Eve’s Necklace Tree

Eve’s Necklace Tree

Unique Trees of North Texas:

Eve’s Necklace

(Styphnolobium affine)

Eve’s necklace in a North Texas landscape

 

By Susan Henson

This is a unique spring bloomer that has been underutilized in the urban landscape. It is an attractive small tree that can be used under power lines, grows well in shade or full sun, plus blooms pink, fragrant, and wisteria-like flowers in the spring (March, April or May). The seed pods look like the old pop string pearls which help provide year round interest. Could be used as a replacement for Crape Myrtle and creates an impact when grown alone. Eve’s Necklace is a legume and since discovering the roots lack nitrogen fixing bacteria the name was changed from Sophora affinis to the current Styphnolobium affine.

Eve’s Necklace has lustrous green leaves, scaly reddish brown bark, and a rounded crown with yellow hard, dense sap wood. The yellow sap wood is used to make yellow dye. It grows quickly when young and can grow to 6 feet from seed in 3 years. When planted in a sunny location it reaches 15 feet in height quickly and then crown becomes more rounded and the growth slows. When grown in dense shade will become spindly to the point of looking almost vine like reaching for the sun. It is related to the Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora) which is evergreen. Leaves are divided into 6 to 8 pairs of leaflets plus a terminal leaflet on a rachis up to 9 inches long. Leaflets are elliptic to oval averaging an inch long, with a rounded, indented, or pointed tip, with smooth margins, and a rounded tapered base.

Eve’s Necklace in Llano County, TX. This tree is far larger than individuals found in North Texas.

This tree thrives in the North Texas area on clay, sand, or limestone but the area should be well drained. The tree is native to Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Central and Central Texas. Once established this tree is extremely drought tolerant and only requires occasional watering. Can grow to 35 feet but have never seen it grow above 20 to 25 feet in height. In the wild it is usually an understory tree but can be found growing in roadsides, prairies, plains, meadows, pastures and open woodlands. Though short lived at 25 years they are easy to grow from seeds or cuttings. The bark is rather thin so particular care needs to be taken to protect young trees from weed trimmers.

The National Champion resides in Real County and is 37 feet tall, 77 inch circumference, a spread of 47 feet and an index rating of 125. There are specimens planted in Fort Worth as street trees on the north side of Park Hill between University and McCart, Turner Park in Grand Prairie, the campus of SAF under the power lines along the coliseum parking lot, San Antonio Botanical Gardens. The specimen in San Antonio Botanic Gardens is named ‘Amy’ and has a dark burgundy flower. The flowers can range from white to burgundy but are usually a lighter pink. This tree should be planted more in the DFW area.

 

Eve’s necklace leaves and flowers

Bois D’arc Tree

Bois D’arc Tree

Unique Trees of North Texas:

Bois d’arc

(Maclura pomifera)

By Wendy Pappas

The Bois D’arc (aka: Osage Orange hedge apple, horse apple, “bodark”, monkey ball, bow-wood, yellow-wood and mock orange tree) originally had a native range of river areas in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and in the Blackland Prairies and Post Oak Savannas. The native range overlapped the range of Osage tribe, which gives the tree one of its many names. Almost all of the names relate to the interesting fruit or strong wood. It has been naturalized throughout the United States and Canada.

Near De Kalb, TX

Large Osage orange located in Bowie County. The spreading form seen here is common for Bois d’arc trees.

Osage orange has an adult height of 30-50ft and is often wider than it is tall.  The leaves are 3-5 inches long and 2-3 inches wide, with an oval shape that ends in a slender point.  The leaves are alternately arranged on the thorny branch. They are a dark shiny green on top and paler on bottom, turning yellow in the fall.  The tree has a characteristic arching branch pattern and noticeably colorful bark which aid in identification.

This tree is known for its unusual fruit, which some producers are growing for bioproducts. The fruit looks like a thick orange but is yellow/green on the outside and has more pronounced bumps than an orange.  The fruit produces a milky fluid and woody pulp.  Even though the fruit resembles an orange it is more related to the mulberry family. Although it is not poisonous, the fruit is not usually eaten by animals or humans because of its hard-dry texture. Still, squirrels sometimes eat the seeds as food.  Osage orange is a dioecious species, which means only female trees will produce fruit.

