Arboretum Information Consultant Frank McDonough, photo courtesy of SM Garden Club
Press Release posted 3/24/13 – “Tree Damage and the Great 2011 San Gabriel Valley Windstorm: Predestined or Preventable?” Arboretum Botanical Information Consultant Frank McDonough looks at trees destroyed or damaged by the 100-year windstorm and comes up with some surprising conclusions. Highlighting recent studies of the physics of tree failure, Mr. McDonough will explain what they mean for our trees and safety. We will find out why some species of trees were untouched while others failed; how thinning, lacing, and topping can make a tree more vulnerable to failure; how to choose and plant a tree to increase its chances of standing up to the wind; one planting mistake that will almost always doom a tree; and how to determine which one of your trees should be removed before it kills you.
Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden botanist Frank McDonough graduated with a botany degree from Cal Poly Pomona and has worked in the horticultural industry for over 30 years. He is a certified California Nursery Professional and holds a California Pest Control Advisors License. With the Arboretum since 1998, he answers thousands of plant-related questions from government, business, and private individuals. Frank uses the Arboretum’s vast store of horticultural literature, his Internet search skills, and his own 30 years of experience as a nurseryman and botanist to track down the answers. From “what’s eating my plant?” to “what evidence would a man-eating plant leave?” the riddles he must solve are as varied as the residents of the county he serves. He has appeared as an expert on the DIY channel, the Gardening Channel and the History Channel. As a professor at California State University Dominguez Hills he taught a televised college course on gardening called “Gardens of California” viewed by over 98,000 people weekly on channel 36 in Los Angeles and channel 64 in Pasadena.
Anyone interested in learning about trees or gardening in general is invited to attend the April 8 meeting of the Sierra Madre Garden Club. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7:15 p.m. The catered dinner is $10 and reservations for dinner must be made by April 4, at 626-836-4945. There is no charge for attending only the program. Location: Hart Park House, Memorial Park, 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024. For more information, call the reservation number or visit www.smgarden.org.