Miles Stephens from Davey's South Pittsburgh office talks about native trees he recommends, as well as the Pawpaw tree!
In this episode we cover:
To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.
To learn more about the benefits of planting native trees in your region, read our blog, Benefits of Planting Trees Native to Your Region.
Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company
Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!
Miles Stephens from Davey's South Pittsburgh office talks about native trees he recommends, as well as the Pawpaw tree!
In this episode we cover:
To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.
To learn more about the benefits of planting native trees in your region, read our blog, Benefits of Planting Trees Native to Your Region.
Connect with Davey Tree on social media:
Twitter: @DaveyTree
Facebook: @DaveyTree
Instagram: @daveytree
YouTube: The Davey Tree Expert Company
LinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company
Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!
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Doug Oster: Welcome to the Davey Tree Expert Company's Podcast Talking Trees. I'm your host, Doug Oster. Each episode showcases one of Davy's certified arborists sharing advice with everyone about caring for your trees and landscapes. We'll talk about everything from introduced pests, seasonal tree care, deer damage, how to make your trees thrive and much, much more. Tune in every Thursday to learn more because here at the Talking Trees podcast, we know trees are the answer. This week, I'm joined by an old friend Miles Stephens. He's a district manager in the south Pittsburgh area. I'm based in Pittsburgh so we've known each other for quite a while.
We're going to talk about native trees and in particular, when we get going here, we're going to explore the wonderful world of pawpaw trees. Miles, how are you today?
Miles Stephens: Good. How are you doing, Doug?
Doug: I'm doing great. Is there a definition for a native tree or is it just one that's been here? Is there a way to classify them?
Miles: I classify a native tree as something would've been indigenous to North America when the first European shelters came. That's what I would classify as native and, of course that could even go way beyond that point in time but that's the starting point, I guess I would say.
Doug: Let's talk a little bit about the benefits of natives. Natives have become a big deal in our perennial gardens and throughout the garden, but it's also native trees have some great benefits.
Miles: They do because they've lived in the soils and the climate that we experience, here that's how they developed. Therefore, a lot of times they're resistant to certain diseases and insects, and can generally tolerate the extreme weather conditions because once again, those trees have grown and developed in that type of environment for thousands and thousands of years. They can withstand a lot of these ups and downs a little bit better than some of the trees that we like to bring in.
Doug: When people bring you to the property and they're wondering about this tree, that tree, is there much discussion about natives with customers?
Miles: Yes. There is quite a bit and I'd have to say there's been more probably in the last 10 years as people become more aware and more cognizant of maybe a better idea at times to select native plants. A lot of times people like to bring in, they saw a tree in a magazine somewhere and oh, this would be nice and you find out that it's not really suited for our climate. Things are mild, they might do okay but if we get really cold or we get really hot, then those plants aren't suited for plus the type of soil too, we can vary greatly, and you bring something when to grow to sandy soil and we don't have a lot of sandy soil around here. We have clay and silt loams, but not a lot of sandy soil around here.
Doug: We've certainly seen that as weather patterns have changed trees that did okay for a while, and then suddenly there's a polar vortex or the reverse, there's all this heat and drought. If it's some species brought from Asia, a lot of times they can't take it, especially if they're just on the edge of the hardiness zone. Like you said, somebody sees a picture of this thing in a magazine. It does everything you want it to do. It's unusual but when the weather gets tough, that's when those plants many times give up.
Miles: Right. They just can't tolerate it. I always say Blue Atlas Cedar is one of them, they're okay but you get a really cold winter and they can be kaput, they'll be done. They just can't tolerate that then. Even Leyland Cypress is another one, I think sometimes too. They grow fantastic and all it takes is one severe winter and they are gone. Just a couple examples, I think of right off the top of my head. Those are things people like, they like to look of them but when it comes to some of the weather we have, it's not usual for us to have zero degrees every year, but we do get that. They're not accustomed to that and they're going to have difficulties.
