2004_Volume11_Issue1

Tre e C a re A d v i s o r N ew s l e t t e r http:// www.mntca.org

Volume 11 Number 1

Dave Hanson and Gary Johnson, Managing Editors

Inside This Issue:

Welcome to Elm Street!

American Elm

By Mark Stennes

1

Quick Hits / Volunteer Opps

By Dave Hanson

2

Putting Down Roots:

By Cliff Johnson

3

provide some comments on Ulmus spp. found as natives throughout Minnesota.

The Elms Are Back

8

You’ll also find a little background on the TCA program in the form of a ten year

Elms: Indications are good that they’re back. This issue contains an article by Mark Stennes on the return of the “American” elm. Jeff Gilman and Chad Giblin, University of Minnesota - TRĒ Nursery, chime in with comments on the on-going Dutch Elm Disease (DED) resistant elm trials on the Saint Paul Campus. Then I’ll

summary and an invite to the Shade Tree Short Course with TCA discounts…

By Chad Giblin and Jeff Gilman TCAs: 10 Years Old

By Dave Hanson

10

Ulmaceae Family in Minnesota

By Dave Hanson

20

Shade Tree Short Course Opportunity / Volunteer Hour Awards

By Dave Hanson

22

Contacts

24

Trivia corner: However, first things first, a little trivia courtesy of Gail Soens, Dakota County TCA. I had to do some research of my own to provide Gail with the answer.

You’ll find it on the last page of this newsletter. Here is the question: The birch family (Betulaceae) contains six genera comprised of roughly 120 species, five of these genera are native to the US. Can you name all 5? Now, name the sixth genera restricted in range to Eastern Asia.

And The Trivia Answer

Good News For the American Elm INTRODUCTION

1933 -Transplanting an American Elm at Penn State in front of Old Main. Photo From Penn State: http://lorax.opp.psu.edu/archive/ OldMainElms.htm

Don’t Cheat! Good luck!

The genus Ulmus, meaning elm, contains many different species that occupy a wide variety of sites throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Elms have been planted and used widely in Europe and Asia for thousands of years.

Most elms have natural beauty, as well as func-

tional properties that make them especially suitable for domestic human uses. They have a very rich 5000-year association with human culture. In addition to fuel, a wide array of wood products, and fodder for cattle, they have been used for windbreaks, shelterbelts, and shade.

Throughout history, individual trees have served as landmarks affiliated with

specific historical events, giving the events a living presence. In terms of its affiliation with and effects on human culture, the elm ranks high on a list that includes olive, oak and apple. From an ecological point of view, the elms' contribution to biodiversity and the flow of energy in north temperate terrestrial ecoContinued Page 5 systems

Page 2

Quick Hits

The TCAAG is looking for members. Typically, with new members come new ideas and new energy. Consider helping out the TCA program in this capacity… February 14th, they will pitch some of their ideas.

Plan on Attending the Shade Tree Short Course - March 23rd and 24th.

Look for TCA discount information on page 22 of this newsletter.

Have You submitted your TCA hours for 2003? Please, send them in, in reality it is never too late!

See how the hours are used in the TCA Ten Year Summary beginning on page 10 - reporting TCA volunteer hours to the Minnesota DNR and the United States Forest Service bolsters the TCA program and demonstrates that TCAs are out there making a difference!

WWW.MNTCA.ORG Have you been to this website? Is there anything the TCAs need out there?

Remember this website is for TCAs !

A “Contact Tree”: Request from TCAAG The TCA Advisory Group is looking to develop a communication network for Tree Care Advisors. Since we don't have monthly meetings, this network would be used to pass along information important to TCAs between newsletters and update meetings.

I would like one TCA from each county (or two from counties with LOTS of active TCAs) that has active TCAs to agree to be the main contact person for that county. If the TCAAG has information or announcements, we would contact (by phone or e-mail) that volunteer from each county and ask them to contact (by phone or e-mail) the other TCAs in their county.

We think this would be a good way to help keep TCAs connected to each other and make sure that no one misses out on upcoming events or opportunities (like the 2/14 update session/Tree Identification Workshop!!) If you would like to be the contact for your county, please e-mail or call me directly at Ldrolson@yahoo.com 651-464-9829 with your name, phone, e-mail, and county of residence.

Thanks everyone - I look forward to seeing you on Februay 14!

Laurie Drolson, Washington County TCA

Putting Down Roots - A column in the Chaska Herald.

Cliff Johnson

There is a paradox in-

Carver / Scott

volved in pruning apple trees.

Master Gardener

Apple trees need

Page 3

wounds where branches rub together and a dense center that prohibits air and light to

pruning to prevent excessive penetrate the Right now is a good time to

and misdirected branch

prune fruit trees

growth but at the same time,

It happens every time I

pruning stimulates new

teach a class on pruning.

growth, which increases the

When I get to the part

need for annual pruning.

about when to prune, some-

It is the habit of apple

one in the audience quips,

trees to grow sucker

“Why didn’t you tell me

branches and water sprouts

that six (or 3 or 9) months

in abundance, partly in re-

ago, when it was the recom-

sponse to pruning. You can

mended time to prune?”

recognize water sprouts

Well, I’m telling you now,

easily this time of year be-

this is a very good time to

cause they grow straight up

prune apple trees.

in the air, sometimes

It’s also a good time to prune adding as much as six feet of most hardwoods -- this pe- growth in a season. Water riod of late winter,

sprouts and sucker

before spring bud-break,

branches should be removed

when daytime temperatures

every year.

are comfortable and the absence of leaves allows you

One of the primary objectives of pruning fruit trees is

to view the tree’s “skeleton.” to keep the tree I spent several hours in

canopy open so air can circu-

mid-February doing annual

late and sunshine can pene-

pruning maintenance on

trate all major limb

tree’s center.

Ideally, pruning should begin when the tree is very young and continue each year so the tree can be shaped in such a way that it grows strong and allows penetration of air and light.

Pruning apple trees is complicated by the fact that not all apple varieties have similar growth habits. My HaralRed tree has a more undesirable branching pattern than my two Honey Crisp trees. I have several Red Splendor crabapple trees that would -if I didn’t intervene with annual pruning -- become a tangled mass of water sprouts and criss-crossing branches.

