White oaks get their name from the color of newly-cut wood, which is much lighter on the inside. The bark on the outside is an ashy grey color, and grows in flaky plates that overlap, creating a series of furrows and scales. Eventually, older bark layers will fall to the ground and be replaced with new ones. Many white oak owners see the pieces of bark littering the ground and worry their tree is diseased or otherwise dying. But the flaking bark is completely natural.

The branches of the white oak grow much lower to the ground than other tree species, and spread horizontally more so than vertically. This gives the tree an overall rounded appearance, as it grows nearly as wide as it is tall – which is saying something, because these trees reach average heights of 50 to 80 feet! Wild white oaks left undisturbed at moderate altitudes have been known to reach heights well over 100 feet, and can live as longs as 600 years.  That growth doesn’t come easy, though. When young, white oaks may grow anywhere from 1 to 2 feet in a year, but as they age, that rate slows down considerably. The trunk of the white oak is generally just as massive as the rest of the tree, with an average diameter of 3 to 4 feet.

Did You Know? The largest white oak tree on record was called the Mingo Oak, and lived in West Virginia. It stood 145 feet tall, with a crown spread of 96 feet and a trunk diameter of over 8 feet! The Mingo Oak lived to be almost 600 years old before it was cut down after succumbing to damage from local coal fire. A cross-section of the Mingo Oak is on display at the West Virginia State Museum.

The leaves of the white oak are appropriately sized for the tree they grow on, and average anywhere between 4 and 8 inches long and 2 and 5 inches wide. Both sides grow 3 to 4 rounded lobes, with another rounded lobe at the tip. When they first sprout, the leaves are a soft, silvery pink color, and covered in soft, downy fuzz. Once they’re established, the leaves develop a bright green on the top with a softer, whiter green on the bottom. In the fall, white oak trees change to a mix of deep reds, reddish-purples, and dark oranges.

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.

​What is Pruning?

Pruning is an important part of maintaining a tree's integrity and health. There are a couple different types of pruning, but the most common are crown cleaning and crown thinning. Crown cleaning is a pruning technique that removes dead, dying, or diseased branches so they don't harm or hinder healthy ones. This is the type of pruning that can be done year-round, and is safe to do in the fall.

Why is Fall Pruning Bad?

But in the fall, the weather is just cool, and generally damp. It’s the happiest time of year for a variety of nasty pests and fungi, and is also a great environment for rot and decay. Oak trees are especially vulnerable from April until July to oak wilt, one of the deadliest tree diseases.

Winter Pruning

With the protective barrier of cold temperatures and dormant pests, winter is usually the “best time to prune.” If you’re looking to thin out your branches, trim back wayward limbs, or just improve the overall health of your tree, then waiting until the dormant months is probably your best bet.

Summer Pruning

​So, for example, crepe myrtles have multiple leaders (trunks) that grow from the base and out into a shrub-like shape. If you want to encourage the tree to grow taller rather than wider, you can trim back some of the leaders so one becomes stronger. This will encourage the tree to grow into a more stereotypical “tree” shape. Summer is also a good time to remove defective limbs or branches that have grown too heavy to support themselves any longer.

Flowering Tree Pruning

When it comes to trees that flower (like Bradford pears and crepe myrtles), the best time to prune actually depends on the blooms. If your tree blooms in the spring, then pruning should be done after all the flowers have fallen.  ​​If your tree blooms in late summer, then pruning should be done in winter, or early spring at the latest.

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.

​What Are Invasive Species?

​You may remember learning this term back in high school, but basically, invasive species are plants or animals that have been introduced to an ecosystem they aren’t native to. Not all “invaders” will survive in a new environment, because they haven’t evolved or adapted to the conditions there. But sometimes, the invading species actually takes really well to their new home.

What Are Some Invasive Species in Georgia?

Probably the most well-known invasive species in our area is kudzu. You’ve seen kudzu blanketing trees around town, covering ground along the highway, and even taking over powerlines. Kudzu is a vine native to Japan. It was introduced to the United States in the late 1800s as a new way to control soil erosion.

