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Featured Tree – Anacacho orchid tree

This has definitely been a spectacular spring for Orchid trees. Native to only a few canyons in western central Texas and northeastern Mexico, they make for lovely ornamental yard trees here in Central Texas. Best known as Anacacho orchid tree, Bauhinia lunaroides can be single or multi-trunked and grows up to 12 feet tall. It has small, deeply cleft leaves reminiscent of butterfly wings, delicate white or light pink orchid-like flowers that grow in clusters, and develops flat green pods containing the seeds. These trees have caught eyes all over Austin in the past few weeks. When the tree isn’t covered in breathtaking blooms, its uniquely delicate leaves and smooth, silvery gray bark provide year-round interest. In addition, it is one of the few trees that are noted for having high deer resistance, making it a great option for those who share their gardens with the hungry foragers.

For more information about this and other trees native to our area, visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Native Plant Database.

Photo: Lee Page, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Off To A Great Start – BCCRP plants 68,000 loblolly seedlings in first year

After an intense few months of organizing and 8 weeks of planting trees this winter, 68,000 loblolly pine seedlings were planted on 104 acres of residential property in Bastrop County affected by the Labor Day wildfires of 2011. This would not have been possible without the Texas Conservation Corps, a program of American YouthWorks who provided 5 weeks of labor, and the 250 Central Texans who volunteered their Saturday mornings to reforest residential property. THANK YOU to those who volunteered their time to come plant trees with us! We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support from Bastrop County, its’ residents, and program partners to ensure the first year of tree planting through the Bastrop County Community Reforestation Program was a success.

If you missed helping our Bastrop neighbors this winter or would like to get your hands dirty with us next year, volunteer recruitment will begin this fall. Our goal will dramatically increase to plant over a half million trees next year and we will coordinate at least 20 volunteer events with 1,300 volunteers in Bastrop County!

If you’re itching for a way to chip in now, you can volunteer to plant loblolly seedlings at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. If you come back and volunteer with us in the fall, you could plant the very same trees that you seeded! Now that’s cool! View the PDF linked below for information about how to volunteer.
Help Sow the Seeds of Bastrop’s Future

Apply water and mulch now to prepare for summer’s heat

Don’t let occasional rains keep you from watering your trees as we enter summertime. Central Texas is still in deep drought. Stress from drought and heat can cause limb die back, increase vulnerability to insects and disease and contribute to tree decline. Apply 10-20 gallons of water once a week to trees that were planted in the last three years (unless it has rained at least one inch that week). Apply the water in a manner that allows it to soak in, not run off. Established trees need water too; spring winds have increased water loss from evapotranspiration (moisture loss from soil evaporation and leaf transpiration). For established trees, apply water in a doughnut-shaped area from inside the canopy to just beyond the drip-line. Water use restrictions are in effect for Austin, but you can still hand-water your trees any time. Applying mulch will help the soil retain moisture and insulate roots from the heat. Below are links to several resources about how to effectively water and mulch your trees.

Fast & Easy Hand Watering Tips
Supplemental Watering of Trees During Drought
Earthwise Guide to Tree Care During Drought
Effects of Drought Stress on Trees and Landscape Plants
Grow Green Mulching Video

Love Beer Fundraiser benefiting TreeFolks & others – Buy tickets at lovebeeraustin.com

The Love Beer Fundraiser is a small, intimate event featuring Texas breweries, live music, great food and fun times. Guests will be given a souvenir tasting glass to sample the delicious local beers, and will also be able to visit with the brewers themselves. Proceeds from Love Beer benefit Tree Folks, Meals on Wheels and More, and HAAM.

Love Beer is happening June 15, 2013, from 4pm to 9pm, at the historical Browning Hangar at Mueller (4550 Mueller Blvd., Austin, TX, 78723). There are only a limited number of tickets available, we highly recommend pre-ordering your tickets to save your spot! Tickets are $55 each or $100 for two tickets.