In my Pruning Simplified

my eight apple and crabapple sections to help ripen fruit.

book, author Lewis Hill

trees that will help them

writes that fruit trees

Many apple varieties have

produce more fruit and

a bad habit of growing

mature with a strong and

branches back towards

symmetrical limb and branch the center of the tree that structure. cross each other, causing

are usually trained in one of three forms: central leader, modified leader, or open center.

Above: A spur shoot and bud on an apple tree branch.

Below: Water sprouts near the base of a Norway maple

Page 4

Putting Down Roots...

Trees that bear heavy crops of large fruit, including apples and pears, are usually best pruned to grow with a central leader, or trunk, at least in their younger days, Hill says.

The modified leader

Crossing, rubbing branches should be removed in any pruning operation. These happen to be on Hackberry.

only about 30% of an unpruned tree gets sufficient

hundreds of new sprouts and suckers ever since to

light to produce abundant

compensate for the branch

fruit, and another 40%

loss that occurred in the

of the tree gets only a mar-

storm.

I’ve been asked occasion-

ginal amount of light, accord-

ally about what to do with

ing to Hill.

As mentioned earlier, late-

gnarly, old, overgrown

method is initially the same

winter pruning does stimu-

and under-pruned apple

as the central leader

late some re-growth

trees. There is no simple

method, but eventually you

of branches to replace lost

let the central trunk branch

wood. A general pruning rule what is the objective? To

off to form several

is to never remove

tops, according to Hill.

more than a third of a tree’s

The open center method allows maximum light to penetrate the shady interior but is not recommended for apples, he says, because it produces a tree with weaker branches.

The key to pruning apple

grow fruit? Provide shade?

Sometimes it may be best to

the case of apples, a

remove the tree and start

better rule, based on my ex-

over with a healthy young

perience, is to limit pruning

transplant of one of the tasty

to 10% of a tree’s

new varieties from the University of Minnesota such

branches.

Several years ago, a spring

as Honey Crisp or Zestar.

storm caused a large oak limb to fall on one of my crabapple trees, de-

sunshine and

stroying about half the crab-

its tight branch structure,

Preserve a memory?

branches in any one year. In

trees, Hill writes, is to think light penetration. Because of

answer here. I would ask,

apple tree’s branches.

That tree has been producing For a Pruning Reference, Please refer to: United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Ser-

Keep in mind that pruning can

vice.

affect flowering and fruit produc-

How to Prune Trees

tion.

This pamphlet is available on the web at: http://

Crabapples on the U of M campus.

www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/howtos/ht_prune/ prun001.htm

Page 5

Good news for American Elm (continued from page 1) can be fairly described as significant.

The focus of the following conversation, however, is on a single North American member of the genus that we know affectionately as American elm (Ulmus Americana).

Perhaps the American elm's most endearing feature is the unique vase-shaped habit of growth that is the stuff of legend. Standing alone in the open, or in arching cathedral rows, American elm has no peer. Complementing its aesthetic attractiveness, however, is a long list of characteristics that are highly desirable from utilitarian points of view.

The tree can deal with urban stresses at least as well as any other. It can survive and thrive on a wide variety of sites and soils. What other tree can more than survive on narrow boulevard strips, let alone turn up sidewalks, curbs and streets while developing such magnificent proportions? There is no other tree that can so ably tolerate low oxygen levels in soil that arise from various insults, including compaction and impervious surfaces. It can tolerate flooding, drought, salt and a wide range of soil pH. Its natural geographic range is from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia to Florida to Texas, and to all points in between. Average annual rainfall across its natural range varies between 15 and 60 inches per year.

When combined with its extraordinary ability to survive construction activity insults and grade changes, the preceding collection of valuable features helps explain why the American elm engenders such passionate admiration.

have been more suitable for a given site, American elm would surely work to everyone's satisfaction, a fact that we continue to regret.

With American elm lined up shoulder to shoulder along boulevards & parkways, and prominently featured in front and back yards throughout its natural range, the risk of importing a particularly destructive pest or pathogen would seem obvious. While it is clear enough to us now how inevitable it was, we were not prepared to deal with an imported vascular pathogen like Ophiostoma ulmi, the fungus that causes Dutch elm disease (DED). Since it was first identified in North America in 1930, the fungus has killed millions of invaluable shade trees.

The cost of removing dead and diseased trees alone is in the $billions, to say nothing of the diminution in the value of the affected urban forests and the unimaginable heartache suffered by those who lost their trees. We now know that aggressive management by sanitation (finding and promptly removing diseased trees) is cost effective and will substantially reduce loss rates for municipalities with a large population of susceptible elm trees. Minneapolis, for example, still has at least 90,000 mature American elm trees on public and private property throughout the city. We also have preventive and therapeutic treatments whose effectiveness is well established.

Transplanting an American Elm at Penn State in front of Old Main. 1933...

Photo - Penn State Archives: http://lorax.opp.psu.edu/archive/ OldMainElms.htm

That Penn State Elm in 2002 at

Among the more unfortunate long-term results of DED, however, is the fact that American elm has been completely removed from our list of choices when we have a space for a new tree. As a species, the tree is too susceptible; the risk of DED is just too great.

DUTCH ELM DISEASE As might be expected when desirable attributes line up so well in a single tree, American elm was accordingly overused.

BREEDING FOR RESISTANCE Even when other species would likely

approximately 100 years of age.

Penn State: http:// lorax.opp.psu.edu/homepage.asp

Page 6

Minnesota State Fair Grounds American Elm with early DED symptoms.

June: Early sign of DED, wilted watersprouts.

August: Same tree marked for removal.

Good news for American Elm (continued from page 1) Breeding research with Asian and European elms at various arboreta and academic institutions in Europe and America has resulted in many named cultivars of elm that substantially resist DED. There is a long list of cultivars with varying levels of resistance to DED, elm leaf beetle and elm yellows, but none of them are meaningfully comparable to American elm. A big component of the problem of breeding DED resistance into American elm is the fact that the species is the only member of the elm genus that is tetraploid, meaning that it has four sets of genes instead of two. It will not cross with the diploid (two sets of genes) species of elm that have shown DED resistance.

The good news is that all elms do have defenses, and even in American elm they work more often than they do not. But when they are insufficient, the tree dies. Mechanisms of defense can be divided into two broad categories.

There are physical features that can help the plant impede invasion by the pathogen; specifically in the case of DED are springwood vessel diameter, length and grouping.

