waxy cuticlemargins curl under like the leaflets of some dinhabiting flowering plants. The waxy coveriundersides of leaves of Notholaena helps reduand causes these surfaces to have a chalky-whyellowish coloration. Cheilanthes and the oddscaly cloak fern Astrolepis have leaves that arecovered with star-shaped scales that give theisilvery appearance. In fact, the generic namemeans “star-scale.” Sometimes the undersideleaves are colored very differently from the usurfaces, perhaps silver above and cinnamonunderneath. Some xerophytic ferns such as M

intramarginalis and species of Pellaea have leaable to dry out during prolonged dry spells, tolive color as they dry, and then turning brighagain as they hydrate after a heavy rainfall. Tto apparently die and then revive explains the“resurrection plant” that is commonly given t

Cheilanthes aff. lindheimeri. Fronds covered with silvery scales, these plants spread slowly to form large clumps. They are hardy and tolerant of awide range of soil types and watering practices but need bright light and good air circulation. (Photos by the author.)

Notholaena candida. Fronds with striking white wax onThese plants do not spread; old fronds persist and curl up

Calendar of Events

Plants are for sale at The Garden Shop all year ß 510-642-3343

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage Paid

Berkeley, CAPermit No. 1061

For further information on classes and events, call 510-642-3352. Toregister for classes, send checks made out to UC Regents to UCBotanical Garden. Two weeks advance notice is necessary toaccommodate individuals with special needs. No refunds the week

before the class date unless class is cancelled. Preregistration issuggested, as classes fill early. The Garden is open every day of theyear except Christmas from 9:00am to 4:45pm. Free public tours led bydocents are given on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30pm. Admission tothe Garden is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors, and $1 for children.

University of California Botanical Garden200 Centennial Drive, #5045Berkeley, California 94720-5045

Address Correction Requested

APRIL

Learning to Key Wildflowers in the Jepson Manual withDr. Glenn Keator

Six Thursday eves. beginning APRIL 3Learn to key wildflowers using California’s plant “bible!” Be ready for thewonderful explosion of spring wildflowers. Previous experience using keyshelpful. 7-9pm. $60 members, $75 non-members, pre-registrationrecommended.

Sick Plant Clinic Sat, APR 5, MAY 3, JUNE 7, JULY 5, AUG 2Mysterious maladies? Failure to thrive? The Doctor is in! Dr. RobertRaabe, U.C. Plant Pathologist will see all patients the first Saturday of EVERY month. 9am-Noon. Ornduff room. FREEAn April Garden Tour with Assistant Curator Holly Forbes

Sat, APR 5 Join Holly Forbes for a tour of the rare plant gems of the California Native

Area. 10am-Noon. $8 members, $10 non-members.Wildflower Express—A Rail Excursion to the Jepson Prairie

Sat, APR 19A visit by rail to the vernal pools of the Jepson Prairie. Luxurious loungecar. Good eats. Knowledgeable Docents. A chance to walk among thewildflowers in a lovely, but vanishing habitat. 12:30-4pm. $50 members,$85 non-members, pre-registration required.A Filoli Tour and More Thurs, APR 24Our spring tour to the peninsula features the fabulous Filoli estate andgardens. A morning tour of the gardens will be followed by a catered lunchon the tennis courts. Two lovely, private gardens will be featured in theafternoon. Victor Yool will provide wit and commentary. All day excursion.$85 members, $100 non-members, pre-registration required.

SPRING PLANT SALEMembers’ Preview, Friday, APR 25, 5-7:30pm

Public Sale, Sat, APR 26, 10am-2pmThe time to plant is now! The Garden’s finest is yours to enjoy.

MAY

Geraniums for Your Garden with Robin Parer Sat, MAY 3Celebrated geranium expert Robin Parer will share her horticultural tipswith you. Wonderful varieties on display and for sale! 10am-Noon. Mirovroom. $10 members, $15 non-members. Pre-registration recommended.

Soft Data, Hard Impacts Tues, MAY 6A talk by Professor Paul Dayton of the UCSD Department of BiologicalOceanography about the effects of fishing on the coastal zone. 7:30 pm.FREE. In Lecture Hall 2050 of the Valley Life Sciences Building.

A Mother’s Day Walk with Tea on the Terrace Sun, MAY 11A Docent tour with a wonderful Tea on the Terrace. Plants for sale.Lovely gifts at The Garden Shop. 1-4pm, $5 at the Entrance Kiosk, call(510) 642-3352 for more information.Art in the Garden with Karen LeGault Six Fridays beginning MAY 23Create lovely botanical studies and scenes using a variety of media underthe guidance of local artist Karen LeGault. 9:30am-Noon, $90 members,$120 non-members. For more information call (510) 642-3352.

Booksigning: Rare Lilies of California Thurs, MAY 29With author Peggy Lee Fiedler and illustrator Catherine M. Watters. Alecture, with slides, on the rare and endangered lilies of California. Wineand Cheese. Books available. 7:30-9:00pm. Mirov room. $8 members,$10 non-members. For more information call (510) 642-3352.

