YELLOWSTONE ARBORETUM
" Stewards of the Natural Environment "
Billings, Montana @ ZooMontana
Yellowstone Arboretum
Quarterly Newsletter - Winter Edition
Winter in the Arboretum
"Re-discovering the Conifer"
Colorado Spruce - Homestead
Black Hills Spruce-Lynx Pathway
White Fir-Plaza Junction
This winter newsletter we are featuring one of our favorite tree types , the conifer. While the deciduous trees may have lost their color, the conifer continues on with unique shades of green, multiple textures and hiding places for the many species of birds found on the grounds. The arboretum is fortunate to be home to an array of species and this is the best time of year to seek them out. As a member of the American Conifer Society and the Global Conservation Consortium for Conifers (GCCC) we are always searching out the most unique species of conifers for the collection. We are also the home for the Beartooth Pinetum, one of only a handful of dwarf conifer gardens found in the northwest. The arboretum has much to offer for any of you Cone Heads out there !
School District 2 Project
SD2, the Arbor Day Foundation, Montana Urban and Community Forestry Association and the Yellowstone Arboretum are collaborating to initiate a tree planting and educational opportunity for students from 6 campuses in Billings Heights starting this spring. A generous corporate donation is funding the planting of trees at the schools and providing tours of the arboretum with an emphasis on ethnobotany and indigenous cultures. There are hopes that this project will evolve into a district wide program
If you are an educator, plan on booking one of our fun tours of the arboretum for your students this spring. Contact us today !
"A Study in Bark"
They’re well known for their carbon storing properties but now scientists have discovered that trees have an additional climate benefit, in their bark.
Researchers from the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) are among an international team of colleagues who have found tree bark surfaces play an important role in removing methane gas from the atmosphere.
Writing in the journal Nature they say microbes hidden within tree bark can absorb methane – a powerful greenhouse gas – from the atmosphere. Methane is responsible for around 30 per cent of global warming since pre-industrial times and emissions are currently rising faster than at any point since records began in the 1980s.
The team of researchers has shown for the first time that microbes living in bark or in the wood itself are removing atmospheric methane on a scale equal to or above that of soil. They calculate that this newly discovered process makes trees 10 per cent more beneficial for climate overall than previously thought.
This new discovery opens up whole new directions of research. It is not known which bark types or trees species are better hosts for these methane-eating microbes, how quickly new trees build a methane-absorbing function, or whether the as yet unmeasured branches of trees are ever stronger methane absorbers.
Amur Cork Tree-Parking Lot
"Welcome to the Cone Zone"
We've reserved this space of our quarterly newsletter to highlight the latest interesting facts from conifer world including what's happening with the conifers of the arboretum and our association with the American Conifer Society and GCCC.
2025 Cone Count
The arboretum has collaborated with "Cone Counters" a nationwide program developed by Dr. Jalene La Montagne and Kiley Chernicky, of the LaMontagne Lab at the University of Missouri-St.Louis and the Missouri Botanical Garden.
This project aims to identify areas where there are LOTS of new cones produced in a year, and areas where there are few or no new cones produced in a year, and how that varies over time, and across species, at regional, continental, and global scales. Conifer cone production follows a pattern called “mast seeding,” which means there is a highly variable amount of reproduction from year to year. These mast-seeding patterns are often highly synchronized locally, which means trees of the same species may behave similarly to each other, but, in areas far apart, the trees may be doing different things. The goal of this project is to quantify new reproduction in conifers in as many geographic areas as possible to understand what drives conifer reproduction and better predict when large “mast events” might occur, hopefully helping guide collection practices for seed and cone collection.
For the arboretum's participation in the study, 6 species were chosen that showed promising cone production this season. If you follow our Facebook page you are familiar with some of the updates we've posted. The biggest surprise is our critically endangered Koyamii Spruce which produced cones for what was observed as the first time in 25 years. Seeds were also collected from Koyamii and Serbian. Here's the results:
Black Hills Spruce - Picea glauca - Plaza - ZX40 - 260 cones
Colorado Spruce - Picea pungens - Bear Meadows - BMX394 - 78 cones
Douglas Fir - Pseadotsuga menziesii - Lynx Pathway - LX1 - 175 cones
Koyami Spruce - Picea koyamii - Endangered Spruce Grove - 99-069 - 23 cones
Serbian Spruce - Picea omorika - Endangered Spruce Grove - 98-040 - 64 cones
Lodgepole Pine - Pinus contorta - Lodgepole Meadows - LXX491 - 375 cones
"Speaking of Cones"
The arboretum also contributed four of our endangered tree cones to the collection of Lovett Pinetum in Strafford Missouri. This cone collection is one of the largest in the country and is supervised by manager Nick Baker.