As a general rule, American elm has large, long,

tightly grouped springwood vessels, a factor contributing to its general susceptibility. There are also reactive mechanisms that the plant can use. One of them is vessel occlusion in response to infection. Another is the plant's ability to wall off the infection and enclose it in new wood. There are also fungitoxic chemicals (phytoalexins) that the plant can produce in response to infection and use defensively against the pathogen. As a general rule, dependable combinations of defensive mechanisms occur very infrequently in American elm.

In fact, our collective experiences with DED have led us to believe that they may never occur.

inoculation, Dr. Alden M. (Denny) Townsend found and was able to show that a few individuals do in fact have substantial tolerance for DED. Semantically, tolerance implies that the plant can become infected, and even show symptomatic wilting, but then recover without meaningful long-term damage. Statistical analysis of his data showed that over a sevenyear period, cultivar or selection was a highly significant source of variation for crown dieback and survival. While natural tolerance may occur in less than one in 100,000 individuals, once tolerance is identified in any given individual it can be given a name and cloned an unlimited number of times.

However, dogged determination on the part of plant geneticists and plant pathologists, particularly at the U.S. National Arboretum, has shown that a significant level of tolerance does exist in American elm, albeit very infrequently. By screening certain diploid non-American elm cultivars that have proven resistance to DED with individual American elm trees that seemed to have an unusual ability to survive high disease pressure in the wild, and challenging them with an unnaturally severe form of

DISEASE TOLERANT CULTIVARS OF AMERICAN ELM ‘Valley Forge’ & ‘New Harmony’ Neither of these clones had names when Dr. Townsend first inoculated a large group of them in May of 1992. It is beyond the scope of this discussion to detail his research, but he used a very severe form of inoculation, and his statistical bases were covered. The names were applied by the time he reported the long-term results of the study in June 2001. Ninety-six percent

Good news for American Elm (continued from page 1) of the ‘Valley Forge’ survived after seven years, and 86% of the ‘New Harmony’ survived. I have a ’Valley Forge’ that started as a rooted cutting in 2000. The growth rate is phenomenal; it has taken off like a scalded dog.

Training pruning is clearly very important in the early years to maintain structural discipline, but it is a true American elm, and appears to be hardy here. I have no personal experience with ‘New Harmony,’ and while it is clearly quite tolerant of Dutch elm disease, it has been characterized as somewhat “shrubbier” than ‘Valley Forge’ or ‘Princeton.’ Neither clone is copyright protected, so there is no restriction on production from rooted cuttings.

‘Princeton’ The American elm cultivar ‘Princeton’ was released in the early 1920’s by Princeton Nurseries of New Jersey, about ten years before the arrival of the Dutch elm disease pathogen. It was selected because of its superlative display of the horticultural features that we like best in American elm, and because it showed the greatest tolerance for many of the other important elm maladies of the day. It was included in Dr. Townsend’s study, and per-

Page 7

formed as well as ‘Valley Forge.’ ‘Princeton’ is apparently not copyright protected. To learn more of the story, and maybe get one for yourself, visit the website: http:// www:riveredgefarms.com.

breeding bark beetles that certainly still feed in the crown of this tree. The statistical probability of a lucky “escape” in this case is prohibitive. There is a real possibility that this individual is substantially tolerant to DED, and Dr. ‘American Liberty’ multi- Townsend has agreed to include it in new trials. clone Rooted cuttings are being This cultivar is actually a created at the Department combination of 6 cultivars of Plant Pathology at the first released by the late University of Minnesota Dr. E. B. Smalley of the right now. They may be University of Wisconsin. ready to ship by spring One of the six was used in 2004. Stay tuned.

Dr. Townsend’s study, but performed very poorly.

The bottom line here is Also, the multiclone is copyright protected, and is that there are now at least only available through the three cultivars of AmeriElm Research Institute in can elm that substantially tolerate DED, and are New Hampshire. available if we bother to ask. There is the rub. LoSt. Croix cal wholesale nurseries There is a large and beau- will not grow them, and tiful, type-specimen local nursery outlets will American elm growing in not provide them, if we do the St. Croix river valley not insist on them. If you near Afton, Minnesota. want one, ask for it, and The tree is 72 inches in then leave if they cannot diameter, about 75 feet provide it. Seeing a sale tall, and has a crown walk out the door is very spread of over 100 feet. It good incentive. If you are is not just surviving, but responsible for letting thriving in spite of 30 landscape contracts, specyears of exposure to a ify and insist on them. crown fire of DED. Ameri- There are thousands of can elm is not just an ingood sites available for digenous component of disease tolerant American the natural plant commu- elm. We are in no danger nity there, it is an aggres- of having too many of sive one. Trees all around them. it, most of them grown up since their parents were killed, are still dying and

Loss of elms to DED is still a significant issue.

Minnesota State Fair Grounds

But, the hope is out there with the new disease resistant Elms.

Page 8

Good news for American Elm (continued from page 1) Selected references: Campanella, Thomas J. 2003. Republic of shade: New England and the American elm. Yale University Press. New Haven and London.

Dunn, Christopher P. (ed.). 2000. The Elms: Breeding, Conservation, and Disease Management. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Boston. USA. Sticklen, Mariam B., and Sherald, James L. (eds). 1993. Dutch elm disease research: Cellular and Molecular Approaches. Springer-Verlag. New York. USA. Townsend, A.M., Bentz, S.E. and Johnson, G.R. 1995. Variation in Response of Selected American Elm Clones to Ophiostoma ulmi. J. Environ. Hort. 13(3):126-128 Townsend., A.M. & Douglass, L.W. 2001. Variation among American Elm Clones in Long-term Dieback, Growth, and Survival following Ophiostoma Inoculation. J. Environ. Hort. 19(2):100-103.

Mark Stennes, Top Notch Treecare 15 Sep 03

The Elms are Back!

Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’

‘Frontier’ - red fall color

By Chad Giblin and Jeff Gillman University of Minnesota TRE Nursery Project After a good response from people interested in hearing more about the elm evaluation project here at the University of Minnesota’s TRE nursery, we decided to provide a little bit more in depth information that we have gathered from these studies. We are now in our fourth full season of evaluating Dutch Elm Disease resistant elms. This is a cooperative project between the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the University of Minnesota. We have been able to take a close look at eighteen unique cultivars. Currently we collect data on growth (caliper and new growth), winter injury, disease susceptibility, insect damage, susceptibility to storm breakage due to poor branch attachment, as well as general observations on form and overall appearance.

