Classic City Arborists News and Blog

Underbrush Clearing

6/29/2020

One of the services we at Classic City Arborists are proud to offer is underbrush clearing, an incredibly important but often overlooked component to land maintenance. One of the main reasons this vital process is dismissed is because it doesn’t seem necessary; most people understand it to be a purely aesthetic choice, and they don’t mind the sight of cluttered underbrush enough to do something about it. But underbrush clearing has many benefits beyond just enhancing curve appeal.

What is underbrush?

Before we get started examining just why it’s so important to clear it out, let’s identify what we mean by underbrush. According to the dictionary, underbrush is defined as “shrubs, bushes, or small trees growing beneath large trees in a wood or forest,” and that’s about as on-the-nose as it gets. In the arboreal world, this extends to yards as well—if you’ve got some tall trees lining your fence and a tangled mass of bushes and vines and shoots growing beneath them, then you’ve got underbrush.

Why should you get rid of it?

We already mentioned the widely-accepted reason for clearing underbrush, which is purely aesthetic: your yard will look much cleaner and neater without the mess. Especially if you’re looking to sell your home, clearing out underbrush is like getting a fresh haircut before a job interview, and can up your curb appeal and the value of your land.

But for those who don’t mind the visual of rampant undergrowth, there’s still plenty of reason to clear:

Spiders, termites, and snakes! Oh my!

One of the biggest selling points when it comes to underbrush clearing is the removal of pests. Twisting vines and thick, low-to-the-ground shrubbery is the ideal home for all kinds of creepy crawlies (think snakes, spiders, mice, ticks, and more). While that idea in and of itself isn’t necessarily off-putting, consider how close to your home your underbrush is; a family of mice living in the bushes outside could easily explore their surroundings and decide that your attic makes a much nicer nesting ground than the cold, dirty ground. And we don’t have to tell you the kind of damage termites could do to your house—you definitely want to keep them as far away as possible.

In addition to running off the rodents and terrorizing the termites, clearing underbrush also reduces the chances of snakes and other bugs. Sitting on your back porch enjoying a glass of sweet tea in the evening is a lot less appealing when you’re being eaten alive by mosquitoes, and having your kiddos run through the yard is a lot less scary when you’re not afraid of snakes under every leaf.

Can you find the snake hiding in this underbrush?

Removing that coverage is a sure-fire way to reduce the chances of all kinds of infestations - if you build it, they will come, and if you tear it down, they will go!

Cut out the competition

Excessive undergrowth also poses a threat to the trees and plants you actually do want around. Your new crepe myrtle needs a lot of water as it establishes itself in your yard, and it might not make it if it has to fight overgrown shrubs and vines for nutrients. Underbrush can also crowd out your new flower bed or vegetable garden, even if it doesn’t seem like it’s close enough—remember to account for the roots, because they spread a lot farther than you think!

Getting the most out of your land

Another reason to clear underbrush from your property is that it actually makes that property usable. Whether you’d like to have a nice outdoor fire pit for the cooler fall evenings, or you have fur babies who would love the chance to run around through open spaces, clearing underbrush gives you much more real estate to work with. Our clients are often surprised by just how much backyard they actually have once it’s not all cluttered with overgrown foliage!

Weed out the wildfires

Though this might not apply here in the Athens area, where we aren’t prone to frequent wildfires, underbrush is always at some risk for them. In dry seasons or after long dry spells, all that undergrowth is all but self-lighting tinder ready to burn, and that’s the last thing you want anywhere near your home or family.

Okay, I get it - but why can't I do it myself?

A big reason why land-owners don’t consider hiring professionals to come in and clear out underbrush is because they think they could just easily do it themselves. After all, on the surface, clearing out underbrush seems like a pretty easy thing to do. Just get out there and chop, chop, chop, and you’re done! Why should you pay someone else to do it for you!

In reality, brush clearing is time-consuming, strenuous, and (especially here in the South) hot-and-sweaty hard work. Getting to the job often gets pushed by the wayside in favor of smaller, less-exhausting projects, which leads to rampant undergrowth that becomes even more overwhelming by the day. Calling your friendly neighborhood arborist is a great way to ensure the brush is actually cleared—and we definitely recommend calling a friendly certified neighborhood arborist, even if that isn’t us.

If you would like to work with us, give us a call or fill out our contact form today to schedule a free estimate! Get that underbrush cleared so you can start enjoying a pest-free, accessible, and beautiful yard as soon as possible!

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Sources
Benefits of Brush Clearing Your Land
Five Good Reasons to Remove Underbrush
Venomous snake hidden in pile of sticks - can you see it?

0 Comments

Tree of the Month: Crepe Myrtle

6/18/2020

0 Comments

The Crepe Myrtle (or Crêpe Myrtle, or even Crape Myrtle) is a popular deciduous decoration to any home or park, especially in the South—and especially here in the Athens area. You probably know them as those trees with the long, puffy bunches of flowers—the ones that always seem to bloom the second it gets warm and continue to bloom well into the fall? The ones that come in pinks, reds, whites, purples, and everything in between, and rain down a shower of petals with the wind (or a good shaking)?

Crepe Myrtles actually get their common name from these flowers; the small, delicate petals are wrinkled and highly resemble crêpe paper.

They are tenuously attached to the tree, and will fall at the slightest provocation, leading to sidewalks and driveways littered with a veritable carpet of color. Children—and even, admittedly, adults—love to rustle the branches while standing under them to watch them float gently to the ground, like a colorful snowfall.

The flowers and even leaves and seeds are rated as safe for human consumption, so if you have an adventurous toddler interested in munching some petals, they’re perfectly safe. The ASPCA has also certified them as safe for animal consumption, so you don’t have to worry about your beloved fur-baby who loves to eat anything and everything in sight.

Did You Know?

There are nearly fifty varieties of Crepe Myrtles world-wide, though only about half a dozen are commonly seen in the South.

In addition to their colorful flowers, Crepe Myrtles have pretty colorful foliage, too. In the summer, the 2- to 8-inch long leaves are a deep, vibrant green, and in the fall, they can change to stunning reds, yellows, and oranges. An early cold snap or overnight freeze can actually lock the leaves into their green color, effectively canceling the show, but that’s rarely a problem we have down here in the South.

The fruit of the Crepe Myrtle grows in the form of small, green capsules that ripen to dark brown or black and eventually split along six or seven lines. These splits will release a bunch of small, winged seeds, which we’ve all played with at one time or another. With only the one wing and the heavy seed at one end, they will float to the ground in a quick spiral when dropped. Do keep an eye on them, though, because they can stain your driveway if trampled.

Crepe Myrtles are great to have around in the winter months, even though they will be bare of leaves and flowers, thanks to their beautiful bark. It’s what’s called “exfoliating” bark, which basically means it has two layers; the thin, grey outer layer is what exfoliates and flakes away, which exposes the smooth inner layer that can also be grey, or lean more towards brown.

One of the higher points of appeal of Crepe Myrtles is the wide range of sizes available.

