Pruning, lightning protection, and other tree services valued at $98,000

An arboretum wouldn’t exist without its trees, and at the 446-acre National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., keeping up with thousands of them on a daily basis can sometimes overwhelm available resources. Fortunately for the Arboretum, Bartlett Tree Experts will step in to tackle the backlog with donated expertise and equipment worth $98,000.

On Saturday, October 22, over 75 skilled employees of Bartlett Tree Experts from as far away as North Carolina will arrive at the Arboretum with chippers, tree trucks, and pruning equipment for a full day of work. Arboretum staff worked closely with Bartlett to prioritize a range of projects that include pruning dead limbs from mature trees, improving the structural integrity of young trees through selective pruning, and adding and extending lightning protection on treasured trees.

“We are very grateful to Bartlett Tree Experts for their continued support of the National Arboretum’s trees,” says Arboretum Director Dr. Colien Hefferan. “Through long-standing membership on the Friends of the National Arboretum board, the company’s chairman, Robert Bartlett Jr., has assured the success of numerous donated work days, all of which contributed lasting value to the Arboretum’s collections.”

This year workers will address concerns in several collections. Arborists will climb into the canopies of mature trees in the Fern Valley Native Plant Collection—frequent victims of high winds—and in a mature oak grove in the Holly/Magnolia Collection to prune large broken and dead branches. Workers on the ground will prune dozens of young trees along the Flowering Tree Walk and in the Grove of State Trees to shape them for the strongest and most attractive branching. Lighting protection experts will install copper conductors to a specimen tulip poplar tree and will also test and extend existing lightning protection systems in a maturing pin oak and an over 150-year-old wide-spreading willow oak.

According to the Arboretum’s Gardens Unit Leader Scott Aker, services like pruning are integral to maintaining tree healthy and safety. “Pruning trees is important to their overall health. By removing dead branches with clean cuts, trees are better able to heal. Pruning young trees for structural integrity reduces the risk of limbs twisting and breaking during storms.”

Visitors to the Arboretum can observe the work day activities where it is safe to do so. Bartlett Tree Experts and Arboretum staff will be on hand to monitor the work sites and will answer questions.

About Bartlett Tree Experts

The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company was founded in 1907 by Francis A. Bartlett and is the world’s leading scientific tree and shrub care company. The organization’s current chairman, Robert A. Bartlett Jr., represents the third generation of Bartlett family management. Bartlett has locations in 25 U.S. states, Canada, Ireland and Great Britain. Services include pruning, pest and disease management, fertilization and soil management, cabling and bracing, tree lightning protection systems and tree/stump removal. Its corporate offices are located in Stamford, Connecticut. To find out more, visit the company’s web site at www.bartlett.com or call 1-877-BARTLETT (227-8538).

About the U.S. National Arboretum and Friends of the National Arboretum

The National Arboretum was established by an Act of Congress in 1927 and is located in Northeast Washington, D.C. The Arboretum is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. Its mission is to serve the public need for scientific research, education, and gardens that conserve and showcase plants to enhance the environment.