Repurposing Norway maples

Arboretum volunteers

Volunteers started clearing invasive Norway maples in the Ladd Arboretum this week and, with the help of a city crew, put them to use as edging for a section of the gravel path.

Norway maples are tough trees that were once widely planted along streets in our area and have spread into areas along the banks of the North Shore Channel. They grow easily from their abundant seed, have shallow roots, and cast heavy shade, so they make it tough for more diverse native plants to grow. We will be clearing out a number of these and other invasive and weedy trees and shrubs over the summer months to make way for plantings that are more diverse and better suited for our native birds and pollinators.

Many thanks to (from left) Greg, Sheila, and Brad for their skill and persistence. If you’d like to join them, get in touch with us at evanstonhabitat [at] gmail.com

— Wendy Pollock