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TOPIC: Round-leaf birch, Betula uber
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/4e74ef24b7bc779d?hl=en
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== 1 of 4 ==
Date: Mon, Feb 4 2008 9:26 am
From: "Lee E. Frelich"
ENTS:
How many of you have heard of Round-leaf Birch (Betula uber)? It a
close
relative of B. lenta and supposedly the rarest native tree in the
eastern
U.S., native only to Smyth County VA. I was surprised to see it is
actually
mentioned in the Gleason and Cronquist Manual of Vascular Plant of
Northeast U.S. and Adjacent Canada.
Someone sent me the link to this web page, as well as this letter
pasted in
below about this tree.
http://www.treetrail.net/betula_uber.html
Lee
Letter regarding round-leaf birch:
Lois Boggs
Wildlife Biologist
Clinch Ranger District
9416 Darden Drive
Wise, VA 24293
276-328-2931
The original population of round-leaf birch was discovered by W. W.
Ashe in
1918 along the banks of Dickey Creek in Smyth County. Other searches
were
unsuccessful, until Douglas Ogle found it in a second-growth forest
on the
floodplain of Cressy Creek, approximately 2 km southeast of Sugar
Grove in
1975. Its occurrence is now represented by a single wild population
consisting of 11 individuals, and 20 additional populations, with a
1989
total of 1181 individuals, which were established between 1984 and
1987 by
the Forest Service.
I think most of the birch are on private land. Because its so rare,
and
threatened by vandalism, among other things, I don't know if it's
location
is publicly available. Although the recovery plant notes that the FS
constructed some visitor information facilities, it also says that
the area
was closed off to prevent trespass.
Its on the T & E list. Here's the recovery plan from the Fish
and Wildlife
Service.
http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plans/1990/900924a.pdf
Jim Rentch
Assistant Research Professor
Division of Forestry and Natural Resources
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV 26506-6125
== 2 of 4 ==
Date: Mon, Feb 4 2008 10:24 am
From: Carolyn Summers
Yes, Išve heard of it, we are actually offering babies at our
annual native
plant sale in May. They were seed grown by the good folks at New
England
Wild Flower Society. I think this natural dwarf birch has great
horticultural potential, especially for the smaller home garden.
That, of
course, does not negate the need to restore the wild population to a
healthier size.
--
Carolyn Summers
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706
== 3 of 4 ==
Date: Mon, Feb 4 2008 4:55 pm
From: pabigtrees
Lee, Carolyn, ENTS
I have heard of it too. I found a nursery that offered it for sale
online, but they were out when I called. I would love to get two or
three for the collection at work. Seed works too! Anyone?
Scott
== 4 of 4 ==
Date: Mon, Feb 4 2008 6:32 pm
From: Carolyn Summers
We got our baby trees from the New England Wild Flower Society. Have
you
checked with them to see whether they have any left? I also saw them
in a
west coast nursery catalog. Let me know if you want the details. All
else
failing, you can buy one or more from our sale. The deadline to
place
orders is Feb. 22. They will be delivered to us in Westchester
County the
last week in April.
--
Carolyn Summers
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706
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