On the smaller side, we have the dwarf varieties, which only grow around 2 feet high and make great shrubs or additions to garden beds; there are also miniature and bonsai sizes that you can keep in the house! The other side of the spectrum includes larger trees that reach heights of up to 30 feet—but don’t worry. If that sounds a bit intimidating to you, there’s always the average, medium-sized Crepe Myrtle that tops out at around 12 to 15 feet, or the semi-dwarf varieties that reach around 6 to 8 feet tall.

In addition to the different sizes, Crepe Myrtles are versatile in both shape and function.

Some people like to plant them closer together and encourage multiple trunks to create a living, flowering privacy fence. Others will prune back competing trunks to encourage a single leader for a more classic tree shape. The smaller sizes make a great frame for your front door, or even a potted plant on your back porch. You can cultivate your Crepe Myrtle into their trademark flower vase shape, a regular tree shape with a single trunk, or a hedge-like shape with lots of crooked trunks that makes a great border for your garden.

Whatever shape you go for, remember the golden rule of pruning: don’t prune too much!

A common misconception when it comes to Crepe Myrtles is that, in order to secure bountiful blooms for the next season, you need to chop off all branches down to the main trunk(s). This is not true, and often referred to in the arboreal world as Crepe Murder. Not only does a lobbed-off tree look sad, it’s also extremely unhealthy. All nutrients and energy will be channeled into new growth from the nubs, and while this new growth will bloom as desired, the blooms will be too heavy for the twigs they grow on, and will weigh them down until they break.

Thou shalt not murder, and that includes Crepe Murder!

When it comes to caring for your Crepe Myrtle, most have the same needs regarding resources like sun and water. They love the warmer weather and need at least 6 hours of full sun every day—the more sun exposure they get, the more blooms they’ll grow! They’re fairly drought-resistant once firmly established, but are nearly always thirsty when newly planted. Be sure to sufficiently water any new additions to your landscape twice a week until they’ve officially set up shop.

While we’ve already stressed the importance of avoiding Crepe Murder, it is still important to prune your tree, even if you’re not going for any particular shape or size. By trimming off dead and dying blooms, you can get new ones to take their place. If you’re diligent, you could end up with three or even four full blooms in one year! Whether you choose to do that or not, you’ll still want to be sure to trim off the dead blooms once fall rolls around, to ensure plenty of flowers next year. You can also trim the fruit if you like, to prevent the littering of seeds (and subsequent pavement staining). It’s recommended to trim away twiggy and cross growth on an established tree, mostly to keep the beautiful bark exposed and prevent overcrowding.

So now that you’ve reached the end of this article, you’re probably thinking how much you’d like to plant a Crepe Myrtle or two in your backyard, or maybe by your front door, and you’re probably feeling put out that it’s summer now, and most trees need to be planted in the early spring. But never fear! While they do prefer to be planted in early spring, they can still survive a summer planting, so long as they are sufficiently watered.

If you do decide to grab yourself a new tree friend, be sure to read the tag thoroughly before you buy, so you get the exact size and color you want. There are many colors to choose from, and it would be a shame if you have your heart set on light pink blooms and you end up with dark red next year.

Did You Know?

The common Crepe Myrtle is a native of China and Korea. They call it The Lilac of the South.

You’ll also want to double-check the size; you don’t want to end up with a 30-foot-tall, 20-foot-wide behemoth when you were hoping for a 2-foot dwarf bush in a planter. If you do intend on getting a larger tree, remember that it will need enough clearance to avoid power lines and buildings. You’ll also want to account for the roots; Crepe Myrtle roots are usually flexible and soft, meaning they aren’t likely to grow through any pipes or break through your sidewalk, but they do spread pretty far and suck up water and nutrients like a vacuum, so they can present competition for other nearby flora.

Author

0 Comments

The Root of the Problem: Accounting for Root Systems Around Your Home

6/10/2020

0 Comments

Have you ever driven down someone’s driveway and commented on how bumpy the concrete is? Or maybe you’ve noticed how the sidewalk in the park has huge fissures and bulges, like something’s trying to break through. Maybe you’ve seen a veritable wall of bushes lined up in a row with one or two looking yellow and sickly, even though the bushes around them are just fine

The likely culprit in all these situations: Roots!

Most people don’t realize how large a root system can grow, and how far that root system will spread. Just like the tip of the iceberg you see sticking out of the water is only…well, the tip of the iceberg—there’s a massive danger lurking just beneath the surface, whose size is underrepresented by what you can see.

The unsuspecting happily plant trees too close to buildings or other structures, sidewalks, pavement, and even each other, where their roots will cause all kinds of trouble down the road. City establishments are repeat offenders when it comes to planting trees too close to a sidewalk or playground; what they’re hoping will provide shade and a general enhanced aesthetic ends up destroying the walkway and poses a tripping risk for children.

New homeowners are also guilty of this; thinking about how commanding and fairy-tale-like it would look with a pair of gorgeous oaks framing the driveway, they plant much too close to the pavement and end up with massive bumps and cracks in their new driveway.

Sometimes, it’s the other way around; structures are built much too close to surrounding trees, with an unintentional disregard for the potential danger. In the South, this is seen frequently with sheds; people like to build one under a nice, big tree for the cool shade it offers (the shed itself will likely not be air-conditioned). This leads to roots breaking through the floor of your new workshop, which damages its structural integrity.

But just as roots pose a major threat to your shed, driveway, and home, we can pose the same level of threat to the tree. Tree roots are incredibly sensitive to any kind of impact; whether it’s something as drastic as new construction, or something as innocuous as installing a sprinkler system, roots are notoriously easy to damage. Disturbed roots can stunt the tree’s overall growth, and can even end up killing off some (or even all) of the tree

They are also at risk of suffocation from compacted soil; the ground can become denser when heavy machinery drives over it repeatedly, and this reduces the oxygen concentration as well as the water flow, which in turn can cause root rot and death.

Unfortunately, about 90% of a tree’s root system lives in the first 12 to 18 inches of soil, meaning even surface-level alterations, like digging a new flower bed, can lead to root damage. Even worse, the effects of root damage can take 5 to 10 years to show in the tree itself, so you might not even realize you’ve disturbed anything until a lot later down the line

So What Can You Do?

The easiest answer is simple: account for the roots!

To avoid roots damaging the things around them, don’t plant trees too close to anything, even each other. The rule of thumb when it comes to how big a tree’s root system will grow is that roots will most often mirror the tree they support; so however big you’re expecting your tree to get, you can expect the same size and spread underground, though without the leaves

Be sure to note that when we say the roots will mirror their tree, we mean they will mirror how big the tree would naturally grow. Roots can spread with the intent to support their tree at its fullest potential, no matter how you curb the actual tree’s shape by pruning and trimming

If you’re hoping to establish a privacy fence with a row of Leyland Cypresses, make sure you know how far apart they need to be; otherwise, they’ll crowd each other and end up competing for resources, and you’ll end up with some dead trees and a lot of holes in your privacy fence.

