![]() For example, he points out, in a couple weeks the thorny plant will bloom with wildflowers. Plants like this have a bad reputation, says Del Tredici, and he wants to help redeem them. “It reaches out and likes to grab people.” ![]() “It’s a very unfriendly plant because it's covered with thorns,” says Del Tredici. It was imported from China as an ornamental in the 1800s, he says, but now that it’s escaped into the wild it’s considered an invasive species. “Here you can see the multiflora rose,” Del Tredici says. Botanist Peter Del Tredici in the woods by the Charles River in Watertown. He bends down to point out a prickly green plant, growing low to the ground. He’s looking for something a little less refined. But that’s not why he’s rummaging around an urban wild in Watertown on a brilliant spring morning. Or what he calls "spontaneous urban vegetation." A professional botanist, he worked as a scientist at the Arnold Arboretum for 35 years, curating their bonsai collection and becoming a world expert on Ginkgo biloba trees. Because everywhere you look, there's something interesting.” “When you go on a walk with me, if we walk more than 500 feet, that will be a major accomplishment. “There‘s all sorts of plants here!” he says. And he can barely contain his excitement. He’s making his way through a patch of scraggly woods near the Charles River in Watertown. Peter Del Tredici is taking a nature walk. ![]() (Robin Lubbock/WBUR) This article is more than 3 years old. Making his way through the woodland, Del Tredici points to a Japanese yew. ![]()
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