Horticulturist Mark Halpin shines a light on a surprisingly beloved tree nestled in the Park's northeast corner.
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Species diversity is what has allowed life to spread across our planet and should be a guiding principle for any planting plan. Forest Park is already an extremely diverse landscape, but we are always working on making it better! On December 9, 2015 we introduced a previously unrecorded native species, Forestiera acuminata, commonly known as swamp privet. A riparian species (native to stream banks and wetlands), swamp privet is a woody plant species that straddles the line between tree and shrub depending on the environmental conditions that shape its growth. Riparian species often do well in urban areas because of their tolerance for low levels of oxygen in soil. This is a common problem in urban soils due to compaction from human actions ranging from construction to heavy foot traffic.
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