Bois D’arc are hardy to most of the United States and can grow in many different environments but prefer fertile, deep soil.  They can be used for hedge rows as a natural barrier to cattle, the wood is a strong and dense which makes it great for fence posts, tool handles, treenails, and even bows (hence the name given by French explorers).  The yellow-orange color of the wood makes it attractive for many different uses. Osage orange typically lives about 75 years with a moderate growth rate of about 1 foot per year.

De Kalb, TX big tree osage orange

The state champion is located on Oak Street in the City of De Kalb. The circumference is 267 inches and it is 62 feet tall with a spread of 88 feet.

In the Cross Timbers, there are several large specimen trees. Vandergriff Park in Arlington has several large Osage orange along Johnson Creek, such as the tree pictured at the top of the page and shown on this map:

Western Tree Tour in April

Western Tree Tour in April

By Wes Culwell

On April 28, the Texas Tree Tour headed west of DFW with 35 people on a bus tour to look at some very large trees and several Famous Trees of Texas.  The weather was absolutely perfect.  It was a full nine-hour day and about 300 miles.  We enjoyed lunch at Mary’s Café in Strawn.  It was a tasty, but lengthy, process of getting everyone fed.

There wasn’t much downtime on the bus.  Discussions about local history were covered along the way.  The group also learned detailed characteristics of pecans, live oaks, bur oaks and post oaks while on the bus.  The route for the tour included beautiful FM4 from Grafford to Santo.  This area is one of the most scenic areas in the Palo Pinto area: incredible vistas, steep terrain, high rock escarpments and peaceful native pecan orchards along a winding creek.

The first stop was just a few miles north of Weatherford to view the largest pecan in America.  Courtney Blevins, our Regional Forester, reminded us of the North American range for pecan trees, and that we were probably viewing the largest pecan in the world.  Now that was pretty impressive, and a real good start for the day.

The rest of the morning was spent viewing the graves of Oliver Loving and Bose Ikard.  Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight, with the support of Bose Ikard, started the Goodnight-Loving Trail, a very historic cattle trail that sent over 250,000 cattle to market.  We viewed the very large pecan tree in Oren, Palo Pinto County, where these men forged their agreement to begin this historic trail. This story was the basis for the book and movie “Lonesome Dove”.  History and fiction comparisons were made throughout the morning.

Historic downtown Comanche trees Fleming Oak (courtesy of the Texas Forest Service)

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After lunch, we traveled to the downtown square in Comanche to see the huge and deeply furrowed bark of the Fleming Oak.  Rumors abound surrounding this tree, but Martin Fleming, near 80 years old, toting a 10 gauge shotgun kept this tree from being removed for the reason of increased parking at the square about 1910.  He said that the tree had saved his life many years earlier and his horse liked being tied there each day while he worked across the street.

East of Comanche, we saw the Choctaw Bill Robinson Oak.  At this huge double-trunked live oak, the Rev. Bill Robinson would set his rifle and begin preaching, sometimes for hours. The Choctaw Indians thought that he preached way too long.  He was the only original settler in this sinful town of Hazeldale to die with his boots off.

Choctaw Robinson Oak (courtesy of the Texas Forest Service)

 

Twin Oaks Indian attack site Comanche Texas

The Twin Oaks historical monument

In Hamilton and the Twin Oaks, we reviewed the details of an Indian attack that took the life of William Willis who was traveling in severely cold weather to meet a girl at a Christmas Dance on December 24, 1866.  He was the last man to be killed by Indians in Hamilton County. On the way back, we saw the former state champion bur oak in Benbrook.

Pecan Tree

Pecan Tree

Unique Trees of North Texas:

Pecan

(Carya illinoinensis)

By Laura M. Miller

The pecan is an overachieving member of the Juglandaceae (Walnut) family and a large growing, long lived, nut producing tree native to North Texas. A mature tree can be over 100 feet tall and 100 feet wide with a lifespan of over 300 years. The native range of the pecan stretches from Northern Mexico to Northern Illinois where pecans can be found along the banks of the Mississippi river almost all the way to Dubuque, Iowa.

