Entries by Ruben Green

The Four Best Trees to Plant in or near Your Rain Garden

Rain gardens are attractive landscaping features that can not only improve the aesthetics of most properties, but they provide important environmental benefits too. When properly designed, rain gardens capture and contain a relatively large quantity of rainwater, which will then percolate into the soil over the next few days. This helps to prevent some of […]

Four Ornamental Trees That Won’t Create Litter Problems

Thanks to the myriad resources available to modern homeowners and property managers, many people conduct a lot of research on the trees they intend to install. They look up things like the tree’s water requirements, sun-exposure preferences and susceptibility to common pathogens and illnesses. This is obviously a good idea, and it’ll help you avoid […]

Five Great Trees for Helping Your Local Honeybees

Hymenopterans – a group of insects that includes wasps, ants and bees – are incredibly important components of most terrestrial ecosystems. They not only serve as important food sources for predators and hosts for parasites, many of them play important roles in the process of pollination. And while all pollinators are important for the plants […]

Five Bad Trees for Allergy Sufferers

Many of the most popular trees — including magnolias, crepe myrtles and jacarandas, among others — have very attractive flowers. But while these flowers may smell nice, attract wildlife and beautify your property, other flowers can cause problems – particularly among allergy sufferers. Many tree flowers produce allergenic pollens, which can leave sensitive individuals sniffling […]

Should Climbing Vines Be Removed from Trees?

Although trees are individual organisms, they often harbor entire ecosystems under their canopies. Dozens of insects, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians commonly inhabit trees, and several plant species even grow on living trees. Climbing vines are some of the most common plants to colonize trees, and they can often be seen growing from the soil […]

How Long Do Trees Live?

About 270 miles north of Los Angeles, a remarkable tree juts out of a rocky landscape. The tree isn’t terribly attractive, nor large, nor some member of a critically endangered species. This tree is remarkable because it is about 5,000 years old – give or take a few decades. The tree in question is a […]

Are Treehouses Safe for Trees?

Building your child a treehouse not only provides them with a fun place to play, it can foster an appreciation for trees and the natural world. But some homeowners worry that a treehouse will harm their trees. And while some treehouses do damage their host trees, it is possible to design, construct and install one […]

Do You Know Tree Leaves Change Colors in the Fall?

Thanks to the incredible colors that appear, Fall is one of the most beautiful times of year in many places. Instead of the pretty, yet monotonous green tones that have painted the landscape for the last 6 months, the trees become clad in gold, red, orange and purple hues. Because the green color of leaves […]

What Are Some of the Best Drought-Tolerant Trees for California?

Prolonged droughts are commonplace in Southern California, so it is important to select trees that can survive with relatively little water for your next tree installation project. Fortunately for residents of the sunniest part of the Sunshine State, there are a number of native and exotic selections that fit this bill. The next time you […]

What Are Some Fast-Growing Trees for California Properties?

Humans tend to be an impatient bunch, so it isn’t surprising that many people are interested in selecting fast-growing trees for their next installation project. However, there are also a variety of real-world reasons to seek trees that grow and mature quickly. For example, trees can help to prevent erosion, provide energy-saving shade and screen […]