Several years ago four small Arbutus plants were transplanted here. The following Spring a woodchuck ate one of the plants down to the ground. The wire cage placed inside of a low stone wall was the result. The stones make it impossible for a critter to simply push the cage aside and with protection and care these native treasures have prospered. The tree trunk visible in the photo is a White Pine since rotting pine needles created the acid soil required for Arbutus growth. Fallen Oak leaves also create acid soil but the covering from these sizeable leaves can smother and kill Arbutus leaves. Recent skin scrapes have prevented me from kneeling on the ground to date so the Oak leaves remain. For now these Arbutus are truly wild native plants and some death is natural.
This Spring has been nearly totally lacking rain. Recently we had a two day rain event that resulted in nearly one inch of gentle rain spread across two days. Previously we had a single day of light drizzle. With these early drought conditions the plants have widely responded to moisture. The common name May Flower has been earlier been used to identify these plants but here we are just short of mid April and we have flowers.
We are having similar weather to yours. Hot and dry for a while, then some nice, needed rain, and now we're cool but not cold for about 10 days. It's been fun to follow your experiences with the Trailing Arbutus. Congrats on your success!
ReplyDelete