Tree giveaway– don’t be late
Do you need a couple trees? Get in line. On October 14 from 4 – 7 p.m. at Gotahold Brewery, 409 W. Van Buren, just off Highway 62, the Eureka Springs Parks and Recreation Department will coordinate giving away 350 trees of seven varieties.
Not only free trees but you’ll be entertained by the banjo magic of Erik Brashers, 2025 Grand Champion of the Arkansas State Old-Time Banjo Championship. An innocent bystander remarked with sincerity, “He’s the real deal.”
Available will be these varieties (alphabetical by Latin name; Sanskrit name unavailable).
Aronia melanocarpa (black chokeberry) is a deciduous shrub reaching maybe six feet bearing showy white flowers which precede clusters of dark berries which are so especially astringent they’ve earned the name chokeberry. The berries are edible, though, when cooked into pies or made into jams. In spite of the astringency, the berries are packed with antioxidants and fiber. If you like polyphenols, chokeberries are for you. The glossy green leaves turn reddish in autumn. Birds and deer might eat the berries.
Callicarpa americana, known as American Beautyberry, is native to the southern United States and a distant relative of mints. A fully mature shrub might be taller than you and much wider. Plants appreciate moderate sunshine, and long branches will gangle broadly. They produce more berries when grown in a group and prefer moist soil which drains well.
In late summer, the shrub will produce clusters of small magenta berries along stems. Some cultivars have white berries; all colors edible, and you can eat them fresh. Some folks harvest enough to make jelly or wine. Birds eat the berries, as will deer. Apparently, beautyberry leaves contain chemicals that repel mosquitos.
Ceanothus americanus is a deciduous shrub known as New Jersey Tea. It grows to maybe three feet in height and width bearing clusters of white flowers that attract pollinators from spring through mid-summer. It’s native to woodlands and prairies. The leaves are dark green on top but paler on the underside. Its name comes from use of the leaves for tea back when England imposed a tea tax. It prefers a mostly sunny location and dry conditions. Deer and elk might eat the leaves.
Ceanothus americanus is the college name for Eastern Redbuds that announce the arrival of spring with vibrant edible magenta-pink flowers. Redbuds tolerate average soil and partial shade, and trees might grow to 30 feet tall and spread as wide. Flowers give way to small pea pods. The seeds from the pods might sprout new trees if dipped in boiling water for a minute and then planted in a pot.
Hypericum prolificum is what folks who speak Latin call Shrubby St. John’s-wort, a woody bush growing 2-6 feet tall which apparently blooms on St. John’s birthday. Its native range features limestone-rich soils. Yellow flowers bloom on new growth all summer, particularly in sunnier locations. It can become an invasive nuisance, and contact with leaves and sap cause allergic reactions in some folks.
Physocarpus opilifolius you know as Common Ninebark, a deciduous shrubby member of the rose family native to eastern North America. Height varies from six to ten feet tall. It adapts to various soils and conditions making it useful for erosion control. Pink to white flowers bloom in May and June and develop into red pods. It is tightly branched which makes for a comfy space for bird nests. The bark peels revealing multi-colored layers. The best time to transplant is early autumn.
Viburnum lentago is called Nannyberry Viburnum. Folklore maintains female goats (nannies) especially like the berries. One source stated, “Great shrub to attract wildlife,” which is code for “Hope you like deer.” As a shrub, Nannyberry will get at least 15 feet tall, but pruned as a single-trunk tree might reach 30 feet. They prefer moist sites such as edges of woods near creeks but with plenty sun. White springtime flowers become edible half-inch fruit in autumn which change from pastels to dark blue-black and taste like a mixture of dates and bananas. Plants are notorious for being invasive.