Hurricanes and violent storms

“It is important that people who live in the East and Gulf coastal areas be prepared,” says Tchukki Andersen, BCMA, CTSP* and staff arborist with the Tree Care Industry Association. “Even people in the Midwestern states should heed the warning. Right now, get your trees as ready as they can be to survive a major storm. Don’t wait until the storm is headed your way.”

One of the greatest dangers to life and property during hurricanes is posed by falling trees and limbs. “Larger trees in leaf will ‘catch’ more wind and be subjected to increased mechanical stresses. These stresses increase the chances of either branch or whole-tree failure,” explains Andersen. “Preparing trees for a high-wind event should be done well in advance of the storm season. However, it’s not too late to start preparing, now. To help ease these dangers, have a qualified tree care provider evaluate your trees. Doing this will help determine potential weaknesses and dangers.”

Examine your trees for the following danger signs:

• Wires in contact with tree branches. Trees may become energized when they are contacted by electric wires.
• Dead or partially attached limbs hung up in the higher branches that could fall and cause damage or injury.
• Cracked stems and branch unions that could cause catastrophic failure of a tree section.
• Hollow or decayed areas on the trunk or main limbs, or mushrooms growing from the bark that may indicate a decayed and weakened stem.
• Peeling bark or gaping wounds in the trunk could also indicate structural weakness.
• Fallen or uprooted trees putting pressure on other trees beneath them.
• Tight, V-shaped branch unions, which are much more prone to failure than open, U-shaped unions.
• Heaving soil at the tree base is a potential indicator of an unsound root system.

A tree is a living, growing, changing thing, and its integrity and stability could change over time. Don’t assume that a tree that has survived nine severe storms will necessarily survive a tenth. Simultaneously, not all large trees are dangerous. Contact your tree care expert for an onsite examination.

Find a professional

A professional arborist can assess your landscape and work with you to determine the best care for your trees.

*Board Certified Master Arborist, Certified Treecare Safety Professional

The post How to Prepare Your Trees Before the Tropical Cyclone Season appeared first on Tree Care Tips.

“Many shade and ornamental trees are damaged throughout the year by windstorms, lightning or ice and snow accumulations,” notes Tchukki Andersen, BCMA, CTSP* and staff arborist with the Tree Care Industry Association. “Damage usually consists of a few broken branches. However, more severe damage – such as splitting or pulling apart of branch unions, removal of large areas of bark, twisting and splitting of the trunk or even uprooting – pose possible dangers.”

What types of trees cause the most damage?

A few tree species, including Chinese elm, silver maple, boxelder, and various poplars, have brittle wood that is easily broken. These rapidly growing trees cause a considerable amount of damage to homes, cars, buildings, and utility lines each year. Homeowners should be aware of these characteristics and avoid planting them close to potential targets. If such trees are already growing in these locations, preventive pruning, bracing, or cabling may help reduce storm damage this winter. This is particularly true as the tree grows, and the weight and surface of the leaf and branch area increases.

Over the years, growing trees will add more leaves, become heavier and “catch” more wind, so they are prone to increased mechanical stresses, thus increasing the chances of failure. Larger trees will also affect an increased area should they or their larger limbs fall. This means that homes, other structures, and power lines that might not have been threatened a few years ago might now be under threat by a tree that has grown. Preparing trees to better withstand these natural events is necessary and should be done well in advance of storm season. To help ease these dangers, have a professional arborist evaluate your trees. Doing this will help identify potential weaknesses and dangers.

Look at your trees for the following warning signs:

• Dead or partially attached limbs hung up in the higher branches that could fall and cause damage or injury
• Cracked stems and branch forks that could cause catastrophic failure of a tree section
• Hollow or decayed areas on the trunk or main limbs or mushrooms growing from the bark could indicate a decayed and weakened stem
• Peeling bark or gaping wounds in the trunk also indicate structural weakness
• Fallen or uprooted trees putting pressure on other trees beneath them
• Tight, V-shaped forks, which are much more prone to failure than open U-shaped forks
• Heaving soil at the tree base is a potential indicator of an unsound root system

Remember, too, that a tree is a living thing and its integrity and stability change over time. Don’t assume that a tree that has survived 10 severe storms will necessarily survive an eleventh.

The post Will Your Landscape Avoid Storm Damage? appeared first on Tree Care Tips.

