The Learning Center

August heat can be brutal. Even well-established trees can silently suffer from drought stress, which weakens their structure, slows growth, and makes them more vulnerable to disease, pests, and storm damage. But the good news? If you catch the signs early, you can often save the tree and avoid costly removal.

If you’ve ever stumbled across a large, wrinkled green fruit that looks like a brain and drops with a heavy thud in late summer, you’ve likely encountered the Osage orange tree (Maclura pomifera). Despite the name, this tree isn’t related to citrus.

We could have had shady, fruit-bearing trees and breathable air. Instead, we got pollen-bombing forests of sterile male trees — all because someone didn’t want to sweep. Thanks, urban planning.