JUNE

Borneo Trip Preview with Jerry Parsons Thurs, JUN 5A natural history, wonderful slides and a good dose of wanderlust arefeatured in Jerry Parson’s preview of his upcoming Borneo trip. 7:15-8:30pm. FREE.Creating and Cultivating an Herb Garden Sat, JUN 7With Diane Kothe and Jerry Parsons. A wonderful opportunity to startyour own herb garden! Participants will propagate six different herbs to

take home in this hands-on workshop. More herbs available for purchase.10am-Noon. Mirov Room. $15 members, $20 non-members,pre-registration recommended.Intensive Art with Karen LeGault Sat, JUN 7 & Sun, JUN 8A weekend-long exploration of garden delights, in a variety of media,under the guidance of local artist Karen LeGault. 10am-4pm, each day.Ornduff Room. $65 members, $80 non-members. For more information call(510) 642-3352.Growing Tropicals and Citrus Sat, JUN 21With Horticulturalist Lee Anderson. Practical advice for those living wellnorth of the equator. Plants available for sale. 10am-Noon. Mirov Room.$10 members, $15 non-members. For information, call (510) 642-3352.GREEN STUFF SUMMER CAMP BEGINS Sat, JUN 21A wonderful experience for junior botanists and kids who just want tohave fun. Weekly sessions throughout the summer. $125 per session. Formore information, call (510) 642-3352.Booksigning: A Book of Salvias: Sages for Every Garden

Sun, JUN 29With author Betsy Clebsch. Learn about these beautiful, aromatic herbs, a

booksigning and talk on campanion planting by author Betsy Clebsch.Tours. Wine and Cheese. Plants for sale. 2:00-4:00pm. Mirov Room.$8 members, $10 non-members. For more information call (510) 642-3352.

AUGUST

Growing Ornamental Oreganos and Using Them for Crafts

Sat, AUG 2With Diane Kothe. Create wonderful displays with these beautiful andaromatic herbs, a hands-on workshop. 10am-Noon. Mirov Room. $10members, $15 non-members. For more information, call (510) 642-3352.



University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

plants. (Plants with this name that aresometimes sold in a dry condition arenot true ferns, but are a desert speciesof Selaginella that behaves in the samemanner). Under experimental condi-tions, plants of Pellaea have survived upto five years of desiccation. Visitors toour desert regions during the summeroften see xerophytic ferns that appearto be dead, but these are merelydesiccated plants that are in a state of suspended animation awaiting a heavyshower that will enable them to resumephotosynthesis.

The Life Cycle of Ferns

The life cycle of ferns involves thegermination of spores to produce a verydelicate, small, often heart-shapedfragile plant (called a gametophyte, orgamete-producing plant) that producesthe eggs and sperm. Fern sperm cellsare motile and require water in order toreach the egg and effect fertilization.Once fertilization has occurred, thefamiliar large leafy plant that werecognize as a fern (called a sporophyte,or spore-bearing plants) develops fromthe fertilized egg. How can the delicate,water-dependent stage of a fern life

cycle occur under arid conditions?Sometimes the fragile gametophyte hasa waxy coating that helps prevent waterloss. Some have the ability to survivelong periods of desiccation despite theirflimsy nature. Some species of desertferns have evolved an interestingalteration of the conventional life cyclethat eliminates the need for ambientwater for transport of sperm cells. Inthese ferns, an embryo forms withoutfertilization. Thus, sperm cells are notproduced by such ferns. While sporesusually have half the complement of chromosomes that are characteristic of the leafy fern plants that we all know,the spores of ferns that reproduce in theabsence of sexual reproduction have

the same chromosome number as theembryo that develops in the life cycle.

Growing Ferns

This new Garden display may ormay not be successful; most of the fernsand other xerophytic plants it containshave not been grown in cultivation before (as is true of a large number of

plants elsewhere in the Garden) andthus there is no literature describinghow they should be grown. However,in the New World Desert area of theGarden several different species of xerophytic ferns, largely collected byformer Garden horticulturist SeanHogan, have been planted in theground and are thriving. Sean trans-formed that area from one containingmostly cacti and other succulents toone containing a number of non-succulent desert plants. These addi-tions have enhanced the beauty of thearea and have made it a more usefuleducational resource for classes andfor docent tours. However, most of thedesert ferns in the Garden collectionhave been housed in lath houses thatwere not open to the public, so atlast with the financial assistance of individual donors, the Friendsorganization, the California Horticul-tural Society, and the Western Chapterof the North American Rock GardenSociety, we have been able to placemost of this interesting and diversecollection on public display.

For those interested in growingthese ferns, I have filled the concreteplanter with a soil mix of 30% fir bark compost, 30% coarse sand, 20% three-eighths inch granite gravel, 10%expanded shale, and 10% fine riversand. Volunteer propagator SarahWikander and I developed andinstalled an automatic subsoilirrigation system for watering theferns. Sonoma fieldstone was thenadded to place the plants in a natural-istic setting. My impression is thatmany of these desert ferns are muchmore tolerant of summer wateringand of shade than one might suspecton the basis of the conditions underwhich they normally live. Indeed, thelip fern Cheilanthes lindheimeri fromsouthwestern American deserts has

prospered for many years in theNorth American area of the Gardenwhere it receives abundant summerwater. If our new display proves to bea success, I hope that these beautifulplants may soon become more widelygrown in Bay Area rock gardens.

—Martin Grantham

Cheilanthes pruinata. This species holds theelevation record for the genus at 4,400 metersin the Andes.

Astrolepis cochisensis. Plants spread veryslowly, but they will take harsh exposures andheat. It has done well as a companion plant tocacti in the New World Desert plantings.

Cheilanthes buchtienii. This tough and cold-hardy species has done well in both theXerophytic Fern Display and the New WorldDesert plantings.

Spring 1997

Contributions are tax deductible. Please make checks payable to UCmail to:UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, CA 94720-504*Full-time only.

