Flatbush Tree Tour, Saturday, April 25

2009.04.23 IMPORTANT TRANSIT SERVICE ADVISORY: The Manhattan-bound Q train will only stop at Church Avenue between Kings Highway and Prospect Park this weekend. Coney Island bound trains will make all stops.

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Argyle Road in my neighborhood of Beverley Square West in Flatbush, Brooklyn, one of the blocks that will be on Saturday's tour.


This Saturday, April 25, join Sustainable Flatbush in our second year of celebrating Arbor Day and the magnificent street trees of Brooklyn's Victorian Flatbush. The Sustainable Flatbush Arbor Day 2009 Street Tree Walking Tour reprises last year's route, visiting the Victorian Flatbush neighborhoods of Beverley Square West and Prospect Park South.

Tours will depart at 11am and 12noon from Third Root Community Health Center at 380 Marlborough Road, just south of Cortelyou Road. [GMAP] Take the Q train to Cortelyou Road and walk one block west (left) to Marlborough Road after exiting the station.


View Sustainable Flatbush Arbor Day 2009 Street Tree Walking Tour in a larger map

Your tour guides will be my neighbor, Tracey Hohman, a professional gardener, and yours truly. Throughout the tour, we will:

• identify trees and their characteristics
• share interesting facts
• explore local tree history
• discuss the many ways street trees benefit the environment
• explain how to obtain and care for street trees
• and more

This FREE tour is a little over a mile in length and lasts approximately 90 minutes. Tours will take place rain or shine. Please gear appropriately for the weather and walk: sunscreen, comfortable walking shoes, water, and so on.

The area boasts a rich variety of both street trees and ornamental trees and shrubs. On the tour, you will see:

• Acer platanoides, Norway Maple
  
• Aesculus hippocastanum, Horsechestnut
  
• Amelancier, Serviceberry
  
• Betula nigra, River Birch
  
• Cercis canadensis, Redbud
  
• Cornus florida, Flowering Dogwood
  
• Cryptomeria japonica, Japanese Red Cedar
  
• Ginkgo biloba, Ginkgo
  
• Gleditsia triacanthos, Honey Locust
  
• Liquidambar styraciflua, Sweetgum
  
• Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Dawn Redwood
  
• Pinus strobus, White Pine
  
• Platanus x acerifolia, London Plane
  
• Pyrus calleryana, Flowering Pear, Callery Pear
  
• Quercus palustris, Pin Oak
  
• Quercus robur 'Fastigiata', Columnar English Oak
  
• Sophora japonica, Japanese Pagoda Tree, Scholar Tree
  
• Tsuga canadensis, Eastern Hemlock
  
• Ulmus americana, American Elm
  
• ... and many more
  

For more information about the tour, please email garden AT sustainableflatbush DOT org.

Sustainable Flatbush brings neighbors together to discuss, educate, and advocate for sustainable living in our Brooklyn neighborhood and beyond.



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Related Content

Arbor Day posts

Links

Sustainable Flatbush

Resources

Web

To request a free street tree, fill out the form at http://www.nyc.gov/freetree

Million Trees NYC
Trees New York

Online Tree ID Guide, Arbor Day Foundation

Books

Dirr, Michael A. Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Timber Press. ISBN-13: 9780881924046

Propagation of Sassafras albidum (Sassafras)

Propagation of Sassafras albidum (Sassafras)

General characteristics

Sassafras albidum, Sassafras, is a medium-sized deciduous tree in the Lauraceae, the Laurel family. This is a family of mostly pantropical, evergreen shrubs and trees; Sassafras has the most northern distribution of the Lauraceae.

Native range and habitat

Sassafras is widespread in eastern North America, from Maine to Ontario and Michigan, south to Florida and eastern Texas. It's most common as a successional plant in disturbed areas.

Because of its wide natural range, select a local ecotype, or acquire from a local nursery, for best adaptation to your conditions.

Asexual/vegetative propagation

Sassafras can form pure stands through suckering. Specimens propagated by apparent transplantation from the field may actually be suckers separated from a parent plant or stand. These progeny are prone to suckering from lateral roots. To minimize this, do not transplant from the wild. Plant only container-grown seedlings. [Cullina, DIRR1997, Flint]

Propagation from root cuttings is possible.

