The best place to start would be by purchasing a tree identification book at your local bookstore, but there are websites that can help as well.

 

For native trees, Trees to Know in Oregon is available through your local Oregon State University Extension Office or can be ordered on their website. Understanding Names of Oregon Trees is another interesting publication and is available online.

 

For native, ornamental, and shade trees, check out OSU´s Landscape Plants page, a website full of information and photographs to help you identify plants. If you live in a state other than Oregon, check with your state´s extension program for similar publications.

Check out OSU Extension´s A Guide to Selecting, Planting, and Caring for a New Tree. (pdf) There are also plant databases you can use, including Pocket Gardener that you can download to your Palm or PDA. If you live in the rural/urban interface, the publication Fire-Resistant Plants for Oregon Home Landscapes (pdf) will be of interest to you.

The International Society of Arboriculture is the world´s leading organization devoted to tree care. They publish a 17-title Tree Care Consumer Information Series that will have all kinds of information you can use. ISA´s Pacific Northwest Chapter has a website called Landscape Tree Care 101 where you can learn about a variety of tree care topics including tree pruning, topping, and more. Finally, ODF has a brochure called An Oregon Homeowner´s Guide to Tree Care. That should be enough information to get you started!

Check with your county OSU Extension office; a Master Gardener may be able to answer your question for you. There is also a website called Plant Facts Database that has a searchable database of factsheets from Extension services across the country. If you are using pesticides, please use them responsibly. OSU Extension has a publication on Using Pesticides Safely. OSU also has a factsheet on Fertilizing Trees, but remember, if a tree looks sick, giving it fertilizer won´t necessarily help it, and could even make things worse.

 

If you have a problem that can´t be identified, or if more than one tree is showing the same symptoms, it may be time to call in a professional. You can get a list of Certified Arborists from PNW-ISA´s website, or view a searchable database of all Certified Arborists at the ISA website. Don´t trust just anyone with a chain saw for the health of your valuable landscape assets!

Preserving existing trees on a site doesn´t only happen when the bulldozer begins work; it happens in the planning stages. Trees in construction zones must be mapped on the plans before work ever begins, and everyone involved in the process needs to know the preservation guidelines. The publication Protecting Trees From Construction Damage: A Homeowner´s Guide provides some great illustrations and a lot of information that will help you.

There are many websites on this subject, but the best one for homeowners is How To Recognize Hazardous Defects in Trees. Again, it may be best to call in a Certified Arborist for a professional opinion.

Reliable electric power at the flip of a light switch or press of a remote control and beautiful landscape trees contributing to the livability of our communities are both things that we desire to have in our society. Unfortunately, sometimes trees and power lines don´t coexist well. The ISA brochure on Avoiding Tree and Utility Conflicts is a must-read.

 

Ultimately, if the tree in question is the wrong tree in the wrong place, you may want to consider having the tree removed and replant with a more appropriate variety. After you have familiarized yourself with the subject, you might also want to contact your utility´s vegetation management program and ask them if they are pruning to ANSI A300 standards for proper tree care. If they don´t have a vegetation management plan or aren´t pruning to these standards, find out why. Most investor-owned utilities and public utilities aren´t interested in wasting money, and if they aren´t pruning properly, they are wasting money...in this case your money because you´re the ratepayer.

Arbor Day is America´s National Tree Holiday, the day we set aside to plant ceremonial trees, educate children about the importance of trees, and honor the important role trees play in our daily lives. The first Arbor Day took place on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. It was the brainchild of Julius Sterling Morton (1832-1902), a Nebraska journalist and politician. Today, National Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April. In Oregon, we celebrate Arbor Week the first full week in April. For more information on Arbor Day, visit the National Arbor Day Foundation website. There you will find a complete list of all state Arbor Day celebrations, a list of state trees (Oregon´s is Douglas-fir) and a variety of other notable tree facts, figures, and advice. Call your city Parks Department and ask them what events in your community celebrate Arbor Day or Arbor Week. And by the way, plant a tree yourself! If you don´t have any more room for trees in your yard, make arrangements to plant in a local park.

Tree City USA is a designation that cities can earn for having Urban and Community Forestry programs. The National Arbor Day Foundation website has more information on this program. If your city isn't a Tree City, call the mayor and ask why.