Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Managing Wild Grapes in Woodlands

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: <bmn@iglou.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Managing Wild Grapes in Woodlands
  • Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 08:45:56 -0500

"forester" may be the key word. Forestry programs typically decry the
understory and see it as a hindrance to woodlot management. On the other
hand, you are correct, grapevines are very important, and quite useful to
a landowner.

My favorite moment with a classicly trained forestry consultant came when
I was on an ECO walk on an area my agency was about to tear up for an
easement. I noted the easement went right through the middle of a 48"
Tulip Poplar and a slightly smaller oak right next to it. Since we were
walking on an old logging road, and to the right (opposite side) of the
road there was a stand of 15-20 year old trees, I requested the alignment
be changed to go to through the younger treed area and avoid the
bigger/older trees. The consultant looked up and said, "Oh, no. You
don't want to do that. That tree (the Tulip Poplar) has a fault. He
pointed to a cavity that had formed where the first branches were (some
12 meters up). A branch had broken off the tree many years ago. The
branch that had fallen was approximately .75-1 m in diameter. This tree
was quite large and had fantastic habitat. I had to engage in a
discussion about how in our mind (the Environmental Team's) that was not
a fault but a HUGE additional value to that area. If you think he was
surprised then, you should have heard the discussion about how we value
dead trees!!! <grin>

BTW, is there a url for the folks that gave your workshop?

one more BTW, in a good many areas, foresters also decry Spicebush
(Lindera benzoin). To me this is a fantastic plant both for habitat,
mast, tea, and spice (the ripe berries dried, ground, & used for
allspice) as well as a great addition to pans of water on our radiators
during the winter. enough of that...I've rambled too long...

-----Original Message-----
From: Allan Balliett <igg@igg.com>
To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 06:58:40 -0500
Subject: [permaculture] Managing Wild Grapes in Woodlands

> Friends -
>
> I took part in a Plant Savers workshop in Virginia last spring. It
> was mentioned several times that a spring season obligation of the
> natural forester is to cut down wild grape vines.
>
> Well it's spring, but now I'm hearing that wild grapes are a primary
> source of food for both birds and many mammals, including black
> bears.(I'm on the Blue Ridge)
>
> I'd appreciate any insights on this or suggested reading. In our
> area it is not uncommon to see several LARGE vines pulling at an oak
> in the woods. (Wild grapes are listed as a noxious weed in many
> states.)





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page