After an unusual winter in 2002-03 we were excited to examine the trees to assess any potential injury. Many of the elm varieties, especially those of European descent, are labeled as USDA Hardiness Zone 5 plants; last winter (2002-2003) and our current conditions are just what is needed to give these plants a true test of what Minnesota can dish out! Camperdown elm (Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’) took the worst beating, this is a true Zone 5 variety and we experienced severe stem damage and winter-kill. By mid-summer some of the trees were suckering out at various points along the main stem but the attractive weeping form has been severely compromised. Another selection that suffered severe damage was the Frontier elm (U. carpinifolia x parvifolia ‘Frontier.) Although this tree has simply outstanding deep red fall color, winter damage seems to preclude it from becoming a household name.

While last winter was unusually severe, we feel that, due to hardiness issues, both the Frontier and Camperdown elms will be poor candidates for general nursery production in Minnesota.

The good news is that many varieties came through with flying colors. The selections out of the Morton Arboretum all performed quite well. Accolade™ (U. japonica x wilsoniana ‘Morton’) has already shown to be an excellent winter hardy choice for Minnesota, and their newer selections including Vanguard™ (U. complex hybrid ‘Morton Plainsman’), Triumph™ (U. complex hybrid ‘Morton Glossy’), Danada Charm™ (U. japonica x wilsoniana ‘Morton Red Tip’), and Commendation™ (U. complex hybrid ‘Morton Stalwart’) all proved to be quite winter hardy so far. These “complex hybrid” trees often involve seedlings selections from Accolade™ or a complex combination of crosses with species and cultivated elm types. One of our current favorites is the Pioneer elm (U. glabra x carpinifolia ‘Pioneer’.) We really like the form

Elms are Back! and unique leaf shape of this tree and, although it is another Zone 5 plant, it has proven to be fairly tolerant of our winters so far. It’s rounded form and smaller mature size will set it apart from true American elms, but its habit in the nursery is very nice indeed. Other current favorites include Triumph™, Accolade™, and Discovery (U. japonica ‘Discovery’.)

Many elms, including the true American types, show growth rates that are almost unmanageable in the nursery setting. Maintenance of a strong central leader usually requires a least two years of staking and taping or bud staking/splinting after heading back cuts. Another challenge is scouting for poor branch attachment. High winds and severe summer storms in 2002 and 2003 have allowed us to examine susceptibility to storm breakage. Valley Forge and Princeton elms (true Ulmus americana selections) and Cathedral (U. pumila x japonica ‘Cathedral’), Prospector (U. wilsoniana ‘Prospector’), Vanguard™, Triumph™, and Danada Charm™ have required above average maintenance in this area. Princeton has also shown some winter dieback, but further assessment is needed. Some selections have shown to be quite carefree in the nursery, requiring little training or corrective pruning. Some of these varieties include: Pioneer, Discovery, Accolade™, Homestead (U. complex hybrid ‘Homestead’), and New Horizon (U. pumila x japonica ‘New Horizon’.)

Insect pressure seems to be much more pronounced in the nursery setting than in the landscape. Spring cankerworms were present on many varieties in 2003, but didn’t seem to have any lasting negative effects. Leafhoppers produced the most damage last summer.

The unattractive distortion of the foliage and severe “stacking” of buds due to this insect will require careful scouting and subsequent control. Other potential pests include leaf miners and, of course, elm leaf beetle. The varieties most affected by insects included: Discovery, Cathedral, Prospector, and Valley Forge. Those showing most resistance to general insect pressure are Accolade™, Danada Charm™, Vanguard™, Triumph™, and Commendation™.

During the winter of 2003-2004 we observed what appears to be extensive feeding by the European elm bark beetle. While we didn’t perform a thorough measurement of feeding, most trees seem to be affected. An interesting note is that the beetles appear to be only feeding. To date we haven’t observed larvae or larval galleries. This is another excellent test of the resistance in these selections, especially the pure U. americana elms.

Disease pressure has been relatively minor overall, although this year we saw especially severe anthracnose. Vanguard™ has shown particular susceptibility to this disease, as has Danada Charm™. Thus far we haven’t seen any other diseases of major importance.

In spring of 2003 we had our first harvest. We harvested all the Cathedral, New Horizon, Homestead and many of the Discovery and Pioneer elms. Some of the larger trees were well into the 4” caliper range and were harvested B&B with a 44” spade, the rest were harvested with a skid loader mounted 34” spade. Many of these trees are now growing in the Minneapolis Parks system, and a few were planted on the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses. Of all the varieties evaluated I feel that at least 75% have excellent potential for nursery production in Minnesota. Another 100+ will be harvested out in the spring of 2004.

Our study involves only field production and growers looking to produce these trees in containers could use this data as a framework but should be aware of inconsistencies, especially in hardiness, with these plants. It must also be stressed that this data is collected in a nursery production setting and that implies that these trees may perform much differently when planted in a landscape setting.

We publish our elm data annually on our website at www.tre.umn.edu under the “Current Research” page. Charts, graphs, and pictures are available online along with much more detail.

Page 9

‘Pioneer’ - very promising.

‘Danada charm’ ™

Below: New Horizon - Photo from October 2002, tree harvested fall of 2003.

Page 10

Tree Care Advisors (TCAs) Ten Years:

Note: This report will be

Abstract: Minnesota’s Tree Care Advisor (TCA) program took root ten years ago. In those ten years sota DNR, United States the roster of TCAs has increased from 52 to 168 and TCAs now represent 20 counties in MinForest Service and other nesota. Over the ten year life of the program TCAs have contributed 31,715.9 hours to urban interested Tree Care Advi- and community forestry interests in Minnesota. The non-profit coalition “Independent Sector” calculated a volunteer’s time to be worth $16.54 per hour for the year 2002. Using that figure sor partners. the TCAs have then contributed $524,580 (2002 dollars) over the ten year life of the program.

TCA Program History: Now in its eleventh year, Minnesota’s tree Care Advisor program continues to thrive. The program has always been based on a strong collaborative effort involving several State agencies and private concerns. In 1995 Gary Johnson provided the following history relating to the inception of the Tree Care Advisor (TCA) program: In 1992, the University of Minnesota Extension Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources cooperatively initiated the development of an urban forestry training program, targeting individuals who would serve as urban and community forestry project volunteers following the training. Funding for the two year pilot program was provided through a focus funding grant from the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry. The pilot proposal specified that three training programs would be developed and offered to individuals in urban-centered regions of Minnesota.

