Posted October 31, 2022 by M.S. Coyne
Last week in the African Cemetery No. 2 continued COLD and DRY.
Some of the colors were really starting to show, particularly the Purple Ash (Fraxinus americana) and the Red Maple (Acer rubrum) in the front of Section A by Chestnut St.
If you paid close attention to this corner, you would notice something missing. Two Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) in this location were one too many and potentially obscuring the view of traffic signs. So, to allow the larger of the two trees to better grow, one was removed. (Don’t worry, though, it will live on
in the form of walking sticks.)
Our collaborators from Hoe ‘N Hope Garden Club helped us get nine new native species from a tree give-away sponsored by Trees Lexington:
American Hornbeam (Ironwood)(Carpinus caroliniana)
Basswood (Linden)(Tilia americana var. americana)
Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata)
Cherrybark Oak (Quercus pagoda)
Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
Swamp Chestnut Oak (Quercus michauxii)
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus falva)
There are now 77 different tree species in African Cemetery No. 2, which includes about 40% of the native tree species in Kentucky.
Tree Week Events (https://ufi.ca.uky.edu/treeweek) ran from October 8-16. We had walking tours on October 9th and 13th and a special tree print making program on October 15 from 2-4.
There was a little bit of landscaping activity. A Hydrangea (Hydrangea spp.) from the nursery was planted in Section E to help demarcate the driving lane. The wood slabs (from a fallen Northern
Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis) are used to make the location of the tree or shrub more obvious.
A very old Forsythia (Forsythia spp.) (meaning at least 27-years-old) at the corner of Section D was showing the effects of age, groundhogs, and invasive Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). The mother plant was surrounded by 4-5 sprouts that had developed from branch rooting. After some serious weeding and pruning, the poor plant looks a bit ragged. But come Spring it should bounce back
with renewed vigor.
Remember that if you or your group would like to contribute a few hours of service maintaining African Cemetery No. 2, please contact Mark Coyne at mscoyn00@gmail.com to plan a visit.
As always, feel free to visit African Cemetery No. 2 any time.