The Darker Side of Plants

 By Richard B. Primack

 

“All change is a miracle to contemplate, but it is a miracle which is taking place every instant.” Henry David Thoreau in Walden.

 

Here are three stories from Newton, MA that illustrate some problems involving plants:

 

1.    In an earlier post, I reported on what appeared to be frost damage to beech leaves. It turns out, this damage is actually due to beech leaf disease caused by an introduced nematode. It’s widespread in Newton, and causing severe harm to both wild beech trees and cultivated trees in people’s yards. It is likely that the disease will kill many trees over the next few years. 

 

Photo 1: Beech leaves showing the effects of the disease; initial curling of the leaves is followed by the leaves turning brown and dying.

Photo 2: The arrival of this disease can be detected by striping on the undersides of the beech leaves.

 

2.    Jimsonweed, or Devil’s trumpet, an annual plant with beautiful flowers is rarely seen in Boston, but 10 plants are growing next to the sidewalk of a house in our neighborhood following landscaping work. The seeds must have been in soil brought in for the yard project. This poisonous plant is dangerous to humans, companion animals, and livestock.

 

Photo 3: The Jimsonweed plant with its lobed leaves.

Photo 4: The trumpet-shaped flower only opens in the evening. 

 

3.    While we often describe the many benefits of trees, a huge limb recently fell off a diseased oak tree and severely damaged our neighbor’s house. A few days later the tree was removed. This kind of occurrence is part of the natural cycle of trees in nature, but when it happens near where people live, it can cause property damage and even injuries. 

 

Photo 5: Damage caused by the falling tree limb, which likely weighed a ton or more.