If you want your shed to sit under the protection of canopy, consider elevating it so the floor is safely away from the ground, and there’s room underneath for roots to impose in. If you’re looking at planting a Crepe Myrtle by your front door, look into how big the tree will grow; while they are usually trimmed to look more like a bush, Crepe Myrtles are trees that can grow quite large, and their root system will reflect that no matter how small you’ve cut back the tree itself.

What About Established Trees?

Unfortunately, once a tree is established, there isn’t much you can do to curb the spread of its roots—except removing the tree entirely, which will kill the root system. If you’re concerned about the root system of an established tree on your property, schedule a free estimate with us today, and we’ll come out to give you our professional opinion on whether or not the root system presents a threat, and possible options for curbing that threat

How Do You Protect Your Trees?

The best way to avoid causing damage to your tree’s root system is to make sure you don’t do any kind of construction or land alteration too close to the tree’s trunk; the root system closest to the tree offers structural support as well as a bulk of the tree’s nutrients, and a hit there could be fatal. The ends of a root system, while still important, will have less of a drastic impact on the tree’s overall health

The general rule of thumb to keep in mind is that you should stay about 6 to 12 inches away from the trunk for every inch of diameter the tree has. So, for example, if the tree is about a foot wide, that means its diameter is about 12 inches; this means you should give at least 72 inches, or 6 feet, of buffer around your tree if at all possible. When measuring diameter, make sure you’re working at breast-height, or about 4 and a half feet up from the ground

If you’re unsure how close is too close, give us a call for a consultation or contact another certified arborist. Also be sure to keep an eye out for signs of damage and decay in your trees, which can indicate root damage. Check out our article on what to look for!

Also, be sure to keep an eye out for our Tree of the Month articles; every month, we feature a tree that’s commonly found in Athens, or maybe a tree you might want to plant in your yard. We highlight the pros and cons of the tree, including how big it can get, so you’ll have a quantitative measure of how far the roots might spread.

And remember, no matter what you plant, what you build, or what you do, always account for the roots!

Author

Sources
The Dangers of Root Disturbance

Image Sources
Root In Sidewalk
Root In Sidewalk 2
Root System
Root System 2
Shed Under Tree
Damaged Tree
Privacy Fence
Overgrown Roots

0 Comments

Ecological Warfare: What to Plant to Discourage Potential Pests

6/5/2020

0 Comments

Last week, we learned about What to Plant to Attract Pollinators, such as birds, bees, and butterflies. Doing your part to provide these animals with food and nesting grounds is an admirable thing, but sometimes, we’d rather not have bees buzzing around our back porch, and would definitely like to avoid birds nesting anywhere near our house, because they get poop everywhere.

What can you plant to keep these pests away?

Let’s start with bugs. On the whole, they’re pretty annoying, especially when you’re sitting on your patio and mosquitos keep landing on your arms and legs. While bees are friendly bugs that we might actually want around, wasps are menaces that terrorize children and adults alike with their angry buzz and painful sting. Plus, bugs like to eat away at your favorite flower bed and decimate your tomato plants.

When selecting plants to run off bugs, try to avoid anything blue, violet, or yellow—those are bees’ favorite colors and they’ll all but flock to them. Bees can’t see the color red, though, so feel free to plant red flowers everywhere. Trumpet-shaped flowers are also a good bet, because bees and other pollinators have a hard time getting to the nectar in them, and they’re more likely to give up than stick around.

What specific plants will deter insidious insects?

Whether you’re looking to prevent bee stings and the subsequent crocodile tears, avoid mosquito bites and the associated itching, or just protect your plants from plant-eating monstrosities, these are for you.

Herbs

Basil – Bees and wasps especially dislike the smell and won’t even go near it

Mint – Most all stinging insects hate the scent and will avoid it at all costs

Rosemary – Again, the scent is a natural deterrent for insects in general

Garlic – While it isn’t technically an herb, garlic will keep away things like stink bugs and snails (and bonus, it scares off vampires too!)

Lemongrass – These tall stalks actually contain citronella, which is the natural ingredient in most mosquito repellants

Chives – Make a great garnish for your favorite dishes, and specifically abhorrent to Japanese beetles and carrot rust flies

Flowering Plants

Chrysanthemums - The absolute best flower to plant to keep away bugs is the chrysanthemum. Their beautiful blooms will repel ants, Japanese beetles, roaches, bed bugs, spider mites, ticks, silverfish, harlequin bugs, and lice.

Geraniums - Geraniums have beautiful blooms and a scent that stinging things dislike, and their petals are red, which bees can’t actually see. With miniscule pollen per flower, pollinators will move on to bigger and better things.

Lavender - One of the most popular essential oil scents for humans, lavender is a natural mosquito, moth, and bug repellant. The only bugs willing to stick around are bees, so it can’t be your only line of defense, but it makes a great addition to your anti-insect arsenal.

Marigolds - These colorful flowers come in red varieties, which means bees won’t be able to see them, but no matter their color, their scent puts off stinging insects. Marigolds are hardy and don’t require much care, making them a great addition to your garden.

Nasturtiums - Plant these pretty flowers to specifically fight whiteflies and aphids. Rather than warding them off, nasturtiums actually attract them, and then trap them to keep them off your other plants! Just be sure to check the blooms regularly to dispose of the imprisoned insects, or they might escape to bother your other flora.

Other Plants

Citronella - As you probably already know, citronella will keep away mosquitos and other annoying bugs that might disturb your nice night out on the patio. It’s actually much more effective in its natural plant form than in liquid or candle form, so if you don’t mind the smell yourself, it makes a great addition to your yard.

Cucumber - Bet that’s not one you thought would be on this list, huh? But cucumber plants are actually great at keeping bees and wasps away. Both strongly dislike how bitter and acidic the cucumber peel is, and will generally avoid the plants all together. Plus, you’ll have fresh cucumbers for a summer salad, or even to make your own pickles!

Wormwood - Wormwood actually contains a small amount of absinthe, which is toxic to insects. It has a pungent scent to alert bees, wasps, and other flying pests of the potential danger, and will easily keep them away. Other bugs that might not heed the warning smell will learn quickly that it is poisonous. Remember to be careful if you decide to add wormwood to your garden, though, because it can kill off other plants that are planted too close to it.

Eucalyptus - Bees and wasps specifically don’t like the fragrance eucalyptus gives off, and they’ll steer clear. The drought-tolerant plant loves full sun, meaning it will do well here in Georgia, and can be used in essential oil applications as well as flower arrangements.

Beyond Bugs

The other repeat offenders in your yard are probably birds. Unfortunately, birds are the most difficult to get rid of. There is no one plant that will deter birds from your garden or yard; some might deter a species or two, but there are so many different kinds of birds in any given area that it wouldn’t do you much good. The only way to really keep birds away is to physically scare them off. If you’re trying to protect your vegetable garden from them, you can invest in things like garden netting. If you’d just like to keep them out of your yard, you can purchase things like little owl figurines that detect movement and then swivel their head to intimidate any feathered intruders. You can also DIY bird deterrents like making a wind chime of cut-up CDs, which will spin and move in even the slightest breeze and throw reflections around, scaring away the flying fiends.