Pecans are one of the easiest deciduous trees to identify in the winter because the shucks that protect the developing nuts usually remain attached to the stems.  The presence of nuts on the ground is also an excellent indication that a pecan tree is nearby.  Pecans produce alternately attached large pinnately compound leaves with 9-17 leaflets.  In spring, they are one of the last trees to leaf out.   Separate male (catkins) and female flowers are produced soon after bud break. The female flowers are borne in clusters on the tips of branches.  The year of a heavy pecan crop, one where nut clusters develop on 50% or more of the branch terminals, are usually followed by a year of light production.  Pecan leaves turn yellow before falling from the tree around the time of our first frost.  Falling leaves are soon followed by falling nuts. Because they smell and look a lot alike, pecan trees can be confused with Black Walnut, Juglans nigra, or any of the nine species of hickory that are native to Texas.  They are sometimes mistaken for other commonly planted species with similar pinnately compound leaves such as Chinese Pistache, Pistacia chinensis, or the native Western Soapberry, Sapindus saponaria, both producers of inedible berries rather than delicious nuts.

National Champion Pecan Photo

The National Champion pecan in Parker County near Weatherford. It is 98 feet tall with a spread of 120 feet and a circumference that measured 268 inches.

Long before being named the State Tree of Texas in 1919, the pecan played an important role in Texas history.  When Cabeza de Vaca was shipwrecked in Texas in 1528, he documented the pecan as an important dietary staple of the Native Americans he encountered.  Pecans were gathered in the fall and eaten through the winter months when food was scarce. Today residents of North Texas can gather or purchase pecans and keep them in the freezer for those times when food is scarce.  A one ounce serving of pecans provides 3g dietary fiber (11% Daily Value), 3g plant protein, mostly monounsaturated fat and significant quantities of Thiamin, Beta carotene, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, and Zinc.

Native pecan trees are found primarily in deep alluvial soils near rivers and streams and are especially abundant along the major rivers of North Texas, the Red, Trinity, and Brazos.  Pecans can be planted at any site in North Texas that can accommodate a large shade tree.

Native pecan trees produce nuts that vary in size, shell to nut ratio, and flavor, Since the 1880s, which is not very long for a cultivated crop, horticulturist have been selecting the best native trees for propagation.  In the 1930s, the United States Department of Agriculture began a pecan breeding program that continues to this day in Brownwood and College Station.  Many of the most highly recommended cultivars for the Cross Timbers have come from this program including Caddo, Oconee, Pawnee, Kanza, Nacono, Sioux and Wichita.  Desirable, the leading cultivar in the state that produces the most pecans whose name must not be mentioned, is also an excellent choice.  The sentimental favorite is probably Burkett, a native selection widely distributed by J.H. Burkett North Central Texas in the 20s and 30s. The trees of cultivars made famous by Arlington nurseryman O.S.Gray in the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s such as GraKing and GraTex still grow in many Arlington landscapes.

Even though no other shade tree offers the key ingredient to delicious pies, pralines, cookies, and German Chocolate Cake frosting, pecans do have some negative qualities as landscape trees.  They are messy dropping not just nuts in the fall but also leaves and petioles that don’t rake up easily.  In the spring those male flowers can be almost as much trouble to clean up as the leaves in the fall.  Couple this with a tendency to drop branches due to shade, heavy nut crops and possibly just because they want to, and you have a tree that is exceptionally well suited to someone who very much enjoys picking up sticks (and leaves, and petioles, and catkins).  Like most plants that produce something good to eat, pecan trees will attract lots of birds, especially crows, squirrels, racoons, and foraging neighbors.  Insects are also fond of pecans, and you can expect Pecan Nut Casebearers, Hickory Shuckworms, and Fall webworms. Pecan scab is a serious fungal disease problem east of I-35 and can be problematic here if environmental conditions are conducive to disease development.  Fortunately, there are many excellent cultivars that are scab resistant.  Pecans grown on high pH calcareous soils benefit from foliar zinc sprays.

The National Champion pecan (pictured above) is in Parker County near Weatherford. In the Palo Pinto town of Oran, the Goodnight-Loving Pecan sheltered the 1866 partnership of cattlemen Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving. In Fort Worth, the Hollow Pecan of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden (RIP 2014) no longer shelters small children hiding from their parents, but there are many old large native pecan trees there and across University Avenue in Trinity Park.

