Fort Lauderdale's Bicentennial Liberty Live Oak Tree (Revision)

The City of Fort Lauderdale’s Bicentennial Liberty Live Oak tree, located adjacent to the Riverwalk area within Bubier Park, is approaching 250 years and I recently uncovered a trove of information and photographs documenting the tree’s relocation, providing a unique look into the past.

Live Oak Tree: September 1976

The live oak tree was donated to the City by Judge Robert O’Toole in early 1976 at over 200 years old. It was originally located near southeast 1^st avenue and southeast 6^th street in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The tree weighed over 50 tons and had a height of 30-35 feet and an average spread of 50-feet. Its relocation was considered to be the largest successful bare-root transplant of a tree in the world at that time.

The City’s then Urban Forester, Mike Moore, coordinated the relocation and preservation of the live oak tree. It had to be root pruned and braced before transport. The project was a massive undertaking and required coordination from multiple entities including the Florida Forest Service, FPL, Eller Company, Powell Brothers and Koch Towing Company. At one point, the City’s Fire Department was also called in to help free the tree roots from coral rock after a cable snapped during transport. After five months of preparation, over 40 personnel, a flatbed truck, and river barge along with three broken 155 ton steel cables the tree was successfully relocated on September 8, 1976.

On June 27, 1978, the live oak tree was renamed the Bicentennial Live Oak Tree as part of the dedication for the Robert H. Bubier Memorial Park. It was later renamed the Bicentennial Liberty Live Oak Tree, with installation of an official plaque, at a ceremony on September 11, 2002 in remembrance of the September 11, 2001 horrific events. Disney World’s Liberty Tree served as the original inspiration for the plaque dedication and wording as authored by Doug Eagon of the Stiles Corporation.

Today the Bicentennial Liberty Live Oak Tree is still doing fairly well at almost 250 years. Significant work was done to improve the tree’s overall health and vitality after impacts from a storm in August 2017. With such a historic past, the City will continue ongoing tree management efforts to preserve the tree well into the future!

Live Oak Tree: September 1976

Bicentennial Liberty Live Oak Tree Today

Hurricanes, Storms, and Your Landscape

As we are in the middle of hurricane season I am reposting an article I co-authored with my good friend Mark Torok from the Florida Forest Service (FFS) tackling the tough questions around tree care and storms.

Hurricanes, Storms, and Your Landscape

by

Mark Torok, FFS Senior Forester

Mark Williams, Treemendous Consulting Group

Living in Florida, sooner or later, given its history, your landscape is going to be exposed to high winds either from a hurricane, tornado or a storm. So what can be done to minimize wind damage in your Florida landscape?

 

For starters, have your existing trees inspected annually and/or structurally pruned by an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified arborist who is also licensed and insured. To find an ISA certified arborist in your area, you can use the “Arborist Search” on the ISA website at http://www.isa-arbor.com/findanarborist/arboristsearch.aspx. Having your trees inspected annually (risk assessment) and structurally pruned every 2-5 years will help the trees become more wind-resistant by eliminating or minimizing structural defects such as cross branching, decay, codominant stems, deadwood and included bark in the trees.

 

If you are thinking about redoing and or enhancing your landscape, plant more wind resistant trees. Just like people, all trees are not the same; some are more wind-resistant than others. In general, trees species that are wind resistant are also good compartmentalizers. Good compartmentalizers are tree species that can recover well from wounds and that seal them off effectively preventing the spread of decay. Even trees that are in the same family can vary on how well they compartmentalize. For example, live oak trees are very wind resistant and great compartmentalizers while laurel oaks/water oaks are very poor compartmentalizers and not very wind resistant trees.

 

Another way to make your landscape more wind tolerant is planting trees in groups. In a natural forest setting, winds normally blow over a stand of trees instead of blowing through them unlike the total exposure faced by an individual, open-grown tree. Grouping trees together in tree islands/communal plantings simulates how trees grow naturally and mimics the buffering effect of trees within a natural forest community. But remember to use minimum tree spacing requirements which are typically planting trees at least 15-20 foot on center for tree species that develop large canopy crowns. In order for a tree to develop proper taper a certain amount of wind exposure is also necessary. Some examples of Florida native tree species that are often found growing in groups include slash pine, bald cypress, live oak and sabal palm.