April, 29 2022 – Over the years, natural outdoor environments in cities have disappeared with ongoing urbanization. The City of Philadelphia’s Greenworks Program is a plan to increase tree canopy, or greenspace. A team of Forest Service researchers set out to discover where increasing tree cover across Philadelphia would help more of the city’s residents to live longer.

Michelle Kondo is a USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station scientist who studies the many benefits trees provide and the ways cities are investing in programs to expand tree cover.

“I have always been interested in how the design of cities and infrastructure can support both ecological and human health,” she said.

Kondo’s research addresses how different types of environments affect human health. She also explores the impact of municipal place and nature-based initiatives on preventing and reducing violence, injuries and disease. She has found that people who have access, parks, gardens, trees and forests often enjoy an improved quality of life. A study of the association between self-reported health and the proximity of trees, grass and total vegetation near homes found significantly higher reporting of very good health for participants with high tree cover. There’s even evidence suggesting that trees in particular, compared with other forms of urban vegetation, have a profound impact upon human health and wellbeing.

Kondo’s work also examines issues related to environmental health and environmental justice, including the impact of innovative programs on public health and safety.

“Urban greenspace can be regarded as a preventive public health measure,” she said. “They provide opportunities for improving mental health, increased social interaction and physical activity, and reduced stress, crime and violence.”

In Philadelphia, her team found that 403 premature adult deaths – 3% of the city’s total mortality – might be prevented each year if the city increased tree canopy cover to 30% by 2025. This analysis is one of the first to estimate the number of preventable deaths based on exposure to greenspaces and its associated benefits, such as increased physical activity or reduced air pollution, noise, heat and crime. Before this study, no health impact assessment studies were available to provide policymakers with a comprehensive look at the health benefits of increasing the number of trees in urban areas.

The researchers determined that, to meet the city’s 30 percent tree canopy cover target, tree planting programs will not only need to target managed spaces like streets and parks, but also residential yards and other privately-owned commercial, industrial and institutional spaces. The data indicated that the biggest benefits would occur within areas of lower socio-economic status, where residents currently live with lower tree canopy. Increasing tree cover in these neighborhoods would not only promote public health, but also decrease health inequalities and increase environmental justice.

Based on these findings, the researchers note that policymakers are warranted in viewing urban tree canopy preservation and expansion as a tool for promoting health and reducing health-care-related costs.

This approach can be applied to other cities with greening initiatives as well.

“My colleagues and I have applied this method to cities across Europe,” said Kondo. “I would also like to scale this study up to more cities across the U.S.”

Forest Service researchers set out to discover where increasing tree cover across Philadelphia would help more of the city’s residents to live longer. (Courtesy photo by Bruce Yuanyue/GettyImages)

To view online: Can trees save lives? | US Forest Service (usda.gov)

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“Selection of trees for planting in a home landscape depends on several factors, including a suitable growing site and any function they are going to serve,” explains Tchukki Andersen, BCMA, CTSP* and staff arborist with the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). “Will they attract birds to the area? Shade a patio? Screen an unsightly view? Enhance the appearance of the home? Trees can provide contrast and relief from surrounding buildings and create seasonal interest in areas near the home,” says Andersen.

We advise homeowners to consider the following factors when selecting a tree:

• hardiness (ability of the plant to survive extremes of winter cold and summer heat, and sudden temperature swings)
• mature height and spread
• growth rate above and below ground
• available space above and below ground
• aesthetics
• moisture requirements for the life of the tree
• maintenance requirements for the life of the tree
• availability at local nurseries
• ornamental effects, such as branching habit, texture and color of bark, flowers, fruit and foliage

A professional tree care company can help you determine which tree species perform well in your local area and are suited to your desired planting site. Arborists typically analyze the specific planting site to determine the compatibility of the tree to the site. Environmental considerations may include:

• disease and insect problems that may limit your selections
• the prior use of the planting site
• soil conditions, such as poor drainage, high or low pH, and soil nutrition
• the presence or absence of channelized winds
• the location of utilities, both above and below ground
• the proximity of the plant to roads, walkways and security lighting

Is there enough space to plant a tree?

The space available at the specific site and mature tree size are important considerations and addressing these limits will go a long way toward reducing maintenance costs. Utilities, in particular, should be given a wide berth. If your tree will grow to 25 feet or taller, do not plant it under or near overhead power lines. Do not forget the underground utilities; they may need to be serviced at some point, and the tree should never impede this. Call 811 for the national “Call Before You Dig” hotline to make sure your chosen planting site will not hinder utility maintenance. Keep in mind the ground-level utility structures such as transformers and individual service connections, which also require space to be serviced.

