Plant Propagation – Dividing

A couple of months ago we changed our “Birds and Bees” series from sexual reproduction to asexual reproduction (see Plant Propagation– Cuttings, and Plant Propagation – Runners). We learned that asexual reproduction results in an offspring that is a genetic clone of its parent. Some plants produce offsets in the form of a new plant or bulbs.

Gardeners can benefit from these plant habits, by dividing a clump or digging up the bulbs, and replanting. Here are a couple of division projects I worked on this summer, using Jack Kraemer’s Grow Your Own Plants as my inspiration and guide.

Agapanthus spp. (Agapanthus)

I love Agapanthus. Our home came with a good collection of blue and white Agapanthus, and I have encouraged their growth all over the property. Some decry them as being common, and non-native. But I find them amazing and indestructible – thriving in both drought and monsoon.

Agapanthus originated in Southern Africa. They are monocots, and grow in clumps, sometimes even above soil. Periodically I dig up the clumps, and divide them by teasing apart their fleshy roots. They transplant easily to other garden beds, or to containers.

Agapanthus transplants

Agapanthus offsets ready to pull apart

HTML Tables

Crocosmia spp. (Crocosmia)

Our friends, Keith and Beth (both avid gardeners working their steep, terraced backyard) gave us some Crocosmia corms soon after we moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Beth warned me that the plants are a bit invasive, so I planted them in a large container. Here in the Bay Area, the plants grow, flower, and die back twice a year. They bring a dash of orange color to the back patio when in bloom, and the long, strappy leaves catch the light in a beautiful way.

Crocosmia is native to the grasslands of Southern and Eastern Africa, from South Africa to Sudan. They are monocots, and grow from underground corms (often in chains, with the youngest corm on top and the oldest buried in the soil). The leaves have parallel veins, characteristic of monocots. Periodically I dig up the corms, thinning them out to give the remainder a little more room.

Crocosmia in a container

Crocosmia corms (and seeds)

HTML Tables

This brings our Plant Propagation series to an end for the year. We have barely scratched the surface of the topic, so look for more articles and projects in the future. In the meantime, I encourage you to look for ways to propagate your favorite plants. Redistribute the clones in your own garden, swap them with friends for genetic diversity, or give them away as gifts. You’ll save some money, spread some cheer, and participate in fun and practical science at the same time!

Tree Registries

Big trees are good for the planet, and for our health and wellbeing. A lot of cities, states, and nations are starting to take big trees seriously by registering and protecting them. Look at a few of the local and national registries that I found:

Registry or Site	Description
Oakland Big Tree Registry	Maintained by the City of Oakland (many cities maintain a tree registry) See the current list of Oakland’s big trees. See the Coast Redwood, and the Monterey Cypress: http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/pwa/documents/webcontent/oak025516.pdf
California Register of Big Trees	Maintained by the Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute of CalPoly See the current list of California’s big trees, and search through the collection of 270 Big Tree listings and 153 National Champion listings:  https://californiabigtrees-test.calpoly.edu/
National Register of Champion Trees	See the current list of big trees found throughout the United States. For example, the champion spruce tree (Picea sitchensis) is found in Grays Harbor county, in Washington). https://www.americanforests.org/get-involved/americas-biggest-trees/champion-trees-national-register/
Archangel Ancient Tree Archive	This is both an archive of ancient tree clones, and a mission to propagate old-growth trees for reforestation. You can help. https://www.ancienttreearchive.org/
UNESCO World Heritage Sites	This is not a registry, but you can access the World Heritage List, and perform an advanced search using the theme “Forests”. Peruse the resulting sites. For example, select Madagascar, and The Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve; or the Olympic National Park in Washington statue in the United States. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list

Next time you’re in the mood for trees, whether in your local neighborhood or travelling, check out a big tree registry for a registered tree near you!

Special thanks to Barry Adams, Community Outreach Coordinator at Lawn Starter, for alerting me about outdated links. He also recommended this fascinating article, Reborn – Redwoods Cloned from Giant Stumps Live Again. The article mentions the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a nonprofit organization that works to propagate the world’s most important old-growth trees before they vanish. I've added them to the list. Thank you, Barry!

--Margaret Quisenberry, 8/14/2021

Ancient Trees

Seeing all the beautiful ancient trees in Beth Moon's Ancient Trees – Portraits of Time, got me thinking about all the benefits of really old trees.

Trees provide many benefits

• Aesthetics – there is something magnificent about a tree that is really old. The gnarled branches, gigantic trunk, heaving roots, even the dead branches all tell the story of a tree. An aged tree can inspire us to persevere and adapt through the ups and downs of life.
• Sequestering carbon – scientists have found that old trees continue to sequester carbon, even as they age. Instead of slowing down, old trees continue to hold more carbon than their youthful counterparts.
• Oxygen production – trees exchange carbon monoxide for carbon dioxide, thus cleansing the air for creatures that breathe oxygen. Old trees continue to exchange oxygen.
• Wildlife habitat – as trees age they develop nooks and niches where wildlife can live, build nests, stash food, and seek shelter. An old tree supports a huge web of life.
• Genetic resilience – surviving trees have good genes. They have resisted disease, drought, infestation, and pestilence. They pass on their good genes as they produce pollen and seeds.
• Soil stabilization – their mature root systems help hold soil in place, preventing erosion. They support underground life as well –  churning and aerating the soil, providing spaces for beneficials to live.
• Real estate values – trees can add value to your property. A well-placed tree can add as much as $15,000 or more per tree. Formulas exist for determining the value of a tree, typically based on its size and health.

Roots of a thousand year old Sitka Spruce tree near Quinault, Washington

Here in the West we tend to cut down trees to clear land to build something new, but at quite a price. Luckily some cities and natures value old trees, and seek to protect them. Some landscapers, such as Thomas Church, even design their landscapes around existing trees.