Harxheim Panorama Trail
Flora on the Old Cattle Track
Steppe cherry, field elm and black locust at the Old Cattle Track
On the slope at the Alte Rindssteig it is worth pausing, because three trees or shrubs grow here that have a special meaning for Rheinhessen: the Steppenkirsche, the Feldulme and the Robinie.
Sign Flora at the Old Rindssteig
Image source: HVV-Harxheim
As a walker or hiker, you like to enjoy nature, seek peace and quiet, and enjoy the scenery and beautiful green surroundings. However, without special botanical knowledge, one usually passes by plants, shrubs and trees without paying special attention and misses many a botanical feature. The slope at the Old cattle trail is a good example of this, because here three shrubs or trees are directly represented in a small space, which have a special history with Rheinhessen: the steppe or dwarf cherry (in front of the trees), the field elm (in the middle of the row of trees) and the black locust (each at the upper and lower end of the row of trees). While the first two species are rare and endangered, the black locust was planted specifically for its wood in Rheinhessen in the 19th century. Nowadays, however, their stocks are also viewed critically.
The steppe cherry
The deciduous steppe or dwarf cherry(prunus fruticosa) is a small shrub, maximum 1.50 m high, and belongs to the rose family. Unlike blackthorn, with which it is easily confused, steppe cherry has no thorns. Its obovate to elliptical leaves are shiny dark green on the upper surface, and the leaf margin is notched. Steppe cherry blooms from mid-April to early May and has an umbel-shaped inflorescence with small white flowers. It develops pea-sized, coral-red to black-red cherries. The fruits are edible, but very sour.
Flowering stand of the steppe cherry at the Old Cattle Track
Bildquelle: Birgit Korte
The steppe cherry blooms from mid-April to early May
Bildquelle: Birgit Korte
The closed range of the Steppe Church extends from eastern Kazakhstan to Hungary. After the last cold period 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, it probably advanced further west. Today, it is a relic from that time and occurs in Germany only on a small scale in a few places in Rheinhessen – here especially in the district of Alzey-Worms – as well as in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. It is no coincidence that these are the areas in Germany with the lowest precipitation and the driest. The shrub typically grows in Rheinhessen along rakes, small slopes to compensate for height differences in vineyards, and along the sunny side of hollow paths.
Steppe cherry is classified as a critically endangered plant, as its already small population is declining. There are several reasons for this. For example, the number of vineyards in Rheinhessen has declined due to the land consolidation measures carried out in the past. Moreover, the small shrub is often overgrown by competing grasses and woody plants – also due to the input of fertilizers. In addition, the inconspicuous steppe cherry may be overlooked and mowed down during improper clearing operations. Therefore, important protection measures include the preservation of typical sites, proper clearing and information about the steppe cherry for vintners and farmers.
Distribution area of the steppe cherry in Germany
Federal Agency for Nature Conservation , https://www.floraweb.de/webkarten/karte.html?taxnr=4591,
taken from the internet on 23.7.2022
The field elm
Elms, also often called monkeys in Rheinhessen, have a special significance for our region. For centuries, as solitary, large and mighty trees, they have shaped the townscape of many Rhine-Hessian villages and also the landscape. Many of them reached a great age and became awe-inspiring witnesses of past centuries. Often they also had a function in the past and served, for example, as landmarks or court trees. As a water-loving tree species, they often stood along streams and are also said to have pointed the way to Franconian cemeteries. In earlier centuries, many villages in Rheinhessen, such as Bodenheim, were surrounded not only by a rampart but also by a ring of elms, which reinforced protection against unwanted intruders.
Unfortunately, this is a thing of the past and elms are now rarely found in Rheinhessen. The culprit is Dutch elm disease, which spread across Europe after World War I and over the decades also largely destroyed the elm populations in Rheinhessen. The disease is caused by a tubular fungus transmitted by the elm splint beetle. The fungal infestation leads to a blockage of the conduits in the tree and the elm eventually dies from lack of water after several years. In Harxheim, too, there was once a tall elm tree in the garden of the Mainzer Straße 1 property, which had to be felled in 1980 due to its disease.
