With the recent sighting of Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) in Boston and its potential spread to other locales, it is important to heed the very message cited in the August 2009 post http://blog.bilowzassociates.com/2009/08/importance-of-trees-in-our-lives.html when only Worcester and a few surrounding towns were dealing with the ALB. It would be devastating if the beetle infiltrated the Arnold Arboretum due to its proximity of the recent Faulkner Hospital sighting, but the one plus with an arboretum is its diversity. You won’t find just one genus planted here. Don’t get me wrong. Even one ALB host species lost in this treasured park would be enormous and distressing yet a vast array of trees would remain healthy and strong for years to come. Planting more than one species in a landscape can offer protection from a nasty infestation. It also provides an aesthetic and more pleasing combination within your structure plantings. It’s that simple. Again, sorry for the reruns but one can never be reminded enough that we can avoid making the same mistakes. We may just need a wake-up call from time to time.
One more message to all my vigilant gardening friends. It is better to err on the side of caution. So if you spot a bug that looks funky and unusual, report it. Better to be safe than have a five-alarm fire to put out! This is one nasty beetle so do your part and don’t forget to promote diversifying the species when planting! Check out the re-run, ‘Tuesdays with Annie’ post in case you need to refresh your memory on the ALB. http://blog.bilowzassociates.com/2009/11/tuesdays-with-annie-11-17-09.html
John Muir sheds the best inspirational light for today. “God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.” We are what we plant! Annie
Above image of the Arnold Arboretum from their website http://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/index.html
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