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A hunk, a hunk of ‘burning’ leaves

October 29, 2018 | Paula Lukowski | arboretum, trees
TRE_Arboretum fall 2018_homepage

Bursts of reds, golds, oranges, browns, grays and greens fill the landscape at OPPD’s arboretum, located at 108th and Blondo streets. But no need to alarm firefighters.

TRE_Edson_Halloway
OPPD foresters Aaron Holloway, left, and Andrew Edson check out a tree in the OPPD Arboretum.

It’s the annual fall display of color, and the utility invites the public to stroll the two miles of walking paths at the arboretum, take in the beauty and learn more about trees. It’s also a favorite backdrop for local photographers.

The site contains more than 1,000 trees and shrubs or more than 200 different species, each marked with their name, species, height and spread at full maturity. The utility opened the site in 2004 to educate the public about the proper placement of trees and their energy conservation benefits.

Elvis sighting

OPPD forester Andrew Edson also suggests visitors closely check the tree markers, especially along the winding path that runs northeast of the substation.

TRE_Presely sycamore tree
This sycamore tree grew from a seed hand-picked at the Graceland estate of Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tenn.

“We have a special area with trees connected to some famous historical people,” Edson said. “The ‘Elvis Presley Sycamore’ sprouted from a seed handpicked from the Graceland Estate of Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tenn.”

Edson also pointed out a White Ash grown from a seed handpicked from the Harriet Beecher Stowe house in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a Bur Oak grown from an acorn off a tree near Simms Cave, made famous by Mark Twain.

Spice it up

“You see a lot of the same trees around town, but our arboretum shows a variety of other plantings that can prosper in our area,” Edson added.

“We encourage people to come see for themselves before adding to their landscape.”

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About Paula Lukowski

Paula Lukowski has more than 34 years of corporate communications experience. By far, her favorite aspect of that role has been profiling the great work done by OPPD employees and retirees. Paula and her husband, Mark, have two grown children, Rachel and John, a son-in-law, Josh, and two grandsons.

View all posts by Paula Lukowski >

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