Dear Reader,
As a current student at The Ohio State University who was enrolled in HCS 2200: The World of Plants last Spring 2020 semester, I was disappointed to hear that the tour to Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens was canceled, understandably so, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In its place, my professor assigned a virtual tour of the area. Today, I would like to share some of the interesting aspects of Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens to encourage you to go on a socially distanced walk to explore the area and take your mind off of everything currently going on in the world. We will be visiting Howlett Hall and its green roof, the Phenology Research Garden, the Lois B. Small and Gladys B. Hamilton Labyrinth Garden, the Monarch Butterfly Waystation, and the Andy Geiger Buckeye Collection at Buckeye Grove.
“Gather around! The tour is starting!”
Howlett Hall’s green roof
Within Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens is the green roof housed on top of Howlett Hall, a retrofitted roof containing living, breathing vegetation over a bed of sedum spanning across 12,000 square feet. The benefits of this green roof, apart from taking advantage of what would otherwise be a vacant and empty roof, is that it will prevent over 200,000 gallons of polluted water from entering the Olentangy River and will save over $10,000 annually through reduced energy costs and roof maintenance. (1) The green roof adds insulation to Howlett Hall, thus reducing summer air conditioning costs, and with the collected rainwater, it will also reduce, delay, and filter stormwater runoff. Overall, this green roof increases green space, biodiversity, urban food production, and food security, all while efficiently using urban space that will actually lengthen the lifespan of the roof.
“Let’s visit our next location!”
Annabelle the Praying Mantis at Phenology Research Garden
Also within Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens is the Phenology Research Garden. Phenology involves the study of the seasonal cycle of natural phenomena in relation to animal, climate, and plant life. Located outside of the Agricultural Engineering Building, the Phenology Research Garden contains 17 woody plant species and 15 perennial species that are closely observed during bloom time to more accurately predict regional insect emergence, allowing for better pest control. Our Board Certified Master Arborist José Fernández actually wrote an article about growing degree days which further explains how this concept works; I will link it down below for your reading pleasures! One of the most useful indicator plants in the Phenology Research Garden is the Chinese lilac (Syringa x Chinensis ‘Red Rothomagensis’) which aids in observing changes in plant and animal behavior and predicting the risk of biological invasions, the spread of disease, and drought. On top of that, it is a beautiful perennial, deciduous shrub that features tiny, reddish-purple flowers that can grow up to 12 to 16 feet tall! The biggest elephant in the room when talking about the Phenology Research Garden, or should I say the biggest praying mantis in the room, is Annabelle, a 15 by 11-foot tall steel praying mantis sculpture that is housed in the Phenology Research Garden. Since praying mantises are a seasonally appearing insect, Anabelle’s presence is very fitting and appropriate.
Chinese Lilac (Syringa x Chinensis ‘Red Rothomagensis’)
“now to our next stop on the tour!”
Lois B. Small and Gladys B. Hamilton Labyrinth Garden
Another must-see area of Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens is the Lois B. Small and Gladys B. Hamilton Labyrinth Garden located on the corner of Lane Avenue and Fyffe Road. This labyrinth takes approximately 20 minutes to walk through, but you may spend even more time as this is a common place to practice meditation or prayer on campus. The labyrinth can also be used as a tool of discernment during difficult decision-making times. It is said that following the path within the labyrinth can bring increased balance and well being to one’s self. Encircling the labyrinth is the White Blooming Garden filled primarily with white redbud trees (Cercis canadensis ‘Alba’). These trees provide a calming and quiet atmosphere as the color white is said to be restful and restorative. The use of a single color helps to minimize distractions and enhance meditation.
“Let’s flap our wings to our next location!”
Monarch Butterfly Waystation
Next on the list of areas to visit in Chadwick Arboretum is the Monarch Butterfly Waystation located in Chadwick Arboretum North between Ohio State Route 315 and Chadwick Lake. The garden contains many necessary resources for monarchs to reproduce and sustain their migration such as coneflowers, asters, prairie dock, and most importantly, milkweed. Milkweed is important for the breeding process during the spring and summer for monarchs. Without the nectar from these flowers, monarch butterflies would be unable to travel to Mexico during fall migration. This beautiful area in and around the prairie plant research site in Chadwick Arboretum is one of many monarch butterfly waystations that help millions of monarch butterflies migrate from Canada and the United States to California and Mexico during the winter.
“…And now to our final stop!”
Buckeye Grove
Lastly, the Andy Geiger Buckeye Collection, dedicated to Andy Geiger, the former Director of Athletics at Ohio State who retired in 2005, features numerous native buckeye trees such as the Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra), yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava), red buckeye (Aesculus pavia), bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora), and Autumn Splendor buckeye (Aesculus x arnoldiana). This collection of buckeye trees is planted in Buckeye Grove, located on west campus between the football stadium and Morrill Tower. Fun fact, the Aesculus genus includes both buckeye trees and horse chestnut trees. While there are many native Buckeye trees in Ohio, there are no native horse chestnut trees in Ohio. If you would like to show your Ohio State pride, Buckeye Grove is a must-see!
Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus flava)
“THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME!”
Thank you for taking your time in reading this article, hopefully I was able to inform you about this wonderful place and even persuade you to take a visit sometime in the future. These five stations are just five of many different areas to explore within Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy. Times are in no doubt difficult and my goal for this article was to inform you about a place where you may hopefully meditate and find peace. We will all make it through this together.
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Visit in Person!
Address: 152 Howlett Hall 2021, Fyffe Rd, Columbus, OH 43210
Map Courtesy of Chadwick Arboretum
References
Howlett Hall: https://chadwickarboretum.osu.edu/our-gardens/learning-gardens/green-roof-howlett-hall-0
Phenology Research Garden: https://chadwickarboretum.osu.edu/our-gardens/lane-avenue-gardens/phenology-research-garden
Lois B. Small and Gladys B. Hamilton Labyrinth Garden: https://chadwickarboretum.osu.edu/our-gardens/lane-avenue-gardens/labyrinth-garden
Monarch Butterfly Waystation: https://chadwickarboretum.osu.edu/our-gardens/arboretum-north/prairie-plants-monarch-waystation
Buckeye Grove: https://chadwickarboretum.osu.edu/our-gardens/arboretum-north/geiger-buckeye-collection
Growing Degree Day by José Fernández: https://www.russelltreeexperts.com/arbor-ed/2020/2/4/growing-degree-days
Footnotes
(1) From “Green Roof on Howlett Hall,” by Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens, 2020, para. 5. Copyright 2020 by The Ohio State University. Retrieved from https://chadwickarboretum.osu.edu/our-gardens/learning-gardens/green-roof-howlett-hall-0
Sincerely,
Enrique Arayata I Video Production Assistant, Russell Tree Experts
Enrique is a second year student at The Ohio State University majoring in moving image production with a double minor in photography and film studies. In his free time, he enjoys running, spending time with his girlfriend and family, photography, and creating YouTube videos.