Doug: Let's get into the good stuff now. Let's start talking about here in the east, what are some of the cool trees that are natives that we can plant? I want actually, I'm going to, since we know each other, I want to start off with one that I know you have in your own landscape, the Sourwood.
Miles: Yes, great tree. It's a native tree. It's one of those uncommon common trees and they got to be a small, medium size tree but the fall color and with the flowers, that purple leaf color, but the flowers are like a drooping type flower is fantastic. A great accent plan for the landscape and once they're native, so they'll tolerate most of the conditions we have around here on a regular basis. Slow growing, and sometimes that can be a, not a good attribute for trees. Sometimes people like to grow faster, they're slow growing but they'll get there and they'll give you some enjoyment looking at them for some time. Like the one in my yard is 12-foot tall and it's been there for 15 years. It's slow growing but it's getting there.
Doug: Well, actually since it seems that everybody wants something smaller now that's the latest trend, so the native Sourwood it's just like fashion. Eventually it comes back into play. How big will it get at maturity?
Miles: I've seen them get 30 foot tall, 35 foot tall. There's one I mentioned to before it's in one of the south hills neighborhoods and it's probably about 40 foot tall. It is really a specimen plant but not overly spreading. It's not going to get to be a real wide tree, tends to stay a little bit more narrow but to me, a 35 foot tall tree is not a large tree, and that'll fit in a lot of different areas, a lot of different landscapes. People are always worried about planting something that gets to be 90 foot tall. I certainly see that all the time and people didn't know, or people having to move into the house.
They're not the one that planted it and it's like, boy, where were they were thinking? When it got planted it was 3 foot tall and now here it is, how many years later but certainly had a 30, 35-foot-tall tree can fit into a lot of landscapes.
Doug: Let's continue after that Sourwood what are some other things for the east that are native, that you love?
Miles: I love Serviceberries, another good tree, native tree and things you can get shrub form, good tree form, native species, flowers, very early here, flowers before dogwoods most of the time. I think that a lot of times people see them flowering in the woods. They go, "Oh, the dogwoods are already out in the woods." Well, that's not the case. That's probably Serviceberry. Of course, one of those deals where with common names it varies by area. Around here, it's called Serviceberry, out east it's called Shadblow, and the reason for that is when they flowered in the east that's when the shad were typically going up to the Delaware River or whatnot so that's why they call them Shadblow.
Serviceberry, in this part of the country was tied to, by the time people see Serviceberry blooming that's when the traveling minister could probably make it back to those backwoods places so they called it Serviceberry. A great tree once again, small, medium size tree, nice flowers, gets fruit, which is nice fruit. A little bit showy but not so much that suddenly you have every startling and your neighbor come into your tree. Not to be showy. I had one in front of my house actually I've had couple times where hummingbirds have actually nested in it. Of course, I have butterfly bushes close by, they go back and forth, but still that nice sized tree.
The bark can be very interesting as they mature and you looking at it all almost looks like it gets wet. It looks like muscle. You can see like looks a muscle, it's in between a little bit of reddish, so the bar gets a little bit showy on them too. It's nice even in the wintertime, you get a little bit of an accent there. They're a great plant but they're native and they do well here.
Doug: Well, I'm so glad I listened to your advice probably three years ago about Serviceberry because I stuck one in round and I just love it. What else is on your list?
Miles: Redbud.
Doug: Oh yes.
Miles: Another great one and there are some great displays around here. Redbud, I always think if you drive up I79 and just before you get just past the Carnegie exit heading north, that one whole hillside on the west side is all Redub. Although I say the guy who named it Redbud must have been color blind because they look more purple to me but that's him, whatever.
Doug: Yes. It's Purplebud. Well, that's funny, you mentioned that because when there are a stand of them and they are close to the freeway like that and they bloom of course, my email lights up. I'm sure people are asking you too.
Miles: Oh, yes.
Doug: What is that plant that has all that color on it on the hillside?