​In its natural habitat, with insects that feed upon it, kudzu is just another vine in the forest. But in the States, we don’t have those insects. Our insects actually tend to avoid kudzu. So, with nothing keeping the kudzu in check, it grows wildly in every direction, literally choking our native trees and plants.

Another major invasive species in our area is the Chinese Privet. You may not have heard of it, but you’ve definitely seen it, because it’s everywhere. This shrub grows quickly into a dense thicket that blocks light and water from reaching anything beneath it. It also tends to leech nutrients from the soil around it, making the surrounding area less hospitable to native species.

​How Can You Help? ​There are a lot of ways you can get involved in National Invasive Species Awareness Week this year.  Use your voice to help spread awareness about invasive species by posting on social media and using the hashtags #NISAW and #invasivespecies Tune into one of NISAW’s free webinar series to learn more about the of invasive species, common invasive species to look out for, and how to manage them.

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.

Where Did Arbor Day Come From?

What Is Arbor Day Today?

​One of the entities that ensures the world doesn’t forget Arbor Day is the Arbor Day Foundation. A nonprofit membership organization founded in 1972, on the 100-year anniversary of the first Arbor Day, the Arbor Day Foundation unites people across the country in their mission to “help others understand and use trees as a solution to many of the global issues we face today, including air quality, water quality, a changing climate, deforestation, poverty, and hunger.”

When Is Arbor Day?

How Can You Celebrate Arbor Day?

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. 

Platanus occidentalis is also known as the Eastern Sycamore, American Plane Tree, Plane Tree, Buttonwood, and Buttonball Tree. While these trees can be found throughout the Southeast, they’re native to North Carolina. They prefer full sun exposure with plenty of water, and are naturally found along streams and bottom lands. Once fully established, these Sycamores are moderately drought-tolerant.

Though eventually reaching a rounded shape, the crown of the American Sycamore is asymmetrical, with widely-spaced, crooked branches growing randomly in all directions.   ​One of this species’ defining features is its mottled, flaky bark.  ​​The outermost layers, which are generally a darker greyish-brown, lose their elasticity and break off in irregular chunks, revealing lighter grays, browns, and whites underneath. ​This flaking will lessen as the tree reaches full maturity and its growth rate slows down.

American Sycamore leaves are generally wider than they are long, with 3 to 5 pointed lobes.  In the Spring, the medium- to dark-green leaves are accompanied by very tiny red and yellow flowers that grow in clusters. ​Sycamores grow both male and female flowers on the same tree, so they can self-pollinate. ​

While the fruits of the Sycamore are one of the things that make them attractive, they’re also one of the reasons these trees don’t make great lawn ornaments. Most trees just drop dried leaves in the Fall, which can still be a pain to clean up, but is pretty normal. Sycamores, on the other hand, scatter their large, dried seed pods all over your yard.  These trees also present problems when it comes to their size. Many homeowners don’t realize quite how big an American Sycamore can get, and naively plant one near their driveway or out in the backyard. ​

Did You Know? ​The largest American Sycamore on record measured 174 feet tall, and nearly 13 feet in diameter!

And while they are generous shade trees—so much so that they can save you money on your power bill in Summer by keeping your house cooler—they also block the sun from reaching any plants underneath them. Those widespread branches can also easily interfere with nearby powerlines.  But the real threat of the Sycamore is the one under your feet. While it’s easy to forget to account for the roots when it comes to planting any species, failing to do so with a Sycamore can have drastic (and expensive) consequences. The roots of the American Sycamore spread deep and wide, and are notorious for damaging underground piping, cracking pavement and driveways, and even rupturing septic tanks.  ​Definitely do your research and plan ahead if you’re thinking of adding one of these beautiful trees to your landscape!

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.

