Can’t believe this area used to be all knotweed! On left, Princeton elm, center, river birches, and at right (flowering) is one of my favorite shrubs, highbush cranberry (Viburnum trilobum).
Tag: birch
Shady Glade
Planted among these existing birches, giant blue and sum-and-substance hostas have miraculously escaped the hungry and merciless whitetail deer.
Birch Grove in Autumn
Now that their leaves have dropped, the “Heritage” river birches are showing off their beautiful bark. We planted these in 2012, if I remember correctly. They sit right over where some of the densest knotweed rhizomes were.
In the foreground is viburnum, bayberry, sweetfern and a dogwood. The dogwood and two of its buddies have had their roots pruned in anticipation of being transplanted next spring.
The Former Knotweed Area
It’s just unbelievable that this area was once the thickest area of the densest, deepest and most monstrous Japanese knotweed rhizomes I’ve ever seen, over 8′ tall. You could not walk through it or see through it.
Now, it’s planted with a grove of Betula nigra (river birch) and one Ulmus americana (Princeton elm). The cedar, juniper and pines in the background are very happy also. Walker’s Low catmint loves the sunny slope. My favorite, though, is the Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed), in the foreground. Years ago, I scattered seed in this area, and it’s still coming up.
I don’t think of common milkweed as a weed at all. It’s beautiful, it has great architecture and its scent is heavenly. It does great things for insects (hence birds also) and butterflies. Last year when we had a resident groundhog family, the young shoots were their favorite food. Once we had milkweed coming up, the groundhogs left our salvias alone!
July 2015 – West Slope
One pathway still exists, to reach the bench overlooking the pond. River birches and willows have grown to the point where it is difficult to walk through them. That’s exactly what we wanted: multiple trunks, thick foliage, more protection.