Brewers include: Adelbert’s Brewery, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin Beerworks, Black Star Co-op, Circle Brewing Co., Live Oak Brewing Co., Hops & Grain, The Infamous Brewing Co., Jester King, Pedernales Brewing Co., Real Ale Brewing Co., Saint Arnold, South Austin Brewing Co., Thirsty Planet, and more! Live music from various Austin area artists including Monte Warden of the Wagoneers and Lazy J and the Dirty shuffle.

We hope you’ll join us to drink good beer for a good cause! To purchase tickets or find out more about the LoveBeer fundraiser, visit LoveBeerAustin.com. Tell your friends! Follow Love Beer on Twitter Like Love Beer on Facebook

Tree I.D. Walk on National Arbor Day

TreeFolks will celebrate National Arbor Day by hosting a free tree identification workshop in downtown Austin. While springtime isn’t the best time to plant trees in Central Texas, it is an absolutely lovely time to learn about trees and deepen our appreciation of Austin’s urban forest. During the hike, participants will learn basic tree identification principles, practice identifying trees common to Central Texas and discuss characteristics and growth requirements of each of the trees identified.

We will provide light refreshments and laminated field guides will be available for use during the hike. If you would like to take a field guide home, you may purchase one for $8. Bring water, wear sunscreen, and dress appropriately for the weather. The hike is free, but limited to 40 people. We will email you with the meeting place for the hike on Thursday, April 25th.

Eat, Shop, & Play on Earth Day

Over 200 business locations have committed to donate five percent of gross sales on Earth Day, Monday, April 22^nd, to seven local non-profits dedicated to keeping our environment clean, our parks tidy, our springs pristine, our trees aplenty, our open spaces preserved, and so much more!

By getting out to eat, shop, sip, play, spring clean, dance, and more at THESE BUSINESSES on Monday, April 22^nd, the community will make a big difference for these groups working daily to keep your Austin, well, Austin!

This year, Green Mountain Energy has stepped up as the presenting sponsor and businesses like Barley Swine, Sway, Stag, Service Menswear, East Side King, Anderson’s Coffee, Lambert’s, By George, Bouldin Creek Café, Half Price Books, Counter Café, Matt’s El Rancho, MOSS, Solid Gold, Rattle Inn, Kendra Scott, and so many more have committed to supporting this campaign. Take a second to check out all participating businesses and sponsors!

This year’s campaign will benefit HCC, Texas Land Conservancy, Clean Water Fund, Friends of Barton Springs Pool, Austin Parks Foundation, Urban Roots, and TreeFolks. Every dollar raised stays directly in this community to directly benefit our local environment.

Make every day Earth Day!

TreeFolks is pleased to announce that H-E-B, in recognition of Earth Day, has selected EarthShare of Texas to be the April beneficiary for its in-store coupon promotion. This means that customers can tear off and add check-out coupons worth $1, $3, or $5 to their total bill to support environmental work throughout the State of Texas for the entire month of April.

H-E-B supports many EarthShare of Texas organizations with corporate grants or in-kind contributions. The April tear-pad promotion is a bit different as it enables H-E-B customers to bolster the diverse environmental program work of more than three dozen EarthShare of Texas’ organizations, including TreeFolks. The customers’ dollars will go directly to these organizations, benefitting both the Texas environment and economy.

Throughout the month of April and into the first week of May, look for the EarthShare of Texas display and tear-off coupons at the check-out stands in any Texas H-E-B and Central Market stores. Support EarthShare of Texas and the Texas environment!

H-E-B supports many EarthShare of Texas organizations with corporate grants or in-kind contributions. The April tear-pad promotion is a bit different as it enables H-E-B customers to bolster the diverse environmental program work of more than three dozen EarthShare of Texas’ organizations, including TreeFolks. The customers’ dollars will go directly to these organizations, benefitting both the Texas environment and economy.

Thanks, KUT!

During the month of April KUT is featuring TreeFolks as it’s Get Involved Spotlight organization! I heard they have a pledge drive on…send low-res “proof” of your Spring pledge to KUT to giving at treefolks dot org and we’ll give you $10 off of any TreeFolks membership level!

