Foster-A-Tree Spotlight

Brandon Page and his family received their Princeton elm in 2011, and also had a red oak planted in 2013. Planted at the front of a lot with many native trees, Brandon says that he likes the availability of different species that will do well in Edmond and that have nice features, such as the shape of his Princeton elm. He is happy to have nice trees that enhance his landscape, and that people passing by on his street can also enjoy. He likes that the selection of trees provides aesthetic interest that is different from some of the more common, naturally occurring trees.

It must be true that the Page’s foster trees are enhancing their residence, because many people have asked about them, and several of those now have foster trees of their own. He says that “we have done a tremendous amount of work on our property in the 10 years we have been here, all of it ourselves because of how expensive landscaping is. It is awesome that Edmond invests in the beautification of its city. It helps us a lot! Beautiful trees at virtually no cost. These trees are for everyone. It elevates the neighborhood’s value as well.”
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The Princeton elm is a cultivar of American elm developed for its resistance to Dutch elm disease (DED). The American elm was a once wide-spread street tree. In the mid twentieth century, American elms were decimated by the disease. A combination of disease susceptibility and overplanting of the species contributed to the fast spread of DED that left the nation’s urban forests with great loss. One of the goals of the Foster-A-Tree program is species diversity, partly in order to prevent widespread tree loss from pest and disease epidemics.

Thank you to the Page family for their contribution to their local urban forest! If you are interested in signing up for the Foster-A-Tree program yourself, learn more at this link: Foster-A-Tree.


View more topics from the Winter 2016 edition of Edmond Tree Mail
Check out last season's Foster-A-Tree Spotlight