 

Addressing any root defects that may be present before planting will also aid tree establishment and help ensure a well anchored root system.  Some additional information about tree root pruning is available at: (http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/roots.shtml). Remember to plant your tree slightly above grade, install the recommended bracing system and to remove any circling, plunging and girdling roots that are present. The use of Florida Grade No. 1 (Grading Standard for Nursery trees set by FDACS) or above rated trees is also recommended as these trees are of high quality with excellent structure. Trees of this grade typically have greater vigor, establish faster and are free of structural defects commonly present on poorer quality/lower grade trees. Some additional information on proper tree planting and bracing is available at: ( http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/planting2.shtml).

 

 

Here are some high wind resistant native south Florida trees:

 

Gumbo limbo              Green buttonwood     Geiger tree

White stopper             Redberry stopper        Spanish stopper

Lignum vitae                Dahoon holly                Krug’s holly

Black ironwood           Bald cypress                   Pond cypress

FL silver palm              Cabbage/Sabal palm   FL thatch palm

Key thatch palm          Myrtle oak                     Live oak

Sand live oak

Here are some medium-high wind resistant native south Florida trees:

 

Pond apple                    Satinleaf                        Royal palm

Pigeon plum                  Wild tamarind             Sweetbay magnolia

Mastic tree                    Paradise tree               West Indian mahogany

 

References

Duryea, M.L. 2008. Trees and Hurricanes. Website: http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/treesandhurricanes/index.shtml of the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Gainesville, FL.

 

Gilman, E. 2005. Tree selection for landscapes. Website with 680 Tree Fact Sheets: http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/planting/TreeSelectionIntroduction.htm of the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Gainesville, FL.

 

Crawford, P. 2005. Florida Gardening Series, Volume 3 – Stormscaping: Landscaping to Minimize Wind Damage in Florida. Color Garden Inc. Canton, GA. 168 pp.

Trees and Wildfires

Trees face many challenges including pressure from overdevelopment, climate change, exotic pests/diseases, storms etc.. One of the most noticeable environmental challenges is wildfire. Fires are often created in nature due to drought conditions and lightning strikes. Fires can also be caused indirectly from human activities and something as small as a flicked cigarette butt in the wrong place can cause a devastating fire.
While fires can be disruptive and dangerous certain species of trees have evolved to tolerate and in some cases require periodic fire events to reproduce and thrive. The US Forest Service along with many State forestry agencies routinely conduct controlled burns to help eliminate undergrowth and improve the health of forests. The National Forest Foundation further discusses how trees thrive and survive in fire prone areas.

Image used courtesy of Mike McMillan/Spotfire Images

Image used courtesy of the Government of Alberta

Vertical Forests

The typical urban environment includes many challenges for establishing a proper tree canopy. Limited space, utility and infrastructure conflicts, pollution, disease and inadequate root and canopy space are some of the more critical ones. These challenges have compelled Urban Foresters to seek out technology and outside the box thinking when it comes to finding places to plant trees. Silva cells, mounded planting, structural soil and use of the right tree in the right place has helped provide solutions for these challenges.
Recently architects and designers have found new places to start planting trees: on rooftops and within multi-story buildings. An article by Fast Company covers this latest trend. When dealing with an ever changing urban environment finding new places to plant trees should always be a priority as they provide a wealth of health and environmental benefits.

Image used courtesy of Fast Company

Image used courtesy of Inhabitat.com

 

Visual Indicators of Tree Stress

How can you tell when a tree is under stress and requires attention or maintenance? Tree stress can be caused by both environmental and manmade factors including: droughts, lightning strikes, excessive rain and wind, construction damage, utility trenching, and a host of other factors.   Some typical visual stress symptoms include sudden leaf drop, unexpected leaf color change (green to yellow or brown), canopy and/or branch wilting, amounts of dead twigs suddenly increases and sudden branch or twig drop. Ensuring your tree is inspected annually by an ISA Arborist for defects, stress, and nutritional needs is a simple way to help keep your trees healthy and green.


For information on some of the most common tree stress signs and causes, please read this AccuWeather article.

Image used courtesy of askextension.org

 Image used courtesy of TCN Journal

Image used courtesy of Staytoevents.com

 

The Future of Street Lighting and Trees

Trees and light poles/fixtures are commonplace along most streets in urban environments. While they both provide ample benefits related to quality of life and security, trees are highly regarded for their environmental attributes. However, it is not unusual for the positioning of tree canopies to conflict with safety and required on-street/pedestrian level lighting.
Older style light poles require significant maintenance to replace bulbs, which are often energy inefficient, and keep them clear from existing tree canopy. Efforts are currently underway to retrofit existing light poles with LED’s, incorporating smaller acorn light fixtures and pedestrian up-lighting into tree pits to avoid canopy conflicts. With technological advancement, research is also ongoing to potentially turn trees into light sources using bioluminescent (production of light by a living organism) genes.
How amazing would it be to have a tree lined street lit up at night using only the trees themselves! Bioluminescent animals, ferns and insects already exist in nature. According to a Fast Company Article, researchers are trying to isolate the gene that makes microalgae glow for the purpose of genetically engineering trees into natural streetlights. If successful, this could have a significant impact on future energy savings as their will be less reliance on electricity, use of traditional up-lights, and light poles along streets.

