December NOPE, next up January 10, 2026!

January 2026 tour with Jeff , sign-up here --> link

Meet at 9:00AM Saturday in front of Inman Perk coffeeshop (240 North Highland Ave NE). We will walk for 1 1/2 hours, covering 1 mile of the Beltline, ending at Ponce City Market. (In fact, you can park near the end and walk to Inman Perc...if you want to end the tour near your car).

November 2, 2025

 This Week's Tour...

...met at 9:00AM Saturday in front of Inman Perk coffeeshop (240 North Highland Ave NE). 

"The Tourists"...
What a great group of new and OG Atlantans, in one case someone I’d met a the previous day’s Fernbank Forest tour! I hope I earned the privilege of your time.

Pic of the week...
...is just one of the many examples of street art along the Beltline…this one depicting Kevin! Everyone in the Beltline “community” knows Kevin, an amazing person who exemplifies how simple kindness and enthusiasm can be so uplifting and infectious. Be more Kevin!

Tree of the week...
...is a Trees Atlanta favorite we are proud to have in our front yard; Cherrybark oak.

Originally thought to be a sub species of southern red oak, this tree is celebrated for its fast growth, strong wood, and gorgeous fall leaves. The Latin name “pagoda” refers to the tiered shape of the lobed leaves.

Cherrybark Oak

 Quercus pagoda

"Stump" of the week...
...featuring a question raised during the tour that Jeff couldn't answer.

Super craggy bark (with bird nests) of a Douglas fir

Q: Trees have many forms of bark and that form can change as trees mature. Beech and Tulip Poplars both start with similar, smooth bark, but that definitely is not the case in older trees!

A: Both tulip poplars and American beeches begin life with thin, smooth bark, but they age quite differently due to bark elasticity. The tulip poplar’s bark loses flexibility as the tree rapidly grows in girth, forcing it to crack and form deep ridges that accommodate expansion. In contrast, the American beech maintains highly elastic, slow-growing bark that stretches instead of splitting, allowing it to stay smooth for decades. This difference reflects each tree’s growth rate and strategy: the tulip poplar prioritizes speed and height, while the beech invests in longevity and resilience. The result is a striking contrast—two smooth saplings that mature into entirely different textures over time.

October 11, 2025

 This Week's Tour...

...met at 9:00AM Saturday in front of Inman Perk coffeeshop (240 North Highland Ave NE). 

"The Tourists"...
What a great group of Atlantans..and repeat tour takers! I hope I earned the privilege of your time….again!

Pic of the week...
...is just more street art on the Freedom Parkway overpass. 

Tree of the week...
...is an Atlanta native not on the Eastside trail (yet!), but being from the PNW, I love a connection.

American hophornbeam! Okay, you can’t brew an IPA from these flowers, but they sure look hoppy. And I was today years old when I found out those “hops” are the result of the flower developing into a “nutlet” surrounded by a papery sac called “involucre”. 

American Hophornbeam

 Ostrya virginiana

"Stump" of the week...
...featuring a question raised during the tour that Jeff couldn't answer.

Prunus serotina

Q: We see non-native, fruiting cherry trees along the Beltline (not planted by Trees Atlanta); are there any species of cherry tree native to the eastern U.S.?

A: Sort of! Folks from the western U.S. might be familiar with "Rainier" cherries (Prunus avium), "a premium type of cherry...sweet with a thin skin and thick creamy-yellow flesh." It is a cultivar that is grafted to rootstock of the wild Prunus avium, native to Eurasia. 

So the long answer is: there isn't a cherry similar to "Rainier" that is native to Atlanta, but being a grafted cultivar, "Rainier" itself isn't native to anywhere! But there is a type of "cherry" native to our region; Prunus serotina. But - and this is an even BIGGER BUT - despite its common name, it is not very closely related to commonly cultivated cherries. It does fruit, it does support hundreds of native species, and it can be VERY invasive...so be very careful when introducing a native "cherry" to our ecosystem

August 9, 2025

This Week's Tour...

...met at 9:00AM Saturday in front of Inman Perk coffeeshop (240 North Highland Ave NE). 

"The Tourists"...
What a great group of Atlantans (and nearly Atlantans…Fairburn in the house! Happy 3 years together!). I hope I earned the privilege of your time.

Pic of the week...
...is actually me "stumping" for a podcast!!

Completely Arbortrary is a great resource for all things tree. It's just 2 guys that love trees and hope you want to listen. This episode - "All Trees Go To Heaven (American Beech)" - partially inspired some of this month's tour content. 

Tree of the week...
...is going to be a repost of ALL OF THEM.

One of our intrepid tourists was interested specifically in growing her tree identification knowledge. It can be tough during the winter, since leaves are such an integral part of identification, but here is the list of the trees I pointed out along the trail:

• Fringe trees (Chionanthus retusus)
• Chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia)
• Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata)
• Cathedral live oak (Quercus virginiana)
• Georgia oak (Quercus georgiana)
• American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
• Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima, non-native)
• Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
• Pignut hickory (Carya glabra)
• Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica..not sweet gum...ew)
• Lots of oaks (genus Quercus), including white swamp, southern red, chinquapin
• Carolina and Canada Hemlocks (Tsuga caroliniana and canadensis)
• Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
• Southern red oak (Quercus falcata)
• Scarlett oak (Quercus coccinea...remember Cochineal bugs...a source of red dye)
• - ...and then oak hill with all 33 native oak species

...and follow this link to Trees Atlanta's "Interactive Tree Inventory Map" to see them all!

