by Andy Mead Our Tree of the Month for August is a pin oak (Quercus palustris) on Kilrush Drive in Cardinal Valley. We’re featuring it to encourage people to not plant this species and to understand why this once wildly planted and appreciated tree is not a wise choice. The tree appears to be healthy but could be showing signs of leaf scorch. In many cases, Lexington has had bad experiences with pin oaks. Pin oak at Kilrush Food Forest. Photo by Andy Mead. If you have a pin oak that appears...

By Andy Mead​​ The November Tree of the month is this beautiful specimen in the Lexington Cemetery that has a confusing name: The Sycamore Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus). The confusion is clarified when you know that the first part of its Latin name means it is a maple and the second part means “false sycamore.” Sycamore Maple in Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Kentucky. By Greg Doyle. It is a fast-growing tree that can reach more than 100 feet in height and spread to 25 to 40 feet with a broad,...

By Greg Doyle and Andy Mead Fraser fir with Colorado Blue Spruce in the background. Photo by Greg Doyle. Did you have a Christmas tree this year? Do you know the species? Many of us who rush out to buy a tree that has been shipped to a convenient nearby lot or box store end up with some kind of fir or spruce. Both are evergreens. Fir trees belong to the genus Abies and Spruce are the genus Picea. ​ The purpose of this month’s feature is to tell you a couple of simple ways to determine which...