Treelines – Week of May 13, 2013

Because urban forestry issues span a wide range of topics and are constantly a source of local, national, and international news, we think it’s important to provide you with the most up-to-date information on everything tree-related: from local and national headlines to the latest in research and technologies, to simply feel-good stories.

Look for our reoccurring Treelines every week right here on Tree Speak + updates on our social channels, Facebook and Twitter.

This week in the Treelines…

  • Tree surgeon in England goes out of his way to save 20,000 bees
    by Stephen Messenger, treehugger

    An English arborist comes across a buzzing find when contacted about removing a dying tree, and makes the extra effort to find a unique way to keep the local ecosystem balanced. Read on for more information, and insight into how the problem was solved.

  • The Tree Hugger
    by The Hindu

    “Crops and trees must co-exist.” The wise words of R.Kannan, the man who for three decades has been teaching villagers and farmers across Tamil Nadu how to “hold the forests.” Read more about his incredible story, and his beliefs on forest preservation.

  • VIDEO: Washington, D.C. Canopy Timelapse, 1984-2012
    by Google Earth

    An insider’s look at the Google Earth aerial view of the District – note the changes in our city that are most obvious over the nearly four decades that have passed: the steady rise in impervious surfaces, and the decrease in green areas. 

  • Guest Voices: Tree Canopy in Urban Areas
    by Mark Buscaino, on the Smithsonian’s Earth Matters

    Mark B., our Executive Director, shares his thoughts on community and environmental action in the heart of D.C. “At Casey Trees we take the common sense view – count the trees in!”

  • A destructive beetle threatens trees — and people who live near them
    by Patterson Clark, Washington Post

    Scientists studying the devastating effects of the emerald ash borer (EAB) in the United States are given a unique opportunity to study the extensive loss of trees’ impact on human health – and find some scary results related to cardiovascular and lower respiratory illnesses.

  • A Dream of Trees Aglow at Night
    by Andrew Pollack, Washington Post

    Hoping to give new meaning to the term “natural light,” a small group of biotechnology hobbyists and entrepreneurs has started a project to develop plants that glow, potentially leading the way for trees that can replace electric streetlamps and potted flowers luminous enough to read by.

If you’re looking for the latest in D.C.’s news on trees and tree canopy, look no further than our 2012 Tree Report Card.

Don’t forget to check back next week for more Treelines! Any thoughts on these articles? Post your comments or questions below or via our social media channels - Facebook.. Twitter.. thanks!

May 17, 2013 | (0) Comments | Categories: Blog, Treelines

Cicadas & Trees: The Full Story


These insights on the cicadas of Brood II have been shared by Jim Woodworth and Jessica Sanders, our Tree Planting Director and Technical Services & Research Director. 

If you haven’t heard a Cicada under a warm night sky, prepare yourself for the deafening sound of their monotonous buzzing and clicking, which at times are loud enough to drown out planes overhead. Cicadas live underground as nymphs for most of their lives, eventually exiting through a tunnel to the surface and emerging to molt on a nearby plant and mature into adults. The abandoned exoskeleton remains, clinging to whatever surface it can, typically the bark of trees. Cicada nymphs suck sap from the xylem of various tree species. Post-coitus, the female cicada cuts slits into the bark of a twig and deposits her eggs, repeating the process until she has laid several hundred eggs. When the eggs hatch, the nymphs drop to the ground and burrow. This year is Brood II, which has a 17-year life cycle that is soon coming to an end. These nymphs have spent nearly two decades feeding on roots, and will burst into a mating frenzy once the ground temperature reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit. The red-eyed insect will outnumber people living from North Carolina to Connecticut by 600 to 1.

Although benign to humans (they do not bite or sting), cicadas have been known to mistake an arm for a tree or plant limb and attempt to feed. Adult cicadas have a long proboscis which they use to feed on sap from plant stems. Cicadas can cause damage to crops, shrubs, and trees typically in the form of scarring left on branches while the females lay their eggs deep in the branches. Large swarms can damage young trees by feeding and laying eggs, but most established trees usually escape without serious damage. On mature, healthy trees even an increase of cicada activity should not concern you, as the trees will withstand the loss of branch ends and recover from the onslaught. Young trees, particularly ornamental fruit trees require the most protection,  which can be done by draping netting (with openings less than ½ inch wide) over the canopy of young trees and securing it to the trunk. But in order for this to work, the netting must be placed before the cicadas emerge.

