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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/443459
BE A LITTLE SLOW IN MY EXPERIENCE ) HAVE FOUND THAT IN LANDSCAPE BEDS OR IRRIGATED AREAS IT GROWS FAIRLY QUICKLY ! FAVORITE YELLOWWOOD OF MINE IS LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN #OLUMBIA ON THE WEST SIDE OF A RED BRICK BUILDING AN UNFORGIVING SITE WHERE THE TREE SPENDS THE EARLY MORN ING IN DEEP SHADE AND LATE AFTERNOON IN BLAZING SUNLIGHT .EVERTHELESS THE YELLOWWOOD HAS THRIVED AND THE ELEGANT BEAUTY OF THE TREE REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THE SOMBER AND FORMAL FA½ADE OF THE BUILDING /NE BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN YELLOWWOOD WAS IN PERIL BECAUSE STARLINGS WERE ROOSTING IN IT MAKING A MESS ALARMING THE PUBLIC AND POSING A HEALTH HAZARD 7E SET UP A SPRINKLER IN THE TREE ON A TIMER AND IT WOULD TURN ON FOR A FEW MINUTES EVERY EVENING AROUND DUSK )T WORKED TO DETER THE STARLINGS AND WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE THE TREE ! PINKFLOWERING CULTIVAR @0ERKINS 0INK IS AVAILABLE HOWEVER ON THE TREES )VE SEEN THE PINK SEEMED RATHER MUTED MORE LIKE A LIGHT BLUSH )N MOST INSTANCES ) WOULD RECOMMEND THE SPECIES BUT THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE ITS WORTHWHILE TO VARY !S AN EXAMPLE WE PLANTED A @0ERKINS 0INK YELLOW WOOD AS PART OF A MEMORIAL PROJECT SEVERAL YEARS AGO IN A PINK FLOWER GARDEN FUNDED BY A GRIEVING HUSBAND IN MEMORY OF HIS WIFE WHOM HE LOST TO BREAST CANCER (E REQUESTED A LANDSCAPE WHICH FEATURED EARLYSUMMERBLOOMING PINK FLOWERS AT A LOCAL PLAYGROUND IN JOYFUL REMEMBRANCE OF HER SPIRIT AND KINDNESS TOWARD CHILDREN 9ELLOWWOOD TREES ADMITTEDLY HAVE A MADDENING BRANCH ING HABIT GENERALLY DOING FINE UNTIL THE TREE IS ABOUT ) 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 APPRECIATION FOR !MERICAN YELLOWWOOD OR VIRGILIA #LADRASTIS KENTUKEA 7E NOTED ITS RISING POPULARITY AS A STREET TREE IN OUR FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCES FROM /REGON TO .EBRASKA TO -ASSACHUSETTS 9ELLOWWOOD IS IN THE &ABACEAE FAMILY WITH BEAUTIFULLY FRAGRANT WHITE PEALIKE FLOWERS 4HE BUDS ON YELLOWWOOD ARE AMONG 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 CHEST HEIGHT WHEN MULTIPLE LEADERS AND INCLUDED BARK BECOME QUITE COMMON *UDICIOUS AND TIMELY PRUNING CAN HELP THOUGH AT A CERTAIN POINT IT IS PROBABLY REA SONABLE TO JUST ACCEPT THAT GOOD BRANCHING STRUCTURE IS NOT THIS TREES STRONG SUIT 9ELLOWWOODS OTHER POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES CLEARLY OUTWEIGH THIS ONE IDIOSYNCRASY AND ) WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE VALUE AND BENEFIT THIS BEAUTIFUL TREE PROVIDES MAKES CONSIDERATION FOR PLANTING WORTH WHILE IN MANY URBAN AREAS —Brett OʼBrien, Natural Resources Supervisor, Columbia, Missouri 9iÜÜ`ÊÜÌiÀÊ>LÌÊLÞÊ ÀiÌÌÊ"½ ÀiÊ /ÃÊ`ÜÌÜÊëiViÊÊ ÕL>]ÊÃÃÕÀÊÜ>ÃÊ«>}Õi`ÊÜÌÊ ÃÌ>À}ÃÊÕÌÊÌiÊÃÌ>vvÊ«ÕÌÊ>ÊëÀiÀÊÊ>ÊÌiÀÊÊÌiÊÌÀii°Ê*ÌÊ LÞÊ ÀiÌÌÊ"½ Ài ÌÞÊ/ÀiiÃ