Over the past five weeks, Wooster Ohio, home of two great institutions of higher education, a liberal arts institution - the College of Wooster, and a land grant institution, Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and the City of Wooster have provided ample photographic opportunities for horticulturalisms and botanizing. Here are a few, from my light and dark perspectives:
The lead image of river birch (Betula nigra) illustrates the beauty this native tree and its cultivars provides to cityscapes and landscapes.
Next is, honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos) in its thornless form (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis), that is a common sight for urban sites and a successful choice throughout Ohio. It is seen here through my darker lens with one of its periodic pests, mimosa webworm. This honeylocust pest should not be confused with locust leaf miner scorching black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), with damage commonly seen along roadsides.
As a landscape feature, Rosetta Hardscapes effectively being used at the College of Wooster and which is also used at the amphitheater at OSU’s Secrest Arboretum, are examples of how modern hardscaping is a great complement to the living green components of landscapes.
On the darker side is a sad stump of an ash tree along a city street, with living reminders of sprouts trying to defy emerald ash borers, but it is only a matter of time – for either the city or homeowner removing them as they grow, or if these shoots grow large enough – a return of emerald ash borers.
One last dark side that actually lightens the leaves, is that of the unfortunate feeding of lacebugs destroying the chlorophyll on azalea foliage.
But the light side wins – a groundskeeper tractor attachment used for – making homemade vanilla ice cream. The green industry wins!