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Programs and EndowmentsThe Friends offer our grateful thanks for the generousupporting the following programs and endowments

Henry MayStuart & Melva McDonaldEllen McKaskleNancy McLaughlinAlison McLean

Jean MosheimLewis MudgeDorothy MullerPhiroze Nagarvala

Jerry NelsonDr. Robert Ornduff A. Hadley OsbornKatharina OstranderElaine PectorDorothy Perry

Richard Persoff Glen PetersonElizabeth PigfordKenneth PitzerThe Placzek Family Foundation

Jean PufferRobert Ratcliff

John RattoCarla ReiterBillie & Daemeon Reiydelle

John ReynoldsRobert & Kathryn RiddellAnna RobertsWayne Roderick Susan RogersPat RongeauSteven & Elizabeth RosenbergLilo RosenmeyerMarjorie Roth

Gordon RoweDiana RowlandsHerbert RunyonAugust SchillingMark SchwartzAndrew SesslerDeborah SharpeMary SmallMichael SmithPaul SpencerM.R. StudhalterBarbara TandyTed TawshunskyRoy & Janet TaylorDr. Sam Taylor

Lucy Tolmach John TrelawneySharon Ulrich

John VlahosAleta WallaceAnnie WalrandElizabeth Waterman

James WeberMary Wehausen

Jane H. WellerBarbara West

John WhitcombCedric WhiteOlive D. WilhelmPatricia Wolf Penelope WongBeverly Wu

Jensen Young

Special ThanksThe Friends would like to honor those members making significantcontributions to the Annual Fund.

In MemoryThe Friends offer appreciation and thanks for gifts frodonors in memory of:

William & Dorothy ClemensEleanor Crary

Jana Olson DrobinskyElmer & Pamela GrossmanErrol Mauchlan

Barbara & Edward PetersonDr. Frank Pitelka

James W. & Irma B. UrenKathryn & David Welch

Manuel and David Coronado fromMartha Coronado for use in the Garde n’s Mesoam

Ned Herringer fromMary Elizabeth and Sam Stevens

Edgar Sparks fromIris E. Gaddis

Ortha Zebroski fromMrs. Dorothy G. Hiserman

Peggy BlatchfordWendy BornEdwin & Kitty DankworthAnn Fenn

Judy Houck

James JonesFred ThompsoRobert & CarolThomas LivingPenny Warren

21st Century EndowmentJames JonesMyrtle Wolf

Tamra C. Hege

California Area Endowment

Joan Rock Bailard in honor of Roger RaicheTrusts of Hans and Marian Ury

California Alive!Marion Greene



Spring 1997

FROM THE DIRECTORS

Thefirst two Garden Reviews of the MediterraneanAreas and the Greenhouses took place in late January and February. While the final reports and

their specific recommendations still are being reviewed by the Garden staff and volunteers, they have providednew directions for the current budgeting process.

Garden staff and external participants alike havefound the process invigorating, as it promoted a frank exchange of ideas and the freedom to entertain new ideasfor managing and interpreting our collections. Of especialvalue has been the strong participation of our volunteers— docents and propagators alike. Their expertise andperspective concerning interpreting the collections oftenfocused the wide-ranging discussions into recommenda-tions that are clear and practical. Consequently, these willhelp set coordinated priorities for the collections and thevarious Garden activities.

One example of the recommendations offered bythe Mediterranean Garden Review is the need to developappropriate access to both the African Hill and theMediterranean collections prior to extensive interpretiveefforts. In order to involve the University community, wehave contacted the Landscape Architecture Departmentso that we can offer a student design competition orspecial project which would result in a new path systemfor these areas. Such student-based activity will increaseaccess to our rich collections as well as increase studentinvolvement in the Garden.

In the Greenhouse Review, as you might expect, theoverwhelming priority is to raze the existing cactus andsucculent greenhouse and replace it with one thatprovides appropriate conditions for our outstandingcollection, and better interpretive access. The committeealso urged us to display our collections as integratedecosystems rather than as separate specialized collections. Jerry Parsons, Holly Forbes and several docents areanalyzing the impact of turning the Lowlands TropicalHouse into a Highlands Tropical House where ferns andorchids could then be displayed together. In House 2 (alarge greenhouse in our corporate yard, currently closedto the public) we are considering changes to create adisplay area for plants that no longer could be in theTropical House. Such programmatic changes can providemore appropriate display of our collections immediately,without a large outlay of money.

While the priority of recommendations from theseReviews has yet to be made, the process is providing acoordinated view that affects decisions for next year’s budget and program. We are looking forward to therecommendations from the remaining Reviews. We urgeyou to participate. Let Jenny know of your interest assoon as possible.

—Ian Carmichael, Acting Director—Jennifer White, Associate Director for Education

GARDEN NOTES

The Berkeley Natural History Museums Consunder the auspices of Vice-Chancellor for Joseph Cerny, hired a full-time developma two-year position to assist each of the fivThe Garden is especially pleased to welcoSverdlove Goldman (former executive dirStrybing Arboretum Society) to this positiconsortium also launched its annual lectucall 510-642-7541 for information.

The New Year’s Eve rainstorm dropped over of rain in the watershed above the Gardengravel, branches and debris downstream berry Creek. This clogged the grates abovnese Pool and forced the creek to overruncross the road, and dump many cubic yarand gravel into the pool. Emergency fundcampus allowed us to dredge much of thifrom the pool in mid-January to facilitate The added benefit of this timely dredging“re-creation” of breeding habitat for the CNewt (Taricha torosa). These salamanders the pool each winter to mate and lay eggsshallow water. They are visible throughouand usually into March. A deeper dredginpool is scheduled for late summer after thand their offspring have left the pool.