Drone Use in Urban Forestry

Drone Use in Urban Forestry

“The unique bird’s eye perspective and the ability to see fine details high up in the tree are impressive. However, there are serious limitations both technological and legal.” – Ellyn Shea, Arborist and Consultant

By Jeremy Priest

The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or “drones”, has grown rapidly in popularity over the past few years such that many larger organizations utilize them for various tasks, the most common of which is marketing and photography. Companies are able to create astonishing views that were previously very limited. Helicopters and planes are currently used to provide services from high quality aerial imagery to advanced LiDAR for use in industries such as commercial forestry, but never has it been possible to see bird’s eye level views so easily and at such close range. Safely obtaining that close range through lightweight copter-style drones, which are typically under the small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (sUAV) classification by the Federal Aviation Administration, has begun to allow imagery to be used for more detail focused practices such as tree inspection and assessment.

However, UAVs are not the ultimate technological tool that many believed them to be. Amazon and other companies are researching the use of drones for deliveries, but an article in Fortune in 2017 noted that commercial deliveries were a long way off and even by 2020 the use of commercial drones for that purpose would be less than 1%. An important step to implementing drone use in various industries is understanding FAA regulations regarding Unmanned Aerial Systems (the term UAS represents the entire system needed to operate a UAV, which includes the controller and any other devices such as smart phone). These regulations are designed to keep everyone safe, from bystanders on the ground to other aircraft using the airspace, because there are real hazards posed by drones even though they are relatively small and commonly available. Organizations interested in utilizing drones should make themselves aware of these restrictions by visiting the FAA’s website.

Use in Urban Forestry

Drones are capable of improving the efficiency of some forestry work when conducted for a specific purpose and with a specific plan; the articles at the bottom of the page detail a few specific cases. These are some of the possible applications for this technology by arborilogical professionals :

  • Tree Assessment: Drones are capable of photographing multiple trees at once and from a different perspectives than ground level assessments. Some drones can travel 35 mph or more which enables them to fly an entire city block taking photos of each tree in a matter of minutes. When it comes to using drones as an alternative to climbing trees the matter is often contested by arborists as even a very good camera on a drone cannot see and determine defects as well as a climber. Drones can however be used as a supplement or as a lower level assessment, such as determining if any trees have obvious and major defects such as dead branches. The information from such assessments can then be acted on and used to help with climber safety.

    Drone aerial imagery of tree canopy

    A sycamore tree with dead limbs in the upper canopy.

  • Inventory: The City of Arlington recently utilized a UAV to conduct inventory of urban trees. The drone used for this inventory had a GPS receiver, altitude sensor, camera gimbal, a camera capable of taking high resolution images, and a top speed near 30 mph. In this case multiple individual photographs of each tree were taken which were used to approximate basic tree data without the need to walk to each tree. The locations, genus or species level identification, height, and crown diameters were able to be approximated from drone data. Location of each tree was determined using the precise GPS coordinates in the attributes of each photo. The individual photo locations can be viewed on any computer; however, specialized software is required to rapidly display each photo as a map point. As the coordinates of the drone are stored in the attributes and not the object being photographed, it was necessary to take photos directly over the tree or apply a correction to the photo points in the software. The points representing each tree were then linked to the tree photo to enable quick analysis of the photo.
    Overhead tree image

    An aerial photo of a tree that could be uploaded to tree inventory software.

    From each photo genus or species level data could be approximated, although in some cases it was necessary to field check the ID. Tree height can be approximated using the UAV’s altitude sensor, although accuracy is lower than other methods of height estimation. The photo attributes store the altitude of the drone when the picture is taken, and the tracking software provided by the drone’s mobile app also depicts UAV altitude, so by flying even with the top of the tree’s canopy it is possible to approximate tree height. Crown diameter can be approximated using measurement tools in the mapping software.Overall, the drone was found to be most useful in determining tree locations and for providing individual tree photos for the inventory. Due to the high speed of the drone and the efficiency of entering data at a desktop computer afterwards, areas could be completed much faster compared to an individual walking to each tree and recording data on a field computer. For low level inventories that do not require trunk diameter the use of drones is suitable and cost effective; however, drones may be better utilized as a supplement for providing photographs and tree coordinates when additional, or higher accuracy, data must be collected at each tree.

