Peter Del Tredici
Encyclopedia
Peter Del Tredici is an American botanist and author. He is a senior research scientist at Arnold Arboretum and a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design
. He was appointed curator of the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection
in 1982 and was editor of the journal Arnoldia from 1989 to 1992.
Del Tredici, a native Californian, was graduated from the University of California at Berkeley
. After earning his master's degree from the University of Oregon
he moved to Boston where he established his career and earned his doctorate from Boston University
.
Del Tredici is an advocate of a "radically practical" approach to urban plant life, holding that what some people see as a collection of undesirable plants should be viewed as a valuable ecosystem unique to the hostile habitat of the city, and he prefers the term "spontaneous" over "invasive" in describing these flora. Del Tredici is the author of Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide, which catalogs and describes the many species of urban wildflowers, weeds, and other plants that flourish without human support, and in which he makes the case that they can be beneficial to the quality of urban life.
Del Tredici also studied the ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) for decades. He was part of an 1989 expedition that found wild ginkgos in Tian Mu Shan Reserve
, a notable find since this species had been long believed extinct in the wild. He demonstrated that gingkgo basal lignotubers develop from suppressed cotyledonary (embryonic leaf) buds – a resprouting
mechanism activated under stress that, according to Del Tredici, helps explain the gingkgo's long survival as a species. He helped develop supporting evidence for the theory that the ginkgo's characteristic vile–smelling fruits are a mechanism to attract ingestion by carnivores, aiding the tree's propagation via scat, and developed experiments confirming that all aspects of the ginkgo’s sexual reproductive cycle are strongly influenced by temperature.
Del Tredici also consulted for a French subsidiary of Schwabe Pharmaceutical which markets gingko–leaf extract as a memory aid. While Del Tredici applied his expertise on the botanical side of the operation, he's skeptical that the products are effective, and notes that rather than deriving from ancient Chinese medical wisdom, the idea of gingko as an effective health agent "began in a board room in Germany in the mid–1960s" and has resulted in "a big cash cow".
Books
Popular articles
Other
Harvard Graduate School of Design
The Harvard Graduate School of Design is a graduate school at Harvard University offering degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning and Design.-History:...
. He was appointed curator of the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection
Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection
The Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection at the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts is one of the premier collections of bonsai in the United States and includes a Hinoki Cypress over 250 years old....
in 1982 and was editor of the journal Arnoldia from 1989 to 1992.
Del Tredici, a native Californian, was graduated from the University of California at Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. After earning his master's degree from the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
he moved to Boston where he established his career and earned his doctorate from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
.
Del Tredici is an advocate of a "radically practical" approach to urban plant life, holding that what some people see as a collection of undesirable plants should be viewed as a valuable ecosystem unique to the hostile habitat of the city, and he prefers the term "spontaneous" over "invasive" in describing these flora. Del Tredici is the author of Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide, which catalogs and describes the many species of urban wildflowers, weeds, and other plants that flourish without human support, and in which he makes the case that they can be beneficial to the quality of urban life.
Del Tredici also studied the ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) for decades. He was part of an 1989 expedition that found wild ginkgos in Tian Mu Shan Reserve
Tianmu Mountain
Tianmu Mountain, also known as Tianmushan , is a mountain in Lin'an County in Northwestern Zhejiang province in eastern China. Tianmushan is located west of Hangzhou, China. It is made up of two peaks. The West Tianmu Peak, also called Xianren Peak and the East Tianmu Peak, also called Daxian Peak...
, a notable find since this species had been long believed extinct in the wild. He demonstrated that gingkgo basal lignotubers develop from suppressed cotyledonary (embryonic leaf) buds – a resprouting
Resprouter
Resprouters are plant species that are able to survive fire by the activation of dormant vegetative buds to produce regrowth.Plants may resprout by means of lignotubers at the base or epicormic buds on the trunk or major branches....
mechanism activated under stress that, according to Del Tredici, helps explain the gingkgo's long survival as a species. He helped develop supporting evidence for the theory that the ginkgo's characteristic vile–smelling fruits are a mechanism to attract ingestion by carnivores, aiding the tree's propagation via scat, and developed experiments confirming that all aspects of the ginkgo’s sexual reproductive cycle are strongly influenced by temperature.
Del Tredici also consulted for a French subsidiary of Schwabe Pharmaceutical which markets gingko–leaf extract as a memory aid. While Del Tredici applied his expertise on the botanical side of the operation, he's skeptical that the products are effective, and notes that rather than deriving from ancient Chinese medical wisdom, the idea of gingko as an effective health agent "began in a board room in Germany in the mid–1960s" and has resulted in "a big cash cow".
Publications
Del Tredici has published scholarly articles in various journals, edited or co–edited books, and contributed sections to books. Works of which he is the sole author include:Books
Popular articles
Other