#americanforest

Last time BEAMS went on tour I decided that I would try to keep track of any interesting trees I saw in the cities where we were playing, and here are the results! You can, of course, just Google these places and see what trees are commonly found there, but if you want to see it through my eyes, read on.

July 5th - Chicago (@ The Township)

We were pretty busy running around in Chicago. Between finding a sweet brewery, hanging out in Wilco’s Loft and window shopping at Chicago Music Exchange I didn’t make many observations, but I did notice that the trees were pretty much the same as in Toronto, which makes sense because it’s not all that different of a climate. Lots and lots of Honey Locust. 

Below: Honey Locust. I didn’t get pics of any of the ones in Chicago, but this one I pulled off the Internet does the trick. Notice the fern-like leaves.

July 6th - Indianapolis (@ Melody Inn)

I found some neat trees in the field outside of the Denny’s where we ate breakfast. Some of the trees that I observed growing in the field were Sycamore, Trembling Aspen, White Fir, Norway Spruce, Manitoba Maple, Black Locust, Honey Locust, and Kentucky Coffeetree. One would expect to see some of these growing wild in Toronto (Manitoba Maple and Black Locust, especially) but it was really neat and unusual to see White Fir and Sycamore growing wild.

Below: White Fir in a backyard - I forgot to take pictures of the ones in Indiana! Notice the Honey Locust in the background with my climbing rope hanging out of it, all ready for me to go up and prune!

Below: Sycamore, easily recognized by its camouflage-style bark, except that it can be hard to distinguish from its relative the London Planetree. Picture is not by me, clearly.

July 7th - Louisville (@ Modern Cult Records)

Being in Kentucky is really neat because it’s so much more lush than I had ever imagined that it would be. A lot of my family is from central Oklahoma, so for a long time I associated the South with dry and hot plains. Now I know better. I saw a lot of trees that I had not really seen before!

Zelkova - Notice the neat bark in the background!

Kousa or Japanese Dogwood - I think it’s in between dropping its spring flower petals and getting its berries ready for fall.

Roundleaf Sweetgum

Regular shaped Sweetgum, which I think may have been the inspiration for The Land Before Time’s “Tree Stars”

Particularly impressive Tulip Trees

Similarly impressive Pin Oaks

River Birch, which looks quite similar to one of my favourite trees, Paperbark Maple!

Goldenraintree - this one baffled me for a while, but I finally discovered what it was, thanks to a website called “What Tree Is That?”

Our old nemesis, Tree of Heaven, trying to be sneaky...

The cutest little friend Juniper

July 8th - Cincinnati (@ CincinNative)

Unfortunately, we were too busy eating BBQ and playing in a sprinkler to really take note of the trees, but it’s just across the river from Louisville, so it’s quite a similar environment!

July 9th - Chardon (@ Love Fest in Chardon Square)

Lots of similar trees to home, with the notable exception of Tulip Trees and Honey Locusts growing wildly, seen from the road!

Thanks for reading my first Tour Tree blog. BEAMS may be playing Texas in February, so it’ll be neat to make some observations down there! Until then, other stuff, and being an arborist at Arborcorp.