MORGANTOWN — Morgantown’s sister city of Xuzhou is a gateway to eastern China, with a population of more than 8.5 million people.
The major transportation hub in the northwestern Jiangsu province, Xuzhou is the bustling center of the Huaihai Economic Zone.
But before you conclude that these sisters have nothing in common, take a moment to consider the Liriodendron — a genus of tulip tree with exactly two species — one native in and around West Virginia, the other native to China.
This, explained West Virginia Botanic Garden Executive Director Philip Smith, is what you call floristic disjunction, and it represents the level of consideration that went into planning Morgantown’s portion of a park that will be part of a national garden expo coming to Xuzhou.
“We really focused on the plants that are native to China but exist in the same genus or family here in West Virginia. These are plants that have a common ancestor, but they’ve been separated over time by these continents. So it’s really an interesting natural history story to tell and we thought it would be something nice to integrate into that design,” Smith said.
Morgantown City Council recently approved $15,000 for the landscape design and master planning of the “eco-park,” and is working with WallacePancher Group, as well as representatives of the Botanic Garden and Core Arboretum on the project.
According to information put out by the city, the design elements are representative of Morgantown and surrounding West Virginia.
It features an inner circle highlighting urban design elements, including a grid of Morgantown’s downtown streets, mural walls, and pedestrian lighting with flower baskets. The urban center transitions to a more rural outer ring, with paths meandering though wooded areas, a fire pit, and rock outcropping. It is tied together with a water feature representing the Mon River and Deckers Creek.
Xuzhou plans to build seven parks in the international zone of the expo, each dedicated to a sister city. Morgantown will be the only one from North America.
Xuzhou’s Bureau of Parks and Urban Development will pay to construct the park, which is scheduled to open in September.
Through its Sister Cities Commission, Morgantown established a “sister city” relationship with Xuzhou in 2016 after holding a “friendship city” status since 2012. Morgantown is also sister cities with Guanajuato, Mexico.
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