Sexual propagation

Plants are dioecious.

Flowering and Pollination

Clusters of flowers with bright yellow sepals appear in early Spring, just before the leaf buds break. Flowers are pollinated by bees and flies.

Fruit

Fruit are produced every year or two after the plant reaches maturity at about ten years of age. Fruit matures in the Fall. The fruit is an oil-rich, oval, blue-black drupe held on a red stem. Sassafras fruits are eaten by many species of birds.

Seeds may be gathered when fruits turn dark blue. Cleaned seeds may be stored for up to two years at cool temperatures. 120 Stratification - prechilling - for 120 days is required for germination. [USDA]

References

Cullina, William. Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines. 2002. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN-13: 978-0-618-09858-3
[DIRR1997] Dirr, Michael. Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs. 1997. Timber Press. ISBN-13: 978-0-88192-404-6
[DIRR1998] Dirr, Michael. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Revised 1998. Stipes Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-0-87563-795-2
Flint, Harrison. Landscape Plants for Eastern North America. 1983. Wiley. ISBN: 0-471-86905-8
NPIN
Sullivan, Janet (1993). "Sassafras albidum". Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory

Links

Floridata
Missouri Botanical Garden
Plants For A Future
PLANTS, USDA
University of Connecticut
Wikipedia
Wikibooks

Brooklyn Mulchfest 2008: Locations and Dates

Update 2008.01.06: I've added a post with photos from today.
Update 2008.01.05: I have photos from my stint at Park Circle today.
Update 2008.01.04: I will be volunteering at the Park Circle location Saturday and Sunday for as long as I can hold out. Hope to see some of you there!

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Mulchfest 2008 is on! You can drop-off trees at Greenwood Cemetery, 25th Street and 5th Avenue, starting today through January 11, any time between 8am and 4:30pm. Starting this Thursday, January 3 through Wednesday, January 16, you can leave trees curbside for pickup. Be sure to first remove all lights, ornaments, decorations, tree-stands and what-not before turning your tree into mulch.

The big event is this weekend. This Saturday and Sunday, January 5 & 6, from 10am to 2pm, you can bring your tree to multiple Parks locations throughout the city. This map shows all the Brooklyn locations for Mulchfest 2008. On-site chipping locations are indicated by the green tree icons. Drop-off only locations are indicated by the arrow&star icons.


View Larger Map

OTBKB reports reports that volunteers are needed for the Prospect Park locations. This seems like a good way to get out this weekend, meet some neighbors, and benefit your parks and community. To volunteer or for more information call (718) 965-8960 or email volunteers@prospectpark.org.

Starting today, January 1 through January 11, you can drop-off trees at Greenwood Cemetery, 25th Street and 5th Avenue, any time between 8am and 4:30pm.

Starting this Thursday, January 3 through Wednesday, January 16, you can leave trees curbside for pickup.

This Saturday and Sunday, January 5 & 6: 10am to 2pm, multiple locations.

Saturday, January 12: Chipping at Greenwood Cemetery, 25th Street and 5th Avenue.

Links

MulchFest 2008

November Arborea, FotT #18

Festival of the Trees #18, November Arborea, is up on Larry Ayers' Riverside Rambles. This issue has a link to my post about Brooklyn's Trees, the Flickr photo pool I started this year.

The 19th Festival of the Trees will be hosted by Lorianne of Hoarded Ordinaries. She’ll be taking submissions until midnight on December 30th. You can e-mail her at zenmama (at) gmail.com. You can also use the handy submission form.

The Luminous Streets

P.S. 139, Cortelyou and Rugby Roads, Beverley Square West, Flatbush, Brooklyn


This has been a spectacular year for fall foliage. We had ample, sometimes record, rainfall over the summer. We didn't get a long drought at the end of the summer which often ruins the fall colors. And temperatures finally got cool at night, while warm during the day. We just had our first hard freeze this week.