Minnesota was not alone in setting up grassroots programs to address needs in urban forestry.

The need for such a program in Minnesota is discussed in the following paragraphs written by Gary Johnson in 1995: Demand for volunteers. The demand for developing a urban forestry stewardship program in Minnesota came primarily from the Minnesota Extension Service's (MES) Master Gardener Program and its county coordinators, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources [MNDNR] Division of Forestry. Minnesota has an extensive network of volunteer Master Gardeners, over 1200 active members, and the county coordinators reported a significant increase in urban forestry related questions and issues confronting Master Gardeners.

At the same time, the MNDNR Division of Forestry was assuming a larger role in statewide urban forestry issues and education, and felt a need existed to build a network of trained volunteers, strategically located throughout the urban-centered areas of Minnesota. The MNDNR could refer citizens to these trained volunteers for answers to basic questions on tree care and tree health.

Over the years TCAs have continued to step up to meet the needs of the communities that they are involved in and have become very effective in community outreach and education programs.

One example of the programs success and professionalism is its evolution to include a number of “Green Industry” professionals. Several have attended the training sessions with the understanding that they are not expected to follow through on a volunteer commitment.

The TCA Program 2003: Administration and Support: Support of the TCA program has evolved over time and relies heavily on several partners.

These partners include: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, United States Forest Service, Minnesota TreeTrust, Great River Greening, and the University of Minnesota College of Natural Resources, Department of Forest Resources along with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. turned over to the Minne-

One full time Faculty and one full time staff person from the University of Minnesota, Department of Forest Resources act as coordinators for the program. Duties include overseeing the

TCAs: Ten Years annual core course training, quarterly update trainings, tracking and reporting of volunteer hours, maintaining a TCA web site and preparing a quarterly TCA newsletter.

Application Process: In order to become a Tree Care Advisor candidates must apply to the program. The application is very straightforward and focuses on several categories. A series of questions on the application explores the applicants intended commitment to the program. It is a requirement of each applicant that the entire core course training be attended (see “Training” below). Attendance at the core course has been the only rigid requirement that the applicants must meet.

A less rigid requirement, more of a target goal, of the program is that the applicant must commit 50 volunteer hours to the program in the first year and 25 volunteer hours in subsequent years. This requirement is taken directly from the Master Gardener program in Minnesota and since Master Gardeners have made this commitment to a program already, they are given priority as candidates to the Tree Care Advisor Program.

Lastly, the application process attempts to gauge the candidates current tree and shrub (or plant) knowledge and in some cases “Green Industry” knowledge. One of the focuses of the program is public outreach through many venues. So, there is an added bonus if people come to the program as good plant stewards prepared to carry the TCA message forward through community education forums.

Training: A requirement that a TCA candidate must meet is to attend the 30 hours of classroom and field instruction, the Tree Care Advisor Core Course. Typically, this course is spread over five (8:30 am to 3:30 pm) Saturday sessions but, other arrangements have been made depending on the target audience.

Topics covered in the core course materials include but are not limited to: working as a volunteer, tree and shrub selection, matching trees and shrubs to the site, introduction to soils, preventing construction damage, planting trees and shrubs, formative care, and a basic introduction to pests and diseases of trees and shrubs. The predominant focus in this course is on urban and community forestry.

In recent years there has been one class offered in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Class size is limited to 20 in order to maintain a very informal structure, with an open conversational tone to the sessions.

Tree Care Advisor Activities: The active TCAs find many venues to reach the public and most of the TCAs find a public that is eager to gather information that will improve their trees and shrubs. TCAs have become established partners in Community education programs, State, County and Community Fair booths, Yard and Garden phone lines, planting projects for communities and at schools. Gary Johnson’s report in 1995 broke down TCA activities in the early years as found in Table 1.

This summary (Table 1) from June of 1994 reveals that “Educational” activities accounted for almost 50% of the hours volunteered by Tree Care Advisors. Yet, the phone contacts, booths and even the planting projects are important venues at which to put forth a message pertaining to tree and shrub care.

Page 11

Page 12

TCAs: Ten Years Table 1: Categories of Volunteer Hours (Summary from June 1, 1994)

Activity

Total Hours (2179 Total volunteer hours)

Educational

1038

Personal/phone contacts

307

Garden show/booths

51

State Fair booths

96

Arbor Day; Arbor Month; Earth Day

215

Planting tree care projects [schools]

90

Community forestry projects

116

Special projects

266

Compare this early snapshot to chart 1 and table 2 on page 14 and note that the “Speaking” category, equivalent to “Educational” above, is still a strong focus of the TCAs. Recognition: Upon completion of the core course TCAs are awarded a certificate of completion. Additionally, their names are added to an annually updated Minnesota Tree Care Advisor Directory which is available to a limited number of agencies seeking volunteers for tree related projects and outreach.

Obligation: TCAs are asked to set goals. In the first year it is expected that a TCA commit 50 volunteer hours to the program and 25 volunteer hours in subsequent years. It is also expected that the TCAs submit a report of their volunteer hours on at least an annual basis with some description of the activities that those hours were directed towards.

There have been 275 people trained through the TCA Core Course sessions in the past ten years and there are currently 168 TCAs listed in the TCA directory. Some of the attendees participate in the training for professional interest with no intention of donating volunteer hours. So, the tracking of volunteer hours is currently following a listing of 130 TCAs. This brings us to a data collection shortcoming in this program. Keep in mind that this is a volunteer group and the reporting of hours is completely voluntary. There are TCAs working in their communities that for whatever reason do not report any hours to our office. For example, of the 130 currently active TCAs – 61 reported hours in 2003. Even with less than half of the TCAs reporting, there were 4,790.9 volunteer hours given to communities in 2003.

TCAs: Ten Years Reporting Hours: Traditionally, the contributed TCA hours have been reported as a total for the year to the State Program Offices that were interested. The traditional report assisted in furthering the program, in securing funding, and as a means of showing benefits that TCA contributions have to community programs and to communities in general.

This report is more in depth and breaks down the TCA contributions into activities for years 1997 through 2003 unless otherwise noted. A couple of counties have not had TCAs for each of these years and those exceptions are noted. The years 1993 through 1996 were not included in this report since it appears that data sheets are missing and at this time the data cannot be verified.

Descriptions of Categories: TCA Volunteer Contributions Planting: Activities include landscape design, tree maintenance activities such as pruning and winter care, community plantings, and tree selection. Some private homeowner landscaping consultations were included here.

