City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/346592
5SFFPG.FSJU :FMMPXXPPE ÌÞÊ/Àiià ) WOULD LOVE TO STAKE CLAIM ON THE DISCOVERY OF THIS BEAUTIFUL STREET TREE CANDIDATE BUT ) AM FAR FROM THE FIRST TO RECOGNIZE ITS POTENTIAL $URING MY ATTENDANCE AT THE -UNICIPAL &ORESTRY )NSTITUTE -&) AT THE !RBOR $AY &OUNDATION HEADQUARTERS IN .EBRASKA LAST &EBRUARY WE WERE ALL TREATED TO A PRIVATE TOUR OF THE GROUNDS AND WHILE TOURING A CLUSTER OF US FOUND A COMMON APPRECIA TION FOR !MERICAN YELLOWWOOD OR VIRGILIA #LADRASTIS KEN TUKEA 7E NOTED ITS RISING POPULARITY AS A STREET TREE IN OUR FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCES FROM /REGON TO .EBRASKA TO -ASSACHUSETTS #LOSELY RELATED TO A PAST 4REE OF THE -ONTH AMUR MAACKII -AACKIA AMURENSIS YELLOWWOOD IS ALSO IN THE &ABACEAE FAMILY WITH BEAUTIFULLY FRAGRANT WHITE PEA LIKE FLOWERS "UT MAYBE ONE OF ITS GREATEST CLAIMS TO POPULARITY COMES WITH ITS YOUNGERSIBLING NOD TOWARDS THE MAGNIFICENT BEECH TREE 7ITH ITS SMOOTH GRAY BARK AND ELLIPTIC LEAFLETS AT FIRST GLANCE IT APPEARS TO BE JUST A YOUNG BEECH (OWEVER UPON CLOSER INSPECTION THERE ARE SOME VERY DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS THAT CAN BE USED TO TELL THE TWO APART )N THE SUMMER %UROPEAN BEECH &AGUS SYLVATICA HAS ELLIPTIC LEAVES WITH PARALLEL VENATION AND ENTIRE MARGINS SIMILAR IN SIZE AND SHAPE TO THE LEAFLETS OF THE YELLOW WOOD "UT NOTE THE KEY WORD HERE IS LEAFLETS 4HE LEAVES ON YELLOWWOOD ARE PINNATELY COMPOUND AS OPPOSED TO THE BEECH WHICH HAS SIMPLE LEAVES 7HILE BEECH HAS 9ELLOWWOOD #LADRASTIS KENTUKEA VERY PROMINENT BUDS WITH IMBRICATE OVERLAPPING SCALES THE BUDS ON YELLOWWOOD ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITES 7HEN A LEAF BREAKS OFF THE BUD THAT IS EXPOSED IS A BLACK VELVETY CONICAL BUD WITH GOLD HIGHLIGHTS )T CANNOT BE MISTAKEN FOR ANY OTHER BUD THAT ) AM AWARE OF 4HIS TREE MAY REACH UP TO FEET M IN HEIGHT AND ALMOST THE SAME IN SPREAD ) HAVE SEEN BEAUTIFUL SPECIMENS ON THE CAMPUS OF THE 5NIVERSITY OF )LLINOIS 5RBANA#HAMPAIGN AND 3MITH #OLLEGE IN .ORTHAMPTON -! 4HEY BOTH INVITE THE DESIRE FOR A BIT OF FREECLIMB ING WITH A BOOK IN HANDBUT BE CAREFUL OF ANY NAR ROW BRANCH CROTCHES WITH INCLUDED BARK 4HE GENUS #LADRASTIS IS DERIVED FROM THE 'REEK KLADOS MEANING hBRANCHv AND THRAUSTOS MEANING hFRAGILEv 9ELLOWWOOD IS RELATIVELY PESTFREE SEEMS TO DO VERY WELL IN URBAN CONDITIONS SO LONG AS IT GETS ADEQUATE WATER AND -ICHAEL $IRR SAYS IT IS P( ADAPTABLE UP TO ABOUT )T IS HARDY IN :ONES A THROUGH B AND IS NATIVE TO EASTERN .ORTH !MERICA WHICH IS A SELLING POINT TO SOME EVEN WITH OUR CHANGING CLIMATE AND THE FACT OF VARYING URBAN MICROENVIRONMENTS 0RUNING FOR GOOD STRUCTURE SHOULD BE PERFORMED WHEN THE TREE IS YOUNG OTHERWISE IT CAN TEND TO DEVELOP MUL TIPLE COMPETING LEADERS 0RUNING IS RECOMMENDED IN THE SUMMER RATHER THAN SPRING OR FALL DUE TO ITS TENDENCY TOWARDS EXCESSIVE SAP BLEEDING OR WEEP ING #ORNELLS 5RBAN (ORTICULTURE )NSTITUTE SAYS YEL /iÊi>viÌÃÊvÊÞiÜÜ`Ê>ÀiÊÃ>ÀÊÊ >««i>À>ViÊÌÊÌiÊëiÊi>ÛiÃÊvÊÌiÊ LiiVÊÌÀii°Ê 9iÜÜ`Ê>ÌÊ-ÌÊ >«ÕÃ]Ê ÀÌ>«Ì]Ê°Ê*ÌÃÊLÞÊÞÊ>ÌÊ