The Garden lost (removed) two of its larger tr

southern beech (Nothofagus dombeyi) in thAmerican collection, and Griselinia littoralZealand native out-of-place in the North Acollection but a welcome source of cover ftable. Both succumbed to disease problem been declining for several years.

Horticulturist Elaine Sedlack is the current vicand program chair of the California ChapAmerican Rhododendron Society.

Assistant Curator Holly Forbes is the president oChapter of the California Native Plant Socie

Curator Robert Ornduff has been elected a vicof the Pacific Horticultural Foundation. Dled a tour of national parks of Chile for 15in mid-January, sponsored by the Jepson Despite the drought in the Santiago regio

collected seeds of several plant species forGarden’s South American collection. He iauthor of two chapters in the recently pubAustralian book, Gondwanan Heritage: PasFuture of the Western Australian Biota.

Acting Director Ian Carmichael visited the offNational Science Foundation in early Januexploring funding opportunities for the G

University of California Botanical Garden at BerkeleyPage 10

New MembersThe Friends of the Botanical Garde n welcome the followingnew members.

The Newsletter is published by the University of CaliforniaBotanical Garden with support from donations and memberships.Articles may be reprinted with credit to the authors and the U.C.Botanical Garden.

Fax: (510) 642-5045E-mail: [email protected]

Web Site: http//www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/

Newsletter Robert Ornduff, Editor

Holly Forbes, Assistant EditorAcademic Arts, Production Printed by TechniPrint

Grateful ThanksThe Friends wish to thank these d onors who have made asubstantial gift over and above membership:

Millie ArmerRandall BarnesIrving BergerAlan BerlingDonelda BernardFrances Bishopric

John R. BolaEileen BrysonDiana ChapmanElaine Chernoff Tracy DeanSteven Desroches

Ewald DetjensLouise DuttonAnthony J. FigueiredoMrs. Norman FreemanSusan GilmourBernice GilardiDoris GraesserRichard GroeberSusan Hall

Janet HildebrandCarol Hofmann

Jain HutzellValerie JacksonNathalie JohnsonRobin JohnsonLois Jones

Jim KegebeinMaureen Kennedy

Joy KesterGene KimCarolyn KolkaDanielle KormosNorma Kristovich

David LombaSteven ManningLaurene MartinStevan MartinKris McKechnieEmily McKibbenMary MentzelMelanie MentzelRobert Miller

Janet NeilsonLouis Penning

Elizabeth PigfordNancy PlatfordGail RamseyKristina Raupagh

Judy Sager Jane SandstromAndrew SesslerKyle SkovBlythe SmileyMargaret SpauldingCarol ThompsonGlenn Tirsell

Louis Truesdell John TolonenIsaac TurielPatricia VanderbergWalter WallaceAnnie & Gene WalrandCedric WhiteDan WilcoxTerry WilkensLaura WiltElizabeth Woodbury

Ad Brugger & June Smith June Cheit Judith & Michael CiraoloThomas & June Cleland

Jane DavisToni FauverMr. & Mrs. Theodore H. GeballeLuanne GilbertKathleen GraevenRichard GroeberMitchell Harvey

Virginia HavensRichard HotalingSusan JensenRaymond & Mary JewellToni KlassenLewis LawyerLaVerne & Douglas LeachSterling Leisz

Leonard MaudensCamilla McCalmontMelva & Stuart McDonaldRichard & Peg McPartlandMr. & Mrs. Elmo MorganMrs. George OttoEugene Peck Dr. John Schieffelin

Julia SerencesMargaret Spaulding &

Ewald Detjens

Margaret StockwellWilliam & Tomiye SumnerKuwako TakahashiWayne ThornburgInge von der HudeFrances Wolf Leslie Zander

Willy Adam John AdamsPeter AlbinBayard AllmondPaul AndersonLawrence AnglemanMai Arbegast

Doris BeattyMargaret Benedict Jane BergenRichard BerteroRobert BinghamCordelia BishopFrances BishopricCarl BlumsteinThomas BrancaDiane BrettRobert BrewerGeorgia BrumbaughRichard BurnettBeth BurnsidePhyllis CarmichaelBetty CarpenterAntonia & Bill CarpenterMichael & Judith Ciraolo

Josephine Clark Mary Ann CobbRobert Connick Renate CoombsRichard CowanEdwin & Kitty DankworthGeorge DeaThomas DelfinoSteven Desroches

Jack DolhinowEllen DueClaire DunganBen FaberPhyllis FaberDave Fafarman

In AppreciationThe Friends would like to ac knowledge all the generous contributorsto our Annual Fund.

Lucy FergusonKirby FongPatricia FreemanLinda Gallaher-BrownThe Gardener

Janet GeisselsoderAnn Gilbert

Anne GoetschMildred GoodmanRobert GrinsteadHamlin Living TrustDr. Harlan HeadTrudis HeineckeLeon HenkinBruce HighmanEleanor Higson

Janet HildebrandNancy HilyardHenry HilzingerBeth Hitchcock Hoe & Hope ClubBarbara HopperChuck HustedGrant InmanElizabeth KanowitzStanley KelemanNorman KingSelma KlettRoyal KopperludDanielle KormosRonald KrauseLynn LandorSterling LeiszLouise LidickorDr. Robert &

Mrs. Caroline LivermoreBarbara LyssPatricia MarshallLaurene MartinChrista Matty

Garden Staff Dr. Ian Carmichael,Acting Director

Dr. Jenny White, Associate Director for EducationNancy Swearengen, Education Coordinator

Anne Caulfield, Administrative OfficerMargaret Richardson, Admissions Assistant

Candace Schott, Admissions AssistantMarilyn Setterfield, Admissions AssistantGerald Ford, Lead Building Maintenance

