Trees

PoP PSA – Get Yourself Over to Rock Creek Park ASAP!

By Prince Of Petworth

It’s been a while since I’ve done a PSA but this is important. Rock Creek Park is looking amazing. As a neighbor told me, you don’t have to go all the way to Shenendoah to appreciate the Fall foliage. In the next week or so though you should really take a drive or walk through the park, it is amazing. Also many of the side streets around town are equally breathtaking. Take a walk soon, you won’t be disappointed! If anyone has some favorite spots to check out the foliage around town please let us know where we can find them. I checked out many of the sidestreets in Georgetown that were incredible.

Dear PoP – Ficus Help Requested

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

I have a ficus tree out back and it has developed “pods” — essentially the leaves have curled up and there are little black bugs living inside the curled leaf (image attached). Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle?”

Any ficus experts out there?

Ordinary or Extraordinary?

By Prince Of Petworth

I swear I wasn’t sniffing glue or doing anything of that nature when I spotted this tree. Tell me you see it? The eyes, the nose, the mouth?  I’ve walked past this tree 1000 times and never noticed it before. It is located between Mt. P and Cleveland Park on Porter Street. So cool. It’s nice to report some happier tree news…

Another Tree Located on the 1300 block of Perry Place Cut Down for no Apparent Reason

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

I came home from work to find our own little tree cut down. I found it laying on its side next to the little stump, the sharp angle of the cuts clearly visible on both trunk and stump. So far I haven’t had any neighbor tell me s/he saw who did it, but then everyone’s in out of the heat right now.

I am thoroughly irritated that this has happened. The tree was clearly not a weed. It was beautifully flowering up until the moment it was cut down, and the tree lawn around it was cared for (not beautiful, but cared for). I can only be grateful that I did not plant it in honor of anyone, or I’d be thoroughly ready to wring some necks. As it is, I’m just feeling deflated and disheartened. What the hell is wrong with people?!”

This is the strangest epidemic. I know there are worse things in the world but for folks to just cut down trees. Ridiculous.

Fire on 1100 Block of Columbia Road, NW Sunday Night and Tree Falls in Adams Morgan Friday Night

By Prince Of Petworth

Thanks to the readers for sending. For the photo above:

“Witnessing a whole slew of firemen/fire trucks outside a smoking rowhouse on 1118 Columbia.” I’m also hearing that the road has been closed for a while.

A description of the above photo:

“No wind, no nothing, this tree outside my apartment at 1800 Clydesdale just decided to fall over at about 11:30 tonight. Nobody was anywhere near it, but it managed to total a Mercedes and scratch a few other cars. It was on the Ontario condo building’s property and wasn’t dead or otherwise in obvious need of removal, but they just cut down about four or five in front of my place so maybe it was mourning its fallen comrades.”

Great for Trees or Mosquitos? by Eric Nuzum

By Prince Of Petworth

One of these showed up around a tree in front of my house yesterday, with no context or explanation. I’ve noticed quite a few of these popping up throughout the neighborhood around the young trees and I’m curious if others have noticed them or had any experience with them. The side identifies them as “BioPlex Tree Rings.”

At first I thought these were something that you would plant in the ground around the tree to keep the roots at the right depth or use as a planter of some kind. Then I went to their Web site and it seems these are some kind of water collection/slow-drip system from keeping the baby trees properly moisturized.

My biggest concern is that these are going to end up making the mosquito situation even worse than it already is this time of year. Having large buckets of water sitting around is kinda asking for trouble.

Is this worth it?

Ed. Note: And speaking of trees there will be a community watering – from an email:

“There will be community tree watering this Saturday (8/8) @ 7am for the trees that have been planted by DDOT/UFA in the Medians at the Georgia Ave/Petworth Metro Station. We will be meeting at the the Petworth Station Metro Statue at 7am for a safety meeting. Please come out and join us as your schedules permit. Hope to see you there…..

Again, THANK YOU to Donatelli Development, who is providing access to water from the Park Place building by Donatelli Development.”

Ordinary or Extraordinary?

By Prince Of Petworth

Never underestimate the power of trees. I thought this was such a wild sight. It looks like the roots just busted through the brick wall. Totally wild.

The Return of Trees Bearing Fruit!

By Prince Of Petworth

These trees make me so happy. Particularly when they are found on very urban streets. This one is from 13th Street, NW. Be sure to send me photos of your fruit trees if you have some.

Ordinary or Extraordinary?

By Prince Of Petworth

I have a well known fondness for tree stumps for reasons that are still not exactly clear to me. Anyway, I found this one particularly cool. It looks like they tried to carve it up with a chainsaw but eventually gave up.

Despite my love of tree stumps I did have one that was obstructing a gate that I had to remove. I tried everything to kill it and was unsuccessful for quite a long time. A neighbor told me to drill a whole in it and pour salt down it. I’m not sure if that did the trick but like a year after the salt treatment it finally died.

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