Stock rash of the field elms at the old cattle track
Bildquelle: Birgit Korte
Property Mainzer Straße 1 with elm tree 1979
Image source: Willi Buchert
Field elm stand at the old Rindsteig
Bildquelle: Birgit Korte
The elms along the Alte Rindssteig are field elms(ulmus minor). This elm species is the most affected by Dutch elm disease and is on the red list as an endangered species. The field elm was originally widespread in Europe and especially typical of the great European river floodplains. A healthy tree can reach a height of up to 40 meters. Due to Dutch elm disease, today you can usually find only much smaller specimens, which often emerged from root sprouts. All the more pleasing is the stand of healthy and comparatively tall elms on the Alte Rindssteig.
The robinia
In contrast to the steppe cherry and the field elm, the black locust(robinia pseudoacacia) is not endangered and is therefore not protected. The Latin name already indicates that it resembles the North African acacia with its leaflets and spines, so it is also often called false acacia or false acacia.
Robinia flowers
Image source: Pollinator, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2040096, taken on 7/25/2022
Flowering robinia branches
Image source: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33774, taken on 7/25/2022
The black locust is now very widespread in Rheinhessen and, following the decline of the elm population due to Dutch elm disease, can now be described as the characteristic tree in Rheinhessen. Their spread in our region was promoted by Professor Johannes Neeb, who was mayor of Nieder-Saulheim in the first half of the 19th century and had the still existing acacia grove planted in the Saulheim district as early as 1820 (the name is misleading, there are robinias). The wood of the Robinia was needed in Rheinhessen especially for Wingerts-Schdiggel (vineyard stakes).
Robinias can grow up to 25 m high and originate from North America. In 1601, a black locust was first grown from seed by the French court gardener Jean Robin. After that, it quickly spread throughout Europe. Initially, people planted black locust for its beautiful white flowers (bloom from May to June) and abundance of nectar. The nectar is collected by honey bees and forms the basis of the tasty acacia honey. Since the wood of the robinia is very hard and weather-resistant and has a high calorific value, it also became an important supplier of wood in the 19th century.
Robinia thorns
Image source: Kenraiz – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2709307, taken on 7/25/2022
However, the advantages of robinia are joined by disadvantages. Black locust has the ability to fix the nitrogen present in the air. As a result, the soil becomes more nutrient-rich over time. This displaces ancestral and ecologically valuable plants that require nutrient-poor soil. Because black locust is an immigrant and therefore alien species, native living things usually do not benefit from it. Large stands of black locust are therefore rather detrimental to biodiversity conservation. Removing black locust trees is extremely time-consuming, as any roots remaining after felling will sprout again. So it is understandable that from the point of view of nature conservation large Robinia stands are viewed critically.
The Lörzweiler gro ve between Lörzweiler and Gau-Bischofsheim, situated on a hill and visible from afar, is also a robinia grove. However, this was not always the case. The tree population was largely cut down during and after World War II because firewood was needed. In place of the cut trees, black locust spread and displaced other trees and shrubs. But now, thanks to local political initiative, the Lörzweiler Wäldchen is to become a mixed deciduous forest again. Already in the winter of 2021/22, small clearings were cut into the black locust stand and maple trees, oaks, linden trees and service trees were planted instead, among others. Native game and birds of prey find a suitable retreat here and the tree fruits serve them as food.
References:
Steppe Cherry:
https://lfu.rlp.de/fileadmin/lfu/Naturschutz/Dokumente/Artenschutzprojekte/Zwergkirsche/Situationsbericht_2018_AZ_Zwergkirsche.pdf, taken on 20.7.2022
https://www.floraweb.de/xsql/artenhome.xsql?suchnr=4591&, accessed 7/20/2022
Field elm:
Böhres, Franz (2011): Trees in Rheinhessen. Alzey.
https://www.derselzer.de/post/mein-freund-der-baum-ist-tot, accessed 7/24/2022
https://www.lfl.bayern.de/iab/kulturlandschaft/186982/index.php, accessed 7/24/2022
Robinia:
Böhres, Franz (2011): Trees in Rheinhessen. Alzey.
https://www.wald.rlp.de/de/wald/baeume-unserer-waelder/robinie/, accessed 7/25/2022
https://www.waldhilfe.de/baum-des-jahres-2020-robinie/, accessed 7/25/2022
Forest between field and vine. The Lörzweiler grove. A treasure of inestimable value in the middle of the Rhine-Hessian table and hill country. In: Nachrichtenblatt der Verbandsgemeinde Bodenheim, issue 30/2022. Official part Association municipality. p. 9f.
