The Pierre City Parks Department is planting nearly three dozen new native trees and shrubs in the city’s arboretum this week.
Black Hills Spruce, Black Walnut, Crab Apple, Maple, Prairie Birch, Prairie Willow, Poplar and Quaking Aspen are all being planted.
Pierre Parks Superintendent Thomas Moore says the goals are to add more native species, make the arboretum easier to navigate and help make the nature area become more resilient. He says they spent a lot of time last fall and winter clearing ash trees from the arboretum to help mitigate the problems the emerald ash borer could bring and keep a healthy stock of trees at the arboretum.
Arbor Board chairman Art Smith says Pierre is the only community in the state with a native tree and shrub arboretum. He says the facility had gotten away from its original intent, so the board thought it was time to return it to its roots.
As part of the initiative, a butterfly garden has been added, joining the bird feeding and watching area. Moore says if nature works as expected, native grasses and flowers will bloom late this summer into fall. He says that’s when they expect to start seeing butterflies and pollinators of all sorts use it as a rest area as they migrate south for the winter.
Moore says by grouping species together and clearly identifying them, it will be easier for people to learn about trees while enjoying the beauty of the arboretum.
The Pierre Arbor Board is a volunteer board appointed by the Mayor to provide guidance on urban forestry and tree sustainability. Board members include Chairman Art Smith, Tony Dorschner, Will Hanson, Rollie Isaacson, Adam Kulesa, Rachel Ormseth and Mark Smith.
PHOTOS:
Thomas J. Moore, Pierre Parks Superintendent, points to a site designated for a new grouping of native trees at the Pierre Arboretum.
A new native maple tree gets installed at the Pierre Arboretum. It’s one of dozens of new native trees being planted at the arboretum located off Izaak Walton Road in southeast Pierre.