So there you have it. Between this list and last week’s The Birds and The Bees: What to Plant to Attract Pollinators, you have all the information you need to make educated decisions on what to plant around your home. Feel free to mix and match between these lists to attract and repel specific insects and pests as you see fit, and happy gardening!

Author

0 Comments

The Birds and The Bees: What to Plant to Attract Pollinators

5/29/2020

1 Comment

Flower gardens are a highly-sought-after addition to any home. A bed of brightly-blooming flowers can enhance curb appeal and provide you with cut flowers at the significantly cheaper cost of cutting them yourself than paying for a bouquet at the grocery store. They also attract beautiful butterflies and singing birds, adding some whimsy and fantasy to your yard.

In fact, attracting wildlife like birds, bees, and butterflies is one of the most important functions of any flower; these pollinators and seed-spreaders are vital to the continuation of any plant species, and—in the case of honey bees, specifically—the continuation of the pollinators themselves.

Most everyone in the South knows that Milkweed is planted for Monarch butterflies. These insects swarm to the southeast to breed, and Milkweed is vital for Monarch larvae. Though it isn’t perhaps the most attractive plant, Milkweed is a beneficial addition to any landscape

But what other plants should you plant to help out the butterflies, or the birds, or the bees? We’ve compiled a list of flora that’s best at attracting our flying friends, so you can add something pretty and ecologically valuable to your yard.

Whether you’re looking to fill a small flower bed or your entire yard, if your goal is to attract all kinds of pollinators and seed-spreaders, then these are for you:

Bee Balm

As you may have guessed from the rather on-the-nose name Bee Balm is a magnet for bees. Though the attractive perennial may yellow in the heat of summer, rest assured that any established plant will reliably return year after year. Bee Balm also interests butterflies and birds—especially hummingbirds

Sage

More than just a delicious herb, Sage plants offer gorgeous flowers and are perfect sources of nectar for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds alike. These perennials are surprisingly easy to grow and maintain, and as an added bonus, give you fresh herbs to add to your favorite dishes!

Zinnia

Zinnias are a beautiful addition to any flower bed, and attract all sorts of songbirds in addition to hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. They require a bit more maintenance than some of the other options on our list; to continue blooming, they’ll need the heads of any dead blooms trimmed off. But, if you’re willing to spend a little time in the garden tending them, Zinnias will happily provide colorful flowers all summer long

Other attractive plants for pollinators and seed-spreaders include Verbena, Thistle, Nasturtium, and Hollyhock.

But maybe you’re not interested in attracting just any friends into your yard. Maybe you’d like to avoid the avian seed-spreaders, because they like to wake you up at 6AM singing with the sunrise. Maybe you’d rather not have butterflies, because that means caterpillars, which appear to be tasty snacks to dogs and toddlers alike. Or maybe you’re hoping not to attract bees, because you’ve got kiddos around and aren’t interested in the crocodile tears that come with bee stings (trust us, we’ve been there).

If you want to be a bit more specific in what you attract, check out these:

Lavender - Good for Butterflies and Bees

Lavender attracts butterflies and bees thanks to their gentle fragrance and gorgeous purple blooms. In addition to a colorful addition to your yard, lavender comes with a variety of uses and benefits for humans, too. The gentle scent is known for its soothing, relaxing effect, and the dried plant is often used in air-freshener satchels, since its smell isn’t overpowering. Lavender is also a great addition to your herb arsenal, and can be used in a variety of dishes, from sweet pastries to savory entrees

Borage – Good for Butterflies and Bees

Borage, more commonly known as Starflower, starts out a light pink color and then mature into a wonderful blue. They make great neighbors for tomato plants, and are attractive to butterflies and bees. Borage is an annual plant, which means the same plant won’t come back again next year—but they naturally re-seed, meaning a patch of Borage will likely sprout new plants next year from the seeds of the old ones

Liatris – Good for Butterflies and Hummingbirds

Liatris comes in purple, pink, and white blooms with grass-like, spiky leaves. They can reach heights of up to 5 feet tall, and require little to no maintenance. They are tolerant of drought, cold snaps, and pests, and will bring in colorful butterflies and flitting hummingbirds alike

Phlox – Good for Butterflies and Hummingbirds

This flowering plant grows low to the ground and is fairly hardy, making it great ground cover. It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, and blooms from early spring all the way through summer

Geraniums – Good for Hummingbirds and Bees

Geraniums are beautiful cluster perennials that will come back every year and attract hummingbirds and bees. They require minimal care, though they do best if blooms are trimmed once dead, to encourage more flowers

Other more selectively attractive plants include Scabiosa and Delphinium, good for butterflies and hummingbirds, Four O’Clocks and Paintbrushes, good for hummingbirds and bees, and Cosmos and Goldenrods, good for butterflies and bees.

Lastly, we want to point out that you don’t actually have to have a flower garden, or flowering plants in general, to contribute to the pollinators and seed-spreaders. Some trees and shrubs will also get the job done, and require much less maintenance:

Oak Trees

These stately trees attract moths and butterflies, which in turn attracts a wide array of bird species. Plus, they’re gorgeous!

Willows

Whether it’s the shrub-like Pussy Willow or the grand Weeping Willow, these trees are highly enticing to a variety of birds thanks to their nesting real estate and protective foliage. They also attract their fair share of butterflies and bees, and can bring some height to your yard that might otherwise be filled with shorter flowering plants

Cherry Trees

Black Cherries, Common Chokecherries, and other native cherries feed birds, caterpillars, and moths alike, and are a great addition to any landscape.

Other tree species great for the birds, the bees, and everything in between include Birches, Dogwoods, Hollies, Elderberries, Mulberries, and Junipers.

So there you have it. Any combination of the plants listed above will turn your yard into an oasis of food, pollen, and nesting ground. No matter which you choose to plant, keep in mind that all of our flying friends are most attracted to a diverse range of options—like us, they’re not happy with the same-old-same-old for every meal. A healthy mix of perennials, flowering plants, and trees or shrubs will ensure every single bee, bird, and butterfly has something to snack on, and will help the stability of your local ecosystem!

Now, if you’re interested in keeping insects and birds and butterflies away, tune in next week for our article, Ecological Warfare: What to Plant to Discourage Potential Pests.

Author

1 Comment

Tree of the Month: Nellie R. Stevens Holly

5/14/2020

0 Comments

With summer right around the corner, bringing warm sunshine and fun hours spent outdoors, we’ve decided to feature the Nellie R. Stevens holly for May’s Tree of the Month. These broadleaf hollies are often thought of as winter fixtures; their tall, conical shape is highly reminiscent of Christmas trees, and their branches, which grow ruby-red berries in the colder months, make great decorations for the Christmas season. Their dark green leaves also attractively contrast the white of newly-fallen snow.

So why are we showcasing the Nellie R. Stevens Holly in the summer?

Well, these lovely evergreens actually offer vibrant colors year-round.