Miles: Yes. Redbud and what's interesting of Redbud, I think we talked one time before how about the pods are edible, the flowers are too.
Doug: Oh, they are.
Miles: Yes. I just was looking something up because the pods how do you treat, how do you whatever and then had there they're actually very good, can go in salads and that type of thing too, so like, wow. I told you once before had a client asked if the pods were edible and I'm like, "Wow, you better check out before you do" and then I went online. There's a whole society of people in the United States that collect the seed pods for consumption. It blew me away. I didn't think it would be something that popular but a whole group of people out there that's what they get into, so hey.
Doug: Did you ever taste one?
Miles: No, I haven't got that bold yet. Well, I will, one of these days. I'll try it out. Used to have a nice one in my yard, unfortunately, I expanded my house and that was the end of that. I plan to plant one in my yard, used to have one and we eventually run out of room planting but I'll find someplace to stick one.
Doug: Well, how about one more idea for a really cool native tree, and then we're going to move on to paw paws because we've got a lot to talk about when it comes to paw paws.
Miles: I'm going to go out a little bit on here. Everybody likes to plant oaks and I think a big sturdy tree, but I finally corralled one and planted my own Scarlet oak, because they're very similar to Pin oak, but once again, they give you a great fall show called Scarlet oak because they got the scarlet color to them. They can be a little more higher maintenance tree pruning wise, but once again, they're native to the area. Pin oak is really not native to this part of Pennsylvania. They're native to North America.
It's a weather native tree, but they're not something you're going to hope if you take a walk in the woods, you're not going to find them. Scarlet oak for sure, and a great fall color. I think that would be it, that's if you're looking for a larger tree, then you might go to Scarlet oak. That would be a nice one. White oaks are always nice too, but scarlet give you some fall color. I think that's nice because pin oaks just brown, hang and then they drop without much to them. Scarlets give you a great fall show.
Doug: Well, we know that oaks do so much for wildlife in general.
Miles: Right. Oh yes, for sure. Such a great point, great food source for all kind of different critters out there. Everybody likes them, they're good, and yes, good point there. They're great for wildlife, large enough you can get some animals that like to live in them. Squirrels, maybe you always want to see those, but hey, great nesting sites for them and for other birds. Yes, oaks are important in the wooded areas, a lot of oak areas.
Doug: Tell me about your introduction to pawpaw trees. How did you find them?
Miles: Well, way back when, when I was in college a long time ago at the Arboretum at WVU, it took me almost for only [unintelligible 00:12:09] river and then we saw paw paws, and that was interesting or whatever. You don't see them that often around here. Well, probably about four or five years ago, I was out at Raccoon Park, and my oldest son and I were hunting, and we were in an area above where the springs are up there and we were just started walking down this old trail. We decided to take a break and we were looking, and of course at this point in time, we're talking in December, and we're looking at these trees and we're looking and my son goes, "Hey, those are pawpaw." "Really?"
We got looking at them and it's like, "Yes, those are paw paws." Well, that's really cool. I don't see them around here that often. That might be just put in my back pocket. Another part that made it interesting was that where we were at, was actually would've been my family's homestead. That's cool, sort of a tie in a little bit there. Then I started looking around, where can I get paw paws at? I think that it was an event that the Tree Pittsburgh had, and there were some pawpaw trees. I said, "Well, you know what, I'm going to try that try my hand at growing these." Planted them, and this year, first-year I got flowers on one.
I took your advice and I was hanging chicken parts around them. We'll see what happens. Only one flowered, so I may not be looking at it again. Having a whole lot of success this year, the smaller one, I have two of them. One didn't make it. The other didn't produce any flower. It may not be a year until I get fruit, but I'm getting closer now, now that one is flowered. That will be interesting, and then you read the history of them and it was a major food source. It could be a major food source locally for Native Americans. I always like to think it was served as a chilled fruit and supposedly it was George Washington's favorite dessert, chilled pawpaw. Hey, what could go wrong with that?
