Tree Speak

Contributing Writer: Sebastian O’Connor, Tree Planting intern The October Tree of the Month is the stately and towering Quercus palustrus, also known as the pin oak. Perhaps one of the most abundant oaks in the United States, the pin oak can be found in almost all corners of the lower 48 states and has even [...]

Contributing Writer: Sebastian O’Connor, Tree Planting intern The United States has many national emblems, including a national bird and flower, but imagine what it would be like to add a national tree to that list? Well, if Alexander Hamilton had his way, we would have gotten just that: he was very fond of September’s Tree [...]

Contributing Writer: Sebastian O’Connor, Tree Planting intern Do you have a taste for honey, an eye for vibrant colors, and a love for trees with a slightly drooping form? Then Oxydendrum arboretum, also known as the sourwood, may be the perfect tree for you! The sourwood is a lively and bold tree that ranges along [...]

Contributing Writer: Sebastian O’Connor, Tree Planting intern For many tree enthusiasts and amateurs, July’s Tree of the Month is possibly the easiest tree to identify and the one most likely to give a nice gash. Gleditsia triacanthos, otherwise known as the honey locust, is native to the central United States and commonly has an arrangement [...]

Contributing Writer: Sebastian O’Connor, Tree Planting intern Carya glabra, also known as the pignut hickory, is June’s Tree of the Month and shares a name with a famous U.S. politician. That’s right, the seventh president of the United States, Andrew Jackson, was also known as “Old Hickory” due to his battle-hardened character. Andrew Jackson was [...]

Contributing Writer: Sebastian O’Connor, Tree Planting intern Thomas Jefferson is known for many things, but did you know that he loved the willow oak as well? Reportedly, Quercus phellos was the favorite tree of the third President of the United States, and it is easy to see why. The willow oak is a strong and [...]

March’s Tree of the Month has become synonymous with Washington, D.C., the cherry tree. Did you know that April’s Tree of the Month, the flowering crabapple (Malus), was also once synonymous with the District? Until the 1950s there was a crabapple festival that garnered the same respect and importance as its cherry tree counterpart. A [...]

March’s tree of the month will be the center of attention around the District in the coming weeks: it’s the Yoshino cherry, the star of the National Cherry Blossom Festival that will kick off March 20 and run for almost six weeks. Yoshino cherries are famous for the ethereal beauty of their delicate flowers, which bloom pale [...]