In the spring, small white flowers bloom across the entire tree, giving off a light, gentle scent and beautifully standing out against their leafy background; the dark green, spiny leaves all but sparkle in the sunlight, only further solidifying the tree’s appearance.

Beyond their stunning curb appeal, these hollies offer a variety of benefits when planted in your yard. They grow incredibly wide and tall, easily blocking out the sun from reaching your patio and offering that much-needed shade from the blaze so you can enjoy your sweet tea in peace.

When planted in rows, these hollies make perfect privacy screens. With just a few feet between each tree, their branches will quickly grow wide enough to intertwine with each other, creating a barrier between your property and the prying eyes and unwanted noises of the rest of the world. This “living wall” provides some separation and turns your backyard into a quiet, serene oasis where you can enjoy the longer summer days with your friends and family.

Nellie R. Stevens Holly 101

Taxonomically classified as Ilex x, the Nellie R. Stevens holly is commonly referred to without the middle initial (just Nellie Stevens holly). They grow quickly in comparison to other native trees in Georgia, adding a solid 2 to 3 feet in height when young. Typically, matured Nellie Stevens will reach widths of around 15 feet and heights of up to 30 feet when left to their own devices; this height is stunted somewhat when multiple hollies are planted close to each other to form a privacy screen, where they will usually top out at between 20 and 25 feet high.

Did You Know?

The Nellie R. Stevens Holly gets its name from a woman named Nellie Robinson Stevens, who grew the original hybrid plant in her home garden by happenstance after sneaking a few pollinated berries from the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.
Bees had cross-pollinated the berries in a chance inter-specific cross between the Chinese holly and English holly, creating an entirely new and unique species.

While they make great towering trees, these broad-leaf hollies can also be grown as shrubs, cut lower to the ground and allowed to grow wide instead of tall. Both patterns, shorter and fatter or taller and thinner, make great “living” hedges. Whichever you choose, be sure to plant them at least 5 feet apart, so they have enough room to grow outward!

In addition to its quick growth rate, the Nellie Stevens is a pretty low-maintenance plant that has been said to “thrive on neglect.” Though it prefers more acidic soil, it can tolerate basic soil types and varying nutrient levels. They do well in full sun, a helpful feature for Georgia’s long summer days, but are also satisfied in partial shade. For their first 6 months, they’ll need some water about once a week, but once they’ve matured, you’ll only need to water them if there’s an extended dry spell. They can handle brief stints of extreme temperatures, making them ideal for the Peach State, where we are at risk for a “Snowpocalypse” in April and record-high temperatures over 100 degrees in August. Georgia is also at risk for inclement weather with heavy rains and high winds.

Thanks to their wider base and solid root system, Nellie Stevens are more structurally stable than their taller, skinnier counterparts, making them a great windbreak for your property and less likely to uproot and cause damage or personal injury.

Without pruning and maintenance, these trees will mostly maintain their attractive, conical shape. If desired, the lower branches can be pruned back to expose the trunk, giving them that more stereotypical “tree” shape. They are also resistant to pests and pest damage, including deer, making them especially suited for the Athens and Watkinsville areas, where white-tailed deer are an adorable menace to our plant friends. The only pests to look out for on your Nellie Stevens are spider mites, scale, and whitefly, as well as a rare but highly-specialized leaf miner that feeds specifically on hollies. To learn how to keep your eye out for pest and other damage, read our 5 Simple Signs To Identify If Your Tree Is In Decline article.

The Nellie Stevens Holly has dark green leaves averaging around 2.5 inches in length, with 2 or 3 spines on each side. This foliage stays vibrant all year round, unlike other hedge tree species that can grow brown in drought or over-exposure to the sun. In the spring, the branches are be-speckled with small flowers that highly contrast the shining leaves; they are usually a soft white in color, though sometimes can appear greenish thanks to their green center, and give off a faint, gentle scent.

In the colder winter months, these hollies will start producing their bright red berries. The fruit attracts birds and other small wildlife, providing vital food when other plants lay dormant in the cold. They are roughly equivalent in size to that of a pea, and are a large part of why these trees are viewed as winter trees; branches adorned with berry clusters are often clipped and used as Christmas decorations, and sometimes mistaken for mistletoe.

All Nellie Stevens hollies are female hybrid plants, which means that they are an exclusively female species. They are considered partially parthenocarpic, which means they can produce their red, round berries without the assistance of a male counterpart (though that fruit is seedless and therefore barren). With no males to speak of, that means you can enjoy the flowers and berries without any sneeze-inducing pollen to irritate your sinuses!

Did You Know?

While the Nellie Stevens holly is always female, it has a selectively bred male counterpart, which allows for successful pollination and therefore the continuation of the species. These male Nellie Stevens hollies are referred to as Edward J. Stevens hollies, named after Mrs. Nellie R. Stevens’ father. Edward Stevens hollies grow more purplish leaves than Nellies, and only reach heights of about 25 feet.

If you are looking for a low maintenance privacy barrier that will increase your curb appeal (while reducing the nasty yellow pollen around your yard), then take a second look at the beautiful Nellie R. Stevens Holly!

Author

Sources:
Everything you need to know about the Nellie Stevens Holly
Nellie R. Stevens Holly Shrubs
Nellie Stevens Holly
Plant of the Week: Nellie R. Stevens Holly

Images:
Everything you need to know about the Nellie Stevens Holly
Nellie R. Stevens Holly
Plant of the Week: Nellie R. Stevens Holly

0 Comments

Pruning

5/8/2020

0 Comments

When you think of an arborist, or a tree care service, you probably think of just cutting down trees. While tree removal is definitely a large part of what we do, it’s not the only thing; we offer a variety of services, the most popular of which is pruning.

Pruning may sound a little anticlimactic, like a service best saved for landscapers and lawn mowers, but pruning in the arboreal world is much, much more than just trimming back some bushes. Pruning a tree is used to help a tree continue to grow healthily, whether we’re thinning out the branches so the canopy doesn’t get overcrowded or cutting away dead limbs to prevent a fall that could result in property damage or injury. Healthy trees are happy trees, and we are in the business of keeping trees happy!

Why Would A Tree Need to Be Pruned?

There are a wide range of reasons why any given tree could use a good pruning. On the whole, pruning is used to improve the health of a tree and increase its chances of survival. On a smaller scale, pruning can also enhance a tree’s visual appeal to more attractively fit in with your property.

One of the biggest reasons to prune a tree is to remove dead or dying limbs or branches. They would, eventually, fall naturally to the ground, but this process can take a long time, and larger limbs can cause a lot of damage on their way down. A heavy branch could wipe out some newer growth of the tree it fell from or surrounding flora, and could also impact structures like a fence on your property, or even cause personal injury to you or your family.

Smaller dead branches, though they may not seem like a big deal (especially if they aren’t an eyesore), still pose a hefty threat to the health of your tree. Once that limb starts decaying, it will turn into a breeding ground for a wide range of fungus, insects, and small animals. These pests can easily spread, causing damage and wreaking havoc on an otherwise perfectly healthy tree.