  • Marketing: Drone footage is impressive and commonly found in promotional videos or material. This is no less true for the arboricultural profession and companies can easily apply the advantages of aerial photography when demonstrating tree removal or climbing abilities. There are a number of software packages that enable the application of drone footage to create videos or still images to catch the eye of consumers.
  • Aerial Imagery: Drones enable aerial imagery similar to what is viewed in Google Earth without the expense of purchasing aerial coverage datasets or relying on lower quality imagery that has been taken sometime in the past. Drones can provide insight into an area being targeted for large scale tree planting, for example, by providing accurate and up to date imagery of a specific area. Although free aerial imagery has dramatically improved in the past decade to enable detailed views of an area, it is still limited quality and there is little way to control the season being viewed in such aerial imagery. In some cases it is advantageous to have winter imagery with leaves off the tree, such as being able to view understory trees, sidewalks, or other features in the target area. In most forestry related uses, having leaves on during spring to summer provides the best depiction of the urban forest for such purposes as planning and development, or tree cover assessments.

    An example of image overlay in Google Earth

    After adding an image overlay to Google Earth, the photo can be rotated and positioned to align with existing features to create new imagery.

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    Aerial imagery can be created by taking downward orientated photographs from a gimbal enabled drone. These images can then be displayed in ArcMap or Google Earth. For ease of use, it is best to follow a set pattern when taking photos and the camera should be aligned so that the axes run north-south and east-west. In ArcMap, the process involves importing the photos and using the Georeferencing Toolbar to locate control points in existing aerial imagery (i.e. a manhole cover or lightpole visible in both the drone photo and basemap aerial imagery could be used to align the new photo). The Auto-Assign Points feature in ArcMap can then be utilized to align other drone photos and create a mesh, so it is important to take photos with some overlap. To add photos to Google Earth, use the Image Overlay tool. Then right click the image layer and open the properties to drag the corners of the photo to match existing imagery. The process is simpler in Google Earth, but much more time consuming for multiple photos.

Although the author and the Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council have made every effort to ensure that the information in this article is correct, the author and council do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

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Mayfest 2018

Mayfest 2018

By Craig Fox

Mayfest 2018 is right around the corner and once again Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council will be taking part in the festivities!

For the uninitiated, Mayfest is an outdoor festival taking place over 4 consecutive days in Fort Worth’s beautiful Trinity Park. The event is family friendly and hosts a wide range of activities and events for attendees of all ages. Over 200,000 visitors attend Mayfest each year, enjoying the live music, rides, attractions, games, giveaways, food and marketplace. Better still, Mayfest is a fundraiser conducted by the Junior League of Fort Worth which gives back to several community programs, including Fort Worth’s Park & Recreation Department.

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Cross Timbers will be sponsoring the Tree Giveaway Booth again this year on Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6. Over 1,600 free tree seedlings will be given away, courtesy of Cross Timbers and Bartlett Tree Experts (special thanks to Gareth Harrier for their generous donation). The booth is located near the Oasis Stage in the center of the park and will pass out a set number of trees at the top of each hour between 12p and 5p. The bright yellow-canopied booth will be staffed by volunteers from Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council, Citizen Foresters, Bank of America volunteers and community volunteers from across the area. The tree giveaway is one of the most popular features of the festival and always draws an eager crowd looking to add a tree for their home or pose a tree-related question.

For more information about Mayfest and the festival details, visit www.mayfest.org. If you are interested in volunteering at the booth, check your email for updates from your local liaison or contact Craig Fox (817-392-5729, craig.fox@fortworthtexas.gov), with the City of Fort Worth.

Black Walnut Tree

Black Walnut Tree

Unique Trees of North Texas:

Black Walnut

(Juglans nigra)

By Jeremy Priest

The next tree in our unique tree series is native from South Dakota to Florida and follows the eastern edge of the Cross Timber region to Central Texas. Black walnut (Juglans nigra) has been a prized tree for historic farmland and ranches. This is due in part to valuable walnuts and characteristic heartwood of the tree, but also for it’s indication of soil quality. Black walnut is typically found on deep, rich soils and the wood of this tree is hardy and has beautiful, highly valued grain. The large walnuts produced by this species are difficult to extract, but highly rewarding.