​Equipment

​At Classic City Arborists, we choose to use a self-propelled lift. The lift’s base is much smaller than a truck, which means we can get to tight spots in your backyard where a truck simply wouldn’t fit. The lift only weighs 6,600 pounds – which is still a lot, but certainly much easier to swallow than 26,000!  ​And lastly, the lift is on tracks (think the kind of rotating wheels on an army tank). Where a bucket truck would have all that weight on just four or six wheels, the weight of our lift is distributed along the entire length of both tracks. This creates more surface area, reducing pressure at any given point. With tracks, there also aren’t any individual wheels to bear down in one spot as the vehicle turns, which means no holes in your yard.

Preventative Safeguards

Initial Assessment

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.

​The Southern Red Oak is a pretty widespread species, common in over a dozen southeast states. They prefer to grow upland (though will occasionally sprout along streams), and thrive in the poor mesic soil that other tree species would find uninhabitable.  ​As their upland home might suggest, these behemoths prefer full sun exposure and are extremely drought-resistant. They can still survive flooding on occasion, though, and will tolerate partial shade assuming their soil is well-drained.

​As with most oak species, these trees drop acorns. Around a quarter of an inch to half an inch long, these tiny fruits are protected with hairy little caps that cover about a third of the total nut. They’re generally stouter than the classic acorn shape, but are still instantly identifiable.  ​While these acorns make for a delicious source of food for a variety of animals (and a fun scavenger hunt for the kids!), they can also be a nuisance, especially along sidewalks or in your backyard.

Did You Know? ​Southern Red Oaks have been known to cross-pollinate with other red oak species in the southeast, resulting in hybrid acorns that grow into hybrid trees!​

Prior to these tripping hazards, however, come “flowers.” That’s in quotation marks because, though scientifically classified as such, the fruiting bodies of the Southern Red Oaks look nothing like what you’d think of when you hear the word.  ​As a monoecious species, both male and female flowers grow together on the same tree. The male catkins are yellowish-green in color and long and skinny in shape, while the female clusters are reddish-brown in color and grown shorter and stouter. Interested in learning about more tree species? Check out our other Tree of the Month articles!

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.

FLOWERS

FRUITS AND VEGGIES

HERBS AND FOLIAGE

TREES

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.

Douglas Fir The Douglas Fir is one of the top Christmas trees sold in the United States, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. They have that quintessential pyramid shape, with their needles spreading out in all directions, so they look nice and full from every angle. The dark green needles make the perfect backdrop for colorful lights and ornaments, and are softer to the touch, so decorating is gentler on the fingers. Their sweet scent isn’t too overpowering but will still give your home that distinct Christmastime feel. ​The only downside to these trees is their tendency to drop their needles if underwatered. But if you take care of it properly, your Douglas Fir will stay green and vibrant well past the 25th.

Fraser Fir While the Douglas Fir is probably the most popular, the Fraser Fir is the one you see all the Christmas Candles labeled as. That’s because the Fraser Fir gives off that strong, classic Christmas scent as long as they’re in your home. ​In addition to smell, Fraser Firs offer soft, shorter needles that are more kid- and pet-friendly, and hearty, spaced-out branches that can handle heavier decorations and leave plenty of space in between for your favorite ornaments to take center stage. You won’t have to look for long to pick out the perfect Fraser Fir, since they grow in a near-perfect pyramid shape naturally.

Colorado Blue Spruce The Colorado Blue Spruce, as its name might suggest, is the state tree of Colorado. Blue Spruces are known for their stunning needles with distinct blue and silver tones that set them apart from other classic Christmas trees. Unfortunately, these beautiful needles can be a little sharp, so be sure to keep that in mind as you hang ornaments. ​Despite the potential hazard, many pet owners choose these Spruces, as the color and sharp points often deter curious noses. Colorado Blue Spruces grow in a nice pyramidal shape that still looks natural, with strong limbs for heavier decorations. They don’t give off the Christmas smell we all know and love, and some people actually dislike the scent the needles emit if bruised.