Did You Know?

Though not all indications of decline are easily visible, by keeping your eye out for these five common signs, you will know when it's time to call your friendly neighborhood arborist.

Click Here to learn more!

While dead and dying limbs are a very good reason to prune, sometimes, even healthy limbs could do with some pruning. Here in Georgia, we are prone to a range of inclement weather, from tornado warnings to hail to thunderstorms; with summer right around the corner, heavy summer rain is on its way, and any of these conditions can easily cause a heavy, protruding limb to fall from its tree.

If that limb happens to be hovering over your home, your shed, or even the driveway where you park your car, you can bet it will do some expensive damage on its way to the ground. Pruning these limbs before they get the chance to fall reduces the potential for damage and personal injury in any of these events.

Another reason to prune is to correct improper growth and help guide the tree into a growing pattern that is healthier and more sustainable. Trees can sometimes start growing all sorts of ways, whether it’s off to the left, bent over, or a little twisty, and all of these can cause significant issues for the tree down the road. Sometimes, trees split down the middle and start growing in two directions, in which case it will definitely need either pruning or cabling. In any of these situations, the best course of action is to prune so that the tree can return to a healthier growth pattern and live a long, happy life.

The Four Main Pruning Techniques

When pruning a tree, there are four main methods your friendly neighborhood arborist will use:

Cleaning is used to remove dead, dying, diseased, sickly, weakly-attached, or low-vigor branches from the crown of a tree.

Thinning involves selective branch removal calculated to improve the tree’s overall structure, increase light penetration for photosynthesis, reduce canopy weight and prevent overcrowding to mitigate the risk of limb failure, and even just to help the tree retain its natural shape.

Raising is the removal of the lower branches of a tree to allow for traffic or structures below, such as a shed, a vista, pedestrians on a sidewalk, or even a house.

Reduction reduces the overall size of a tree by incorporating all three of the above while maintaining the structural integrity and form of the tree.

The Golden Rule of Pruning

One of the biggest mistakes anyone can make when pruning a tree is pruning too much. According to the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), no more than one-quarter of a tree’s crown should be removed at any one time. If you prune away too much of the tree’s canopy, not only does it become structurally unstable, but it also often means the tree can’t get enough nutrients to sustain itself, since most of its leaves live in the canopy. This rule is especially important in a tree under stress, which basically means a tree that is already experiencing other problems such as fungal infestation, pests, structural deficiencies, or overcrowding.

The most common form of over-pruning is called Tree Topping, sometimes referred to as tipping, heading, hat-racking, or rounding over. This method is used to cull back a tree’s canopy from growing too wide or a tree’s trunk from growing too tall. The problem with this method is that it involves removing the top-most part of the tree, usually in a large chunk, which decimates the tree’s viable leaves and makes it nearly impossible for the tree to get enough nutrients to survive. Without enough leaf coverage, what's left of the trunk of the tree can incur sun damage (think sunburn, but for trees!) that can inhibit the tree’s growth and success. This method can also involve cutting away branches down to nubs on lateral branches that aren’t strong enough to support themselves, leading to limb failure.

Pruning is a vital service to keep your trees happy and healthy. If you think your trees might need pruning, we recommend you have a certified arborist come check everything out and decide whether or not any work needs to be done. If you’d like to schedule a free estimate with us, contact us to schedule your appointment today! To learn more about our free estimates, click here.

And remember, no matter how you’re pruning, what you’re pruning, or why you’re pruning it, never prune too much!

Author

Sources:
Pruning Your Trees
Tree Pruning Essentials

Image:
Tree Pruning Methods
Southern Living: Don't Top Trees

0 Comments

Job Spotlight: Emergency Services

5/1/2020

0 Comments

This month, we want to shine a spotlight on an emergency job completed recently for a customer in Athens. After a brutal storm, this lovely pine tree failed and crashed into this customer’s home. While the large hole in the roof needs to be repaired, the more pressing issue is getting the tree off the roof and onto the ground safely.

Classic City Arborists to the Rescue

For this particular tree removal we rented a 50-ton crane from a local rental company called Northeast Georgia Crane (thanks, guys!), to pick the pieces off the home as we cut them and lay them gently on the ground. Considering that each piece weighed between 1500 and 2500 pounds, this was the safest option for this particular job.

To start, Scott first used our lift to bring him up and over the house, close enough to access the tree. He then took the crane rigging strap (the big thing that hangs down from the crane) and attached it to the upper portion of the tree. Once secured, Scott used a chainsaw to sever the top half from the main trunk, where it was then lowered slowly and gently to the ground, far away from the house.

Our workers then cut the top-portion into more manageable-sized chunks by removing individual limbs and breaking up the main pole. Using out Miniature Skid Steer, these limbs and chunks were hauled a few at a time out of the customer’s yard all the way to our Chipper Truck, where they were promptly mulched.

That done, Scott next focused on the rest of the tree, which still leaned against the house. He again used the lift to get close enough to the trunk to secure it to the crane rigging strap, and then used the crane to very carefully pull the trunk away from the house and lower it to the ground. From there, it received the same treatment as the top section of the tree; our workers cut it up, hauled it off, and mulched it down.

After all that work was done, we went through and cleared off debris from both the roof and area surrounding the house until it was spotless. For good measure, we also tarped over the hole in the roof to prevent further damage to the home and reduce the risk for injury until the customer was able to get a roofing company to come out and repair it.

And then we were done! The tree was gone, the remains mulched, and the tree debris around the site cleared. This was not our first emergency job, and it certainly won’t be our last; situations like this one are precarious at best and disastrous at worst, and we at Classic City Arborists are proud to offer emergency services to put you at the front of our schedule, giving you priority over non-emergency jobs, and eliminating the danger as quickly as possible.

While we love living in Georgia (especially the Athens area), our beloved Peach State comes with pretty frequent severe weather. We get our fair share of thunderstorms, high winds, lightning strikes, and sometimes, even tornadoes; any one of these can easily uproot or displace any trees already experiencing signs of failure, and can even cause a perfectly healthy tree to fail. And with summer right around the corner, those summer storms are quickly approaching, and any trees on your property and around your home are at risk.

So What Can You Do?

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to completely eliminate the chance of an emergency tree fail, as perfectly healthy and stable trees are still at risk during inclement weather. But you can reduce the threat potential in a few different ways. Trees with pre-existing damage or failing health are more likely to succumb to a storm; keep your eyes out for any of these 5 Simple Signs of Decay, and call in a certified arborist if you suspect one of your trees may be failing.

You can also have a Tree Risk Assessment completed on your property, which involves a certified arborist examining every tree in your yard, identifying which trees present high levels of risk, and preparing a plan for mitigating that risk.

If you’d like to start on a prevention plan for staying safe this summer, fill out our Contact Form today!

What Happens if a Tree Falls on My House?

If a tree falls onto your house (or garage, or back porch, or car, or even your shed), the first thing to do is evacuate! Call emergency services if anyone has been injured, or if any power or utility lines have been impacted.

