Page 64 - Free State Winter 2022 - Website Version

GROWING WITH EDUCATION (Continued) nut weevils, oak skeletonizer and scale. Disease pests can
include anthracnose, cankers, chestnut blight, leaf spots, oak
small ribbed or winged nutlets. The plants can be used as a
low maintenance understory plant, allowed to naturalize in leaf blister, oak wilt, powdery mildew and shoestring root rot.
a wooded area or as a small lawn specimen. There are few There was a beautiful Champion Quercus stellate or Post
insect and disease pests, but the American Hornbeam can still Oak located on the UMD campus on the north side of the
be susceptible to cankers, leaf spots and twig blight, while the Architecture building, but it succumbed to the sands of time
two-lined chestnut bore and maple scale can be problematic. this past year.
Quercus laurifolia or the Laurel Oak is a native Champion, Ulmus alata or Winged Elm is also a native Champion on
a mostly deciduous, medium sized tree growing 40-60 the UMD campus, located north of Dorchester Hall. Winged
feet tall that is in the Red Oak family. The Champion tree is Elms are cold tolerant from USDA zones 6-9 and grow best
also located on the University of Maryland campus by the in full sun with rich, moist loam soils. Once established they
Benjamin building. They are cold hardy in USDA zones 7-9 are tolerant of both dry and moist but well drained sites.
and thrive in full sun in rich, acidic, wet but well drained soils. The plants have an open rounded crown and resemble the
Once established they can grow in poorly drained soils and silhouette of the American Elm but have a finer, more graceful
drought soils. The semi-evergreen leaves are oblong and habit. Young trees may need to be pruned to maintain the
narrow, dark green and glossy. They grow in an alternate single trunk. Most Winged Elm are considered a medium to
pattern on the grey brown stems, growing 1-4 inches long. In small sized tree, growing 30-50 feet tall and 25-40 feet wide.
the warmer climates, the leaves don’t fall until mid-winter, but In late winter, the Elm blooms with clusters of small red-green
in the northern areas the leaves fall from the trees in autumn. flowers that mature into oval wafer like samaras that are
After 15 years, the trees begin to produce edible acorns that outlined by long white hairs on the edges. Each samara has
are an important food source for native wildlife. The silhouette a single seed that is wrapped in a flattened papery container,
is a broad rounded crown and the medium size of the trees and matures in the spring, cascading to the ground like green
make them an excellent choice for residential landscapes. confetti. The almost leathery dark green leaves are alternately
The National Champion measures 86 feet tall and 89 feet arranged on the slim gray-brown stems that grow 2 corky
wide in Chesapeake, Virginia. Although Oaks are susceptible wings opposite each other. Each leave is 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches
to many diseases, the Laurel Oak is considered to have good long with double toothed serrated edges with asymmetrical
pest resistance and be a low maintence tree. Insect pests can bases. In autumn the green leaves fade to yellow. The National
include borers, caterpillars, galls, leaf miners, oak lace bugs, Champion is located in Hopewell, Virginia and is 95 feet
tall with a spread of 83 feet. Elms have many disease pests
including the fatal fungal Dutch elm disease that is spread
by bark beetles and attacks the xylem, which conducts water
and nutrients up through the tree. Powdery mildew can turn
some of the leaves white by autumn, and a fatal Phloem
necrosis, caused by a phytoplasma. Other disease include a
bacterial disease, Wetwood, other wilts, rots, cankers and leaf
spots. Insect pests can include beetles, borers, caterpillars,
mealy bugs and scale. The tree is not usually available due to
its many disease issues.
Abies firma or Momi Fir is a fragrant needled evergreen tree
from Japan and the Champion tree can be found on UMD in
the Physics courtyard. The Momi Fir is cold tolerant in USDA
zones 6-9, thriving in full sun to part shade and rich, slightly
acidic, moist but well drained soils. Despite the fact that most
species of fir prefer cool and moist landscapes, Momi Fir
handles both the heat and the humidity of much of Maryland.
The 1 – 1 ½ inch dark green needles are arranged like a 2 sided
comb with the broadest needles in the center and forming
a wide V shape. Young plants have 2 sharp prickles at the
top of each needle while older trees have thicker needles.
The needles are dark green on top and lighter green on the
Quercus laurifolia

64 WINTER 2022 • Free State News