Speaking: TCAs are involved in community education programs with tree related topics being the focus. These programs are held in Senior Centers, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. TCAs are also presenting topics at conferences and at a variety of community functions. These hours include preparation time.

Media: TCAs are involved in writing articles (newspaper, newsletter), preparing display boards, video sessions for local TV channels, and radio call-in shows.

Committee: These hours include County Master Gardener meetings and advisory groups. Some planning sessions for other TCA related activities were included.

Continuing Ed: TCAs take part in many educational opportunities such as Shade Tree Short Course, TCA updates, Master Gardener updates and many conference sessions.

Plant Diagnostic: TCAs have two approaches for basic pest and disease diagnosis; - 1 – Greater Minnesota counties such as: Blue Earth, Mower, Olmsted, Ottertail, and Wright counties – The majority of the activity is basic plant diagnosis on-site.

- 2 – Most Metro Counties – The majority of the activity is at organized plant clinics Y+G lines – Yard and Garden phone lines and web based systems with TCAs and Master Gardeners handling questions and directing consumers to other resources on a range of topics from insect and tree disease to basic maintenance questions.

Booths: Educational displays or question and answer time at State and County fairs, home and remodeling shows, garden centers and various community events.

Other: Activities that are hard to classify or hours that were uncategorized or simply didn’t fit the other categories listed above.

TCA Activities: Educating the public at the Washington County Fair and through projectssuch as buckthorn removal in Blue Earth county.

Page 13

Page 14

TCAs: Ten Years Reporting at the State Level: Chart 1: Breakdown of Volunteer Hours by Category

Minnesota TCA Activities Percent of Time on Activities 1997-2003 Total TCA Volunteer Hours 26127.95

Other 14%

Planting 14% Planting

Booths 8%

Speaking

Speaking 17%

Media Committee Continue Ed Plant Diag Y+G lines

Y+G lines 13% Plant Diag 6%

Booths

Media 8%

Other

Committee 10%

Continue Ed 10%

Table 2: Breakdown of Volunteer Hours by Category

Planting Speaking Media Committee

Continue

Plant

Y+G

Ed

Diag

lines

Booths

Other

State Total

3672.6

4110.9

2216

2705

2592.5 1693.85 3274.9 2125.5 3736.25

Total Hours for Minnesota 1997-2003 26,127.95 hours

The data reported is current as of 1/12/2004.

Page 15

TCAs: Ten Years Ten Year Trend: The following chart and table are based on the “Total” line from the TCA hour spreadsheet. Note: If the year totals from 1997-2003 are added – the result is 26,528.4 hours.

Compare this to the total reported on page 4 of 26,127.95 hours and a discrepancy or short-fall of 400.45 hours is obvious. This is due to the loss of physical data sheets on which TCAs had reported their time. The TCA hour breakdown for this report was recreated from those datasheets.

Chart 2: Ten Year Trend: TCA Volunteer Hours TCA Hours - 1993 to 2003

TCA Hours

6000

5000 4790.9 4481 4064.2

4000

3858.2

Hours

3559.25 3235.5 3000

2368.5

2539.35

2000

1000

1110 861.5

847.5

0 1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

Year

Table 3: Ten Year Trend: TCA Volunteer Hours 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Year 1993 1994 1995 1996 Hours 1110 861.5 847.5 2368.5 2539.35 3559.25 3858.2 3235.5 4481 4064.2 4790.9 Total: 31,715.9 hours contributed over the life of the TCA program

Page 16

TCAs: Ten Years Map 1: Minnesota’s Twenty Counties Represented by TCAs:

TCAs continue their education through various activities on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota.

Left: A winter Tree Identification Session Right: A mid-summer evening bug walk.

Page 17

TCAs: Ten Years Table 4: Reporting at the County Level:

Number of TCAs (2003)

Volunteer Hours

Anoka Blue Earth

(According to TCA directory) 25 2

1997-2003 2,527.65 1,656.70

Dakota Hennepin Mower Olmsted Ottertail Ramsey Scott-Carver Stearns

15 35 2 8 1 23 7 1

2,915.75 12,767.70 403.25 329.75 106.00 3,861.50 1,055.70 62.00

Washington Winona

20 8

1,165.00 916.95

Wright

3

363.00

County **

** Counties not listed: Brown, Dodge, Goodhue, Pine, Rice, and Sherburne The TCAs in these counties are not reporting volunteer hours for whatever reason.

Metro Counties in Gray

TCAs Learning From Cindy Ash at an activity in Eagan, MN.

17.5

Olmsted

17

Wright

274.5

418.5

84.5

124.95

170

8

329.5

368.25

1

117.75

130.25

1728.7

* Mower County - 2001-2003 only

145.5

322

Washington

Winona

46

106.5

774

Stearns ***

Scott-Carver

Ramsey

0

9.5

Mower *

Ottertail **

1258

357.75

Dakota

Hennepin

328.35

110.5 19 0 160 214

78 212.2 0 41 32

13

56.5

91.5

0

145

379.5

30

56.5

52.5

607.5

747.5

170.75

** Ottertail County - 2003 only

0

0

0

57.5

57

6

1603.5

385.5

nostic

144

93.75

44

0

9.5

1455

14.25

2.5

52.25

649.5

244.75

67

498.4

27

14.5

163

0

139.5

229.75

2

64

25.25

802.5

377.5

184

106

385

6

104.75

117

0

67.75

168

0

6.5

0

2584.75

190.5

Other

96.5

Booths

***Stearns County - 2002 only

14

131

56.5

8

26.75

298.5

58.75

1.5

127.5

257.5

160.75

242.1

311

Garden

Plant Diag- Yard +

242.25

Education

82.5

67

6.5

0

1273

177

57.5

282

Media Committee

355

Speaking

290.5

Planting

Blue Earth

Anoka

County

Continue

Table 5. County Level Breakdown of Volunteer Hours by Category Breakdown of hours for each county, for the years 1997-2003 (unless otherwise noted).

363

916.95

1165

62

1055.7

3861.5

106

329.75

403.25

12767.7

2915.75

1656.7

2527.65

Total For County

Page 18

TCAs: Ten Years

TCAs: Ten Years Value to the communities: Given the value of a volunteer’s time as calculated by the non-profit coalition “Independent Sector” to be worth $16.54 per hour for the year 2002, the TCA program is contributing the following to communities: 2003 hours contributed: 4,790.90 hours $79,241.

