Torreya taxifolia in Wooster, OHIO

SECREST ARBORETUM (affiliated with Ohio State University)


MARCH 2023 (by Connie Barlow):

"Having overwintered nearly 400 seeds collected from the Clinton NC tree last fall, I am meticulously going through our state-by-state long list of existing planters and new volunteers, in order to make decisions about distributing those seeds. In reviewing the info we have on Secrest Arboretum (Ohio State University), I found their Torreya taxifolia outplantings are now documented on their website, along with locations on the map. As I recall, this large arboretum is entirely surrounded by a deer-exclosing fence, which will help these plantings remain unbrowsed."


SEPTEMBER 2022 (by Fred Bess):

"I visited Secrest Friday and walked around with the new curator Jason Veil. He took me to see the two Torreya taxifolia trees they have planted out. (See the TWO PHOTOS below.) Jason is thrilled with the opportunity to get more seeds, either from me or from other sources. I will be sharing a fair number of my tree's seeds with them."

Editor's note: Fred Bess is one of our most successful Torreya planters and the first to have his plantings produce seeds as far north as Ohio. Visit his photo-rich Torreya page: Cleveland, Ohio, Torreya.

 


October 2014 VIDEO report of Torreya project at Secrest Arboretum, OHIO

    Fred Bess of Cleveland Ohio (left in photo) is the Torreya Guardians liaison collaborating with Ohio State University's Secrest Arboretum (Paul Snyder is at right in photo) to encourage and foster the planting of a Torreya taxifolia grove on their grounds. In this 10-minute video, recorded by Connie Barlow during a site visit in September 2014, you will see the substantial progress in that effort.

Note: The photo at left shows the potted seedlings (grown from seeds harvested autumn 2011 by Torreya Guardians; see entry below) that will eventually be planted out on the arboretum grounds.


JULY 2013 (by Fred Bess):

   Fred Bess says: I sent 20 seeds from the 2011 Torreya Guardian seed harvest to Secrest Arboretum in Wooster Ohio (which is affiliated with Ohio State University). Of those 20, 13 have germinated (photo left).

Secrest has removed the other species of Torreya that they had in favor of the T. taxifolia seedlings [in order to ensure no hybridization will occur in this wind-pollinated genus]. The seeds were planted only barely below soil surface by one of the graduate students, Paul Snyder, who also works at the arboretum. He was able to carefully move soil from around the large seed with fine brushes and small trowels to see the root development.



WWW www.TorreyaGuardians.org

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