Although cicadas do cause damage to trees, they do have a benefit as well.  The decomposing bodies of the adult cicadas will trap nutrients close to tree roots and act as a fertilizer; however, at the same time, those nutrients will feed the new generation of cicadas developing underground (emerging in 2030) and that process can slow tree growth by up to 30%.  The tunnels created by the larvae will also act as a soil aerator.

One of the most interesting facts about cicadas is their defense mechanism against predators, known as predator satiation.  This means that since so many cicadas emerge at once, the overwhelming number of cicadas is greater than any predator could possibly consume, therefor all predators are full and the remaining cicadas can breed without fear.  One of my own personal laughs comes from watching my dogs attempt to stalk and eat the cicadas, only to be overwhelmed by the shear amount of them.

One way or another, the cicadas will continue to emerge like clockwork.  Enjoy nature’s nightmusic, kickback on the deck or patio and raise your glass of wine or beer to toast one of nature’s peculiar phenomenons.

Other resources: 

May 16, 2013 | (1) Comment | Categories: Blog

2013 Spring School CTP Recap


With the spring coming to a close, it’s time to reflect on the work done this planting season…by our youngest planters! The school community tree planting season has been a big success, and as you may remember from our update earlier this spring, our work has been driven by a singular goal – to expand our reach.

Our first efforts to do that involved extending a hand to schools and communities east of the river and helping them not only establish canopy but create gardens and green areas that the children can utilize year-round. The next step? Continuing to plant outside of the District! All in all, we were able to help 239 students across 11 schools plant 64 trees in playgrounds and school yards.

We started the season off with 24 11th and 12th graders from Anacostia High School, bringing our first installment of trees to the site along with some volunteers to help. The net number of trees planted there is now 23, many of which (from the most recent planting) were sourced directly from our Casey Tree Farm.

Next, we also joined to Jefferson Middle School for a first time with 5 trees, engaging in some funny and vibrant 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. Then came Capital City Public Charter School – we were very excited for the chance to add these trees because of their long-term purpose. We planted them with the middle school “Top Chef Class” so that they might be able to utilize the bountiful harvest from the fruit trees in the years to come!

Back to Kingsbury Center, we had a big crew of a wide array of ages – 22 elementary to high school students joined in the fun, planting 6 trees – some of which were bare root trees – and adding to the 8 already there. After that we planted 6 trees with 27 students from Drew Freeman Middle School, 5 trees with 21 1st-5th graders at Stoddert Elementary School, and 6 trees with another 21 1st-4th grade girls from Excel Public Charter School.

We ended the season on a high note, planting at Mary McLeod Bethune PCS, Montessori School of Northern VA, Grace Episcopal Day School (MD), and Melvin Berman Hebrew School (MD), amassing 27 trees and 77 students between the four schools.

Thank you to all those school teachers, administrators, parents, volunteers, students, and staff that made the spring 2013 school community tree planting season possible!

Would you like to submit an application for a future school planting? Learn how.

May 7, 2013 | (1) Comment | Categories: Blog, Community Tree Planting

Tree Seekers: Matt Braun, Ward 6


When Matt Braun and his wife decided to purchase a tree for their front yard, they immediately considered Casey Trees. “We were going to get a tree either way, applying for the rebate was a no-brainer!” Utilizing the Tree Rebate program offered an affordable option for planting trees by supplying a rebate of up to $100.

Residents of Capitol Hill, Matt and his wife wanted a species that would add character to the small yard of their rowhouse. “Everyone loves flowering cherry trees, so it really came down to picking the right variety, and we decided the smaller mature size of the Kwanzan would fit best.” They hope that their tree will bring a hint of color to their neighborhood.