Where to plant

Community ordinances may restrict planting of trees near power lines, parking strips, streetlights, sewers, traffic control signs and signals, sidewalks and property lines. Municipalities may require planting permits for trees planted on city property. City codes often require that trees on city property be maintained by the city, so citizens planting an improper selection can cause problems for themselves and the municipality.

Find a professional

A professional arborist can assess your landscape and work with you to determine the best trees and shrubs to plant for your existing landscape, and how best to protect them. Homeowners who would like a professional arborist to assess their trees should contact…

*Board Certified Master Arborist, Certified Treecare Safety Professional

The post Spring Planting Season: Select the Right Tree appeared first on Tree Care Tips.

“One reason trees fail is weak branch unions,” says Tchukki Andersen, CTSP, BCMA* and staff arborist with the Tree Care Industry Association. “Homeowners can educate themselves about tree limbs, but they should call a professional arborist if they are worried about an overhanging branch.”

Trees may suffer from naturally formed imperfections. This can lead to branch failure at the union of the branch and main stem. There are two types of imperfections that create weak unions: A branch union with included bark and an epicormic branch.

Branch unions with included bark

Branch unions can be characterized as strong or weak. Strong branch unions have upturned branch bark ridges at branch junctions. Annual rings of wood from the branch grow together with annual rings of wood from the stem. This can create a sound, strong union all the way into the center of the tree.

A weak branch union occurs when a branch and stem (or two or more co-dominant stems) grow so closely together that bark grows between them, inside the tree. The term for bark growing inside the tree is “included bark”. As more and more bark is included inside the tree, the greater the likelihood that this weak union is likely to fail.

In storm-damage surveys conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Forest Resources Department, 21 percent of all landscape trees that failed in windstorms failed at weak branch unions of co-dominant stems. Some species are notorious for having included bark. These species include European mountain ash, green ash, hackberry, boxelder, willow, red maple, silver maple, Amur maple, cherry, Bartlett pear, and little leaf linden.

Epicormic branches

Epicormic branches (also called water sprouts) are formed as a response to poor pruning practices, injury, or environmental stress. These types of branches are new branches that replaced injured, pruned, or declining branches. Commonly, epicormic branches form on the stems and branches of topped trees. When old, large epicormic branches are growing on decaying stems or branches, the epicormics are very likely to fail.

An epicormic branch, by its very nature, forms a weak union.  They have a shallow attachment instead of being attached all the way to the center of the stem. Epicormic branches grow very quickly so they become heavy very quickly. After a time they lose their connection to the main branch. This may cause the branch to fall to the ground because the underlying wood cannot support its weight.

“If a weak union is also cracked, cankered, or decayed, the union is likely to fail, causing the branch to fall off the tree,” says Andersen. “Sometimes, ridges of bark and wood will form on one or both sides of a weakened branch union in order to stabilize the union. The branch is very likely to fail when a crack forms between the ridges.”

Find a professional

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Computer models devised by the U.S. Department of Energy predicted that the proper placement of as few as three shade trees would save an average household $100 to $250 in energy costs each year – and that was reported in 1995, before energy costs soared!

Reduce energy use

On hot days, some large trees can pull hundreds of gallons of water through their leaves. This water evaporates, keeping the tree and its immediate surroundings cool. With the less-than-efficient use of fossil fuels for heating and cooling our buildings, it only makes good sense to take advantage of the following principles.

“Plant deciduous trees on the south and west sides of a building,” advises Tchukki Andersen, BCMA, CTSP* staff arborist with the Tree Care Industry Association. “Those are the sides where the sun’s rays are most intense. Since deciduous trees lose their leaves in winter, they offer shade during summer but permit the winter sun to provide warmth,” adds Andersen. “Where there isn’t room for trees, shrubs and vines can provide similar benefits.”

Best trees and locations for shade

Plant deciduous trees with high, spreading crowns to the south of your home to provide maximum summertime shading. Trees with branches lower to the ground are more appropriate to the west, where shade is needed for afternoon sun. These locations are best for trees to act as nature’s air conditioners. Trees should not be planted on the southern sides of homes in cold climates. This is because the branches of these trees will block some winter sun.

“Although a slow-growing tree may require many years of growth before it shades your roof, it will generally live longer,” notes Andersen. Also, because slow-growing trees often have deeper roots and stronger branches, they are less prone to fail during extreme weather. Slow-growing trees can also be more drought resistant than fast-growing trees.