1997-2003 Hours contributed: 26,127.95 hours $432,156 (2002 dollars) 1992-2003 Hours contributed: 31,715.90 hours $524,580 (2002 dollars).

Agency Support: Key to the success of this program are many collaborating partners providing technical expertise and training materials. TCA training sessions are offered at minimal costs to participants; yet, are a minimal drain on budgets since there are many in-kind contributions and many instructors volunteering time.

Reasons for TCA Program Success: - Collaborative support provided by several agencies. This collaboration cannot be emphasized enough. These agencies provide trainers and in-kind contributions such as manuals, training materials and other relevant publications.

- Flexibility of commitment – The volunteer commitment of 25 hours is considered a target or goal… It is not viewed as a requirement.

- TCAs are respected and viewed as “professional” due to dedicated individuals with prior commitment as Master Gardeners and professionals in the green industry.

- A quarterly newsletter providing update information and information on the latest research aimed at keeping TCAs abreast of current research and trends.

- Web site that provides the TCAs with valuable resources and up to date schedules of activities.

- Surveys are used to help direct the program, to help develop a focus on training needs and to develop an understanding of activities that TCAs are involved in.

Future: A definite strength of this program is its many partners. Partnering with a variety of State, Federal and not-for-profit agencies in many regards strengthens the program and in some ways insulates it during tough economic times.

As this program moves forward TCAs should be proactive and look for new ways to aid urban and community forestry interests in their communities. There will be many opportunities for TCAs to aid state and federal agencies in disseminating messages and technologies to the general public through educational programs.

Works Cited: Johnson, Gary R., Tree Care Advisor: A voluntary Stewardship Program, Journal of Arboriculture 21 (1): January 1995 pgs. 25-31

Independent Sector, INDEPENDENT SECTOR Releases New Value of Volunteer Time , http://www.independentsector.org/media/ voltime03pr.html ,online, available, January 27 2004.

Page 19

Page 20

Ulmaceae Family in Minnesota From Native American Tribal “Council Trees” to meeting areas for George Washington; early Americans were continually drawn to gather under the arching canopy of the majestic elm tree. The high branched arching canopy also made the American elm a perfect twentieth century street tree until the introduction of the fungus that causes Dutch elm disease.

This disease has seriously affected the usefulness and utility value of the American elm.

However, despite susceptibility to Dutch elm disease, this tree remains a favorite in our hearts and in our minds eye.

Six species of elm are native to the United States, three are of importance and those three elms are native to Minnesota: rock or cork elm (Ulmus thomasii), red or slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) and of course American or white elm (Ulmus americana). Each has its own unique characteristics but of these three elms the American elm easily rises above the other two in height, girth and canopy spread.

Ulmus thomasii - corky ridges or

The elms discussed below have alternate branching patterns and the leaves develop a yel-

wings on the twigs. Very dis-

low fall color.

tinct.

Photo courtesy of: Bill Cook

Rock elm (Ulmus thomasii): A medium to large sized tree native to the south eastern por-

www.forestryimages.org

tion of Minnesota. This tree of smaller stature (compared to slippery and American) still attains heights of 80 feet with a dbh of 3-4 feet.

The leaves of rock elm are obovate to elliptical with a doubly serrate margin (toothed

Ulmus americana - samara have a

edge). The leaf surfaces are glabrous and shiny above while the underside is slightly pubes-

ciliated margin (hairy margin)

cent. In comparison to the other two elms described here the leaf bases are nearly equi-

compare to rubra and its smooth

lateral.

samara margin.

One of the distinct identification characteristics on rock elm is the corky wings or ridges on the twigs and small branchlets. The bark on the mature stem or trunk is similar to that of the American elm but is typically darker and more deeply furrowed.

Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra): A medium to large sized tree 60-70 feet tall with a dbh of 18 to 30 inches. Overall in appearance and form the slippery elm resembles the American elm; however, there are some significant differences in distinguishing characteristics.

Probably the most significant and diagnostic has to do with the layering of the bark. Slippery elm bark is comprised of layers of brown when viewed in cross-section, while the bark of American elm is comprised of layers of brown and tan – “bacon bark.”

The leaves are doubly serrate, nearly equal at the base and obovate to nearly oval in shape.

The mid-rib and the veins are quite pronounced with the surface scabrous above and softly pubescent below. The fruit is an oval winged samara with a smooth surface and a smooth margin.

The twigs of slippery elm are gray and stouter than those of American elm and are typically pubescent. It is said that the inner bark is mucilaginous, hence the name slippery.

Ulmaceae Family in Minnesota

Page 21

Compare several of these characteristics with those of American elm. For instance, look closely at the layered bark of the American elm, the twig smoothness, bud size, leaf surfaces, and sheer size of the typical mature American elm.

American elm (Ulmus americana): A large tree with a vase like form with high arching branches that form a beautiful canopy over city streets. The bark on a mature tree has flat topped ridges and the furrows form diamond shaped patterns. A very strong identification characteristic can be seen by looking at the bark in cross-section. Layers of brown and light tan form a pattern referred to as “bacon bark.”

The leaves of the American elm are coarsely doubly serrate on the margin, the bases are

Ulmus americana - leaf has an

in-equilateral and the top surface is glabrous to slightly scabrous with the underside slightly unequal leaf base. pubescent.

The fruit is again an oval samara, but on the American elm the margin of the samara is ciliated and the apex is deeply notched. In addition the twigs are brown in color and sparingly pubescent if not glabrous.

So, in comparing the stature of the three elm species discussed here and by taking a look back in history it becomes obvious that there is only one tree that truly deserves to be

Ulmus americana - leaf on a one

called the “American” tree. That tree is of course the American elm (Ulmus americana).

inch grid. Leaf has doubly ser-

According to Donald Culross Peattie:

rate margin and an unequal leaf base (lop-sided).

“So an Elm can scarcely grow old without collecting rich human associations around it. In this respect it has but two rivals in all the slyva of North America – the White Oak of the northern states and the Live Oak in the South. But a survey of all the historic trees of our country shows that among them Elms outnumber each of these Oaks nearly two to one.”

Ulmus rubra - Samara on May 7th

The early pioneers where drawn to elm stands for many reasons. Not only were the trees 2003. Seed production on many majestic, peaceful providers of shade but the trees were also providers of essential needs elms was very heavy this past such as firewood, lumber and various wood products. Even today a good deal of energy and time is being put into restoring the elm to its rightful place in our parks and on our boulevards.