Matt is very proud of Capitol Hill’s strong tree canopy. “We’ve got a bunch of mature oaks on our street and a ton of new city-planted trees from the last couple of years in our tree boxes,” he comments. “There are very few empty tree boxes, and the neighbors seem mostly willing to care for the new trees in their fragile first couple years.”

Although he has run out of room in his yard, Matt is still very eager to plant more trees in the future. “Unfortunately our tiny yard is now officially full; so more trees will have to wait on a future house with more space.”

Casey Trees doesn’t encourage planting during the summer months but, Tree Rebates are accepted year round. Participation is simple.

  •  Submit a completed Tree Rebate form. There is no maximum number of rebates allowed per property.
  • Include purchase receipt for each tree listed.
  • Rebate requests are subject to approval by Casey Trees.

Also, be sure to utilize the resources available on our website. From video tutorials, to our Tree Species Library and maps of the District’s urban forest, the Casey Trees website is your one stop shop for planning, education and advocacy.

May 4, 2013 | (0) Comments | Categories: Blog, Tree Rebate

Treelines – Week of April 29, 2013

Because urban forestry issues span a wide range of topics and are constantly a source of local, national, and international news, we think it’s important to provide you with the most up-to-date information on everything tree-related: from local and national headlines to the latest in research and technologies, to simply feel-good stories.

Look for our reoccurring Treelines every week right here on Tree Speak + updates on our social channels, Facebook and Twitter.

This week in the Treelines…

  • Trees Make Sounds When They’re Running Out Of Water, Experiments Suggest
    Elizabeth Howell, Huffington Post

    Like a person gasping for air when it’s in short supply, living trees make noises when they are running out of water, and a team of French scientists from Grenoble University is a step closer to pinpointing the noises.

  • UPDATE: NASCAR tree planting initiative hits six figures
    by staff of Yahoo Sports

    An update to a previous Treelines post: NASCAR “Race to Green,” a month-long initiative that galvanized teams, tracks, drivers, official NASCAR partners and most importantly fans, resulted in more than 150,000 trees being planted across the country, including in areas affected by natural disasters. 

  • New York: A Concrete Jungle And ‘City Of Trees,’ Too
    by Margot Adler, NPR.

    Another city, another incredible canopy. Did you know that there are some amazing trees, not just in Central or Prospect Park, but throughout the outer boroughs? Explore them with New York’s version of Melane Choukas-Bradley, Benjamin Swett.

  • Photographer documents tree damage following Superstorm Sandy
    by Chris Tackett, treehugger

    Photographer Brett Essler put together a photo essay documenting the extensive damage to trees in New York City after Superstorm Sandy, noting the balance between humans and trees and the importance of each in the urban ecosystem.

  • Bug gets a Tree
    by Pandabolt Farms

    This is the story of a young family in the Brookland, D.C. neighborhood that chose to plant a tree to honor their newborn. Read about their experience – we’re incredibly grateful to call this wonderful story a success in our eyes, for them and the canopy.

If you’re looking for the latest in D.C.’s news on trees and tree canopy, look no further than our 2012 Tree Report Card.

Don’t forget to check back next week for more Treelines! Any thoughts on these articles? Post your comments or questions below or via our social media channels - Facebook.. Twitter.. thanks!

May 3, 2013 | (0) Comments | Categories: Blog

Tree of the Month: Tulip tree



This is a special edition of our Tree of the Month feature – our Tree Planting Director, Jim Woodworth, wrote this for us because it’s his absolute favorite tree! Get a look inside his appreciation for the amazing tulip tree:

“Lilly tree bearing tulips” is apparently what Linnaeus meant when he described the tulip tree as Liriodendron tulipifera, and we have been calling it all kinds of things before and after:  tulip poplar, yellow poplar, white wood, fiddle tree.  It is not a poplar, but it is in the magnolia family.

I learned a lot in forestry school, but two tree facts that stuck best in my head were related to our big trees:  sycamore and tulip tree. The sycamore is the tree in the northeastern United States with the widest girth (the biggest trunk) and the tulip tree is the tallest. Sure, we can’t compete with the redwoods and sequoias of the Pacific northwest, but we’ve still got our share of big trees around here!

