A Healthy Tree–A Giving Tree

By Jennifer Vollmert

Trees

I think that I shall never see 
A poem lovely as a tree. 
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest 
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; 
A tree that looks at God all day, 
And lifts her leafy arms to pray; 
A tree that may in summer wear 
A nest of robins in her hair; 
Upon whose bosom snow has lain; 
Who intimately lives with rain. 
Poems are made by fools like me, 
But only God can make a tree. 

—Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918)

A healthy tree is a giving tree.

Trees add character to the landscape and serve an important purpose for the environment. ISA certified arborist Cabot Cameron has dedicated his career to promoting and caring for thousands of trees in Nashville and the surrounding communities since 1978. As president and founder of Druid Tree Service, Cameron says he moved his business to Nashville in 1978 in order to “work all seasons in an area abundant in landscapes, trees and shrubs.” 

For Nashville-area residents he advises, “You do not have to water much in winter like in summer; there are no leaves,” he says. “There are special cases, like maples planted in the fall, that must be watered in the winter.” He adds that winter is the prime time to prune, but remember that it is always best to seek the advice of an arborist. “Prune in the coldest part of the winter,” he says. “The reason for this is if you prune when it’s warmer, it stimulates growth.” This is also a good time to prune winter topiaries, dogwoods and boxwoods.

Additional do’s and don’ts from Cameron for maintaining healthy trees include: Listen to your trees; hire a professional arborist; and ensure proper planting, which is necessary for the tree’s longevity. He says that topping and lion tailing are forbidden; never top your shade trees. In conclusion, prepare your trees for the next season by routinely monitoring their growth. Fertilization, planting and disease determine sensitive tree care procedures. Timing is very important, and trees react differently in each season.

Druid Tree Service’s List of Trees Recommended for Middle Tennessee

Small Trees for Middle Tennessee 
Amur Maple—Acer ginnala and cultivars
Japanese Maple—Acer palmatum and cultivars
Red Buckeye—Aesculus pavia
Allegheny Serviceberry—Amelanchier laevis
American Hornbeam—Carpinus caroliniana
Eastern Redbud—Cercis canadensis and cultivars
Flowering Dogwood—Cornus florida and cultivars
Kousa Dogwood—Cornus kousa and cultivars
Corneliancherry—Cornus mas
Japanese Cornel Dogwood—Cornus officinalis
Winter King Hawthorn—Crataegus viridis, ‘Winter King’
Witch hazel—Hamamelis x intermedia cultivars
Crepe Myrtle—Lagerstroemia hybrids
Little Gem Magnolia—Magnolia grandiflora. ‘Little Gem’
Sweetbay Magnolia—Magnolia virginiana
Flowering Crabapple—Malus cultivars (disease resistant) ‘Adironack,’ ‘Callaway,’ ‘Centennial,’ ‘Donald Wyman,’ ‘Prairifire,’ ‘Sugar Tyme’ 
American Hophornbeam—Ostrya virginiana
Japanese Black Pine—Pinus Thunbergia
Weeping Higan Cherry—Prunus subhirtella pendula
Yoshino Cherry—Prunus x yedoensis

Overstory Trees for Middle Tennessee 

Red Maple—Acer rubrum and cultivars
Sugar Maple—Acer saccharum and cultivars
American Yellowwood—Cladrastis kentukea
Green Ash—Fraxinus pennsylvanica cultivars (‘Cimmaron,’ ‘Patmore,’ ‘Summit’)
Ginkgo—Ginkgo biloba (male) and cultivars
American Holly—Ilex opaca and cultivars
Eastern Redcedar—Juniperus virginiana
Sterile Sweetgum—Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Rotundiloba’
Tulip Poplar—Liriodendron tulipifera
Southern Magnolia—Magnolia grandiflora
Dawn Redwood—Metasequoia glyptostroboides
London Planetree—Platanus x acerifolia
Sawtooth Oak—Quercus acutissima
Willow Oak—Quercus phellos
Chestnut Oak—Quercus prinus
Shumard Oak—Quercus shumardii
Common Baldcypress—Taxodium distichum
Littleleaf Linden—Tilia cordata and cultivars
Lacebark Elm—Ulmus parvifolia and cultivars
Japanese Zelkova—Zelkova serrata cultivars (‘Village Green,’ ‘Green Vase’)

(Suggested by the Metro Tree Advisory)