MCA Arboretum

Plants in the Arb

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus

zhingwaak (Anishinaabemowin, the language of the indigenous Anishinaabeg people of Michigan)

• Lifespan of 200 years

• Reaches 150 ft in height

• Native range of the Eastern US

• Fast growing and long lived with a straight trunk

• Conical tree shape and soft needles, with five needles per cluster

• Acts as a shelter for birds and seeds are eaten by birds, squirrels, and deer

• Remains evergreen year round

• Frequently used for lumber by European settlers; seeds used to flavor meat by the Anishinaabeg people

• Planted in 2023

Norway spruce

Picea abies

• Lifespan of 300 years

• Can grow up to over 100 ft

• Native range of Northern Europe, the Alps, and Eastern Russia

• "Christmas tree" archetype, fast growing, with drooping branches and large cones

• Deer and birds eat bark and seed; trees can act as windbreaks

• Remains evergreen year round

• Young branches used to make beer, shoots used for medicines, and the food is popular for instruments

• Planted in 2023

Vanderwolf pine

Pinus flexilis

• Lifespan of 100 years

• Maximum height of 50 ft

• No native range (cultivar)

• Highly flexible branches, pyramidal form, typically ornamental

• Can thrive in xeric environments, offering shelter and food to organisms there

• Little history of cultural use given that it is a cultivar

• Planted in 2023

Weeping Alaskan cedar

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis

• A cultivar of a species that can live for up to 1,000 years in its native habitat

• Reaches 30-40' ft in the Midwest region

• Native range of Northern California to the Kinai Peninsula in Alaska

• Rot and insect resistant wood, sweeping branches

• Contributes to erosion control with deep roots, shelters a variety of birds and bats

• Used in carpentry, particularly in China; used for canoes, tools, and basket weaving by the Salish Nations people

• Planted in 2023

Bald cypress

Taxodium distichum

• Typical lifespan of 600 to 1,000 years with some living up to 2,000 years, although lifespans in non-native ecosystems are likely shorter

• Typical height of 50 to 70 ft

• Native range of the Southeastern US

• Deciduous conifer, stringy brown-gray bark, special roots called "knees" which allow extra air flow

• Play a crucial role in flood control, water filtration, and creating a habitat for wetlands animals; also stabilizes soils with high water quantities

• Symbolizes longevity and resilience in many cultures; wood used by the Calusa and the Timucuan peoples for canoes and dwellings

• Planted in 2023

Andorra juniper

Juniperus horizontalis "Plumosa"

• Typically spreads between 4-6 ft

• Native range of the Northern US and Canada

• Cultivar of creeping juniper; low growing, spreading, and evergreen shrub that has purple winter foliage

• Prevents erosion due to wide spreading roots and is highly adaptable to a variety of environmental conditions

• Needles used by many indigenous American peoples in purification rituals and medicine; berries are used to flavor spirits such as gin

Wild ginger

Asarum candense

• Typically spreads to a size of 6-18 inches at maturity

• Native range of the Eastern US and Canada

• A small, low growing plant that has heart shaped leaves and spreads via underground rhizomes to create a ground cover

• Suppresses weeds and prevents erosion, is a valuable food source for small herbivores, and acts as a host for specific breeds of butterflies like the pipevine swallowtail

• Used by the Cherokee, Iroquois, and Ojibwe in medicines to treat inflammation and headaches; used by various Native American peoples to flavor meat

Creeping thyme

Thymus serpyllum

• Typically spreads 6-18 in at maturity

• Native to a huge geographic area in northern Europe and Asia

• Has dense green leaves covered in small hairs with thin woody stems

• Resistant to foot traffic and erosion-controlling with its wide spreading mats; fragrant leaves deter deer and attract pollinators

• An important herb in many cuisines

Juniper leaf-thyme

Thymus neiceffii

• Typically reaches a spread of 8-10 in at maturity

• Native range of the Balkans, specifically Greece, Albania, and Bulgaria

• Gray-green needle shaped leaves with pink flowers, spreads across ground in a tumbling fashion

• Suppresses weeds and controls erosions with mat-style growth, increases biodiversity by attracting pollinators

• No significant cultural uses or history as this is a cultivar of other thyme species