Dr. Robert Ornduff, CuratorHolly Forbes, Assistant Curator

Daniel Campbell, Garden Manager Judith Finn, Assistant Manager

Dr. Robert Raabe, Garden Pathologist John Domzalski, Propagator

Martin Grantham, HorticulturistPeter Klement, HorticulturistLawrence Lee, Horticulturist Jerry Parsons,HorticulturistRoger Raiche, Horticulturist

Eric Schulz, HorticulturistElaine Sedlack, Horticulturist

( 510) 642-3343 The Garden Shop642-0849 Administration642-3352 Education

643-2755 Entrance Kiosk643-8999 Director’s Office643-8040 Plant Collections




THE DOCTOR SAYS

There is much interest in home remedies for gardenproblems. One recently reported is to use methylsalicylate (oil of wintergreen) which not onlyrepels insect pests but also attracts beneficialinsects. If choosing to experiment, use oneteaspoon of oil of wintergreen to a gallon of water plus several drops of liquid detergent.Spray as often as necessary to keep the insectpopulation at a reasonable level. Anotherremedy is to control disease-producingorganisms. Control might possibly resultfrom dissolving two uncoated 5-grain aspirintablets in a quart of water. Repeat sprayingevery week or every other week. With both of these, try on only a few leaves of each plant thefirst time to see if injury results.

A new garden tool for gardeners with rocks in theirsoil is the rock rake. It is slightly V-shaped with spacedheavy metal tines. It will take out rocks from golf ball sizeup (to what is reasonable).

Those interested in ginger lilies (Hedychium sp.) will be interested in an article in the December 1996 issue of The Garden. Many species as well as hybrids are describedas are their abilities to survive winters in Britain.

As tomato season approaches, the question arises asto which cultivars should be selected. Those who dealwith cool springs will be interested in the list of cold setvarieties (those selected for producing fruits where nighttemperatures tend not to be high). A list of such varietieswhich have good flavor include: ‘Anna Russian’, ‘EarlyGirl’, ‘First Lady’, ‘Galinas’, ‘Kotlas’, ‘Medina, ‘Moskvich’,‘Mountain Spring’, ‘Oregon Spring’, ‘Sasha’s Altai’,‘Siletz’, ‘Sophie’s Choice’, ‘Stupice’, and ‘Yellow Bell’.

Now it’s official. The U.S. Food and Drug Administra-tion has approved the petition from the U.S. AppleAssociation to accept data allowing apples to be labelledas containing 0 grams of fat and 5 grams of fiber.

Released is a new F1 hybrid gerbera which producescompact plants with flowers 12 inches high. The plantshave multiple stems, are continuous blooming andflowers come in many colors with dark centers.

As spring approaches, there is an urge to go into thegarden and “work” the soil. Soil scientists however, saythat spading or tilling the soil not only destroys thestructure of the soil but also allows more water lossthrough evaporation and causes the organic matter to break down more rapidly. Tilling should be done only for

special reasons which include: breaking crusts on top of the soil, preparing seed beds, removing weeds, or incor-porating organic matter. Another that might be added is

to remove tree roots.

Recently found in a garden supplycatalog for urban gardeners is a reason-ably-priced light meter which reads infoot candles. It comes with a bookletdetailing the light needs of over 400plant species. The same catalog haspapers for measuring soil pH, pH testkits, and for those who want to invest a

little more, several pH meters. Alsoincluded are: a cloning gel that contains

rooting hormones and will stick to the basesof cuttings; a cloning wax that coats cuttings

with a thin coat of wax that contains hormonesand nutrients, eliminating the need for a mist system or ameans of providing humidity to prevent cuttings fromdrying, and a home tissue culture kit for those wanting totry tissue culture in home conditions.

— Dr. Robert Raabe

Sponsosred by UCBG With the

JEPSON HERBARIUM

MARCH 2 - 23, 1998

Join UCBG horticulturist Martin Grantham in an

exploration of the Cape floral region, the Drakensbe rg

and Natal. The Cape with its sweeps of unspoilt

beaches and magnificent mountains is one of t he most

dramatic landscapes on Earth and holds the most

diverse and puzzling flora.

In Natal and the Drakensberg (Mountains of the

Dragon) we will catch the summer flower displays

and walk on what may be the original surface of Gondwanaland, the supercontinent that existed 180-

120 million years ago.

Martin and South African botanist Anne Bean

will provide a basic framework for understanding the

amazing variety of plants.

For information call Geostar Travel, 800-642-6633.

SOUTH AFRICA NATURE TOUR

Spring 1997

STAFF PROFILE

Martin Grantham, the horticulturist in charge of African Hill and the New Zealand/Australian section of the Garden, was born on Arbor Day, which is also, inci-dentally, Luther Burbank’s birthday. He thinks this may

have been a sign that his calling life would be to things botanical! He is a native Californian, from Silicon Valley,and grew up there when it was 80% orchards, irrigated byartesian well water. His favorite “fruit of the past” isapricots.

Martin demonstrated an early interest in plants.Before he could talk he was picking seeds out of fruit andtrying to grow them. A grapefruit he grewfrom such a seed still thrives on hisfamily’s property. His fifth birthday giftwas a small portion of his family’s acrefor him to build a plant collection. Onefascinating experiment grew out of a giftof wild annual seeds, which he planted inan old lug box. There was not enoughlight for the annuals to grow, but fungusdid. Another sign, as Martin ended upspecializing in slime molds in graduate

school. His further experiments withgrowing plants were more successful, andhe began selling extras at the Santa CruzFlea market, more as a way to manage hiscollection than to earn money. Thisenterprise, however, wound up financ-ing his college education!