Barbara Corcoran, avert your eyes. The rest of us can enjoy this gift. We're just past peak this weekend, but there's still plenty of great color. So get out and walk around.

Fothergilla, Vinca minor, and Maple leaves, 329 Westminster Road, Beverley Square West


Japanese Maple, 1505 Albemarle Road, Prospect Park South


Field 11, Parade Grounds, Caton Avenue


Abandoned, East 16th Street


315 East 18th Street, Beverly Square East


346 East 18th Street, Beverly Square East


196 Marlborough Road, Prospect Park South


Beverly Road, Beverley Square West


Japanese Maple in front yard, 260 Westminster Road, Beverley Square West


I've been walking past, beneath, this every morning on my way to the Beverly Road subway station. Nothing like starting your commute in awe.

1422 Beverly Road, Beverley Square West

Brooklyn's Trees, a new Flickr photo group

Welcome, Festival of the Trees visitors! Go see the photos in Brooklyn's Trees. If you like what you see, come back here and read about it, and check out my other posts on Urban Foresty and Trees in general.

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Brooklyn's Trees is a Flickr photo pool I started to "share and celebrate Brooklyn's trees through photography." The response has been great, and the submissions are beautiful and diverse.






I've adapted a definition of "trees" from Festival of the Trees:

"Trees" are defined as any woody plant species that regularly exceed three meters in height; exceptions might include banana “trees” which are not woody plants. We are interested in trees in the concrete rather than in the abstract, so the "cloud trees" at the intersection of Ocean and Flatbush Avenues, for example, are out.

Any photographs of or about trees in Brooklyn are welcomed, including those on our streets, in our parks, gardens, and other public spaces, and on private property. Young trees, dead trees, shadows or reflections of trees are all in the spirit of this group. Photos should be "safe" as defined by Flickr.

Festival of the Trees #13

Festival of the Trees #13: Putting Down Roots is up on Wrenaissance Reflections. WrenaissanceWoman subtitle her blog "Notes from a Backyard Wildlife Habitat" and it's always an interesting read. You can also find a link to it in my Gardening blogroll in the sidebar.

This is the first anniversary issue of Festival of the Trees. WW writes in her introduction:

Trees are inextricably linked to places, perhaps because it takes them so long to reach maturity and majesty. When we become very attached to a place, we liken ourselves to the trees, and say that we have put down roots. This month's Festival of the Trees looks at places where trees have taken hold, including places in our hearts.

WW has found lots of good reading, stories of trees from all over the world. Go check it out and leave her a comment about your own "trees of the heart."

I submitted a recent press release from the Parks Department about the planting of a new Tree of Hope in Harlem, on on Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard between West 131st and 132nd Streets. The stump of the original Tree of Hope, an elm, greets performers on the stage of the Apollo Theater:

The Tree of Hope came to symbolize the promise that Harlem held for so many African Americans and performers such as Ethel Waters, Fletcher Henderson and Eubie Blake were said to have visited it. But in 1934 what was then called the Boulevard of Dreams was widened and the tree was removed. Today, thanks to the suggestion of the Copasetics Connection, a new tree stands near the original site to commemorate this important piece of Harlem’s history. Although an American Elm, the original type of tree, could not be planted because it is susceptible to disease and pests, the new tree is a member of the elm family, a Zelkova.
- A New Tree of Hope Takes Root

I was surprised and pleased to see that WW also picked up one of my posts from earlier this week, the most recent addition to my Grief and Gardening series. I wrote about revisiting, for the first time in nearly 15 years, my first garden in NYC. The centerpiece of that garden is a maple tree.

Festival of the Trees #11: Trees in the Concrete

2010-08-18: Corrected the name of the sculptor, Steve Tobin.
2007-05-01:

• Added links to the story of Trinity Root.
• Added links to Festival of the Trees home site and #12.
• Added the story of the tree in the photo at the top of the post.

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Welcome to Festival of the Trees #11 for May 2007: Trees in the Concrete.

Read the story of this urban tree at the bottom of this post.