"Tree of the Season"
The Meyer spruce (Picea meyeri) was discovered by American botanist Frank N. Meyer in China between 1901 and 1908, with seeds collected for the Arnold Arboretum. It is native to northern and central China and gained popularity in the West as a hardy alternative to other spruces due to its tolerance for urban conditions, drought, and temperature extremes. The tree is now cultivated worldwide for its attractive appearance and disease resistance.
Discovery and origin
Discovery: Frank N. Meyer collected the first specimens in China in the early 20th century.
First specimen: He collected the first known seed in 1901. Another collection was made in 1908 from an ancient temple garden at an elevation of 9,000 feet.
Native range: The tree is indigenous to northern and central China, including regions like Shanxi, Hebei, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia.
Characteristics and cultivation
Appearance: It is known for its attractive blue-green to blue needles and dense, pyramidal shape.
Hardiness: It is very cold-hardy, drought-tolerant, and resistant to urban pollution and disease, making it a popular choice for landscaping.
Growth: It is a medium-sized to large evergreen, with a moderate growth habit.
Naming
The tree is named after its discoverer, Frank N. Meyer, a plant explorer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The arboretum's specimens can be found in Bear Meadows and the Millenium Grove. Both are memorial trees.
UPDATES !
Plant Conservation Work and Urban Forestry Work Continues.....
Volunteer curator Scott has been involved since last year with several programs through the efforts of the Morton Arboretum of Lisle, Illinois and BGCI. The first is a national training program, Arborversity, that is being developed through the Morten. Another worthy program is up and running with a working focus group including Conservation Planning and UCF-Urban and Community Forestry nursery and tree resources including workforce development.
Seedling Nursery.....
The arboretum has established a seedling and bare root nursery. Working with the Denver Botanical Garden, the Red Butte Garden and Arboretum of Salt Lake City and the Botanic Gardens Conservation International new seeds and cuttings were freely acquired for the propagation of Psgan Creek Yellowhorn trees. Also being raised are Red Oaks, White oaks, Bur Oaks, Cork Trees, Elm Trees, Dawn Redwoods, Lilacs, Hazelnut, Cottonwoods and more. These trees, when mature, will be planted in the arboretum and/or donated to the community. Update: The seedlings have been winterized and buried in the greenhouse until spring when they will be unburied and up-potted.
Yellowstone Arboretum Partners
COMINGS & GOINGS
Be sure and check out our newest web offering right here on the arboretum website. Ethnobotany explores the many tree and garden collections of native plants and the many historical uses. It's a great educational experience for all ages!
December 2 is "Giving Tuesday" and your chance to support the Yellowstone Arboretum and ZooMontana. Your donation will help support our great non-profit organization and ensure the future of a wonderful natural resource for your community !
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Here's another opportunity to support "Nature's Best Hope" with the latest webinar (12/02) from entomologist and author Doug Tallamy. He will discuss simple steps that each of us can- and must- take to reverse declining biodiversity, why we must change our adversarial relationship with nature to a collaborative one, and why we, ourselves, are nature’s best hope.
The Yellowstone Arboretum is a member of Homegrown National Park
Seeking Volunteers !
"Free Training"
Are you looking for a great volunteer opportunity that gets you outdoors, where you can meet new people, help a worthy cause and enjoy nature ? If so, consider volunteering at the Yellowstone Arboretum. We perform all facets of tree maintenance on some of the coolest trees in Montana. Work at your own pace and schedule and the pay is priceless.
or
email: billingsbotanical1@gmail.com
The Yellowstone Arboretum and ZooMontana are now ambassadors for Weather-Ready Nation. WRN is a National Weather Service initiative to further organizational readiness and responsibility to serve the safety needs of members visitors in times of severe weather.
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OUR MISSION STATEMENT
"The mission of the Yellowstone Arboretum is to cultivate arboreta appreciation and understanding of our local heritage through public education, organic preservation and stewardship of our natural environment."