Trees, shrubs and ground-cover plants can also shade the ground and pavement around the home. This reduces heat radiation and cools the air before it reaches your home’s walls and windows. Use a large bush or row of shrubs to shade a patio or driveway. Plant a hedge to shade a sidewalk. Build a trellis for climbing vines to shade a patio area.

Shrubs planted close to the house will fill in rapidly and begin shading walls and windows within a few years. However, avoid allowing dense foliage to grow immediately next to a home. This can cause wetness or continual humidity, which can be a problem.

Enhance property values

Beyond energy savings and beauty, homeowners who take care of their trees find the value of their properties increase. A number of studies have shown that real estate agents and home buyers assign between 10 and 23 percent of the value of a residence to the trees on the property. Read more about the benefits of trees.

What can you do?

Many arborists have training in ecosystem services, including energy efficient landscapes, which is a growing branch of tree appraisal. A professional arborist can provide information regarding the value potential of your trees. They can work with you to determine the best trees and shrubs to plant for your existing landscape. Use the Find A Tree Care Company tool to connect with a qualified arborist in your area.

To calculate the energy value of the trees on your own property, try out the i-Tree Design feature of the i-Tree suite.

* Board Certified Master Arborist, Certified Treecare Safety Professional

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French-American Friendship Tree Dies

An oak that was meant to represent the French-American alliance, gifted by France’s President Macron to President Trump, died just a year after being planted. Immediately following a ceremonial planting on the White House lawn the tree was removed and quarantined. This is a normal process to ensure foreign bacteria wouldn’t invade the area. Unfortunately, it didn’t survive quarantine and will be replaced. Read about what happened.

Forests: An Alternative to Traditional Burial

In a forest south of Silicon Valley, a new start-up called Better Place Forests is hoping to change the thought process around end-of-life planning and the death-services industry by providing an alternative to expensive graveyard burials. “We’re trying to redesign the entire end-of-life experience,” said Sandy Gibson, the chief executive of Better Place. Mr. Gibson’s company is buying forests, arranging conservation easements intended to prevent the land from ever being developed, and then selling people the right to have their cremated remains mixed with fertilizer and fed to a particular tree at its roots. Learn more about this nature-friendly burial option.

Tracking Exceptional Trees in Hawaii

According to the state of Hawaii, all trees are important, but some are truly exceptional and have landed on The Outdoor Circle’s – Exceptional Tree Map of Hawaii. There are certain requirements to attain this designation, according to the state’s Exceptional Tree Act. If it meets enough of these standards, it just might be exceptional. Read more about these trees.

As it turns out, an exceptionally large Banyan tree in Lahaina on the island of Maui is on this list of exceptional trees, and the Tree Care Industry Association has ties to it. When planted in 1973, this tree stood at just eight feet tall. The Banyan has since grown by dropping roots from its branches. As a result, these roots then became additional trunks over the process of time. Today, it stands over 60 feet high. It has 16 major trunks in addition to the massive original trunk. Because of its size it shades nearly two-thirds of an acre! Those who visit may notice a plaque indicating that the National Arborist Association (now TCIA) dedicated it in 1982 to honor the town’s efforts in preserving this fine specimen.

Scroll to the top of this post for a photo of the Lahaina Banyan tree in all of its sizeable glory.

Image Credits:

Lahaina Banyan – TCIA

NAA Plaque at Lahaina Banyan – TCIA

Oak cross section – “My little star..” by  SHAGGY is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 

The post Things We Heart – June 2019 appeared first on Tree Care Tips.

“Many fatal accidents and millions of dollars in property damage can be averted if homeowners heed the warning signs of a hazardous tree,” explains Tchukki Andersen, BCMA, CTSP* and staff arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). “By not paying attention to your trees, you are potentially placing your property, even your life, in jeopardy.”

Tree defect clues

Fortunately, one can often read the clues that indicate a tree is prone to failure. For instance, if a tree has large branches attached with tight, V-shaped forks, those attachment points are often weak and could break or fail during strong weather events. However, those branches can be removed or reduced in length to reduce the risk while maintaining the tree’s aesthetic appearance.

Other warning signs of structural instability include cracks in the trunk or major limbs, hollow and decayed areas or the presence of extensive dead wood. Mushrooms growing from the base of the tree or under its canopy may be a sign of root decay, which could cause the entire tree to fail. Remember to be thorough in your evaluation; the absence of fungus growth does not necessarily mean the tree is healthy.

