Trees are a staple to yards in Michigan, and one of the most popular types of trees to plant are evergreens. Why? Because they are so easy to take care of and, most importantly, no leaves to rake up in the fall. Evergreens can provide year-round beauty and privacy as well as attracting wildlife. Here is a list of the best evergreens to beautify your Michigan landscapes

Blue Spruce

Blue spruce is native to the Colorado mountains region, but it has become a favorite tree in Michigan over the years. Their thick full form provides an ideal shape that can be used for privacy fences, sound barriers, and windbreakers. They retain their beauty year-round and can make your landscapes pop in the winter. Blue spruce make excellent nesting places for robins, chickadees and other birds. As beautiful as they are, blue spruces are not native to Michigan and are susceptible to certain diseases that have begun to plague spruce trees throughout the state. 

Jack Pine

Jack pine is a valuable timber tree in Michigan and Canada. It ranges from 30-72 feet in height and does not usually grow perfectly straight like it’s cousins. Most importantly, it’s the preferred nesting ground for the endangered Kirtland’s warbler. These birds require trees ranging from five to 20 feet tall and nest in forests larger than 80 acres.

Black Spruce

The black spruce is a small, slow-growing, narrow evergreen tree with a spire-like crown. It’s branches droop downward to sweep the ground, making it an ideal Christmas tree. It is an excellent choice for cold northern climates, and it is tolerant of wet sites. It makes an excellent home for birds such as robins and a warm place to roost for overwintering birds.

Scotch Pine

The Scotch Pine or Scots pine is a native to Europe and Asia. It was brought to America at the turn of the last century and was a popular tree for farmers to plant on their property. It has thick, dark grey-brown bark that turns reddish-orange as the tree gets older. Its needles are a greenish-blue and have excellent retention, making them a popular Christmas tree in Michigan. Birds and other wildlife are attracted to the seeds, and it is a favorite nesting spot for owls.

Eastern White Pine

For those of you up on your Michigan facts, the eastern white pine is the state tree of the Wolverine State. These are hardy trees that can grow 50 to 80 feet in height with a spread of 20 to 40 feet across. Its grand appearance may be why Native Americans referred to this tree as the “Tree of Peace.” As it matures, it loses its bottom branches, making it a great shade tree. When they are younger, they make Ideal privacy screens or windbreaks. The eastern white pine prefers moist, well-drained soils. Mature trees are usually 200 to 250 years old, and some can live for over 500 years. This is definitely a tree that you can invest in your property and know that it will be around for generations.

Call The Tree Removal Experts

Trees are great additions to our landscape, but sometimes they can become a problem. Diseased trees can infect and kill neighboring trees, while dead trees pose threats to property and people. When you need to remove a tree call the experts at PPM Tree Service & Arbor Care

Give us a call at (877) 454-8733 or request a quote here. Hear about the latest news and offers from PPM by following us on Twitter and Facebook. Don’t forget to check out the monthly PPM Tree blog for all your tree care tips and tricks.

As we try to protect our trees from damaging insects, there is one group of insects that usually gets overlooked. Scales or tree scales are tiny insects that feed on the sap of trees and plants. Depending on the species, scales can cause a lot of damage to Michigan trees and fruit trees.

As the insects feed, their piercing mouthparts inject a toxin into the plant as it feeds, causing yellowing of tissue, reduced growth, and branch dieback. Soft scale insects secrete a waste called honeydew, which can attract bees, wasps, ants, and flies. Honeydew can also be the host of fungus called black sooty mold, which can make your trees look attractive. Although sooty mold is harmless if there is enough present, it could shade out sunlight and stunt the tree’s growth. 

There are two types of scale insects: armored scales and soft scales.

Soft Scale Insects

• Produce honeydew, a sugary liquid waste product
• Tend to be bigger than their armored counterparts
• Shaped like rounded bumps
• Secrete a waxy substance over their bodies for protection

Armored Scale Insects

• Don’t produce honeydew
• Smaller, fatter, rounder than soft scale insects
• Have a hard shell to protect them

Types of Scale Found In Michigan

Tree scale is a particular problem in Michigan because of our fruit trees. One of those is the nasty San Jose Scale. San Jose Scale feeds on a variety of our beloved fruit trees, including pear, apple, plum, and peaches. Young trees are the most vulnerable and can be killed in just a few years. San Jose scales can also feed on the fruit and leaves of the trees, causing bright red spots and reduced yield.

Signs of Tree Scale

Infestations can weaken host trees or even kill the tree if it is bad enough. Damage to an infected tree can include:

• Yellowing leaves
• Tiny bumps covering branches (insects)
• Slower growth
• Premature leaf drop
• Branch dieback

Treating Tree Scale

Scales have a unique life cycle that makes them rather hard to control. When temperatures warm up in the spring, overwintering scales emerge from a protective wax covering and mate. Unlike other insects, female scales give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. She can give birth to 150-500 crawlers during the season. Crawlers are so named because they are born with six legs and spend their time crawling around the tree and feeding on the sap. After three weeks, the crawlers molt and lose their legs and antennas to become armored adults.

Management of tree scale is tricky and varies from species to species. As we mentioned above, these insects have either a protective wax coating or a hard shell, making controlling these insects difficult. Dormant oils are moderately effective on overwintering soft scale species but need to be applied in early spring before trees come out of dormancy. They are even less effective on armored scale species. Natural enemies, such as birds, wasps, flies, and beetles, feed on adults, as well as crawlers. 

The trick to controlling tree scale is to know when they are at their most vulnerable, which is the crawler stage. Properly timed insecticide sprays can help manage tree scale by killing the young crawlers. Unfortunately, the adults are well protected against chemical attacks.

Your Trusted Tree Service

Keeping your trees protected from tree scales can keep them strong and healthy, but sometimes infestations are just too much for the tree. When trees die, it is usually from diseases or infestations. The most responsible thing to do in these instances is to remove the tree to prevent it from spreading to others.

At PPM Tree Service & Arbor Care, we offer tree trimming, pruning, and removal services.

Give us a call at (877) 454-8733 or request a quote here. Hear about the latest news and offers from PPM by following us on Twitter and Facebook. Don’t forget to check out the monthly PPM Tree blog for all your tree care tips and tricks.