From the very beginning, he says, hewanted to know all about plants. Hemajored in botany at U.C. Davis, where, he says, he didnot have a clear career goal, and did as much work inzoology and mycology as in botany. He regrets not hav-ing studied horticulture and plant propagation while hewas there, but there is only so much time. He received thedepartmental citation as the top botany student at gradu-ation, along with election to Phi Beta Kappa and PhiKappa Phi. He came to Cal for graduate school, anddiscovered that while undergraduates are expected to be

“sponges,” graduate students are supposed to be “sieves.”Martin found that he was still an “unsaturated sponge,”and that his interests were really far too broad for him todevelop the focus required, so after taking as many coursesas he could, and working as a Graduate Student Instruc-tor for several years, he moved on. He says that teachingdid not come naturally, and that he had to work very hard

to be effective. His labor in that respect has off, since he has been teaching propagationthe Garden, at U.C. Santa Cruz and at Merrseveral years now and his students regard

gifted teacher!For all his other accomplishments to thisdid not drive. He found himself living in Bthe Berkeley Horticultural Nursery, and wahe could walk to. With his background in botHort was glad to hire him. Berkeley Hort hof propagating unusual plants, so Martin w

his element. He learned to propeople had seen at our GStrybing Arboretum, and mtacts. He heard about an opGarden, and was hired pardevelop the Mesoamericanthought that it would be a fiv but this was his first lessohorticulture. He learned thanever finished!

Working at the Botanica

offered other opportunitiestin learned to drive, partly work in a timely way, and pato maneuver Garden vehicproclaims himself as addautomobile as anyone else iMartin had never flown befothe Garden, but has now dexcitement of world trav

adventure was a five week trip to Costa Risince visited Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, Mexico, Vera Cruz and South Africa, sprofessional business and sometimes for palways to see plants in habitat and to collec

The South Africa jaunt was a ten-weekexchange sponsored by the InternaPropagator’s Society, and provided Martexperience to make the transition from the M

Section to African Hill. He is looking forwaGarden-sponsored trip to the Drakensberg1998. But the next thing, some would be withat he will figure out a way to get to New

—Nancy

Martin Grantham



Spring 1997

UCBG SPRING PLANT SALE LIST

April 1997

• BROMELIADS: A wide selection,acclaimed on the internet, including manyspecies and hybrids of Cryptanthus , Vriesia ,Neoregelia , Guzmania , Aechmea , Bilbergia ,also cork-mounted Tillandsia speciesthat will thrive in mid-air with mistingas well as a limited number of UCBGhorticulturist Martin Grantham’s hybrid

between Puya berteroniana and P.

coerulea for deep blue-green flowersseveral times a season!

• CACTI AND SUCCULENTS: Adiverse assemblage from miniatures tofuture giants with Anacampseros , Lithops ,Rebutia , Mammillaria , Trichocereus , Agave ,Aloe , Haworthia.

• CARNIVOROUS PLANTS: ThisSpring we will offer the cutting-propagated Nepenthes (Old World pitcherplants) collectors have been waiting for aswell as a good crop of Venus fly-traps, manysundews, Drosera capensis, D. aliciae, D. binata and Utriculariaspp. Bring the Kids!

• FERNS: Look for a first offering of the unusualSinephropteris delavayi , an Asian fern with reniform fronds anda thick indumentum, a good selection of the genus Doodiaknown for pink, red and purple new fronds including D.aspera, D. caudata, D. dives and D. media. Other offeringsinclude hardy Athyrium asplenioides , A. otophorum with purplenew foliage, the rare Asplenium billottii , the tiny and delicateA. fontanum as well as the long-lived Cyrtomium falcatum andC. caryotidium.

• FUCHSIAS: Mite resistant species and a few selecthybrids including Fuchsia glazioviana and the newly registered‘Millie’s Pink Fanfare’ hybridized at home by UCBGhorticulturist Martin Grantham.

• HERBS: Thymes, oreganos and other Mediterraneanofferings from the UCBG Herb Garden.

• HOUSE PLANTS: Anthurium and Begonia species andhybrids as well as a good selection of Gesneriads includingthe exotic Chirita moonii.

• ORCHIDS: There will be an abundance of f loweringCymbidium hybrids as well as hardy Bletilla species andhybrids including B. striata, B. striata var. alba , with a pink

blush, B. striata ‘white,’ without a pink blush, the rare B.ochracea , seedlings from Dr. Robert Ornduff’s remake of thehybrid B. ‘Yokohama,’ (B. striata x B. formosana) with limitednumbers of Garden selection B. ‘Yokohama Robert Ornduff’with the darkest color of any of the seedlings. We will alsohave a wide selection of tropical orchids in flower for thesatisfaction of those seeking an elegant gift as well as those

avid collectors ready for another fix of tIncredibly fragrant Stanhopea species f

Garden collection will be available in baskets.

• PERENNIALS AND ROCK

Always a large selection of choice pincluding limited quantities of the Verbascum undulatum aureum , Iris u

alba, I.unguicularis ‘Oxford Dwarf’,stand out in a good selection of beaunbearded iris, Luzula sylvatica ‘Au pekinensis , Incarvillea arguta , Lobelia chionantha , Epimedium spp., Campancultivars, Tricyrtis spp. and more.

• RHODODENDONS: This Sa good selection of the subsection Mlarge fragrant flowers of great beauflushed with pink or yellow. These

especially well suited to the Bay Areneed protection from severe frosts. Als

be tender section Vireya hybrids which mmost of the year with flowers of yellow, orange unusual colors for the genus.

