So wild. Anyone know what type this is? From Shaw.
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Trees
“Dear PoPville,
Do you have any idea why they are removing/cutting down all the trees on Georgia Avenue from Bonifant through Silver Spring Ave? This photo was taken yesterday and now there are no trees left. These trees provided a great cove area for people eating out at the restaurants there.”
New Hampshire and M Street, NW
Protected from the street work on New Hampshire Avenue the Democracy Tree is doing great.
Photo via wikipedia by Bruce Marlin
Urban Wilds is written by Lela S. Lela lives in Petworth. She previously wrote about vultures.
For the last few weeks, tulip tree flowers have been falling in the DC area. These gorgeous blossoms – two to three inches long, green and yellow and orange – are the product of one of my favorite plants in this part of the country. Also called tulip poplars, this species is a swift- and straight-growing tree that commonly reaches 100 feet. If left alone, they can become true giants: before they were heavily logged in the 1800s for building materials ranging from ship masts to organ pipes, old-growth tulip trees were recorded at 200 feet tall with diameters of as much as twelve feet. They’ll live up to three centuries under good conditions. Honeybees favor the nectar (which can supposedly be drunk straight from the flower – I intend to try this immediately) and produce a medium-amber honey that’s often used in commercial baking. In Maryland, tulip trees are a primary source of nectar for foraging bees.
Tulip trees can be found in parks and wooded areas around the city, as well as along a number of our streets. Their leaves might be mistaken for a maple’s, but their flowers are unmistakable, especially scattered across a Washington sidewalk. This time of year, the quickest way to find a tulip tree might be to first look down, then up.
Huge Japanese Maple?
I thought this one from Columbia Heights was pretty great. And speaking of – if you were to plant a new tree curbside – what type would you recommend?
From DDOT:
To prevent the notoriously unpleasant odor of female ginkgo fruit from overtaking city streets, the District Department of Transportation’s Urban Forestry Administration (UFA) will start spraying these fruits starting Monday, April 29.
Spraying will begin in Wards 1, 2 and 6, where female ginkgo trees are most prevalent, and continue through Wards 4, 3, 7, 8 and 5. Spraying will occur overnight for several nights and there is no need to move vehicles parked on streets. If you have any questions, please contact UFA at 202-671-5133 or visit ddot.dc.gov/trees for more information
We’ve previously discussed this unpleasantness a couple of years ago. Anyone starting to notice the smell this year?
Now that the cherry blossoms are no longer in full bloom – Red buds are my second favorite. They were bursting all over town. This one’s from outside the House of Sweden in Georgetown.
And these turtles were chilling by the creek right next to House of Sweden.
First flowering weeping cherry I’ve seen. They never stop amazing me.