Tree News

Google just sent me this tip, but it looks like the proposed tree ordinance for the City of Mountain Park was posted way back in April 2008. Mountain Park has an html version on their website. Reading through the ordinance text it appears that the criteria for specimen trees is based on the City of Alpharetta 's tree ordinance. The proposed ordinance requires that a minimum tree density be retained on residential sites following tree removal activities. Density minimums are an un-grandfathered 400 inches per acre. I also found an unusual component stating that it is a violation to " Attach any sign, notice or other object to any tree or fasten any wires, cables, nails or screws to any tree in a manner that could prove harmful to the tree, except as necessary in conjunction with activities in the public interest. " The penalties section is interesting too. Illegal removal of, or damage to, specimen trees requires replacement equal to five times the value in inches.

Wind and rain related to Tropical Storm Fay may have contributed to the failure of a large oak that crashed into the Plains home of former President Jimmy Carter . The incident occurred Saturday night. Carter's son, Jeff, told the AJC that the tree fell into the house just above the living room. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were at home at the time. No personal injuries were reported.

I'm getting reports from farther south that fall webworms are active in their favorite trees: Pecans. Hyphantria cunea is not particularly damaging to trees, but the webs are considered unsightly in the landscape. The insect is a leaf-feeder and does not directly injur other parts of the host plant. I don't recommend any treatment. By the time the webs are noticed, the caterpillars probably have had their fill of leaves. Other trees considered delicious are persimmon, black cherry, Yoshino cherry, sourwood, sweetgum, willow, and red mulberry.

Today's links fall under the category of largest mass - whatever that means. • ScienceRay posts 11 More Spectacular Trees From Around the World . The last tree on the page he names the "Square Knot Tree," but it's actually a Granny knot. • The California Register of Big Trees is a chart with factual information about individual specimens growing on the left coast. • Similar to the above link, American Forests publishes a national register of big trees. • Georgia has its own registry , but there are no photographs online. • Big Trees Forest Preserve is located in Sandy Springs, Georgia. It does in fact have big trees, but they aren't the largest.