Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate in Lexington is having a clean-up day on Saturday, November 2nd from 9:00am-12:00pm. Join Heidi Braunreiter with Kentucky Nature Preserves to help pull winter-creeper from populations of running buffalo clover populations on the estate. Ashland will be providing coffee and krispy kreme donuts in the morning and Donato’s pizza at noon. Bring gloves, water, knee pads, and pruners if you have them.
Running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum) is a federally-endangered plant that requires periodic disturbance and a partially shaded canopy. Historically, it occurred along bison trails but today it is most commonly found along forested stream terraces, trails, and lawns of old homesteads. Running buffalo clover was found at Ashland in 1989 as part of Kentucky Nature Preserves effort to survey lawns of historical homes to locate more populations. The Ashland staff have utilized mowing as a tool to create disturbance and benefit the growth of their running buffalo clover. However, an invasive vine called winter-creeper has become established in many of the running buffalo clover patches at the estate. Winter-creeper (Euonymus fortunei) is an aggresive weed that can out-compete native flora. We will be pulling winter-creeper around the patches of running buffalo clover in an effort to keep it from taking over.