Black walnut full leaf and walnut fruit

Black walnut leaf and fruit

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Black walnut is most likely be confused with pecan as it is in the same family and may occur in similar sites. It’s plantation usage was not nearly as popular as pecan in North Texas, but individuals can sometimes be found near old pecan plantations. Black walnut can be distinguished as it contains more leaflets than pecan and the leaf is larger: 12-24 inches long. Chinese pistache has similar leaves, although the leaflets on pistache have smooth margins while black walnut typically has fine serration. This species is most quickly identified by it’s fruit. Walnuts appear dark brown and furrowed after the outer layer is removed, but are covered by a thick, green husk with almost sandpaper like texture when they are immature on the tree. As the fruit matures, the outer husk changes color to nearly black and the husk is absorbed into surrounding soil. Black walnut is an allelopath, which means that it produces chemicals toxic to most other plants. This natural herbicide is concentrated in the husk surrounding the walnut and helps reduce competition for the young seedling. The toxin is not strong enough to harm most trees, but could impact sensitive garden plants and some conifers, especially under a fully mature tree. For more information on juglone toxicity click here.

As evidenced by the naturally allelopathic seeds, black walnut needs full sun when young, and the tree also requires adequate water in well-drained soil. Although the native black walnut prefers a lower pH than typically found in the cross timbers (< 7.5), Texas A&M produces a Texas variety of little walnut (Juglans microcarpa) which is better suited to high pH soils. Black walnut can be somewhat slow growing, except when planted in ideal conditions. Black walnut is similar to post oak in that it produces deep roots and is not easily transplanted; however, the demand for black walnut seedlings is high enough that nurseries do produce seedlings available to the public, mostly in bare root form.

The state champion black walnut in Bowie County (Northeast Texas) is 56 inches in diameter and 80 feet tall with 177 feet of spread. Extremely large black walnut are possible in North Central Texas as one Dallas County specimen is 65 feet tall with a 69 foot spread. However, most individuals could be expected to reach 40 feet in height and 30-45 feet in width. Trees mature quickly and nut production can begin as early as 6 years, although large crops are not likely until trees are around 20 years old.

Spring 2018 Western Tree Tour

Spring 2018 Western Tree Tour

A view of the west on the spring tree tour

A view of the wide west on the tree tour

One of the trees on the tour, the Memorial Oak near Benbrook, TX

The Memorial Oak, one of the largest bur oaks in it’s area and a former state champion tree

WHEN: April 28, 2018 – Tour check in by 8:30am.  Bus will leave no later than 8:45am.  We will return by 6-6:30pm that day.

WHERE: 9509 White Settlement Rd., 76108@ WLoop 820. East end of the Home Depot parking lot between the Garden Center and the Whataburger Restaurant.

HOW: Comfortable seating aboard a Coach Tour bus with an on-board restroom.  A PA system, TV screens and on-board visuals will maximize your tour experience.

ACCESS: We will make about seven (7) stops.  Most stops will be right by our trees.  Two (2) stops will require up to 300 ft. of walking, not all on paved surfaces.

ITINERARY: See below.

GENERAL TOUR SUMMARY: Climb aboard for a historic tree tour with a ‘Western Flare’.  We will travel west of Fort Worth where “The West Begins” to see some big trees like the National Champion Pecan which predates the birth of our nation and probably twice as old.  We will travel through ten counties and five county seats.  Most of the tour will follow our beautiful state highways.  Parker County is considered to be the ‘Cutting Horse Capital of the World’ and we’ll pass by some world class horse and cattle ranches.  Palo Pinto County, pictured above, is one of the most scenic counties in North Central Texas.   These two counties were the birthplace of the Goodnight-Loving Trail.  The lives of Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight and the trail they blazed was the basis for the book and movie “Lonesome Dove” and it all happened here and not down in South Texas.  So, we’ll explore the ‘true story’, the characters and the incredibly wonderful Pecan tree these men sat below and forged their agreement in 1866.  If you’re a ‘Lonesome Dove’ fan, this tour is a must!

We will explore the history of eight Famous Trees of Texas, viewing most of them, and take a vertical look at the former State Champion Bur Oak, also much older than our Nation. It’s a GOOD RIDE!