• ROSES: A rich selection of old roses, mathrough the passionate efforts of UCBG horticuSedlack, to include ‘Emily Gray’ with her lusciored-leaved ‘Robert le Diable’, ‘Alberic Barbier’ wfoliage and pure white flowers, ‘ Ghislane de Fel‘Cantabrigiensis’, the evergreen ‘Aimee Vibert’, ‘Honorine de Brabant’, ‘Cramoisi Superieur’ and

• TREES, SHRUBS AND TROPICALS: Thoffer Araucaria araucana (monkey puzzle tree) seNothofagus dombeyi, Cunninghamia lanceolata var.as the selections of UCBG horticulturist Roger Rsanguineum var. glutinosum ‘Inverness White’ anOther offerings include Coprosma ‘Beatson GoldZealand violet relative Melicytus ramiflorus , andintermedia. Tropicals will include hardy bananascherimoya and Malabar cardamon.

• VINES: Here you will find an acclaimed satisfy novice and advanced collectors alike withofferings for Spring including a new Bomarea spEcuador, the pink and blue-flowered Bomarea sa

Chile, a ferny-foliaged Paullinia sp. from Chiapathe yellow color form of Pandorea pandorana. Loofferings of named Lapageria rosea cultivars ‘Mis‘Ligtromu’ along with a dark red, unnamed seleexquisite beauty. Other unusual offerings inclucanariensis , Schizophragma integrifolium var. glaucCampsidium valdivianum , Kadsura japonica , the dflowered form of Philadelphus mexicanus , climbinevergreen Hydrangea seemanii and H. astrolasia.

Nepenthes

University of California Botanical Garden at BerkeleyPage 8

ß Nature’s Revenge, The Secrets of Poison Ivy,Poison Oak, Poison Sumac, and Their Remedies.Susan Carol Hauser; Lyons & Burford, Pub., New York,NY, 1996. Illus; black and white and color photos;

111 pp., Paper. $13.95

In middle age, for thefirst time, Susan Hauserdeveloped a severe allergicreaction to poison ivy whenshe cleared brush from afriend’s back yard. Just as she

was recovering from thisuncomfortable encounter, sheagain innocently exposedherself to the toxic oil of theseplants because she continuedto wear her (unwashed)favorite work clothes over andover. After a six-week ordeal,she determined that the bestthing she could do was to learn

all she possibly could about poison ivy, poison oak andpoison sumac. This book is the result of her research.Written with wit and humor, it describes how to identifythese three related plants so that exposure to them can beavoided. She reviews the myth, lore and history surround-ing them, and goes on to provide information on the besttreatment available to those suffering from contact withthem. Recommended as an extremely useful reference for

parents, hikers, gardeners, naturalists and anyone elselikely to encounter these toxic plants.

ß Rare Lilies of California. Peggy Lee Fiedler; illus. byCatherine M. Watters; California Native Plant Society,Sacramento, CA. 1996; 153 pp., Paper. $24.95

Peggy Lee Fiedler,associate professor of conservation biology at SanFrancisco State University,has written a readable,authoritative, in-depthreference on the rare liliesof California. Beautifullyillustrated by Catherine M.Watters’ lovely water colors,

it appeals both to our headsand our hearts. It is a fittingresource for all of us workingto preserve and care for thesetreasures within our state.

—Elly Bade

The Garden Shop stocks a small number of bookssuitable for teachers and parents living in our area.Bob Hood, a teacher at the Carl B. Munck School inOakland, visited the Garden during his participationin the LITES program. We asked him to review thefollowing teachers’ workbook for us. Thank you, Bob,for this review.

ß Plants. Linda Schwartz; Illus. by BeverlyArmstrong; ed. by Sherri M. Butterfield; The LearningWorks, Santa Barbara, CA, 1990. (A Learning Works

mini-unit for grades 1-4); 48 pp., Paper. $6.95

GROWING MINDSFERTILIZED

In a recent visit to theGarden, I discovered awonderful resource forelementary educators.Plants , written by LindaSchwartz and illustrated byBeverly Armstrong, is aterrific summary of basicinformation on plant life.It is well organized andthoughtfully put together

to assure success for all the varying levels of learners

found in today’s classrooms.This mini-unit is designed for grades 1 to 4, but I

have had some success reinforcing important lifescience concepts with my sixth grade students, andsome of the pages could be adapted for pre-schoolers.Its wide range of activities include text passages,pictures, coloring sheets, mazes, crosswords and more.It addresses basic thinking strategies like sequencingand classifying. The curricular content is rich inlanguage arts skills like phonics, vocabulary and poetry.

The subject matter grows from the ground up.Starting with roots, emerging toward stems, sproutingforth leaves and then blossoming into flowers, fruitsand seeds—it’s all there. TEACHERS, PARENTS,GRANDPARENTS: I urge you to check it out!

—Bob Hood

All members of the Friends of UC

Botanical Garden receive a 10%

discount for purchases of books and

gifts at The Garden Shop.




Japanese Sojurn

Botanical garden horticulturists often travelvicariously; that’s one attraction of growing plants of

known wild origin. Small seedlings which come fromfar away and hopefully won’t be too homesick willgrow as evocations of another place. Opportunities toactually travel and experience firsthand the naturalenvironment of plants in one’s care are an immense aid,one picture of a plant in its native habitat being worthat least a thousand words!

