Introduction
Welcome to Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church. Built 1698-1703, it is the oldest church in Pennsylvania. However, this is relatively new history for this property. Indigenous People called the Lenape were here for centuries before it was built. They called this area “Wickanocoing” or “Wicaco.”For tens of thousands of years, this landscape was covered by forests of deciduous and coniferous trees. To the south, there were acres of marshlands. It was a haven for wildlife. This lush foliage provided the Lenape with food, shelter and medicine.Around 1664, settlers from the New Sweden Colony arrived here. They built farm houses “surrounded with corn fields, pastures well stocked with cattle, and meadows covered with fine hay.” They grew fruit from seeds they’d brought with them from Europe.In 1682, William Penn established the city of Philadelphia about a mile north from this site. He was immediately taken by the “air serene and sweet from the cedar, pine, and sassafras.” Some of the native trees he admired gave their names to east-west streets in the city.Despite rapid development in Philadelphia, the area around this church remained rural for many years. As the population expanded and the demand for housing increased, its farms, forests and swamps disappeared. Eventually, urban density stripped this area of its natural resources.But all is not lost. By planting native trees, you can help reverse this trend. My name is Alice Reyes and I serve on the board of Preserve Old Swedes. We are volunteers who preserve and interpret Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church. And, one of our goals is to restore its grounds to its native roots. This will ensure a sustainable environment for years to come.During this tour, you will learn about some of the native trees that are thriving here. We’ll discuss how the Lenape, New Sweden Colonists and early Philadelphians relied on them for survival. And you’ll learn how you can use them in your own garden to attract and sustain local wildlife.
Northern Red Oak
Thanks to historical records, we have a thorough inventory of the native trees that once filled our terrain. In 1681, Gabriel Thomas braved a months-long journey across the Atlantic Ocean to start a new life in Pennsylvania. When he arrived here, he was struck by the plentiful Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra). This “working timber,” he noted, was “of great Use and much Benefit to the Countrey.”Finnish botanist Pehr Kalm arrived on these shores about 60 years later. He observed that coopers working in Philadelphia used young oaks to build “hoops round barrels [and] tuns because they are thin and pliable.”The acorns of red oak were an important food source for the Indigenous People. To remove bitter tannins, they were boiled, leached with ashes, soaked for days in water, or buried over winter. They also used its bark as a medicine for heart troubles and bronchial infections or as an astringent, disinfectant and cleanser.Today, the Northern Red Oak is admired for its stunning all-year foliage which emerges pinkish-red in spring, turns lustrous dark green in summer, and changes from russet-red to bright red in autumn. It attracts game birds, game mammals, migrant birds and small mammals.
Black Gum Tree
The Black Gum tree (Nyssa sylvatica) is known for its dazzling autumn shades of crimson, plum and burnt orange. But it isn’t just an ornamental beauty. This amazingly versatile native has phenomenal ecological benefits. Black Gum thrives in a variety of habitats, including swamps, wetlands and forests. When near water, it stabilizes shorelines, prevents soil erosion and provides nutrients for aquatic life. In the spring, pollinator bees fertilize its small flowers, and return to their hives to make honey. And its small, dark fruit is enjoyed by mammals and birds alike. The Indigenous People used black gum leaves as a natural dye. They dried and boiled its bark to extract nutrients for treating digestive problems, sores and wounds. It was also used as an astringent to treat diarrhea and dysentery. And its inner bark was used to weave baskets.According to Pehr Kalm, “the Swedes in America call it the fish tree because the green wood smells like raw fish.” He also noted that its “wood is so twisted that it is nearly impossible to split.” So it was primarily “used in quantities for wheel-naves, pestles and mortars [and] wheels on cannon carts.”
White Pine
White Pine (Pinus strobus) is the largest conifer in the northeastern United States. It can grow up to 100 feet tall and live as long as 400 years. Its seeds, twigs, needles, buds and bark attract insects, birds, chipmunks, squirrels and other mammals. Deer have been known to use it as a food source during harsh winters.Gabriel Thomas, one of Philadelphia’s first residents, noted that white pine was used for flooring and framing houses and barns. In 1825, historian John Fanning Watson saw an exposed roof on an old house on Water Street. It was made of “two inch yellow pine plank, laid on white pine boards.”Indigenous People brewed white pine twigs into a tea to treat kidney disorders and pulmonary disease. They also brewed its bark to treat coughs, colds and boils. To prevent sickness, they burned its leaves indoors. And they boiled its needles to make steam to treat head colds. Dry leaves were used as an inhaler. George Washington, the successful general who helped America win the Revolutionary War, was fond of white pine trees. He used them as an insignia on the flags hoisted on ships he commissioned during this great conflict.
