Trees Are Key

Trees Are Key

Welcome to Episode 238! This week, let’s discuss how “Buy-in is Key.” I just saw an update that #teamtrees has reach 15 million trees in just three weeks. An idea was born from a Reddit post when MrBeast was approaching 20 million subscribers and he was challenged to plant a tree for each subscriber. From that idea came a partnership with Arbor Day Foundation and we now have buy-in from hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. Our youngest son donated before we even had a chance to talk with him about #teamtrees. Let’s talk about how we can turn ideas into reality with the power of buy-in.

Species Spotlight

The American Hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana is also known as blue beech and musclewood. This deciduous Texas native is a slow growing, small to medium-sized forest tree that grows up to 30 feet tall with a trunk 4" to 8" in diameter. It has a broad, dense, flat-topped crown and a smooth, blue-gray, fluted trunk that gives it a "muscular" appearance. The species occurs in East Texas along streams and on moist, fertile soils, usually in the shade of other trees.

Trees Are Key

Welcome to Episode 237. Last week we explored how “#TeamTrees is Key” and this week we let’s discuss “Keys to Cotton Root Rot”. This week’s focus is a silent killer affecting over 2000 species that goes by several aliases. Let’s delve a little deeper and take a close look as this small, but deadly microorganism.

Species Spotlight

The Texas Ebony, Ebenopsis ebano, aka Ebony Blackbead, or Ebano, or Ebony Apes-Earring is a famous tree of Texas. The border town of Los Ebanos, Texas, is named for the ebony tree that serves as an anchor for the last hand-pulled ferry across the Rio Grande.

Trees Are Key

We were going to discuss cotton root rot this week, but there is something going on that I don’t want you to miss, so let’s discuss whether “#TeamTrees is Key" today on #TreesAreKey.

Species Spotlight

The Wright Acacia Acacia greggii var. wrightii also known as Wright Catclaw and Una-De-Gato is a semi-evergreen Texas Native. This small tree rarely reaches a height of 30 feet or a trunk up to 12" in diameter. The crown consists of numerous spreading branches and branchlets. Listen in to learn more!

Let’s discuss how “Bacteria are Key.” We tend to focus on the negative or harmful microbes like bacterial leaf scorch (Episode 179), slime flux, which we will discuss in a future episode, or hypoxylon canker (Episode 217) but we, rarely, consider the benign or beneficial microbes. When we talk about diversity as one of the paths to resilience and solution for issues such as pests and climate change, we are usually talking about tree genus and species diversity.

Species Spotlight

Hawthorn - Crataegus spp. is a deciduous Texas native. We use the word species following the genus when we are talking about multiple species. A Variety Of Common Names Often Ending In "Haw" – are used for the individual Hawthorn species.

Trees Are Key

This week, let’s discuss learning and education in “Repetition is Key.” As I mentioned last week, one of our biggest challenges is an ignorant populace. We are a highly specialized society and most people focus in on one or two areas. We, usually, hire specialists when we need help, but we have to understand that it is ‘worth’ the expense of hiring that specialist. In many ways, we’ve (as an industry) failed to educate the general public enough about the value of our trees. From lumber to clean air, trees are amazing… you might even say that trees are key to healthier, happier, safer communities.

Species Spotlight

The Winged Elm Ulmus alata is a Texas native. This medium or large tree grows up to 70 feet tall with a trunk up to 2 feet in diameter, with an open, somewhat vase-shaped crown, and graceful, pendant branches. Early settlers used the inner bark to fashion coarse rope to bind the covers of cotton bales.

Trees Are Key

FOMO, or the fear of missing out, has entered many people's lexicon, but do you really know what it means? Do you suffer from FOMO? Is there a way to harness FOMO for good? Listen in to learn more.

Species Spotlight

In Texas, the native Rocky Mountain Douglas-Fir reaches heights of 80 feet or more and a trunk diameters to 3 feet, with a dense, conical crown of blue-green foliage.

Trees Are Key

Trees and humans are reactive organisms. While stress is key for the development of strong, resilient trees, it can be debilitating for us. Learning to cope with stress is a vital life skill for all of us.

Species Spotlight

Black Cherry Prunus serotina var. serotina is a deciduous Texas native. This large tree grows up to 80 feet tall with a trunk 1 to 3 feet in diameter. Forest-grown trees have long clear trunks with little taper and an oval crown; open-grown trees have short trunks with many branches and an irregular, spreading crown.

Last week we explored how “Listening is Key” and this week let’s discuss how “Stress is Key.” Trees are reactive organisms and much of what we should and shouldn’t do to trees is because of stress. From episode 47 “Tropisms Are Key” to all the pests we’ve talked about to drought and heat… our trees are constantly responding to stress.

Species Spotlight

Waxmyrtle Morella cerifera is also known as Southern Bayberry.

This evergreen Texas native is a small, multi-trunked tree to 20 feet tall and a trunk to 6" in diameter, with an open crown of light green foliage.

Trees Are Key

This week let’s discuss how “Listening is Key.” Have you ever been part of a listening session? It’s fascinating just how hard it is to just sit there and listen, but “Listening is Key” to effective communication and can help us avoid many problems. Learn more by listening in to this week's episode of #TreesAreKey!

Species Spotlight

Sassafras, Sassafras albidum, is a deciduous, Texas native, medium-sized tree. Usually 40 feet tall and a trunk up to 16" in diameter, occasionally larger, with a narrow crown of horizontal branches with upturned twigs that form an irregular, oblong crown.

Trees Are Key

Let’s discuss “Keys to Termites and Trees." Are those little critters ants, which we’ve talked about recently, or termites? The very idea of termites eating away at your house is a nightmare. Are they as bad for our trees? It depends…

Species Spotlight

The Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua is also called Red Gum. Sweetgum Occurs in East Texas on rich river bottom soils, in swamps subject to frequent flooding, and dry uplands, as far west as the San Jacinto river basin.