Blog

Why Don’t Trees Freeze?

January 25, 2021 By

Outdoor winter temperatures in the Portland area regularly fall below the fresh water freezing temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Although we can generate our own heat by burning calories, without the protection of warm clothes or shelter, we would not survive freezing temperatures for long. Plant cells are made of mostly water. As cellular water freezes, it expands, bursting plant... Read More

Hazard Reduction Pruning

December 15, 2020 By ,

Well maintained trees are a beautiful and valuable addition to properties. Arborists at For The Love Of Trees recommend regular tree care throughout the life of the tree to promote healthy structure. Poorly maintained trees can pose a hazard to people and property. The severity of a hazard posed by a tree depends both on the likelihood of failure and... Read More

Tree Self-Pruning

December 8, 2020 By

When you walk along a forested trail in the Pacific Northwest, you may notice that most of the tall trees do not have branches growing close to the ground. Younger trees of the same species have branches growing close to the ground, so what happened to these lower branches as the trees grew taller? The trees self-pruned their own branches.... Read More

Species Highlight: Bigleaf Maple

August 20, 2020 By ,

Visitors to Oregon are awed by the enormous leaves of our Oregon maple Acer macrophyllum. The tree is native to the Pacific Northwest and is commonly called the bigleaf maple due to the huge size of its deciduous leaves. The bigleaf maple boasts the largest leaves of any maple tree, with its 5 lobes stretching up to 12 inches across.... Read More

Shade Trees

July 23, 2020 By , ,

When our mild Portland temperatures turn hot in late summer, a well-placed shade tree can significantly reduce the temperature of shaded homes and outdoor gathering areas. Shade trees cool by deflecting heat instead of absorbing it and by releasing water vapor from the undersides of their leaves. If you would like enjoy the benefits of more shade in your yard,... Read More

Do Not Overwater Your Trees

July 23, 2020 By ,

Our dry northwest summers motivate many urban gardeners to water their trees to excess. Overwatering is a common cause of urban tree decline. When excess water displaces oxygen in the root zone over long periods of saturation, the roots will suffocate and die. Determining the right amount of water, not too much or too little, for your established trees involves... Read More

Species Highlight: Oregon White Oak

June 10, 2020 By ,

There are Oregon white oak trees growing in the Willamette valley today that were growing long before European settlement of our area. The Oregon white oak in the photograph above is around 200 years old and grows at Graham Oaks Nature park in Wilsonville. The Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) is native to Oregon and is important to the ecosystem... Read More

Shrub Pruning

May 7, 2020 By ,

The natural forests of the Pacific Northwest are characterized by several canopy layers—from the towering canopies of Douglas firs; to the under story shrubs including rhododendron and salal; down to ground-covering ferns. In the Portland area’s urban forest, shrubs grow in an astounding variety and can be kept small under the kitchen window or be allowed to grow to be... Read More

Species Highlight: Flowering Cherry

March 18, 2020 By , ,

Against the grey spring Portland sky, flowering cherry trees explode with blooms in a breathtaking spring spectacle.  The fluttering petals, bright white and pink colors, and frilly textures of the flowering cherry are noticed from a distance against the stark backdrop of mostly bare deciduous trees and dark green evergreens. All across the Portland area, flowering cherry trees bloom in... Read More