This summer, the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) has taken measures to fight off the overwhelmingly large amount of invasive pest species that have attempted to colonize in the United States. With tree species like the ash tree and the American chestnut already at risk, we need to take all the measures we can to […]
Invasive Species Spotlight: Beefsteak Plant
The staff here at Bernheim have been working on removing the invasive species Beefsteak Plant (Perilla frutescens) from areas in the arboretum and natural areas. Beefsteak is a member of the mint family and is native to Asia. It is an annual, and flowers in August here in Kentucky. It is found along creeks, power […]
Least Wanted: Purple Loosestrife
The Bernheim staff recently removed purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) from Cedar and Holly Ponds in the arboretum. Purple Loosestrife is a beautiful but very aggressive invasive species that can overtake wet areas. Bernheim has been working on removing it for the past few years, and today we only have a few left around Cedar and […]
Removing Garlic Mustard, an Invasive Species
Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolate) is an invasive species that Bernheim has removes from the Wilson Creek valley and other isolated places. It is native to Europe and is very difficult to get rid of once it establishes itself in an area. It displaces native and desired plants in a short amount of time, and one plant […]
A Tale of Two Orchids: Puttyroot and Cranefly
Puttyroot Orchids (Aplectrum hyemale) is a beautiful orchids that develops a single leaf in the fall which persists through the winter until late spring when it begins to flower. It is one of our more common orchids, but by no means does that mean it is abundant. It is found in higher quality habitats and seems […]