Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 5:17AM |  12°
MENU
Advertisement
'Gro-Low' fragrant sumac shows its fall color.
1
MORE

Sumac, winterberry thrive in Point State Park

Mike Masiuk

Sumac, winterberry thrive in Point State Park

Visitors to Downtown’s Point State Park probably don’t come looking for native plants, but they will find lots of them along with plant markers explaining how they can be used in home landscapes. Here are two more great choices:

Fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) is hard to beat in the fall, with its spectacular burgundy, red and orange foliage. The dainty yellow flowers that appear in spring are a nectar source for butterflies, and birds relish the berries that follow. Fragrant sumac is easy to grow and has no serious insect or disease issues. In full sun or part shade, it can reach 8 feet tall, but a dwarf variety, ‘Gro-Low’, is just 2 feet high and spreads readily to 8 feet across. It will grow in poor, dry soil and helps prevent erosion on embankments, making it an ideal groundcover for hillsides. Deer resistance is a bonus.

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) shines in winter. The bright red berries of this deciduous holly cluster along the twigs of female plants, making a show-stopping statement against a snowy landscape and providing food for small mammals and birds. Winterberry is an erect, moderate sized shrub that grows 5-15 feet tall but ‘Red Sprite’ is a dwarf hybrid. Winterberry is dioecious, which means that at least one male plant is required to assure berries on the female plants. Easy to grow in full sun or part shade, winterberry will even tolerate heavy, wet and boggy soils.

Advertisement

Some markers in the park include stories about the plants. The delicate flower heads of white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) that proliferate throughout the park in late summer offer no clue to its dark history. A highly poisonous shade-loving plant, white snakeroot was used by Native Americans to treat ailments from diarrhea to kidney stones to snakebite.

Amy Dering of Reserve plants summersweet  near the blockhouse in Point State Park in October 2014.
Maureen Karl
See centuries old native plants in Point State Park

“Milk sickness,” which resulted from drinking the milk of cows that had grazed on this plant, was responsible for thousands of deaths on the early American frontier. Abraham Lincoln’s mother was reputedly one of its victims. It wasn’t until the 1830s that the connection between snakeroot and milk sickness was recognized.

Maureen Karl is a Penn State Master Gardener. This volunteer program supports the outreach mission of Penn State Extension and provides research-based information to the public on best practices in sustainable horticulture and environmental stewardship. For more information, contact the Penn State Extension of Allegheny County at alleghenymg@psu.edu or 412-482-3476.

 

Advertisement

 

First Published: June 9, 2017, 4:00 a.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Traffic passes by U.S. Steel in Braddock on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. An activist investor has accused U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt of potential insider trading as the group pressures investors to support its own plan for the iconic Pittsburgh steelmaker, which includes a new board and abandoning a planned merger with Japan’s Nippon Steel.
1
business
Ancora launches ‘Make U.S. Steel Great Again’ campaign, accuses CEO of insider trading
President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon)
2
news
McCormick on board with Trump, DOGE shakeup while Fetterman blasts 'chaos, confusion'
Gov. Josh Shapiro is joined in the broadcast booth by Curtis Aiken before the start of Pitt-Syracuse on Tuesday night at Petersen Events Center.
3
sports
Governor Josh Shapiro aims to make Pennsylvania 'compete' in NIL, bring 'stability' to transfer portal
Head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith watch a receivers and defensive backs drill at Steelers Minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex Thursday, June 13, 2024.
4
sports
Gerry Dulac: Next season’s major decisions loom this week for Mike Tomlin, Steelers staff
Pitt’s Jalend Lowe (15) shoots a 3-pointer against Syracuse at the NCAA men’s basketball game on Tuesday Feb. 18, 2025 at Petersen Event Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.
5
sports
Instant analysis: Opportunistic Pitt defense flips another first half deficit into win over Syracuse
'Gro-Low' fragrant sumac shows its fall color.  (Mike Masiuk)
Mike Masiuk
Advertisement
LATEST life
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story