Ulmus americana - early spring flowers - not very showy

year. Note: smooth margins...

Page 22

TCAs and Volunteer Hours 2003 "AND THE WINNERS

Laurie Drolson Jay Willet ARE‌" Cindy Matiski After entering the volunteer Roxanne Hardy hours reported for 2003, we Ken Kirchner have a new list of "TCA Dianne Ballentine Cindy Ralls Medalists." New medalists to a category are those with Jane Saltvold David Paulson their names in bold font.

Lynn Vernon The categories of achievement signify the total volunteer hours contributed by that individual since they completed their TCA training.

BRONZE LEVEL (100-199 hours) Anna Barker Gary Schneider Doris Carroll Sharon Fisk Ronald Reeves Andy Sobert Terri Goodfellow-Hayer Dorothy Pederson Jackie Overom Lee Gilligan Paul Couture Marilyn McKay James Zastera Barbara Stendahl Gail Griffin Harold Batzer Jean Hjellming Claire Kari Kay Karsell Lou Ann Keleher Lynn Klessig Deb Kuechle Heide Ludwig Herb Pieper Kathy Pollock Beverly Quam

SILVER LEVEL (200-299 hours) Joyce Nellis Charles Hueser Audrey Dolby Diana Bolander Tim Wedekind Leah Peterson Bruce Granos Paula Denman Francis Eberlein Barbara Leschisin Vera Wagner Gordon Hanson Georgiann Keyport Pat Friedrichs Polly Augustson Maureen Lundgren Barbara Harlan Margaret Kirchner

Robert Condon * Skip Rither Esther Filson * Rita Nystrom ** Jim Nelson * Gordon Herbst Mimi Hottinger Warren Banks Cliff Johnson Janet Larson Sherry Akins *Extraordinary Recognition. (1000+ hours club) **Most Hours Recognition.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of these TCAs! YOU and your fellow TCAs are the reason that this program has such a wonderful reputation.

Shade Tree Short Course Tree Care Advisors Recognition, Opportunities, and Thank You! The TCA program continues to have its own "track" at the

GOLD LEVEL (300-499 hours) Mike Sowers Nancy Bjerke Jane Klein Barbara Kirkpatrick Glen Hambleton

2004 MN Shade Tree Short

PLATINUM LEVEL (Over 500 hours) Lorrie Stromme Patti Lee Gates Carolyn Dingfelder

an acknowledgement of your

Course (STSC)! When the STSC brochure is mailed out (approximately 6 weeks before the STSC), you will see several courses unique to the TCA registrant. This really is value to urban and community forestry in Minnesota, and shows that many others recognize the contributions

Page 23

that you make.

The MN STSC will be held on March 23 and 24, 2004, at Bethel College. When you receive your brochure, register through me (Gary or Dave), NOT through the University.

Again, there is an automatic price break on registration costs for TCAs that have reached a category of achievement. So, for those TCAs listed in the different "medalists" categories, here are the price reductions: Bronze Level: 40% off.

Silver Level: 60% off.

Gold Level: 80% off.

Platinum Level: Free Registration!

On both days, there will be a TCA Luncheon. On the first day, there will be a recognition ceremony at the luncheon for all the new members of the four, medalist categories. Both days, however, will provide TCAs with their own room to dine, chat, renew old friendships, make new ones, and maybe even offer to mentor new TCAs. If you want to volunteer your time at the STSC (and count them as volunteer hours), please contact me or David. Once again, Patti Lee Gates has agreed to coordinate the volunteers, which is a great relief to all of us. Patti has done an outstanding job in the past. If you serve as a volunteer for the expected hours of service, you can attend the STSC free. Patti Lee sets the volunteer guidelines - not me, not David, not you - and if you can work within those guidelines, we'd love to have you help us.

Keep your chin up !

Spring Will Come!

Flowers on Crataegus crusgalli ‘Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn’

Contact Phone Numbers Program Contacts: Gary Johnson – 612-625-3765 or grjonson@.umn.edu Dave Hanson – 612-624-1226 or dlhanson@umn.edu Mailing Address: 115 Green Hall, 1530 Cleveland Ave. North, St. Paul, MN 55108

Additional Reference Contacts: Debby Newman (Info-U) – 612-624-3263

County Contacts: Anoka County (Patrick Weicherding) – 763-755-1280 or weich002@umn.edu Blue Earth County – (507)389-8325 Carver County (Jackie Smith) - (952) 442-4496 or smith515@umn.edu Dakota County (Barb Stendahl) – 952-463-8002 or stend004@umn.edu Hennepin County (Bob Mugaas) – 612-374-8400 Olmstead County – 507-285-8250 Ramsey County – 651-777-8156 Scott County (Jackie Smith) - (952) 492-5410 or smith515@umn.edu St. Louis County (Bob Olen) – 218-726-7512 Left: Bark of Paper Birch

TCAAG Members: Paula Denman, Chair – 612-338-1871, pjdenman@mn.rr.com Bob Condon – 952-890-1228, bobnbunny@juno.com Laurie Drolson – 651-464-9829, ldrolson@yahoo.com Bruce Granos – 952-423-5211, bjgbjgbjg@hotmail.com Mimi Hottinger – 507-388-4838, mimih@mctcnet.net

Center: Seeds and Bracts of Blue Beech

Don Mueller, DNR Forestry – 651-772-6148 don.mueller@dnr.state.mn.us Great River Greening – 651-665-9500 Ken Holman, DNR Forestry – 651-296-9110 ken.holman@dnr.state.mn.us Paul Walvatne MNDOT – 651-284-3793 Paul.Walvatne@dot.state.mn.us Tree Trust – 651-644-5800 Right: Seed structure of Ironwood

Trivia answer from page 1: You deserve credit if you had a resource that provided this answer…

Betulaceae: The birch family…

1) Betula spp. - The easy and obvious genera with species such as paper birch and sweet birch…

2) Alnus spp. - The Alders - a “swamp thing” in Minnesota, “speckled alder.”

3) Corylus spp. - Not so obvious, the members of the hazelnut family: cornuta and americana.

4) Carpinus spp. - A small tree called Musclewood, Blue Beech, or American Hornbeam.

5) Ostrya spp. - A common, understory tree in Minnesota forests - Ironwood or hophornbeam.

And now, the not so easy to find genus...

6) Ostryopsis spp. - Ostryopsis davidiana - Restricted to Eastern Asia.