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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Forest Park's John F. Kennedy Memorial Forest is a unique example of forest habitat that sits in the center of a city environment. Sections of Kennedy Forest are old-growth, dating back to well before the outer limits of the city of St. Louis even made it to the land on which Forest Park now sits. The Kennedy Forest Restoration Project, made possible by a lead gift from the Mysun Charitable Foundation, is an ambitious one-year restoration plan focused on revitalizing a 10-acre portion of the forest. The project is led by Forest Park Forever, in partnership with the City of St. Louis and with considerable help from Americorps' St. Louis Emergency Response Team.
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Forest Park Forever Horticulturist Patrick Greenwald shares a glimpse into the art and science behind the annual displays he creates for the Boathouse. The tropical floral display that wowed visitors over the summer has been removed to make way for a new annual display to emerge in the spring of 2016. Click through to learn more about Patrick's process and the hard work it takes to make the floral displays in Forest Park possible.
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