I carried the letter from my friend in Japan with mefor weeks, wondering how to afford her invitation. Shehad taken a job for only one year at a small Americancampus in Niigata Prefecture in northern Honshu. Shewas living near the mountains with an extra bedroom,a key consideration given the cost of hotels. So Iscrambled for tickets and a railpass and finally foundmyself in Nakajo, a rice growing region between themountains and the Japan Sea, at roughly the samelatitude as San Francisco. The best rice in Japan is saidto come from Niigata Prefecture.

I tried to plan my trip for the spectacular color of the autumn maples. However, no one could tell meexactly when to go. In Japan, there is a nightly newsreport abut the status of the autumn leaves, and cherry blossoms in spring. It’s a good idea to plan travel fromone latitude to another, so that at some point you willpass through an area where the color will be at its peak.

A bicycle is a great way to travel in any country, andwhen I was offered the use of a shiny blue mountain bike, I eagerly accepted. This allowed for in-depthexploration of the village and was a big hit at the local

market. Not only that, it enabled me to get to the moun-tains in one-third the time of walking, and this is what Ihad come for.

In Japanese culture the silvery, fan-shaped paniclesof autumn grass, Miscanthus sinensis , are as symbolic of autumn as maple leaves, and are indelibly part of mymemory now. It was the first plant I saw on the railroadtracks and roadsides, from forest margins to the top of Sado Island, where wind-stunted maples nestled in thedrying grass blades. Until I got to Sado, the best colorwas provided by Viburnum furcatum , Hamamelis japonica(Japanese witchhazel, enameled red), and Rhustrichocarpa , the lacquer source for the area. The nexttown to the north is Murakami, famous for its finelacquerware.

The wildlife was intense. Birds loved the densecover (kudzu has its purpose). On Sado I saw ospreys,and everywhere there were cranes in the rice fields. I

startled a pair of pheasants in the woods. There wereexotic, orb-weaving spiders (Argiope), dragonflies, butterflies, and frogs, as life imitated art. Children reallydo play with grasshoppers in Japan. Also, in the moun-tains reportedly there are snow monkeys and black

I have always knownthat at last I wouldtake this road, but yesterdayI did not know that it would be today. -Ariwara no Narihira, 9th century

Above left, Japanese chestnut, Castanea crenata , graced by Viburnumfurcatum foliage. Below, sacred straw rope at Shinto temple. There is anancient belief that the spirit of the grain resides in the husk, which mayexplain why the Great Shrine at Ise resembles the rice storehouses of theYayoi period. (Photos by the author.)

Spring 1997

bears (thankfully more elusive, although bears hadkilled two farmers in their fields the year before).

I hiked through Cryptomeria groves at the lowerelevations, cut over about 60 years before, into mixeddeciduous woods comprised mainly of Lindera umbellata ,Castanea crenata , Evodia , Prunus and Acer (three species),with occasional Magnolia obovata , Paulownia , Morus andZelkova , and an overstory of red pine. At the higherelevations thee were stands of Fagus crenata. Most strikingwas the rich shrub layer—practically every temperate Japanese plant which we have growing at the Gardenwas present in a wild tangle: Callicarpa, Hydrangea,

Stachyurus, Euonymus, Weigela, Camellia, and Euryamingled with Rubus and Sasa veitchii. A variety of fernsand ground covers, including Shortia, Epimedium, ArdisiaandEuonymus shared space on the forest floor. In sum, allmy old friends were there, growing with abandon.Wisteria was indiscriminate in its choice of trees, and thepersimmon which was in every courtyard in town wascuriously absent in the woods. It turns out the farmersspray the trees with hormones to suppress seedformation. I found persimmon wine, persimmon candyand paintings of persimmons, but no trees in themountains. The local specialty is persimmons whichhave been soaked in wine and hung to dry. Theseprovide sustenance during winter when as much as 3meters of snow fall. Maybe this accounts for the tulip being the city flower of Nakajo!

Although my visit was brief, I have fond memories of the people and plants which I met during my trip to “the

backside of Japan.”—Elaine Sedlack

The ubiquitous Miscanthus sinensis has flowersreminiscent of silk embroidery. This grass is not to beconfused with pampas grass, Cortaderia , anotherrobust genus native to South America and NewZealand. Both are sold commercially.

BOOK REVIEWS

ß A Sierra Nevada Flora. Norman F. Weededition new drawings by Amy David; WildBerkeley, CA, 1996. Keys, line drawings; 2Paper. $15.95

Since 1975, wedition was pubhiker in the Sierr

could be found w“Weeden” in herpack. As a referewildflowers, it whiker’s field guidthrough three ed(Munz’ A Califorpretty heavy!) unout of print seveAt that time The Manual: Higher PCalifornia , with itrevised treatmen

California flora, had been completed, so a revupdated edition of A Sierra Nevada Flora was n

This new field guide (measuring in at 8 1/5 1/

23” x 5/

8” and weighing 13 oz.) may, at first

disappointment to those expecting the earlier1”, 10.5 oz.) handbook format. However, thea professor of plant genetics at Cornell Unive been careful to keep the user-friendly featuresformer editions. His nomenclature and treatmfamilies, genera and species follows that of Jeit possible for beginners to consult and switch Jepson Manual easily. References to edible wildcaution on the use of some, remind us that thifirst published twenty years ago when conserwild California plants was not the issue it is to

Many members of the Friends of UC BotaGarden know Norman Weeden’s parents. Thand Pat Weeden, who have given us so muchand energy all these years.

(continued, p. 8)

We are pleased to report that our new adprocedures have given us the foinformation: During the period JanuaryMarch 6, 1997 we hosted 3,381 visitors an3,184 volunteer hours.

VISITORS TALLY

spring 1997 botanical garden university of california berkeley newsletter

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