The tulip tree is actually the tallest deciduous tree in North American, and it is the only species of its genus on this continent.  There is one other species in Asia, Liriodendron chinensis. The tulip tree is also one of our fastest growing trees here in the Washington, D.C. region. Often nestled in a little creek or stream valley, they grow quickly and often fool you into looking older than they really are. But their grandeur and superlative qualities belie their finer points. I’m quite fond of their simple, but peculiar blunt-tipped, four-lobed leaves, and I especially love the beautiful greenish-yellow with orange flowers.

I often challenge folks to find new ways to appreciate their trees year round. For me, I rediscovered the tulip tree several times over in my continuing education and life-long work with trees, in very different circumstances.  Once was stomping through the bitter cold of winter, crunching through an icy crust of old and frozen snow.  It was a quiet, calm winter morning, with winter shadows long through the brown and gray trunks of trees, indistinguishable at first glance.  But a little cold breeze picked up, and several large tulip trees, with their open brown seed cones, rained down hundreds of their wind-dispersed samara-like seeds, twinkling through the twigs and branches and skittering across the frozen landscape.

If you enjoy your trees while out walking around in the District, there are two locations where you can be sure to pay more attention to our majestic tulip trees: the first requires that you head south on 16th Street NW and after crossing the hustle and bustle of U Street, take a break from the people watching and look up to see the view of the White House.  This stretch of 16th Street NW is unique in its prominent landscape design choice, with its view-shed framed by the towering, majestic tulip tree, planted just inside the sidewalk, in the front yards or “public parking” space of those properties that line the road.  It’s a design strategy that merits application in other situations, when our street trees are either choked out by small soil volumes of the tree box, or are “reduction pruned” for overhead wire clearance—let’s plant big trees in front yards where there is space to allow them to reach their full potential.

The second spot asks that you cross Duke Ellington Memorial Bridge on a hot, humid, muggy D.C. evening between Adams Morgan and Woodley Park, and peer out over Rock Creek Park. You can see the tulip trees reaching for the sky from the park land below and enjoy a rare view looking down on their wonderful and seldom-seen flowers.

The tulip tree is the state tree for Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, and a couple years back, we had the pleasure of planting one in St. Paul’s Rock Creek Church Parish in memory of my friend Nick, from Kentucky.

It’s also an important timber tree, known to have some resistance to termites, and has an American Indian history of being utilized for dug-out canoes.  It is also considered a major honey plan. We frequently plant them as specimen shade trees in park and other settings where they will have plenty of space to reach their mature size.  However, there are a couple smaller-stature cultivated varieties, including the “Little Volunteer” which we have planted at Delaware Circle, and hope to promote for smaller yard plantings.

No matter where you choose to see these incredible trees, be sure to soak in their presence – and bring a camera, to help you remember until the next time you cross paths. Check out our tree species map below for other locations throughout the District:

View map full screen.

For more about tulip trees and many other species, check out the tulip tree profile on our Tree Species resource. You can also explore our Tree Talk online chats, which cover a range of topics from tree spotting and care, to species-specific discussions (such as the American elm and fruit-bearing trees).

Flickr credit: nipplerings72.

May 1, 2013 | (2) Comments | Categories: Blog, Tree of the Month

Tree Seekers: Thomas Lavash, Ward 5

During the month of April and May we will be profiling Tree Rebate participants from across the city. Past participants have been on Tree Speak and in April’s issue of the Leaflet.

Since moving to Michigan Park in 2004, Thomas Lavash has planted more than 130 evergreens and deciduous trees as apart of a comprehensive landscaping program. To reduce costs, Thomas relied on the Casey Trees rebate program.

“For one of our rebates, we were looking for a species that would be sculptural and organic to offset the very linear architecture of our house, an international-style/mid-century modern gem commissioned in 1960. The multi-stem trunks and peeling bark of the six Natchez Crape Myrtle that we planted are beautiful – even in winter. During the summer, the white flowers are prolific, blooming continuously for over 3 months!”