Black Walnut
Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is one of the most abundant trees in the eastern United States. It produces hundreds of nuts each year which squirrels and other wildlife eat to survive throughout the winter. It also serves as a caterpillar host for the banded hairstreak butterfly.Indigenous People used black walnut as a food and medicinal source. They ate its nuts fresh and raw or ground them into a spice to flavor food and beverages. The nuts were also used to treat a number of ailments in both humans and animals. A tonic made from its bark reduced aches and pains associated with rheumatism. Juice made from its husks was used to clean wounds and treat intestines. According to Pehr Kalm, settlers from the New Sweden Colony used black walnuts and hickory nuts to prepare a milk-like liquor. After drying the nuts, “they took out the kernels, pounded them so fine as flour, and mixed this flour with water, which took a milky hue from them, and was as sweet as milk.”Colonial Philadelphians built furniture out of black walnut and exported boards of it in “large quantities.” In the late 17th century, Gabriel Thomas marveled at its “black” nuts which were as “large as apples.” He also described its kernels as “fit for oil for fine paintings.“
American Elm
The American Elm (Ulmus americana) is loved for its graceful, stately shape, with branches like spreading fountains, and green leaves that turn gold in fall. It is valuable to wildlife as a food source, nesting site and habitat.Before European settlement, elms were often chosen by Indigenous People as so-called council trees, serving as signposts for significant tribal gatherings. According to legend, William Penn signed the 1682 Treaty of Shackamaxon under an ancient elm tree, creating peace between his colony and the Lenape. Chief Tamanend allegedly proclaimed that the two would "live in peace as long as the waters [ran] in the rivers and creeks and as long as the stars and moon [endured]."In the mid-18th century, Pehr Kalm observed two varieties of the American Elm in Philadelphia — white and red — which were typically used for building ships. “With the bark of hickory, which is employed as bast,” he noted, “they sow the elm-bark together, and with the bark of the red elm, they join the ends of the boat to close as to keep the water out.”In the 20th century, this stately beauty solely lined the streets of major cities in America, creating shade with its cathedral-like branches. Unfortunately, in the 1950s, a devastating pathogen called Dutch elm disease wreaked havoc on them, leaving city streets barren. In Philadelphia today, streets are lined with a variety of trees to minimize the impact of pathogens.
Dogwood
Gabriel Thomas published a list of Pennsylvania’s “most remarkable trees” in 1698. Dogwood (Cornus florida) made the cut even though he said “does not burn well” and was used “for little else than carpenter’s tools.”In 1748, Finnish botanist Pehr Kalm observed this woodland understory in “forests, on hills, on plains, in valleys, in marshes, and near rivulets.” He described three species: “one with great white Involucra, another with small white ones, and a third with reddish ones.“ Kalm noted, ”It is a pleasure to travel through the woods, for they are much beautified by the blossoms of this tree.”Dogwood attracts game birds, insect pollinators, small mammals and songbirds. It was used by the Indigenous People to treat a number of ailments. Its root bark was used as a fever reducer, skin astringent, an antidiarrheal agent, and as a pain reliever for headaches, sores, and muscle inflammation. It was also used to counteract the effects of many poisons. The bark was used for headache and backache relief, as a throat aid for hoarseness, and as an infusion for childhood diseases like worms and measles. Its flowers were infused to reduce fever and relieve colic pains. Compound infusions of several plant parts were used as blood purifiers and as medicine for blood diseases like malaria.
Spruce
The Spruce tree (Picea spp) is a household fixture every Christmas season. But that’s not its only use. This fast-growing evergreen is one of nature’s most versatile and resilient trees. All of its parts are used in the production of products worldwide, including paper and musical instruments. In the wild, its seeds and flower buds support entire ecosystems from insects to mammals. Remarkably, Spruce self-heals when damaged and emits an edible sticky-like pitch. This natural chewing “spruce gum” was a favorite among Indigenous People. It had medicinal and practical uses, too. Spruce gum was boiled as a tea to treat boils and abscess pains. And, its sticky quality made for an excellent adhesive. Indigenous People used it as a waterproof glue when building canoes.When Finnish botanist Pehr Kalm visited Philadelphia in the mid-18th century, he discovered it had another popular application. Settlers from the New Sweden Colony used its branches and leaves to make beer. Colonial Philadelphians drank spruce beer, too. In 1783, printer and inventor Benjamin Franklin published his personal recipe, which took about 15 days to make before it was “good to drink.”
