Bulletin Board

Plant of the Month

‘Solomon’s Hair’ Douglas Fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii ‘Solomon’s Hair’

This will be a new cultivar, it does not yet exist

I was hiking up on Moscow Mountain this summer, climbing to the top of the main peak just to be sure that I can still do it. I was on private property, owned by Mark Solomon, when I found a witch’s broom on a Douglas Fir. Witch’s brooms are genetic abnormalities, where part of a tree stops growing normally, and usually forms a dense, compact growth, somewhat similar to a tumor.

If you are able to get cuttings from the broom, they can often be grafted successfully and they will grow as a compact, dwarf form.

Getting the cuttings is often a challenge, as they have to be done when the tree is dormant, and they are often very high in the tree. Mark rose to the challenge and skied to the top of Moscow Mountain yesterday, attached a saw to a ski pole and got the cuttings. They are now on their way to nursery in Oregon to be grafted. Later this spring we will find out if the grafts were successful.

Monthly Projects

Early January was open and mild and I was able to continue whittling away at outdoor projects, then snow arrived and I shifted gears to updating the database, working on labels and ordering seeds and plants for next year. The Arboretum website should now have updated inventories and statistics.

Upcoming Events

Arboretum Associates Annual Meeting
Thursday, April 23 at the 1912 Center—Great Room

Arboretum Associates Annual Plant Sale
2020 Plant Sale List
Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. through noon at the Latah County Fairgrounds —Rotary Ice Rink

Arboretum Associates Annual Concert
Saturday, July 13 starting 7 p.m. at Watts Grove (north end of the upper pond)

_{Both the sale and concert are different than past years due to conflicts with commencement and the 4th of July holiday}