PRICE: $70 includes tour, lunch, and some drinks and snacks

CEUs: 5 hours ISA, contact Courtney Blevins for more info

Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-2018-western-tree-tour-tickets-44566844632?ref=estw

8:45                            Leave from west Ft. Worth parking area

9:10 – 9:20               Greenwood Cemetery, NE Weatherford

9:25 – 9:50               Weatherford Pecan

10:25 – 10:55          Goodnight-Loving Pecan

12:05 – 1:00            Mary’s Café,  Lunch                

1:00                           Leave for Comanche town square

1:55 – 2:10               Downtown Comanche and Fleming Oak

2:35 – 2:50               Hazel Dell and the Choctaw Bill Robinson Oaks

3:15 – 3:35               Twin Oaks in Hamilton

3:35                           Leave for FT Worth

5:25 – 5:40               Memorial Bur Oak

5:55                           Arrive back at start

NOTE:  Although it’s a long day, we are going to provide additional educational tree information.  Each small town we go through has an interesting person or attribute and we will explore them.  Maybe you know more than we do?

2018 North Texas Conference

2018 North Texas Conference

This year’s North Central Texas Urban Forestry Conference focused on Diversity. The expert presenters gave us new ways to look at structural soil and root zone protection, storm water management, pest analysis and management, and a look at exciting tree species choices. This conference marked the first time the Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council partnered with the North East Texas Nursery Growers Association, which allowed attendees to access the trade show conveniently.

The first presenter was Dr. Kelby Fite and he gave us a review of soil studies by Bartlett. Among many topics he explained the rapid soil improving effect of fine roots, which are able to add organic matter into depths of the soil. Also, the use of high quality, smaller planting stock in areas with limited soil space may allow a longer timeframe before rooting space becomes an issue. He later discussed the importance of not only selecting high quality trees, but techniques to improve long term root structure. He was followed by Dr. Fouad Jaber’s discussion of storm water management utilizing trees, bioswales, and bioretention areas. Some advances in storm water management include the use of green roofs, even in downtown Dallas where a highway overpass is now a park with trees in spite of the fact that much of the soil is no more than a few inches thick. Trees have potential to control erosion with roots while also uptaking water and reducing the burden on public storm water control. A very interesting point he made concerned the use of bioretention in everyday settings such as home yards. By simply creating depressed areas in the soil, “bonus” water can retained and absorbed into the soil. Features and designs like these serve an important role in slowing water, forcing soil absorption, and stopping pollutants from flowing to rivers and harming crucial water bodies.

If you give trees large quantities of uncompacted soil, things work out pretty well.  -Dr. Kelby Fite

One of the presenters, Dr. David Creech, was unfortunately unable to attend. However, the Director of Peckerwood Gardens was able to take over the presentation on new and diverse tree species that could be planted in Texas. We thank Adam Black for being able to make it on short notice. Dr. Mike Merchant and Dr. Kevin Ong were the final presenters covering current urban forestry pest issues and methodology for identifying those pests, respectively. Crape myrtle bark scale is a relatively new pest to North Texas, but there are successful chemical control methods which were discussed. The future of ash trees in Texas is unfortunately less certain due to devastating impact of EAB; however, there are methods for saving trees and lessening the impact of a pest that will almost certainly continue to spread throughout the U.S. The good news is that Texas has only about 2% ash trees and there are successful treatments for saving individual trees. Dr. Ong discussed the logic behind identifying patterns and issues with pests in trees that may not always be clearly and easily determined.
Presentations

Click here for Adam Black’s presentation on Diversifying Tree Choices

Click here for Dr. Kevin Ong’s presentation on Landscape Problems

Click here for Dr. Mike Merchant’s presentation on Emerging Pests

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Click here for Dr. Fouad Jaber’s presentation on Stormwater Management

Click here for Dr. Kelby Fite’s presentation on Avoiding Root Defects; Click here for Dr. Fite’s presentation on urban tree root protection, such as use of structural soils, titled “There are Many Ways to Walk By Trees”

We also want to thank all of our sponsors not only for supporting the conference, but also for attending the presentations. Our 2018 sponsors were Southwest Wholesale Nursery, Environmental Design & Davey, Arbor Masters, Minick Materials, Site One Landscape Supply, BWI, Arbor Stakes, and ISA Texas. We hope to continue to provide education beneficial to all in our industry.

There were over 200 participants and the conference was completely sold out, so we thank you for making this conference a success and we will strive to make next year’s conference even better. The presentation room was comfortable, and the weather was exceptional if you had a chance to walk along the water out front. We hope that the change in venue was a positive experience overall and we hope to offer more advantages to our attendees in the future. If you would like to participate in the planning of the 2019 conference, please contact Laura Miller.