Honey Locust
The Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacantho) is renowned for its striking features. Its tall trunks are covered in rough bark and a wide canopy of lacy green leaves that turn yellow in the fall. It produces long, twisted seed pods which last well into the winter. Livestock and wildlife consume the honeylike, sweet pulp of the pods. Its other distinguishing feature is its large, branched spines which grow out of its trunk. Indigenous People used these thorns as pins. They also used its wood to craft bows.According to Pehr Kalm, colonial Philadelphians used its wood “for pegs in ship-building” and “for trundles and cogs in mills.” He also noted that its seeds were “large, sweet“ and “edible.”Although Honey Locust is native to Pennsylvania, Kalm noted that it adapts well to a variety of landscape conditions. John Hope, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, hoped to cultivate this species in England. In 1765, his friend Benjamin Franklin sent him a package of seeds but, unfortunately, they spoiled in route.Unfortunately, the majestic Honey Locust that shaded this area for years reached the end of its life. Only its stump remains.
Serviceberry
Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) offers ornamental charm and ecological value, yet it's largely underutilized. Its fragrant spring flowers attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. And its delectable berries, which resemble tiny apples, are a treat for birds and humans alike.Indigenous People used its stems, branches, and wood to make furniture, ropes, arrows, harpoons and tools. They delighted in its fresh fruit, which they consumed raw, sun dried and pressed into cakes. They also made tea out of its leaves. Serviceberry had medicinal purposes, too. It served as ear, eye, flu and blood medicine and helped reduce coughs, stomach aches, colds, fevers and toothaches. It was given to women after childbirth to address pain and hemorrhaging. Colonial Americans eagerly awaited for the Serviceberry to bloom each spring. It meant that the frost was over and the soil was soft enough to dig. Those who’d lost loved ones over the winter could finally give them proper burials. Preachers who saw its pretty flowers knew it was time to perform funeral services. It’s said that this is how this pretty native was given the name serviceberry.
American Holly
With graceful, horizontal branching, American Holly (Ilex opaca) can be grown as a single, glorious specimen, planted in a grove or used as a privacy screen. It attracts birds, insect pollinators, large mammals and small mammals.The Indigenous People made tea out of its leaves to treat measles, fever, cough, colic, indigestion, pneumonia, bronchitis, arthritis, rheumatism, colds and the flu. They also made buttons out of its berries.The American Holly was used extensively in early colonial gardens. George Washington, the first president of the United States, filled his garden at Mount Vernon with them. Botanist John Bartram, who maintained vast gardens west of here, cultivated and sold its seeds to discerning buyers. Founding father Thomas Jefferson suggested using them to fill in barren lands in the American west.Like the English holly (Ilex aquifolium), this native beauty is especially popular each December. Early European colonists used it to create holiday decorations, a tradition that remains today.
Cedar
For many years, Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) grew in abundance in the marshlands south of here. Today, you will be hard pressed to find them in the Delaware Valley. This is a shame because their ecological benefits are tremendous. These majestic trees and their peat soil store carbon for long periods of time, mitigating the effects of climate change. They also filter and purify water, stabilize stream banks, store stormwater runoff, and ameliorate the effects of heat and drought. And the rare Hessel’s hairstreak butterfly relies on them for sustenance.When Gabriel Thomas moved to Philadelphia in 1682, he marveled at swamps filled with these stately conifers. Their “needle-shaped leaves are long and tender,” he wrote. “In smell and bark [they are] like the juniper tree.” According to Thomas, Colonial Philadelphians used cedar “for house-timber, boards, palings and shingles.”By the time Pehr Kalm arrived here in 1748, cedar was starting to become rare. “Swamps and Morasses formerly were full of them,” he wrote, “but at present these trees are for the greatest part cut down, and no attempt has as yet been made to plant new ones.” When Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church was built in 1698, its roof was made of cedar. The roof has been replaced many times since, almost exclusively with it. But, since this wondrous tree is endangered, it’s unlikely that cedar will grace its roof again.
Conclusion
Many radical changes have taken place here since this land was occupied by Indigenous People. Over the years, creeks have been covered over, wetlands have been drained, and forests have been cut down. The shores of the river were moved much further east. The result: habitat for wildlife is continuing to erode in the Philadelphia area. Today, Gloria Dei Church is surrounded on three sides by heavily trafficked streets and highways—including the elevated I-95 expressway. While attempts are being made here and nearby to recreate what was lost, we have a long way to go. But you can make a difference. The next time you’re thinking about adding trees, shrubs or flowers to your garden, consider native plants. Even one small plant can make a huge difference.