Watering New Trees

To plant and establish new trees, there are many factors to consider. Proper planting depth, bracing, and slow release fertilization are all important aspects of this process; however, tree watering is the most essential.
 
Newly planted trees suffer from over or under watering all too often. Thankfully, technology has evolved to help rectify this problem. Tree bladders were created as a way to reduce labor costs for tree establishment, and to also ensure new trees are sufficiently watered. They slowly release water over time ensuring that the rootball of trees are watered evenly and at a steady rate, typically only requiring replenishment once or twice a week. This process promotes water conservation and sustainability by saving water and money. Tree bladders are also reusable, further increasing the can provide a potential for cost savings well beyond their initial use. To learn more about watering new trees and different types of tree bladders please see below:

 

Image Used Courtesy of Tree Gator©

 

Image Used Courtesy of Tree Gator©

Image Used Courtesy of TreeDiaper©

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep113

http://www.treegator.com/products/original/index.html

http://www.treegator.com/products/jrpro/index.html

https://www.treediaper.com/about-products.cfm



Trees, Salt Tolerance and Dunes

Trees provide many environmental benefits including habitat for wildlife, soil stabilization, shade, and removing pollution from the air.  Due to the effects from coastal flooding, king tides and sea level rise, non-salt tolerant trees are being negatively impacted with greater frequency leading directly to a loss of environmental benefits. In Fort Lauderdale, trees play a major role in urban forest sustainability and dune stabilization. As such, Fort Lauderdale is utilizing a more salt tolerant tree palette to enhance the resiliency of its trees; species such as Seagrape, Pitch Apple, Green and Silver Buttonwood and Gumbo Limbo do very well in dune/high salt environments, helping protect our shorelines from tidal events and storm surges. Incorporating more salt tolerant trees throughout the City's urban forest will continue to increase its sustainability and resiliency in the face of ongoing environmental challenges. To learn more about salt tolerant trees and the dune environment, please visit the websites below:

Image used courtesy of Broward County.

Image used courtesy of Land and Sea Marine

https://floridadep.gov/water/beaches
http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/landscaping-for-specific-sites/coastal-landscape.html

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs141p2_014913.pdf

New Tree Planting

So Spring is upon us and I normally receive a lot of questions pertaining to how and where to plant new trees in Fort Lauderdale. The first part is to identify a location on your property that is in need of a new tree whether for aesthetics, shade a source of fruit etc. Be aware that new tree planting in the City right-of-way swale will require a City landscaping permit, unless the tree(s) were provided through the City's Adopt A Tree Program. For more information on the City's Adopt A Tree Program please visit the following website: City of Fort Lauderdale Adopt A Tree Program. Next pay attention to the onsite conditions, does the proposed location have existing overhead or underground utilities, does the site receive ample sun or shade and how much room is available for a future mature tree (canopy and root room). Remember to call 811 before you dig to verify utility locations. Then you select an appropriate tree species for the location based on answers to the above questions. Make sure whatever tree you choose to plant is free from defects (girdling roots, poor structure, diseased etc.) and a minimum Florida No. 1 grade.  As for planting the tree dig out a hole that is at least 2-3 times the size of the new tree root ball, remove all burlap/wiring etc. from the rootball, place the tree on a firmly packed soil base within the planting hole backfilling around the root ball with a mix of native/top soil gently tamping it in place. Make sure that the final planting height is about 2-3" above grade as the tree will settle over time. Depending on tree size bracing and staking may be necessary. Make sure to use trunk protectors when bracing to avoid strap damage, and often trees are braced on three sides. Do not tighten the braces too much as a limited amount of play will be essential for allowing the tree to develop proper taper. Establishment watering is critical for the first 3-5 months. A general rule of thumb is to water every day for the first 30 days, every other day the next 30 days, every 3-4 days the next 30 and every 5-7 days the last 2-3 months. Please visit the following web links for additional information on proper tree planting and have fun this Spring with your new trees:

www.treesaregood.com/portals/0/docs/treecare/New_TreePlanting.pdf
https://www.arborday.org/trees/planting/containerized.cfm