“It also pays to be highly suspicious of any tree that has had construction activities performed near it – such as cable or utility trenching, addition or removal of soil, digging or heavy equipment movement – anywhere under the spread of its branches,” says Andersen. These activities can cause root death, which in turn, again, could lead to the structural instability of the tree.

Holes in trees

The indicator most people recognize is a hollow in a tree. But even a large hollow does not always imply that a tree has become hazardous. Nor does it mean the hollow should be filled. Filling of hollow trees, a process called “cavity filling,” was practiced by arborists for many years. However, thanks to recent research, it has been discovered that cavity filling is not needed to support or improve the health of hollow trees.

Tree experts found that cavity filling with cement can damage a tree. According to Andersen, “The column of cement created in the tree by a cavity fill doesn’t move, just like a column on a building, but the tree is always moving. It sways with the wind constantly. The rubbing created by the swaying tree and the solid column of cement can further damage the tree.”

Wood decay fungi that created the hollow tree defect may take advantage of new injuries created by the rubbing. They could invade the remaining healthy tissue of the tree. When cavity filling is desired for aesthetic reasons, synthetic foams can be applied by professional arborists. These materials will bend with the swaying tree, reducing injury. However, there is really no reason to fill a cavity other than for aesthetic reasons; it doesn’t improve the tree’s health and doesn’t offer extra support. If structural support of a tree is required, a professional arborist will recommend alternative options. Cabling, bracing, propping, tree guying or removing the tree are preferred.

What can you do?

Find a professional. A professional arborist can work with you to determine the best course of action to care for and maintain your landscape.

*Board Certified Master Arborist, Certified Treecare Safety Professional

The post Holes in Trees: Hazardous or Harmless? appeared first on Tree Care Tips.

Planting Trees to Graduate

Thanks to a new bill, called the “Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act,” Philippino students are will soon be required, by law, to plant ten trees before they can graduate from elementary school, high school and college. “Proponents of the law see this as an opportunity for the Filipino youth to help tackle climate change and build a greener environment for their generation.” Learn more about the new law.

Oldest-known Tree Identified in Eastern North America

Scientists say a bald cypress tree in North Carolina wetlands is estimated to be at least 2,624 years old. It lives in a stand of ancient bald cypress trees where are over 2,000 years old in the forested wetlands of North Carolina. As for the oldest known living tree in all of North America, that honor goes to a bristlecone pine tree in California. Read more about these ancient trees.

Trees Tested as Pollutant Traps

A study has found that silver birch, elder and yew win out in an experiment to see which species best capture the tiny particles produced from diesel pollution. “Hairs on leaves are great. Irregular surfaces are great. Anything spiky on the leaves seems to capture a lot of particles,” says Barbara Maher, researcher at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. The research is being contested, however, by other scientists. “The situation is a little more complex that [the authors] present,” says Andrey Khlystov, an analytical chemist at the Desert Research Institute. “My personal opinion is that trees are better than nothing, but what is needed is for tree type and the situation to be carefully considered.” Keep reading for more info about the study.

The post Things We Heart – May 2019 appeared first on Tree Care Tips.

What is spotted lanternfly?

Spotted lanternfly is an invasive sap-feeding insect from Asia. It was first found in the United States in 2014 in Pennsylvania. The main host plant of this pest is tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima). However, spotted lanternfly attacks a variety of trees, shrubs and vines.

How did spotted lanternfly come to Massachusetts?

The insect appears to have been transported in a shipment of poinsettia plants from Pennsylvania. There is no evidence that this pest has become established in Massachusetts. Spotted lanternfly dies off when a hard frost hits. However, additional surveys will confirm no other lanternfly are present.

What should I look for?

Residents should look for large, gray insects, about one inch long, with black spots and red underwings.

“Early detection plays an important role in the protection of the economic and ecological resources of our state from invasive species,” said MDAR Commissioner John Lebeaux. “We ask all residents who have received potted plants this past December to help us protect Massachusetts’ environment and agricultural industries by checking for and reporting signs of spotted lanternfly.”

If you’re unsure of what to look for, a qualified arborist can help you identify this invasive pest and build a plan to treat for it.

Search for a qualified tree care company in your area.

Image Credits:

Spotted lanternfly – Lawrence Barringer, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org

Spotted lanternfly adults – Richard Gardner, Bugwood.org

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