By Julie Moir Messervy
William (Ned) Friedman is not only the Arnold Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and the Director of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, but also a wonderful writer and interpreter of the Arnold’s horticultural collections. His blog, Posts from the Collections, offers fascinating information about the plants and captivating photographs.
Here are a few highlights from my favorite recent posts.
Images of ornamental bark from Ned Friedman’s Posts from the Collections
December 27, 2015: End of Year Favorites
In this five-part post, Ned shares some “photographic memories of the venerable plants of the Arnold Arboretum in 2015.” I especially love Part I: Encounters with Ornamental Bark. Shown above, clockwise from top, are paperbark maple (Acer griseum), London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia), and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis).
The prickles of the Chinese angelica tree (Aralia chinensis). Image: Ned Friedman, Posts from the Collections.
Armed and Dangerous Plants in the Arnold Arboretum
Do you know how to tell if something is a thorn, a spine, or a prickle? These terms are not to be used interchangeably–take it from a professor of evolutionary biology! Ned explains the distinctions, using the Aralia chinensis shown above from the Arnold’s Leventritt Shrub and Vine Garden.
Oaks after a snowfall at Arnold Arboretum. Image: Ned Friedman, Posts from the Collections.
Fresh snow rendered the Arnold’s magnificent oak collection even more beautiful. Ned writes of how he captured the top image of “the soaring cathedral-like grouping of oaks on Bussey Hill,” contrasted with the white swamp oak (bottom left) he photographed on a clear, bright day in January. He notes, “no two days are ever alike in the living collections, even in the very same spot with the very same tree.”
I look forward to Ned’s weekly Posts from the Collections and recommend that you subscribe as well. You will learn so much!