Doug: That's what I all always say, that I enjoy my paw paws the same way that George Washington did, chilled. A pawpaw, can be like the size of a potato and it looks like a big giant green potato, but when you cut it open, it has this yellow flesh, big seeds, and tastes-- some people say a cross between banana and mango, that's about as close as you can come. Everyone tastes a little bit different and it's such an interesting tree to grow. I found my way to pawpaws early on when I moved into this property almost 25 years ago. I was just looking through a fruit catalog and I was like, "Pawpaws, that sounds pretty good." Yes, a native plant that in September puts on, has this big fruit and the thing about the chicken parts. I don't know if it's a myth, but they said that indigenous Americans would hang dead squirrels in the tree because it puts on these non-descript purple flowers early in the season that are pollinated by flies. We don't know if that was really the case, but to get more flies, that's what Miles is saying is putting his chicken parts there.
Miles: What they're saying to actually the flowers in a sense, supposed to replicate in appearance of rotting fruits, therefore they'll attract flies. Therefore, what you're doing by adding some animal material is that you're trying to make it seem more attractive to them. I've read other comments that say the same thing as some, chicken necks or whatever type of-- whatever you can get to hang near them and see if they can actually help with the pollination or whatever. I have yet to visit that stand this spring out of the park, and I probably should go out there this weekend to see if they've flowered because I've always been surprised. I've never seen fruit on those out there, but I don't think they'd appreciate me hanging animal parts on the trees out in the park.
Doug: Yes. I don't think that's going to go over well. Who would've thought when you got into trees, that you would be hanging chicken around a tree to try and get the flies to pollinate it?
Miles: Well, not just stranger than fiction so it's like why not?
Doug: Definitely. Tell me a little bit about how you found your way to this job.
Miles: Well, it goes way back, I guess, prior to my job here, how I got interested in what I do just to the fact that grew up out in Clinton and wasn't a whole lot around there. I always liked tramping through the woods and building forts and all kind of stuff you do when you're a kid. I decided early on, I didn't really want a job where I was going to be sitting in an office all the time. I wanted to work outside, so I ended up going to school for forestry and graduate from WVU, and '81 was a tough time to get a job. I ended up getting a job with another tree company, worked there for a year and then came back, got a job with Davey and gone on from there.
It's been rewarding, not traditional forestry, but I enjoy, get to meet a lot of interesting people. To me, it's like micro forestry. You talk about traditional forestry or managing 100 acres this is where you're going to a property, people manage four or five trees. You don't manage those trees, and in the end, I think what is the most rewarding is that we're more of a tree, I'm more involved in tree preservation than anything else, and I enjoy it. That's the part I enjoy the most, meeting people. I've met a lot of interesting people and I'm sure you do too, and that is what makes it, people all walks of life, a lot of different interests, but that makes the job fun.
Doug: I agree, Miles. Well, that was a lot of fun to talk about, natives and chicken parts and paw paws. Certainly, appreciate your time, and we will be seeing you here locally in Pittsburgh, I'm sure in the next few weeks or so. Thanks again.
Miles: Thank you, Doug. Thanks for having me on. I do appreciate, and I enjoyed talking. I'll give you a pawpaw update whenever I get some fruit. By the way, that's what my granddaughter, that's what she calls me, pawpaw. I can't get away from pawpaw everywhere.
Doug: All right. I'll tell you what, my trees are going to have fruit on there. Worst case scenario, we'll have to hook up and I'll give you a couple of nice paw paws.
Miles: That'd be fantastic. Thank you, great. Thank you, Doug.
Doug: Tune in every Thursday to the Talking Trees podcast from the Davey Tree Expert Company, I'm your host, Doug Oster. Next week, we're talking all about the best trees for your backyard, and there are some unique varieties we're discussing. We'll also dive into a complete safety check for the trees in your landscape, and as always, we'd like to remind you on the Talking Trees podcast, trees are the answer.
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