Trees Are Key

Trees Are Key

Let’s discuss how “Passion is Key.” You commonly hear the advice, “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” I’m lucky, I love what I do… most of the time. I’m passionate about trees and people. I get to work with people and occasionally trees, but that doesn’t mean that there are set backs or periods when you just want to throw up your hands and walk away… but it’s purpose and passion that bring you back for more.

Species Spotlight

The Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba is also known as Maidenhair-Tree. This Deciduous, gymnosperm is Upright, irregular-shaped with an angular branch structure. They Perform best on well-drained soils in the eastern third of Texas but can be found in almost every botanic garden or arboretum.

Trees Are Key

Many ants aren’t a problem, but this week’s subject can be very tough on our trees, particularly seedlings and transplants. One challenge is that these ants don’t actually eat the plant material they harvest, but actually farm with it. Listen in to learn more.

Species Spotlight

Shortleaf Pine, Pinus echinata, is a tall, slender Texas native pine reaching a height of about 100 feet and trunk diameters to 2 feet or more, with a rather short, oval crown. Shortleaf pine occurs on well-drained uplands in East Texas, growing in pure stands or mixed with hardwoods.

Trees Are Key

Over the years, I’ve been asked about ants and trees many times. The three main culprits seem to be carpenter ants, fire ants, and leaf-cutter ants. In many cases ants may not be a problem and may actually be beneficial… the last one is the exception, leaf-cutter ants can be a major pest for our trees. Let's discuss more on this week's episode.

Species Spotlight

The Eastern Cottonwood, Populus deltoides ssp. deltoides, is a large Texas native tree up to 100 feet tall with a stout trunk to 6 feet or more in diameter, with thick, heavy branches that form a rounded, spreading crown.

Trees Are Key

When this episode goes ‘live’ I will have taken over as President of the Board of the International Society of Arboriculture. Often, milestones in our life REQUIRE us to reflect. This is one of those times. Purpose is defined as “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.” What is your purpose? What is your organization’s purpose? Listen in as we further explore the role of purpose in our lives and work.

Species Spotlight

The Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum is an Evergreen Texas Native. This large tree, over 100 feet tall (230 feet max.) and a trunk to 3 feet in diameter (8 feet max.), has an open, rounded crown of dark green needles. It is the most important commercial pine of the southwestern U.S. and many parts of the Rocky Mountain region.

Trees Are Key

Happy Birthday, Smokey Bear! 2019 marks Smokey’s 75th birthday.

I remember a twitter #treechat a few years ago where Smokey made an appearance and the participants were thrilled. He is a great example of what an impact an icon can make.

Species Spotlight

The Mexican Pinyon Pine, Pinus cembroides, is an evergreen Texas native medium-sized pine tree to 40 feet tall and a trunk to 2 feet in diameter, with a dense conical crown of dark green foliage, becoming rounded with age.

Trees Are Key

As a tree care professional, it can be tough to to get a call about a tree that seemed to be doing really well last week, but has turned brown since to the dismay of its owner. One of those commonly ignored culprits, is root disease. From cotton root rot, to the mushroom root rots to wilts, there are several diseases that can affect our trees and yet we may not see symptoms until it’s too late to do anything to save the tree.

Species Spotlight

The Boxelder Acer negundo, also known as Ashleaf Maple, is a Deciduous Texas native. The only maple with compound leaves, boxelder can attain a height of 50 to 75 feet, with a trunk 2 to 3 feet in diameter, though it is usually smaller. The tree is generally short-lived and its branches are brittle and break easily.

Trees Are Key

Let’s discuss “Keys to Toxic Trees” this week! “Trees Are Key” to healthier, happier, safer communities and we talk a lot about the wonderful things they do that we benefit from. We also try to talk about the dark side like what grows up can fall down. There are risks in living with trees. For the most part the benefits outweigh the risks. This week we will explore one of those risks. Certain plants, including trees, can be toxic to other plants, our animals, or ourselves.

Species Spotlight

The Black Walnut Juglans nigra is also referred to as Eastern Black Walnut. This deciduous Texas Native is a large tree to 100 feet tall and a trunk to 3 feet or more, with a straight stem often clear of branches for half of its height, and an open, rounded crown of foliage. Black walnut occurs in East Texas on rich bottomlands and moist fertile hillsides, as far west as the San Antonio River. Listen in to learn more!

Trees Are Key

It's summer and the crapemyrtles are in full bloom, the new cherry laurels are growing by leaps and bounds…then you turn the corner and see that and the Italian cypress looks a little off, not as green as they should be. It can’t be drought, it’s been such a wet year so far… As you get closer, you notice a fine webbing around the most discolored sections of the trees. Following the hint, you hold a white piece of paper under a few discolored limbs and flick the branches with your finger. A bunch of dark specks land on the paper. You wait a moment and see the dark spots start to scurry around. Bingo! You’ve got spider mites… now what?

Species Spotlight

The Honey locust Gleditsia triacanthos is a deciduous Texas native, a large tree with a trunk diameter of 30" and a height of 80 feet or more. The trunk, branches, and twigs have strong, sharp, brown thorns, either straight or branched, which form on the one-year-old wood and remain for many years.

Trees Are Key

It’s that time of year where you are either spending more time outside because it finally thawed out from winter…. Or you’ve retreated back inside because the heat and mosquitoes are just too much… but now is an important time to inspect or monitor your trees. One of the pests you might find this time of year is bagworms – usually they’re just a nuisance, but left unchecked and they can devastate a stressed plant. Listen in to learn more.

Species Spotlight

The Eastern Redcedar Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana is an Evergreen Texas native. A large tree to up to 50 feet tall, with a straight, fluted trunk 12" to 24" in diameter and a dense, narrow, conical or columnar crown of dark green foliage, the Eastern Redcedar can be found scattered throughout East Texas, north and west to Wichita county and south to Colorado county.

Trees Are Key

We talked about how Famous Trees Are Key way back in episode 11… and featured several of our Famous Trees of Texas in our spotlight, but did you know that trees featured in the American Revolution and our quest for independence? Since this episode drops on Independence Day, it just seems fitting to explore Liberty Trees.

Species Spotlight

American elm (Ulmus americana) has a very extensive natural range, from the Western Plains to the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Northeast. In fact, it is the state tree of Massachusetts and North Dakota. American elm is adaptable to a variety of sites, from uplands to wet bottomlands to harsh urban environments.