Posted June 19, 2023 by M.S. Coyne
This was Lexington’s inaugural Pollinator Week. As part of the festivities African Cemetery No. 2 collaborated with Trees Lexington (info@treeslexington.org) on a pollinator tour focused on the trees in African Cemetery No. 2
The tour was led by ISA-Certified Arborist and Trees Lexington! Board President Stacy Borden (right) and Fayette Co. Extension Assistant and Trees Lexington! Board Member Tyson Gregory (left). During the tour they pointed out the cemetery has a Freeman’s Maple, which we did not know about. (This is a hybrid cross of a Red Maple [Acer rubrum] and a Silver Maple [Acer saccharinum]).
It was a busy week. In addition to Pollinator Week, a group from the Governor’s Scholars for the Arts (GSA) contributed a work day in the cemetery and mulched around all the small trees in Sections B, E, and F. Trees Lexington! in collaboration with Town Branch Tree Experts has donated a pile of woodchips at the back of the cemetery (by the nursery and debris pile) that is free for the public to use in their landscaping.
High winds in the week snapped a Redbud (Cercis canadensis) at the base, which had to be cut and removed. Fortunately, there are several more Redbuds in the cemetery.
On the bright side, this will give an adjacent River Birch (Betula nigra) at the same location a better opportunity to grow.
Ground Hogs were at it again in Section D digging various burrows. A combination of kitty litter and rocks over multiple visits seems to have persuaded them to move elsewhere.
Remember, if you or your group would like to contribute a few hours of service maintaining African Cemetery No. 2 in 2023, please contact Mark Coyne at mscoyn00@gmail.com to plan a visit.
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