Once everyone is safe, you’ll want to assess and document the damage. Insurance companies often require a lot of physical evidence, and may even require an agent to come out to your home to estimate the damage themselves. Even if they don’t, be sure to contact them, because there might be procedures to follow, or certain repair companies they want you to use, etc.

Once you have the all-clear from the insurance company, it’s time to call your friendly neighborhood arborist to have the tree removed safely.

What Do I Look for in an Arborist?

At Classic City Arborists, we are always excited to work with our customers, but understand that we might not always be the best choice for every individual. We do, however, highly recommend verifying that the tree service company chosen is Licensed and Insured. It is also very prudent to utilize a Certified Arborist, especially in an emergency situation.

To check that they are licensed, you can request a copy of the company’s business license, or you can verify with the local county tax commissioner’s office.

To check that they are insured, you can request a copy of their Certificate of Insurance and check their liability amounts, as well as their worker’s compensation coverage. This protects both you and the company you work with should any further damage occur during removal.

To check that they are a certified arborist, you can search for the individual’s name in the Trees Are Good database. This means your arborist has spent time learning, honing their skill, and proving their knowledge in arboriculture. It also means they fulfill yearly requirements to stay up-to-date on the latest and most effective arboreal practices.

Regardless of whether or not you choose to work with us or not for an emergency situation (or any of your tree service needs), we hope that you (and your trees) stay happy, healthy, and safe in the coming summer!

Author

0 Comments

Our Story

4/24/2020

0 Comments

While Classic City Arborists was “officially” born in 2014, our story actually begins ten years prior, as a little firewood company operating out of Bishop, Georgia.

In 2005, while working on his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education from the University of Georgia (go Dawgs!), our owner and Certified Arborist Scott Rushing starts working for a small business called Classic City Firewood. As the name suggests, this little operation provides firewood deliveries to the Watkinsville and Athens areas during the fall. They also provide firewood for some of the restaurants in the area during the off season.

For his entire tenure at UGA, Scott works with Classic City Firewood. He met his wife, Rebekah, in 2008, where they both attended the same college-age Sunday School class at Grace Fellowship. The connection was instant, and the courtship a whirlwind: they went on three dates over the course of the next week and were inseparable from that point on. After Scott graduates in May of 2009, Scott and Rebekah get engaged in June, and are married the following June in 2010.

In 2011, the owner of Classic City Firewood, an avid entrepreneur, had started branching out into other businesses, so Scott steps in to keep things going, growing the company’s client base, streamlining processes to be more efficient and effective, and generally devoting his time and effort trying to turn this side job into something more permanent.

He starts branching out (no pun intended) into other kinds of tree work besides just splitting and delivering firewood; with minimal equipment and help, he’s limited to simple, straightforward tree removals and basic pruning. All the tree work he does uses basic equipment that allows him to climb trees himself to get to what needs cutting.

Despite the lack of elaborate equipment, this type of work becomes more and more frequent. To increase his knowledge and expertise, Scott decides it’s time to become a Certified Arborist. The training and testing are rigorous but worth it, and by 2012, Scott is certified and running nearly 100% of the business operations, only conferring with the owner when needed.

The next few years bring exponential growth. Scott purchases additional equipment and gear to allow him to perform more technical, difficult tree removals, and further expand the business’s capabilities. Peyton Mitchell, who has worked off and on with Classic City Firewood since its inception, becomes an invaluable member of the team and Scott’s right-hand man, helping with every job and supporting the vision Scott has for the company.

In 2014, the owner of Classic City Firewood starts a family and is ready to move on to other ventures. After countless discussions and lots of prayer, Scott and Rebekah decide to purchase the business Scott has invested so much of his time and effort into. With a few signatures and a grand leap of faith, Scott and Rebekah officially become small business owners, and come up with a new operational name: Classic City Arborists.

cleanup utilizing a Miniature Skid Steer

The first year as business owners is trying but rewarding. In 2015, Scott purchases what’s called a Miniature Skid-Steer; this bobcat-like vehicle is used to tote the remnants of trees and pruned limbs away from the job site all in one load, a process that used to be done by hand in many, many trips. It’s compact enough to fit through your front door, and uses tracks instead of four wheels to move around, meaning it can easily access back yards through fence gates and won’t destroy the ground in the process.

All the time and effort this new machine saves allows Scott and his team to complete nearly twice as much work in the same amount of time, helping spur the business forward by leaps and bounds.

This addition to their arboreal arsenal is perfectly timed to coincide with December of 2015, when Rebekah and Scott welcome the fulfillment of endless prayers: Abigail Marie Rushing, born on December 15th.

Thanks to the increased operational capacity, Rebekah is able to stay at home with their adorable, red-headed troublemaker rather than working full-time and requiring childcare. Being a stay-at-home mom is as rewarding as it is exhausting, and while it takes up most of her time, Rebekah finds some spare hours when Abigail is napping to help run the administrative side of the business.

As Abigail gets older, Rebekah begins to take over more and more of these responsibilities, until in 2017, she officially becomes the Operations Manager, handling everything from payroll to marketing to scheduling.

With the efficiency of the Miniature Skid-Steer, and with Rebekah as the Operations Manager, Scott has more time to devote to giving estimates and working in the field. The workload has doubled, thus doubling the revenue. In 2017, Scott is able to purchase a Chipper and a Dump Truck. Instead of taking load after load of limbs and logs to the dump, most everything can be run through the chipper at the job site. On many occasions, the customer will even choose to keep the wood chips, which saves time hauling the chips away.

Scott, Rebekah, Abigail and Elijah Rushing

On September 6th, 2018, Scott and Rebekah welcome Elijah Donell into the world, another red-headed bundle of joy. Rebekah works from home 20 hours a week, juggling her newborn and her administrative responsibilities, while Abigail attends daycare.

To give Scott more time at home with his babies and allow him to take some of the administrative load from Rebekah’s shoulders, Classic City Arborists purchases a 72' Arbor Pro Lift in 2019.

A lift is similar to a bucket truck, in that it has an extendable arm with a bucket attached that, as the name suggests, lifts Scott directly to the point of interest on the tree. However, this lift is not part of a truck; it is a separate piece of equipment. Just like the Miniature Skid Steer, the Lift runs on tracks is compact enough to fit through your front door, thus allowing Scott to easily access backyards and tight spots.

This not only allows him to perform more technical, targeted work (thereby expanding the business’s capabilities) but also saves the immense amount of time and effort it takes to climb a tree or rig it for remote pruning or removal.

And that brings us to 2020, where Classic City Arborists operates with a simple four-man team; Scott runs and performs the more technical jobs, but leaves Peyton, the official foreman and second-in-command, in charge while he travels around to perform free estimates for potential customers. Scott handles all the official documents, like estimates, invoices, and pricing. He orders equipment and replacement parts or maintenance supplies as needed and ensures all the tools for the job are in perfect working order.

