Tree News

In the late 1990's, upscale neighborhoods in the urban center of Atlanta began to treat their cell towers to a bit of camouflage. Imitation needles and branches were affixed to lifeless metal poles. One of the first towers to become 'green' was located at near the intersection of Briarcliff and North Druid Hills Roads . So realistic were the well fashioned duds, that commuters exclaimed that they never realized that such a big Pine tree sprouted up behind the Burger King. Now, almost 10 years later, it appears that the tree has dropped its drawers prematurely. Exposed for the sham that it is, this is one Pine that now needs a little dressing up again. Or have the Pine beetles become just a bit too aggressive?

For those searching for information on white blooming trees in Atlanta, there are several showy woody plants that are flowering right now: Bradford pear trees are finishing, and now starting to push their leaves. Wild pears are still flowering. Dogwood trees are beginning to open up their flower buds, but this will take at least two weeks to get going Star magnolias are finishing up. White flowering cherry trees are just starting to open their flower buds.

After months of little rain, trees around the Atlanta area are beginning to look a little parched. The weakest trees are the ones that succumb to moisture stress first. Sometimes its the trees that have been damaged from soil disturbance, such as on construction sites or even on lawns that have been over-manicured. Construction sites may have compacted soil that drives out pore space in the soil. Over manicured lawns may have been over-watered in the past or been graded by machinery that destroyed fine roots in the upper strata of the soil profile. Trees growing in regions that are already dry may be on the edge of critical moisture stress. A casual drive through south DeKalb County reveals Loblolly pines dying on the rock outcrops. These trees functioned under normal rainfall conditions, but this year has been especially hard on them. Perhaps, the stronger trees will re-populate the area. Once called "The most massive and longest lived organisms on Earth" by the late A...