Myrtle murder

Every year in January/February, I get many questions from concerned gardeners about Crepe Myrtle pruning. They ask something like “I see all of these Crepe Myrtles around town that have been completely chopped off. Should I do that to mine?”

If you have ever had the instinct that chopping off the entire top of a tree is a bad idea, follow your instinct! With the exception of fruit trees, tree experts generally frown upon the practice of topping trees. Topping stresses the tree, stimulates unhealthy growth that can cause disease and insect problems, and leaves huge, ugly wounds that are difficult to heal.

I have some theories about how this practice- also known as “Crepe Murder”- came to be. I think it evolved because landscapers who typically mow grass all summer need something to do in the winter so they can continue earning a living. Other reasons may include the fact that Crepe Myrtles make flowers on new branches. Chopping off every branch on the tree will stimulate the tree to grow a tremendous number of new branches to replace the ones it lost. Every new branch will make a flower, making for a very loud show in the summer. The final reason I think people started topping Crepe Myrtles is to control their size. They are often planted as small ornamental understory trees, but some varieties reach 25 feet tall, and that does not fit into the landscape design plans for some gardeners. Taking off the top of the tree keeps it small.

Since there are three reasons for committing “Crepe Murder”, I can easily come up with three reasons not to. Landscapers who need something to do in the winter can still prune Crepe Myrtles in January and February, following good tree pruning practices. Crepe Myrtles that are topped have an ugly shape and contract powdery mildew. This all but ruins the beauty of the blooms in the summer. Crepe Myrtles that are properly pruned still have a good amount of blooms. There are many good dwarf Crepe Myrtles and other smaller ornamental trees to fill the role of small ornamental understory tree in landscape designs. These days, there is no good reason for topping Crepe Myrtles.

January/February the best time to prune most trees (except Oaks) in Central Texas, including Crepe Myrtles. Before you grab the saw and the pruners, take the time to ask yourself “Why am I pruning these trees?” Keep these goals in mind:

1. Remove dead and diseased wood. Make sure you can tell the difference between a dead branch and a live one during the winter. In certain trees, like Crepe Myrtles, it can be hard to tell the difference between dead wood and live. You can tell by using your fingernail to lightly scratch off the top layer of bark. If the tissue underneath is green, then the branch is still alive.

2. Remove branches that are hitting a roof, building or hanging in a walkway, driveway or street.

3. Remove crossing branches that rub together and create wounds that cannot heal. Also remove branches that are growing into the center of the tree and will start rubbing each other during this growing season.

Pruning for any other reason should be kept to a minimum. I recommend lightly pruning Crepe Myrtles again in the summer after their first flush of blooms for the same reasons listed above. After pruning it is a good idea to replenish the mulch around the base of your tree, or add a mulch circle if you don’t have one already.

Try to make your cuts at the collar of the branch- the spot where the branch grows out from the trunk. The collar contains specialized cells that will heal over wounds. Look at the Native Tree Growing Guide for a diagram of how to make a proper pruning cut.

by Colleen Dieter

Austin named among 10 Best Cities for Urban Forests

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 5, 2013 — When it comes to a commitment to care for greenspaces in the nation’s leading cities, conservation organization American Forests has found that some urban areas are doing much better than others. Through a combination of an in-depth survey, independent data and a vote by a blue-ribbon panel of leading urban forest experts, the nonprofit has named the 10 best U.S. cities for urban forests: Austin, Charlotte, Denver, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Sacramento, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

American Forests defines urban forests as “ecosystems of trees and other vegetation in and around communities that may consist of street and yard trees, vegetation within parks and along public rights of way and water systems. Urban forests provide communities with environmental, economic and social benefits and habitat for fish and wildlife.”… Read the rest of the official press release from American Forests here. And don’t miss the gorgeous video about the many benefits of urban forests at the bottom of the page.

Read the American Forests feature on Austin with some great photos of our beautiful urban forest here!

And the story from USA Today here.