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MID-MARCH DRIVE DOWN I-35 NOT ALL DRAB BROWN
You've probably heard the line about the best thing ever to have come out of Iowa: I-35. It's an Arne Carlson kind of joke.
I drive I-35 a lot for my business, and I can assure you that there isn't much happening this time of year, horticulturally speaking, on either side of the Iowa/Minnesota border.
At least that was my conclusion after driving from Chaska to Ames last Monday. Prior to March, this stretch of highway is a border-to-border blanket of snow; in April, it all begins to turn green. But in mid-March, everything from the western horizon to the eastern horizon wears a robe of drab brown.
On my return trip to Minnesota, I decided to look closer for something...
anything...that might be of horticultural interest.
Upon closer inspection, alas, not everything was brown. The woody stems of dogwood shrubs, planted for miles in northern Iowa, have taken on an intense reddish hue that is characteristic of this species in early spring. It's a good reminder that leaves, flowers and berries shouldn't be the only criteria for selecting shrubs. Since our woody plants spend half the year devoid of leaves, flowers and berries, attractive stems can be a smart selection criteria.
Another surprising March color along the barren highway was golden yellow - the color of the twigs of willow trees.
Minnesota can be proud of its impressive stand of vigorous Colorado blue spruce on the west side of I-35 between Faribault and Albert Lea. On previous trips, I've pondered why these spruce look so healthy and full-bodied; this week, I figured it out. The mountains of snow surrounding these trees, blown by the winter's howling northwest wind, will water these spruce trees into mid-summer. It's a nice arrangement - the trees prevent snow from piling up on the highway, and the piled up snow around the trees waters them for most of the growing season.
Farm windbreaks have also trapped mountains of snow. Drifts as high as barn roofs will melt slowly this spring and nourish trees roots well into the summer. There is so much snow in places that planting may have to be delayed in the field rows closest to the windbreaks.
On my return trip, I pondered why trees always seem to get planted in rows.
Birds don't plant trees in rows. Trees themselves don't shed their seeds in rows. I can't think of one natural stand of trees in a row. So how come we humans insist on planting trees in rows? If I ever come across a windbreak or shelterbelt planted randomly, I think I'll pull in the driveway and congratulate the planter for his or her originality.
The most curious sight I saw was a stand of 20-foot trees next to a farmstead that had all the bark chewed off from 2 feet to 6 feet above the ground. Since I was driving by at 70 miles/hour, I didn't determine the cause of the damage. Next trip, I need to look closer to see if the culprit was cattle, deer, rodents or something else. Unfortunately, since the 5-inch diameter trunks were completely girdled, these trees will all die.
Another splash of color that contrasted with the drabness was the reddish-brown leaves still clinging to the branches of red oak trees. Like the red twigs of dogwood, leaves that hang on into March might be a reason you'd want to select red oaks for your yard.
A lot of spruce and pine trees have been planted on the east side of the highway in both states in recent years. Sadly, many of these young trees are exhibiting a lot of brown needles. I hope it's just winterburn and they'll green up once the sap starts flowing.
I fear, however, that many of them may be suffering from salt damage. When a snowplow traveling 50 mph throws snow (i.e., salt) into a 30 mph northwest wind, the snow (i.e., salt) flies a long way. Trees planted within 500 feet of the highway get coated with this snow (i.e., salt). Let's hope the dose doesn't prove lethal.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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