There were a lot of entries. I underestimated the work involved in collecting and assembling all the entries submitted into a semi-coherent post! Part of the problem is technical; I've still got about a dozen things I found which I need to review. (Note to self: NEVER use the "Email This" feature of Bloglines, since it strips out all reference information such as URLs.) But I think I've addressed all the non-host submissions. I'll be coming back with an update tomorrow (now this) evening, so If I've missed anything, please leave a comment so I can follow up.

Trees in the Concrete (Urban Trees)

Reminder - Call for Submissions for Festival of the Trees #11: Trees in the Concrete

Dueling Maples, 1422 Beverley Road, November 2006. I pass these two trees when I walk to and from the subway.


Just a reminder that we're still inviting submissions for Festival of the Trees #11, which I'll be hosting here on Flatbush Gardener in May.

Although I haven't gotten to acknowledge any of the entries yet, I want to thank everyone who's submitted entries so far. The pace has been quickening the past few days. With over 30 submissions as of this afternoon, it's shaping up to be a terrific carnival.

Many of you are finding connections with the theme of "Trees in the Concrete": street trees, trees in cities, urban forestry, and so on. Do you have a favorite street tree? Trees in city parks? Tell us about them! This is not a restrictive theme, so anything which fits the FotT submission guidelines is welcome. And you don't need a blog or Web site of your own. You can send in a link you find on the Web. If you have a doubt, send it.

The publication date will be May 1st, 2007. The deadline for submissions is April 29. You can submit entries via the Festival of the Trees Submission Form on BlogCarnival. You can also send an email to festival (dot) trees (at) gmail (dot) com with "Festival of the Trees" in the subject.

Festival of the Trees #10 and Call for Submissions for FotT #11: Trees in the Concrete

[Updated 2007.04.05: Corrected submission deadline.]

Still-Life with Hydrant and Tree


Festival of the Trees #10 is up on Roger Butterfield's blog, Words and Pictures. Roger is one of my favorite nature photographers on the Web. He's in Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England, UK and shares his love and intimate knowledge of his favorite places there.

And I will be hosting Festival of the Trees #11 here at Flatbush Gardener! The photo above symbolizes the theme for this edition:

We are interested in trees in the concrete rather than in the abstract, so while stories about a particular forest would be welcome, newsy pieces about forest issues probably wouldn’t be.
- FotT Submission Guidelines

Yes, I am also interested in trees in the concrete, like the one above. Urban trees and forestry. Street trees, park trees, weed trees. So, for the next Festival of the Trees, I'm especially looking for submissions on this theme. This is not a restrictive theme, so anything which fits the FotT submission guidelines is welcome. If you have a doubt, send it. You can submit entries via the Festival of the Trees Submission Form on BlogCarnival. You can also send an email to festival (dot) trees (at) gmail (dot) com with "Festival of the Trees" in the subject.

The publication date will be May 1st, 2007. The deadline for submissions is April 29. It's my first time hosting a Blog Carnival, so be gentle.

Important links:

• About the Festival of the Trees (includes "What we're looking for" general submission guidelines)
• Festival of the Trees Submission Form on BlogCarnival
  
• Subscribe to the Festival of the Trees feed.

PS: The tree above lives - nay, survives - on Westminster Road, around the corner from my home. I don't know what kind of tree it is, yet.

The Other Shoe Has Dropped: ALB Found on Staten Island

Just two weeks ago, USDA APHIS reported that Anoplophora glabripennis, Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB for short) was found on Prall's Island, an uninhabited island in the strait between New Jersey and Staten Island, about a mile south of the Goethals Bridge. Yesterday the Parks Department announced that ALB was found on Staten Island six days ago:

The New York City Department of New York Parks & Recreation, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYS DAM), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that the Asian Longhorned beetle (ALB), an insect classified by the USDA as an invasive species and an imminent threat to the United States and New York City’s forest ecosystem, has spread to Staten Island. An infested silver maple tree, located on a private wood lot in Bloomfield, is the first evidence of the beetle found on mainland Staten Island, and was detected on March 22, 2007 by USDA tree climbers. Surveys intensified on Staten Island since the detection of infested trees on nearby Prall’s Island. To date, only one infested tree has been detected on the mainland and survey crews will continue to inspect ALB host trees to determine if any additional trees are infested. Due south, on the 88-acre, uninhabited Prall’s Island which is owned and operated by Parks & Recreation as a bird sanctuary, 37 ALB-infested red maple and gray birch trees have been discovered since March 1, 2007. Not all trees on Prall’s Island have been surveyed.

