THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 19, 1995 TAG: 9504180131
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Coastal Journal
SOURCE: Mary Reid Barrow
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
The goldenrain tree, also known as China tree and pride of India, is one of the highlights of the tree give-away in good old Southern Virginia Beach's Arbor Day at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Great Neck Community Recreation Center.
The celebration, called a Family After Work Party, will also feature leaf printing and storytelling for children. Experts, such as Master Gardeners, will be on hand to answer gardening and tree questions and Mayor Meyera Oberndorf will accept the city's 15th consecutive Tree City USA award.
In addition to goldenrain tree seedlings, other tree giveaways that day include the more familiar loblolly pine, green ash, bald cypress, river birch, red bud, dogwood and sergeant crab-apple.
Although the goldenrain tree has been a favorite tree since ancient times in China, it became increasingly popular here in the United States after it was introduced to Europe in the late 1700s. Now folks in New Harmony, Ind., hold a goldenrain tree festival in summer when the tree is in bloom.
Unlike dogwood and other trees that bloom in spring, the goldenrain tree adds variety to the landscape because it blooms here in June. It is also unusual because it has lovely yellow blossoms that cover the tree.
Because it is a small tree, up to 50 feet in height, the goldenrain tree is recommended for urban landscapes, said Virginia Beach Extension Agent Randy Jackson. It also will do well in this area because it is tolerant of dry conditions.
``The flowers don't hang down, but sprout up,'' Jackson said. ``Plant it so you can look at it from the distance. It's a nice accent tree for the corner of the yard.''
MASTER GARDENERS will be really busy this week. After helping out at Arbor Day, the Virginia Beach gardening experts will hold their annual plant sale from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday in the ``Sears hall'' at Pembroke Mall.
``There will be a good crop of geraniums grown by Master Gardeners,'' said Virginia Beach Extension Agent Randy Jackson. ``There also will be an assortment of day lilies and herbs. There are several herbalists among the Master Gardeners.''
The group will bring along special favorites from their own gardens to the sale, too. For example, Jackson rooted cuttings from his native rugosa rose, or beach rose, for the sale. His is a red variety call Sandy.
The marsh marigold is another of the native plants that Jackson will bring from his garden. The yellow, early spring bloomer spreads by underground rhizomes and naturalizes easily in large areas. Although the marsh marigold sounds like it needs wet feet, it needs water only in late winter and early spring. It goes dormant in summer and can survive droughts.
Jackson will also bring another drought-tolerant wildflower, gray beard tongue, to the sale. A May bloomer, it has snap-dragon-like flowers that are grayish-pink, from which it gets its name. Gray beard tongue grows well in sun or semi-shade and has the added value of attracting hummingbirds.
OSPREY ARE KEEPING Virginia Power busy this spring by choosing power poles as nesting sites.
Just after the power company erected an osprey nesting platform on stilts 10 feet above a power pole at Knotts Island for one osprey pair, another pair of the big fish hawks took up housekeeping on a power pole at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. According to Richard Capps, superintendent in Virginia Power's Virginia Beach office, the company constructed another nesting platform on high just last week.
P.S. BUTTERFLY GARDENING is the topic of the Virginia Native Plant Society, South Hampton Roads Chapter, meeting at 8 p.m. Thursday at Norfolk Botanical Garden. The meeting is open to the public.
THE LYNNHAVEN RIVER: A Stewardship Challenge for the Future is a symposium for citizens interested in the river from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m Friday at the Central Library. Sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, the symposium will look at the past, present and future of the river. The fee, $10 ($5 for students) includes lunch. Call 622-1964. MEMO: What unusual nature have you seen this week? And what do you know about
Tidewater traditions and lore? Call me on INFOLINE, 640-5555. Enter
category 2290. Or, send a computer message to my Internet address:
mbarrow@infi.net.
ILLUSTRATION: Unlike dogwood and other trees that bloom in spring, the
goldenrain tree adds variety to the landscape because it blooms here
in June and has unusual yellow blossoms that cover the tree.
by CNB