Horticulture Highlight: Larch, Larix sp.
All the complicated details
of the attiring and
the disattiring are completed!
A liquid moon
moves gently among
the long branches…
-William Carlos Williams
Conifers may primarily be defined as producing their seeds attached to scales of a woody cone (pinecone, spruce cone, fir cone, hemlock cone sequoia cone, etc.) and generally are evergreen. Willaims’ imagery alludes to deciduous plants’ autumn readying for winter. The larches, Larix sp. are the largest genus of deciduous conifers. Three other genera of deciduous conifers in our living collection are Taxodium, Metasequoia and Pseudolarix.
There are perhaps 11 species (taxonomists may differ) within the genus Larix, or Larch, all occurring in the northern regions and/or higher altitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Cone characteristics along with geographic nativity help greatly in distinguishing between species. (more…)
Biophilia & Biodiversity: A Celebration
Edward O Wilson, Harvard University Faculty Emeritus in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, has been a transcendent figure in the world of biodiversity research. His long and storied career of field study, writing, and teaching, has led him to be called “a Darwin for the modern day.” In his 1984 book “Biophilia,” Dr. Wilson fostered what has been referred to as… the love of life and the living world; and the affinity of human beings to other life forms.
He described biophilia as…
“the rich, natural pleasure that comes from being surrounded by living organisms.”
The concept of biophilia is taught at many institutions and groups based upon it’s ideas and applications meet regularly in communities all over the United States.
Join us on Saturday November 3, 2018 at 3pm at Bigelow Chapel for our inaugural Biophilia meeting. The event will be led by David Morimoto, Director of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lesley University. Speakers from the local academic and research community will share stories about working with Dr. Wilson, or of his influence on their own work.
This event is free and open to the public. Space is limited.
Please rsvp to Paul Kwiatkowski, Wildlife Conservation & Sustainability Manager at: pkwiatkowski@mountauburn.org or at 617-607-1956.
Sweet Auburn Magazine
Published biannually, Sweet Auburn is an exploration and celebration of the many facets of Mount Auburn Cemetery. Topics covered in the magazine include art, architecture, biography, burial and commemoration, conservation, design, ecology, education, history, horticulture , genealogy, preservation, and wildlife. (more…)
Horticulture Highlight: 1938 Hurricane
…hurricane-willed,
with a mind like a tornado redefining the landscape…
-Haki R. Madhubuti
Nineteen-thirty-eight certainly had an abundant amount of what everyone often refers to as “the good old days.” At the movies the Academy Award for Best Picture went to You Can’t Take it with You, starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur, another comedy was Bringing Up Baby with Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and of course the leopard named Baby. The Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn and Basil Rathborne drew audiences along with Angels with Dirty Faces starring James Cagney, Pat O’Brien, Humphrey Bogart and period favorites, The Dead-End Kids. Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire danced together again in Carefree, and Astaire had his hand and footprints cast in cement at Grauman’s Theatre in Hollywood. (more…)