In the mornings, when Scott leaves for work, Abigail has to have "a hug and a kiss, daddy" and Elijah blows him exaggerated kisses. In the evenings, Abigail races to get the first kiss while Elijah toddles behind her, happily calling out "it's da-da". Abigail tells "my daddy" all about her day while Elijah helps unload daddy's lunch box.

With the rapid growth of the last few years, Rebekah now dedicates more of her time to the endless array of administrative and operational tasks. She wears many, many hats, including things like customer service (answering the phones, responding to emails, scheduling estimates), human resources (hiring employees, processing payroll), accounting (managing expenses, bills, keeping licensing and insurance up to date, accounts receivable and accounts payable), and marketing (designing and up-keeping the website, planning and executing marketing strategies).

What started as a side gig to help pay for college has turned into a life-long career. Scott and Rebekah are proud to own a small, local business, and can’t wait to see what God has planned for their family and for Classic City Arborists. No matter what the future holds, Classic City Arborists will always approach each job with the same integrity we’ve had since day one:

We believe in complete transparency with our customers, and don’t try to sell extra, unnecessary work just to make money.

We believe in educating our customers about proper tree care and maintenance, so they can get the most out of their relationship with the nature around them.

We believe in focusing on the customer’s goals, figuring out what needs to be done to achieve those goals, and then discussing how best to go about making those goals a reality, while remaining within their budget—even if that means no work for us.

We believe in protecting our customers and protecting the environment through training and dedication to safety.

And most of all, we believe in that age-old adage: “Leave it better than you found it.” Whether we’re talking about a job site, a customer’s mood, or our Earth as a whole, at Classic City Arborists, we are on a mission to do what we can to make a positive impact on the lives of everyone we encounter.

Author

0 Comments

Tree of the Month: Loblolly Pine

4/11/2020

0 Comments

For April’s Tree of the Month, we want to shine the spotlight on the tree you’ve seen in your backyard, at the park, and along the highway, whether you knew it or not: Pinus tadea, more commonly known as the loblolly pine.

These tall, fast-growing evergreens are named after the depressed lowlands of the east coast of the United States that they are native to, and have the second highest population of trees across the country, surpassed only by the red maple.

If you’ve ever driven down a back road or old highway and seen tons of tall pine trees planted in clear, evenly-spaced rows, then you’ve seen the loblolly pine. These loblolly “farms” supply a variety of industries, as the loblolly, classified in the lumber industry as a southern yellow pine, can be used for everything from furniture to plywood to pulp for paper and cardboard production.

This highly versatile, invaluable resource is by far the most widely cultivated timber species, and arguably the most important.

Loblolly 101

Perhaps the most notable feature of the loblolly, on first glance, is the name. Loblolly combines the word lob (which refers to the thick, heavy bubbling found when cooking porridge) and lolly (which is an old British word for food boiled in a pot, such as broth or soup). Down here in the South, loblolly means a mudhole or a mire, a use derived from a mudhole’s resemblance to the consistency of porridge or other lollies. Loblolly pines are native to lowlands and swampy areas, and are named after the mudholes and mires they can be found in.

As you might guess for a pine tree, the loblolly pine features both pine needles and pine cones. Loblolly needles grow together in fascicles (bunches) of three and reach between 6 and 10 inches long; they range from a darkish yellow-green to a deep, forest green in color. Loblolly cones are oval-shaped and often grow in pairs; they reach lengths averaging between 3 and 6 inches, and can be either male or female. Male cones are yellow, and will shed pollen in the spring. Female cones are also yellow, but will change to green after pollination and eventually fade to a greyish-brown upon falling.

The loblolly is, unfortunately for those of us with allergies, one of the top producers of pollen in the southeast—they can produce between 2.5 and 5 pounds of pollen each season. That layer of yellow dust coating everything in sight? Loblolly pollen.

The average loblolly matures at around 150 years of age, where it can reach heights from 60 to 100 feet at full maturity, with a branch spread of 25 to 35 feet and a trunk diameter averaging at 3 feet. Loblollies have been recorded living as long as 300 years in highly favorable conditions. The tallest loblolly pine currently measures in at 169 feet high, and can be found in the Congaree National Park in Hopkins, South Carolina.

Why the Loblolly?

There are many reasons behind the loblolly’s widespread, dense population, one of which is the species’ rapid growth rate. Loblollies grow over 24 inches, or 2 full feet, per year, making them an ideal choice for quick screens; screens, in this instance, refer to a barricade of trees planted specifically to enhance privacy, reduce sound, or otherwise block off a specific area. For example, during construction of a new structure, the surrounding area is usually raised to make way for equipment and machinery, as well as provide space to work. Once the structure is complete, however, the property owner will likely want something growing around their building, or along their property line; that’s where the loblolly steps in. These trees can populate a barren landscape within just a few years, making them one of the first choices for repopulating an area.

Did You Know?

The loblolly pine is dominant on 11.7 million hectares (29 million acres!) of land, and comprises more than half the standing pine volume in the South.

In addition to growing so quickly, the loblolly pine is extremely tolerant. Though best-suited to full sun exposure (about six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day), it can survive a more shaded existence, and thrives in most soil types, ranging from clay to moist to acidic. The loblolly is also fairly resistant to both drought and flooding, making it less picky than other species and very easy to transplant. This tolerance, in addition to its rapid growth, makes the loblolly ideal for the southeast, and an excellent choice to prevent erosion and rehabilitate damaged soil plots.

Author

Sources:
Arbor Day Foundation: Loblolly Pine
Pinus Taeda
Loblolly Pine
Tree Improvement Program: Loblolly Pine
Loblolly Pine Pollen

Image Sources:
Loblolly Pine
Loblolly Pine Tree Farm
Mires, Mudlands, Bogs
Cone Pair
Male Cone
Male Cone after Pollen
Green Cone
Pollen
Loblolly Tree Farm

0 Comments

<<Previous

What is underbrush?

Why should you get rid of it?

Can you find the snake hiding in this underbrush?

Okay, I get it - but why can't I do it myself?

Author

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Author

So What Can You Do?

What About Established Trees?

How Do You Protect Your Trees?

Author

What can you plant to keep these pests away?

What specific plants will deter insidious insects?

Herbs

Flowering Plants

Other Plants

Beyond Bugs

Author

Bee Balm

Sage

Zinnia

Lavender - Good for Butterflies and Bees

Borage – Good for Butterflies and Bees

Liatris – Good for Butterflies and Hummingbirds

Phlox – Good for Butterflies and Hummingbirds

Geraniums – Good for Hummingbirds and Bees

Oak Trees

Willows

Cherry Trees

Author

Nellie R. Stevens Holly 101

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Author

Why Would A Tree Need to Be Pruned?

Did You Know?

The Four Main Pruning Techniques

The Golden Rule of Pruning

Author

Classic City Arborists to the Rescue

So What Can You Do?

What Happens if a Tree Falls on My House?

What Do I Look for in an Arborist?

Author

Author

Loblolly 101

Why the Loblolly?

Did You Know?

Author

Blog Post Updates

Categories

Archives

Classic city arborists

scott rushing

rebekah rushing