Ash Juniper Trees

Ash juniper trees are native to Texas. Many Texans hate these trees though. The male trees produce large amounts of pollen from December into February to fertilize the female flowers. These trees are either male or female. The male trees produce pollen and the females produce berries. The pollen produced by the male trees travels through the air in thick clouds at times. If you live near one your yard and car gets covered with it. A lot of people are allergic to the pollen also and get what is called cedar fever.

Ash juniper is often referred to as cedar but it isn’t a cedar tree. It is referred to by many names: Texas cedar, mountain cedar, rock cedar, blueberry juniper, enebro and cedro. Many people call it a cedar because the ash juniper is aromatic like cedar and has the same insect repelling qualities.

Ash junipers can grow in very poor soil and need little water. They can grow in full sun or in the shade. However, they grow very slowly in full sun and tend to branch out a lot near the bottom making them look more like a shrub. They can grow more upright in shady conditions if they are planted amongst other things and are crowded. Austin tree service professionals prune these trees to allow the trunks to grow straight and then they develop a nice crown.

Ash junipers are not stately trees like live oaks but are an interesting complement to them and other trees in a stand.

The ash juniper berries are blue and loved by birds. If you want to attract birds the female ash juniper berries will do this. These berries are popular in Northern Europe and the United States in marinades for meat, mostly pork but are also used in stews and soup. They have a sage like flavor that is both sweet and bitter. The oil is extracted from the trees and used as a disinfectant. Inhaling the oil from steaming juniper foliage clears the sinuses because the oil contains about 70% camphor. Camphor has a distinct odor that most people recognize because it is used in mothballs. Some people burn the foliage to disinfect the air.

The wood is very durable and is used in everything from cabinets to fence posts and in cedar lined closets and cedar chests. In fact, cedar posts have been used on ranches in Texas for many years by cattle ranchers to support miles of barbed wire.

About the Author: Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

Live Oak Trees

Savannah, Georgia comes to mind when one thinks about live oak trees. These classically beautiful trees with spanish moss along streets with historic antebellum homes are unforgettable.

Live oak grows across the Southeastern United States. It is found on the east coast from southeastern Virginia to Florida and west to southern and central Texas. It grows predominantly in sandy soils of low coastal areas but it also grows in dry sandy or moist rich woods. It has a resistance to salty soil and salt spray from the ocean and does well on barrier islands.

Live oak is monoecious. This means that they have separate male and female reproductive units on the same plant. They produce flowers every spring from March through May and the acorns mature in September and fall off by December. Live oak acorns are long, dark brown to black and tapered. They are sweet and very popular with birds and other animals.

If the acorns fall on moist, warm ground they will germinate soon after falling. Germination is the beginning of the growth of the acorn seed. The leaves that develop during germination absorb the moisture which makes food available. Roots are produced which then find their own water to produce shoots. Seed leaves in live oaks stay below the surface of the soil and shoots sprout up abundantly from the roots.

Live oaks don’t get very tall, rarely above 50 feet but the crown or expanse of the tree can have a span of 150 feet. It is a very popular shade tree because of this. The wood of the live oak is very hard and strong and was used years ago for shipbuilding. The wood is not used today as it is predominantly a shade and ornamental tree.

Live oaks have a tendency to grow in large, dense groups with interconnected roots which make it highly susceptible to oak wilt disease which is a fungus. This fungus is transmitted from one live oak to another through the connected roots and is one of the most serious tree diseases. It kills hundreds of trees in Austin, Texas every year in patches because of their tendency to grow in groves. Certified arborists providing Austin tree services are very experienced at diagnosing and treating oak wilt.

Symptoms of oak wilt are usually found on the leaves which develop yellow veins that eventually turn brown and fall off the tree. The crown of the tree thins outs until it dies. Oak wilt can be costly to treat and control and an accurate diagnosis is critical. A certified arborist providing tree services should be contacted to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.

About the Author: Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.