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/planting.shtml 

Historic Tree Preservation

A lot of factors come into play when determining whether an older/mature/historic tree can or should be preserved. What is the tree's over all condition? What historic significance does the tree possess? What is the tree's risk rating and has there been any recent failure events? What are the goals for the property owner? All of these factors can be part of an overall plan or decision regarding whether a older/historic tree can or should be preserved. In the below article such a scenario is currently occurring regarding a historic Live Oak tree in Lakeland Florida. The "Lover's Oak" is a 150 year old Live Oak tree that recently experienced a failure event and is at the heart of a discussion on whether it should be removed or not. My colleague Joe Samnik and his team are evaluating the tree to come up with preservation options which may include canopy reduction. To learn more about this tree please visit the following web link:

Photograph taken of the Lover's Oak after Hurricane Irma. Image used courtesy of The Ledger.

http://www.theledger.com/news/20180306/arborist-lakelands-famous-lovers-oak-at-least-150-years-old---20-years-older-than-city-itself

Trees and Stormwater Benefits

I came across a new article from Columbia University that added some additional insight into how trees can help mitigate storm water. A recent study by Columbia University showed that trees in an urban/city setting that were planted and protected by a tree barrier, grate, fence etc. had a greater capacity to absorb storm water than those that did not. In fact the study showed that trees were 6 times more effective in absorbing storm water runoff when protected by barriers. This makes perfect sense as compacted soil(s) and a compacted root area is less permeable to water than an un compacted area. So its not just planting trees but protecting their planting space itself that leads to an increase in storm water mitigation. Interesting read for sure and if you would like to see the full article please follow the below web link:

 

Credit Lizzie Adkins, Columbia University



https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180123171505.htm

New Technology Helping Control Insects

I came across an article detailing a new method to control the insect carrier for the dreaded citrus greening disease. As Florida is one of the nation's largest citrus producing states, any insect or disease that threatens the citrus crop typically receives full and immediate attention. Citrus greening differs from the previously #1 citrus issue citrus canker in a few very important way; citrus greening causes immediate fruit drop, reduces overall fruit yields and ultimately kills the tree within a very short time frame. Citrus canker mainly was a cosmetic issue causing unsightly blemishes to the fruit skin of citrus, but leaving the fruit juice and tree itself in relatively free from any affects. That being said the new technology involves a modified electric fence that hones in on the Asian citrus psyllid the carrier of citrus greening to reduce their numbers and help control the rate of tree infection. To read more about this emerging technology please visit the following web link:

https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-county/2018/01/29/psyllid-zapper-resistant-trees-among-tactics-combat-floridas-citrus-greening/1070347001/  

Historic Magnolia Tree Being Removed at the White House

I recently came across an article mentioning that a historic Magnolia tree was being removed at the White House. The tree in question a large leaf Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) was originally planted by Andrew Jackson back in 1829 and can also be found on the back of the $20 bill circa 1928-1998. The tree ultimately failed due to a combination of old age, decay and structural instability. At the end there simply wasn't enough sound wood left to justify keeping the tree in place due to its risk of failing and causing damage to people or property.The tree was 190 years old well past its normal lifespan; a testament to the critical care it has received over the years from arboricultural experts. When considering trees planted on your property keep in mind that you can extend their lifespan through proper tree pruning, maintenance, planting the right tree in the right place and using an ISA Certified Arborist or ASCA Consulting Arborist to conduct an annual inspection. For the full article please see the weblink below:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/home/ct-life-sun-0121-garden-morton-20180117-story.html

Trees and Bioswales

Trees have many benefits but one of the most important revolves around their capacity to mitigate and filter storm water discharge as a component of a bioswale. Bioswales are storm water runoff conveyance systems that provide an alternative to storm sewers. They can absorb low flows or carry runoff from heavy rains to storm sewer inlets or directly to surface waters. Bioswales improve water quality by infiltrating the first flush of storm water runoff and filtering the large storm flows they convey. Trees have a large capacity to intercept rainwater by capturing rain droplets with their canopy and absorbing rainwater through their root zones. In addition recent studies have shown that trees grow better in bioswales and improve rainwater filtration by creating channels through the soil profile. For additional information on bioswales and trees please visit the below weblinks:

http://www.deeproot.com/blog/blog-entries/research-shows-trees-in-bioswales-provide-significant-stormwater-benefits

http://stormwater.wef.org/2015/10/study-examines-performance-trees-bioswales/