Many of Baltimore City’s forests are threatened by the spread of invasive species, an overabundance of deer, and the increasing impacts of climate change. At Cylburn we are working to actively manage parts of our forest to ensure the survival of the plant and wildlife species they support.
An inventory of the arboretum’s woodland was completed in 2022 by Michael Gaige for Cylburn Arboretum Friends. The purpose of the inventory was to document ecological conditions by examining current forest health and studying the park’s rich history. According to Gaige, Cylburn’s forest contains 35 species of native trees—an amount equal to the tree diversity found in California’s Yosemite National Park. White oaks were confirmed to be over 240 years old, and external characteristics of other white oaks, hickories, and blackgum suggest many trees may be more than 200 years old.
Despite high weed pressure, a cohort of spring ephemeral flowers was observed, including wild ginger, trillium, and twinleaf, along with the rich site indicator maidenhair fern. Regeneration, however, is generally poor due to the loss of ash trees, the dense shade of mature woods, and heavy pressure from invasive species. These findings reinforce that our woodlands require thoughtful stewardship. From Master Gardeners to student field trip groups to Cylburn Nature Camp participants, we are actively working to care for the woodland edge behind the Nature Education Center.
Are you interested in doing something similar at home? Install some of our recommendations listed below.
Herbaceous layer: Golden ragwort (Packera aurea), Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) and Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum).
Shrub layer: Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)
Understory: Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Canopy: White oak (Quercus alba)