Pignut Hickory

 Carya glabra

"Stump" of the week...
...featuring a question raised during the tour that Jeff couldn't answer.

Prunus serotina

Q: We see non-native, fruiting cherry trees along the Beltline (not planted by Trees Atlanta); are there any species of cherry tree native to the eastern U.S.?

A: Sort of! Folks from the western U.S. might be familiar with "Rainier" cherries (Prunus avium), "a premium type of cherry...sweet with a thin skin and thick creamy-yellow flesh." It is a cultivar that is grafted to rootstock of the wild Prunus avium, native to Eurasia. 

So the long answer is: there isn't a cherry similar to "Rainier" that is native to Atlanta, but being a grafted cultivar, "Rainier" itself isn't native to anywhere! But there is a type of "cherry" native to our region; Prunus serotina. But - and this is an even BIGGER BUT - despite its common name, it is not very closely related to commonly cultivated cherries. It does fruit, it does support hundreds of native species, and it can be VERY invasive...so be very careful when introducing a native "cherry" to our ecosystem.

July 26, 2025

This Week's Tour...

...met at 9:00AM Saturday in front of Inman Perk coffeeshop (240 North Highland Ave NE). 

"The Tourists"...
What a great group of Atlantans (and nearly Atlantans). I hope I earned the privilege of your time.

May 18, 2025

This Week's Tour...

...met at 9:00AM Saturday in front of Inman Perk coffeeshop (240 North Highland Ave NE). We spent 90 minutes together, the majority of which was a great discussion of history, urban tree management, and weather while waiting out a deluge under the Freedom Parkway bridge!

"The Tourists"...
What a great group! Braved the downpour! I hope I earned the privilege of your time.

April 12, 2025

This Week's Tour...

...met at 9:00AM Saturday in front of Inman Perk coffeeshop (240 North Highland Ave NE). We walked for 1 1/2 hours, covering 1 mile of the Beltline, ending at Ponce City Market.

"The Tourists"...
What a great group! Braved the brisk spring weather! Especially those Florida transplants! I hope I earned the privilege of your time.

Thanks for a great tour!

Pic of the week...
...is a tree that’s easy to “love”…one of many with “heart” shaped leaves…the American basswood or linden.

The American basswood is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree reaching a height of 18 to 37 m (60 to 120 ft) exceptionally 39 m (128 ft) with a trunk diameter of 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft) at maturity. It grows faster than many North American hardwoods, often twice the annual growth rate of American beech and many birch species. Life expectancy is around 200 years, with flowering and seeding generally occurring between 15 and 100 years, though occasionally seed production may start as early as eight years

Thanks, Wiki!!

Tree of the week...
...is going to be ALL OF THEM.

One of our intrepid tourists was interested specifically in growing her tree identification knowledge. It can be tough during the winter, since leaves are such an integral part of identification, but here is the list of the trees I pointed out along the trail:

• Fringe trees (Chionanthus retusus)
• Chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia)
• Shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata)
• Cathedral live oak (Quercus virginiana)
• Georgia oak (Quercus georgiana)
• American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
• Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima, non-native)
• Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
• Pignut hickory (Carya glabra)
• Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica..not sweet gum...ew)
• Lots of oaks (genus Quercus), including white swamp, southern red, chinquapin
• Carolina and Canada Hemlocks (Tsuga caroliniana and canadensis)
• Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
• Southern red oak (Quercus falcata)
• Scarlett oak (Quercus coccinea...remember Cochineal bugs...a source of red dye)
• - ...and then oak hill with all 33 native oak species

...and follow this link to Trees Atlanta's "Interactive Tree Inventory Map" to see them all!

Pignut Hickory

 Carya glabra

"Stump" of the week...
...featuring a question raised during the tour that Jeff couldn't answer.

Stone Mountain, Georgia

Q1: What is the etymology of the word monadnock?

A1: From the name of Mount Monadnock in New England, which derives from an Abenaki word, perhaps menonadenak, menonadenek (“smooth mountain”) or menadenak, menadenek (“isolated mountain”),[1] from aden (“mountain”)

Q2: Great…then what is “Abenaki”?

A2: Western Abenaki was spoken in New Hampshire, Vermont, north-western Massachusetts, and southern Quebec.[4] Odanak, Quebec is a First Nations reserve located near the Saint-François River—these peoples were referred to as Saint Francis Indians by English writers after the 1700s.[5] The few remaining speakers of Western Abenaki live predominantly in Odanak and the last fully fluent speaker, Cécile (Wawanolett) Joubert died in 2006.[4] A revitalization effort was started in Odanak in 1994; however, as of 2004 younger generations are not learning the language and the remaining speakers are elderly, making Western Abenaki nearly extinct.[6]

Eastern Abenaki languages are spoken by several peoples, including the Penobscot of what is now Maine. The last known natively fluent speaker of Penobscot Abenaki, Madeline Shay, died in 1993.[7][8] However, several Penobscot elders still speak Penobscot, and there is an ongoing effort to preserve it and teach it in the local schools;[9] much of the language was preserved by Frank Siebert.[10] Other speakers of Eastern Abenaki included tribes such as the Amoscocongon who spoke the Arosagunticook dialect,[11] and the Caniba, which are documented in French-language materials from the colonial period.