Scotch Pine (Scots Pine) The Scotch Pine is a popular choice for those who prefer a low-maintenance tree. Where other trees will likely lose their needles as they dry out, the Scotch Pines handle drought like a pro, and won’t create a mess all over your floor just because its water bucket is empty. ​The catch here is that Scotch Pine needles are kind of sharp, which can be a pain while hanging ornaments. Scotch Pines are also usually sheared into the desired pyramid shape. This means that the ends of the branches you see are thicker than they would have been at their true ends, making them sturdier and more capable of bearing heavier decorations. But, this also means their branches will be a lot closer together, which can make it harder to string lights.

Eastern Red Cedar The Eastern Red Cedar, despite its name, is actually a member of the Juniper family. Their soft, pliable “needles” are a popular choice for families with younger children, because they pose no risk for pricks. The needles grow in a feathery spread that gives the tree an overall full appearance, and the tree itself grows in an overall conical shape. ​As the needles and their branches are relatively pliable, they aren’t as weight-bearing as other Christmas tree choices. But many are happy to overlook this flaw thanks to the range of colors Eastern Red Cedars have to offer. Any given tree can offer any combination of dark green, bluish green, silvery, gray-green, bronze, and even purple leaves.

Leyland Cypress The Leyland Cypress is especially popular in the southeast, and are just as likely to be found in public landscaping as they are in a home for Christmas. They have that natural pyramidal shape and the dark green leaves associated with classic Christmas trees, but their real appeal is how easy they are to grow in large numbers. ​Many “choose and cut” tree farms choose Leyland Cypresses because they require little maintenance, grow fairly quickly, and will reach respectable Christmas-tree-size without much input. While they don’t have a strong Christmas-y scent, Leyland Cypresses don’t shed many needles and don’t produce sap, making them a good choice for those with allergies.

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. 

Unlike other kinds of birches, which have more specific environmental needs, river birches are pretty tolerant of…well…everything. They’re indifferent to most soil types, can handle both drought and flood, and while they prefer around 4 hours of unfiltered sunlight per day (known as “partial shade” in the arboreal world), they do just fine with more or less. They do just as well in the hot southern states as they do the colder northern states, and are resistant to birch borers, a type of pest that commonly harms other birch species.

​Young river birches will grow around 13 to 24 inches in a year, until they reach maturity, at which point their growth rate will stall. On average, mature river birches will top out at heights of 40 to 70 feet, with a crown stretching out 40 to 60 feet. This impressive spread is thanks to the multiple trunks of the river birch’s natural growth pattern. With multiple trunks allowed to grow freely, the river birch will have a rather irregular crown shape. In urban settings, however, these multiple trunks are pruned back to a single trunk, encouraging the tree to grow taller rather than wider. River birches that have been pruned this way will end up with a more pyramidal shape.

Did You Know? ​River birch bark (and the bark of most birch species) has been used as paper for centuries. The oldest use of birch bark as paper is thought to be a collection of Buddhist texts from the 1st century CE!

River birches are probably most well-known for the same reason all birches are liked: their papery, peeling bark pattern, and their stunning yellow leaves in the fall. River birch bark is usually darker than other birch species (hence the alternative name of “black birch”), with less white and grey tones and more brown and reddish tones.

​The leaves of the river birch are around 2 to 3 inches long, and have the classic, rounded leaf shape. They grow in alternate pairs up and down a single stem, and are ridged along the edges. New leaves are bright green in color with a glossy finish, and will fade to a more muted green over time. But what really makes river birch leaves (and all birch tree leaves in general) stand out is their fall display.  ​As other tree leaves begin brown, sometimes turning a little red or orange before they fall, river birch leaves transition to a bright, almost startling yellow for the autumn season.

Along with their yellow leaves, river birches will grow small male flowers in the fall. They won’t bloom, however, until the spring, when the small female flowers grow. Both flowers are a type of catkin, and will range from warm brown to dull green in color. Male river birch catkins are long and skinny, while female catkins are more cone-like. After the female flowers mature (somewhere in May or June), river birches will yield tiny little winged nutlets that are popular amongst local wildlife.

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.