The ALB-infested tree in Bloomfield sports light damage in the form of ten egg sites in its canopy. When inspected by USDA climbers in May 2006 just prior to flight season, the tree was not infested, leading experts to believe that the tree has been infested for less than a year. USDA surveyors inspected the wood lot following the confirmation of significant infestation on nearby Prall’s Island, which is located in close proximity to ALB-infested areas in New Jersey. Parks continues to work with partner agencies on the federal and state levels to monitor both infested areas of Staten Island for further signs of the beetle, develop strategies to remove infested and potential host trees, and dispose of removed trees in a manner with minimal ecological impacts.

This is really discouraging news.

Related Posts

GAO Report: Invasive Forest Pests, May 2006

Links

Parks' ALB Home Page
New York DEC ALB page
USDA APHIS ALB Newsroom
University of Vermont ALB Reference

Landscape and Politics in Brooklyn's City Council District 40

Next week, on Tuesday, February 20, there will be a special election to replace Yvette Clarke as Brooklyn's 40th District City Council Member. Clarke was elected to Congress in last year's elections. The council member elected on February 20 will serve only until the end of 2007. A general election in November will elect the member to serve the remainder of Clarke's unfinished term.

Last week I attended a Candidates' Forum on Preservation and Development. The Historic Districts Council, a sponsor of the Forum, has issued a Preservation Voter Guide.

There are several landmarked historic districts within District 40, and hopefully another soon. Still, most of the Victorian Flatbush neighborhoods are at risk of being lost forever due to inappropriate zoning and development.

NYC asks us to imagine What kind of city we want to live in by 2030. What happens to this area in the next decade will determine not only what happens by 2030, but this century and beyond. The neighborhoods of Victorian Flatbush are not only worth preserving, it's critical to the future of this area that we do so. It's not just about pretty houses, or property values. It's about open space and shade. It's about the rates of asthma and respiratory disorders. It's about moderating surface temperatures by preserving and managing the urban forest, reducing heating and cooling demands. It's about how many people will die in the heat waves we will experience by the end of the century. It's about the quality of life for the entire area, and whether or not it will be livable in the future.

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This map shows the locations of schools and parks in City Council District 40. Schools are indicated with blue dots. The green labels identify the location of parks. Open space, including cemeteries, ball fields, and so on, are outlined in green. Prospect Park abuts District 40 on the northwest. The Parade Ground south of that is ballfields. Other than that, there is a near complete absence of parks within District 40.

This map shows landcover classification in District 40. Dark green areas are trees and forest. Light green areas are grassland, fields and such. Everything else is classified "impervious", ie: buildings, streets, sidewalks, pavement, etc.

South of Prospect Park, note the interrupted band of dark green that extends to the south boundary of the District. These trees provide the only greenery and shelter in District 40. This area is the lungs of Flatbush.

Now we zoom in on my little neck of the woods, the Victorian Flatbush neighborhood of Beverly Square West. This map shows the outlines of buildings and the landcover classification. At this scale, it becomes clear that it is the trees on private property, not street trees, and certainly not parks or "open areas", that provide most of the tree cover.

And this is what it looks like from the ground. These two photos show the view from the same street corner on my block, as it looks in Spring and Fall.




With no parks for blocks around, and few playgrounds, it's no wonder that parents come to our streets to stroll their babies and walk their children. It's the only green space within walking distance for many people.

Links:

• Board of Elections of the City of New York:
• Mayor's Proclamation of Special Election (PDF, see page 2 for District 40)
• Large (60"x70") detailed map of District 40 (PDF)
• Historic Districts Council
• Neighborhood Preservation Center
  
• The New York City Campaign Finance Board, 2007 Special Election
• NYC Department of City Planning:
• Landmarks Preservation Commission
  
• Zoning Glossary
  
• OASIS NYC: Maps