NEWSLETTER THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FOR OKLAHOMA COMMUNITY FORESTRY COUNCIL
SPRING 2020
Keep Trees Healthy The trees that we will all plant throughout statewide Arbor Day celebrations will still need our help. One hundred degree days coupled with drought conditions that we often experience during summer results in water stress for many trees. This stress occurs when trees use more water than they take up through their roots. Symptoms may include drooping leaves, yellowing leaves, and wilting. Sometimes trees will drop foliage as a survival mechanism so their energy will not be completely depleted during dry weather conditions. Watering thoroughly each week will help your tree stay healthy enough to form new leaves when conditions improve.
Even established trees may need supplemental watering during the dry, hot days ahead. At least an inch of water should be applied over the entire root zone each week. A layer of 3-4 inches of organic mulch over the tree’s roots will lower the soil temperature and conserve moisture. The large papery leave of maple, catalpa, dogwood, and other species can become wilted and exhibit singed edges during this season. Brown edges around the margin of the leaf will often be found on trees near streets, brick walls, and sidewalks where heat is reflected on the lower leaf surface.
Although there is no cure for the affected tree, it reminds us that matching the location of a tree with the conditions it prefers makes it easier to keep the tree healthy.
“Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” - Franklin
D. Roosevelt
IN THIS ISSUE Tree Maintenance
Native Trees
Trees at Schools
WELCOME FROM OUR PRESIDENT, Steve Grantham I want to welcome you to the newly revamped Oklahoma Community Forestry Council newsletter. Over the past thirty years, this council has served the state of Oklahoma and its communities in promoting the importance and benefits of urban and community forests. Each year, we help to
host our state Arbor Day celebration in March as well as put together an engaging and informative state conference in the fall. We hope these events as well as the articles in the newsletter will inform you in ways to better care for your community's trees as well as inspire you to expand the reach and effect of your tree
planting initiatives and programs. Thank you for the service you do for your communities and we look forward to continuing to serve you in the future.
What is a “Native” Tree? These days it seems like folks are asking for more native trees for their landscaping. It seems like a logical thing to do with our temperatures increasing and extreme weather conditions becoming more commonplace. First, we might want to know the definition of native plants:
Native plants are plants indigenous to a given area in geologic time. This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many
Steve Grantham Leigh Martin Randy McFarlin Mark Bays Joe Howell
years in an area1.
Here in Oklahoma, is a native tree any tree that grows in our state? Can a tree be a native tree if it’s not actually from that state or region originally? The answer is YES! Native trees and plants grow most effectively according to “hardiness zones” which are zones classified by climate conditions relevant to plant growth. Oklahoma is home for the most part in Zone 7. This hardiness zone
By: Mike Perkins
goes across the USA from Virginia, northern Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona to areas in the state of Washington and around the globe, also taking in areas like China and Japan. Through studies we can understand that a plant that grows in an area for hundreds of thousands of years would be more adaptive to that region’s climate. What happens in Oklahoma doesn’t always happen in
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mike Perkins Chris Martin Bob Birchell Melody Johnson Riley Coy
Japan or Morocco, but as we can see these trees can thrive here. If a plant in Japan shares a zone with Oklahoma, it can thrive in both areas as a “native tree”. So, are we more confused now? Here is the bottom line: before you plant a tree, simply do some research before purchasing the tree for your property. After all, they are a lifelong investment which give us and our wildlife so many benefits.
Eric Rebek Richard Bewley Heather McCarthy
Tree Campus K-12 Promotes Collaboration with Schools
By: Leigh Martin, Urban Forester, City of Edmond
What do trees and young people have in common? Both will have a significant impact on the future of our communities. Through outreach and engagement opportunities, community forestry programs can embrace this shared legacy by connecting youth to their natural surroundings, imparting knowledge and appreciation for trees and forests.
2020 Tree: Hornbeam (Carpinus Species) The hornbeam tree has two classifications: American and European. The American hornbeam can grow between 2530ft on average, with the European growing up to 60ft. Both variants will grow well in full sun with light shade, and they require little pruning when grown as a tree; hard pruning when grown as a hedge.
The Arbor Day Foundation recently launched the “Tree Campus K-12� program, a new facet of the Tree City, Tree Line, and Tree Campus USA programs. A little less formal, it provides a framework and toolbox for collaborating with local schools to provide education and engaging experiences for students from kindergarten through high school. By assembling a Tree Campus Team, implementing an education plan, facilitating hands-on experience, and participating in an Arbor Day observance, schools can receive recognition for their efforts as a Tree Campus. Tree Campus K-12 can help to strengthen partnerships and reveal new collaboration opportunities between communities and schools. Find out more about the Tree Campus K-12 program at arborday.org/k12.
Exposure: Full sun; light shade Soil: Well-drained; medium moisture Foliage: Deciduous Hardiness Zone: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Family: Birch Source: Morton Arboretum
Pest Status Update for Crapemyrtle Bark Scale By: Eric J. Rebek, State Extension Specialist for Horticultural Insects
Crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS), Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Fig. 1), an exotic invasive insect pest from Asia, continues to wreak havoc on crapemyrtles planted in ornamental landscapes across Oklahoma. Crapemyrtle is a popular landscape plant throughout the southern U.S., generating $46 million in wholesale farm revenue each year. Although CMBS is not fatal to affected trees and shrubs, infested plants exhibit inferior aesthetic quality due to the presence of scale bodies, black sooty mold, and a reduction in flower size and quantity. Carefully inspect crapemyrtles prior to purchase for signs and symptoms of CMBS, including the presence of white to gray scale bodies on bark, honeydew, and/or black sooty mold. Always buy plants that are free of mechanical damage such as bark wounds that may serve as “points of entry� for CMBS. If your crapemyrtles do develop CMBS, the bark of infested plants can be scrubbed with a soft brush and a mild solution of dishwashing soap and water. Washing removes many of the female scales and egg masses as well as buildup of black sooty mold on branches and trunks. For more information, feel free to email: eric.rebek@okstate.edu
CONTACT US For more information about our organization visit: www.OKCFC.org Email: okurbanforestrycoucil @gmail.com
Social Media: @okcommunityforestry
Mailing Address: OCFC PO Box 36373 OKC, OK 73136