Tree News

Palms are not just for warm climates. The Windmill Palm Trachycarpus fortunei is the most cold hardy Palm 'tree' that you can grow in the Piedmont, tolerating temperatures as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit. The trunk of this tree can mature between 20 and 40 feet, depending on soil and sunlight conditions. Full, blazing sun is the key to growing this palm. This tree, er...grass, can fit well into small areas like courtyards and entries. It is often seen as a framing accent near Mediterranean-influenced architecture. One of my favorite contexts is the Windmill palm planted in a group, especially when palms of different heights are staggered in irregular patterns. The trick to finding a palm species to grow in Atlanta is finding one that will tolerate the cold, heat, AND humidity.

Several patches of urban-planted Red maples were seen to have flower blooms as recently as Tuesday, January 6. This is one of the earliest Atlanta sightings in recent memory. It appears the early bloomers are primarily cultivated varieties, most of which are near parking lots or landscaped areas.

Alicia Lindsey, of Mansfield Elementary near Covington, has secured a new resource for the her school: she won a $5,000 tree planting grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission. After talking with GFC forester Beryl Budd, Lindsey decided to apply for the grant hoping to gain more shade for the school grounds and provide new educational tools for students. The Georgia Forestry Commission has provided this grant since 2005, and since awarded it to more than a dozen schools throughout Georgia. Over the holiday break, volunteers from school staff, parents, city and county workers, the Service Guild of Covington, and Hands on Newton, all banded together to install 40 new trees. Species include a variety of oaks, maples, myrtle, cherry and elm trees. The diverse mix will produce an array of colors and blooms, with a mature canopy height of 60 to 80 feet. Lindsey is looking forward to a cooler playground. The equipment sometimes gets so hot that the school has actually closed the playgrou...

Norwegian photographer Eirik Solheim: ...I started shooting images...from the same spot each time, but not through my window. I found a spot outside that gave more or less the same framing each time I placed my camera. So, I went out on our balcony snapping some images at pretty irregular intervals all through 2008 . One year in 40 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo .

The City of Marietta has begun the first phase of its 500 tree planting project. This week alone, 230 trees were installed in the downtown district of the Cobb County seat. Marietta's tree committee, city staff, and some outside experts banded together to determine where the trees would be planted. The city identified approximately 10 general locations in Marietta that were lacking in adequate canopy cover. The current plantings are part of a greater master plan the city and community developed two years ago. The master plan targets the main entrance corridors to Marietta, such as the 120 loop where there aren't many existing trees in proximity to the road. The second phase includes installing replacement trees where there are already over-mature trees, such as Church and Cherokee streets, and Kennesaw Avenue. The city was ready to move forward two years ago, but with the rain deficit and waning water resources Marietta officials decided to wait until the region's rainfal...

Our poll ends with Hickory receiving the most votes for best fall color in Atlanta. Second place is awarded to Sugar maples for their yellow and orange displays. Red maple came in third, noted for its variety of reds, purples, and golds.

Stoke up your outdoor experience with these autumnal tree links Planting is the most rewarding time to plant trees, and these guys agree with me: • Augusta Chronicle planting article • Bill Lamson-Scribner of the Charleston Courier - article meanders a bit, just read the last paragraph • Lee Reisch at the Hickory Record. • Even the Canadians agree . Walter Reeves answers a question about planting Japanese maple seeds. Fall color is soon to reach its peak here in Atlanta, judging from this article at The Franklin Press Online (NC).