Thomas’s passion for trees started at the tender age of 13. A native of the Boston metropolitan area, he was devastated when the local DPW cut down two maple trees in front of his childhood home. “I cried and it sparked my passion.” Over the past 40 years, Thomas has planted over 450 trees. He considers every planting to be of importance. “All of my trees have their own emotional and physical significance.”

As the president of the Michigan Park Citizens Association, Thomas is an advocate for increasing the area’s tree canopy. “Part of the beauty of Michigan Park is its amazing tree canopy – majestic oaks and graceful, remnant elms line many blocks.” Unfortunately, like the tree canopy in other neighborhoods, many trees have been lost through storms and city neglect over the years. He has tried to combat this by planning a series of plantings. “The Michigan Park Citizens Association (MPCA) has had four community planting projects with Casey Trees, successfully planting 83 new trees in several locations over the past three years.”

Although Thomas is running out of room in his yard, he still continues to plant trees. “I literally only have room for one or two more plantings,” he comments.  But he plans to utilize other Casey Trees programs for community goals.  “Future plantings will be through Casey Trees’ community tree planting projects elsewhere in Michigan Park.”

The citizens association is also working with the District Department of Transportation’s Urban Forestry Administration to plant more trees. “Our Ward 5 arborist at UFA has been terrific, planting over 75 new trees throughout Michigan Park.” 100 more locations have already been identified for plantings in the fall.

Thomas’s leadership and enthusiasm has influenced many of his Michigan Park neighbors. His immediate neighbors enthusiastically worked with MPCA to plant 19 new evergreen and deciduous trees in their yard during a neighborhood Casey Trees community tree planting projects. Thomas hopes to continue to encourage residents of Michigan Park to keep the area green.

We provide rebates up to $100 to individuals who purchase and plant trees on private residential or commercial property in D.C. Plant a tree on your property and get your own today!

April 25, 2013 | (0) Comments | Categories: Blog, Tree Rebate

Treelines – Week of April 22, 2013

Because urban forestry issues span a wide range of topics and are constantly a source of local, national, and international news, we think it’s important to provide you with the most up-to-date information on everything tree-related: from local and national headlines to the latest in research and technologies, to simply feel-good stories.

Look for our reoccurring Treelines every week right here on Tree Speak + updates on our social channels, Facebook and Twitter.

This week in the Treelines…

  • Cloning takes California’s ancient redwood trees abroad
    Associated Press, USA TODAY

    California’s mighty redwoods are going international, cloned in an effort to promote reforestation and deal with climate change, by the non-profit group Archangel Ancient Tree Archive. For more information on their Earth Day initiative and the organization itself, read on.

  • Worst of tree pollen season may be over
    by Jason Samenow, Capital Weather Gang, Washington Post

    This week in Washington, D.C. tree pollen spiked to 2871 grains per cubic meter, as astonishing level unsurpassed since 2010. The good news for allergy sufferers? It may now be on the way down.

  • Help for avocado trees: How to boost health and improve harvests
    by Frank McDonough of Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, L.A. Times

    This weekly column in the L.A. Times, “SoCal Garden Clinic,” does a feature on the unique avovado tree – see what common issues and solutions an expert provides.

  • ‘Take your ads off trees or face legal action’
    by Times of India

    As an interesting observation on urban tree policies in other countries: using a tree as a free display board can have you prosecuted in India. A five-member bench headed has asked all civic and land owning agencies to immediately remove all boards, advertisements, signages and nails from trees in their respective areas as of April 22.

  • Tree of trouble for Japan Prime Minister
    by stuff.co.nz, via Reuters

    South Korea’s foreign minister has cancelled a trip to Japan after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made an offering of a pine tree to a shrine seen as a symbol of Japan’s former militarism, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.

  • ‘Tree-man’ turns sand dune ‘green’
    by The Hindu Business Line

    Turning a sand dune into a green garden might seem like a difficult task, but a septuagenarian has single-handedly achieved this and managed to plant over 27,000 trees in a village near here, earning him the sobriquet of ‘Tree Man.’

Don’t forget to check back next week for more Treelines!

Any thoughts on these articles? Post your comments or questions below or via our social media channels - Facebook.. Twitter.. thanks!

April 24, 2013 | (0) Comments | Categories: Blog

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