Tree Recognition Campaign

Along with photos of her two daughters and two Yorkies, Edina resident Missy Brooks’ camera roll is filled with something unexpected: annual photos of three vibrantly colored maple trees. Dating back 12 years to when she and her husband first moved in to their house, Brooks has taken a yearly photo of the three large maple trees in her neighbor Bob McPherson’s front lawn.

Out her kitchen window, Brooks has a perfect view of the maple trees across the street. For three months during the fall, McPherson’s trees are covered in gorgeous auburn, orange and yellow leaves. Like a rainbow, the three trees move from red to orange to yellow leaves, the perfect fall color palette.

Across the street, McPherson built a deck off his second-story living room to take in the maple tree’s fall colors, his favorite part about the trees. The deck directly overlooks the trees giving McPherson a close-up view of the tree’s red, orange and yellow hues.

Maple trees are known for their striking colors in the fall and their color varies by species. During spring and summer, maple leaves are a bright green color due to the chlorophyll pigment in the leaves used during photosynthesis—the process that turns light energy into food for the tree. In the fall, chlorophyll production declines, revealing the remaining pigments that give maple leaves their fall colors.

View of the three maple trees out Brooks' kitchen window

With a range of fall colors, the leaves on McPherson’s maple trees contain a variety of pigments that give them their distinct red, orange and yellow hues. Pigments such as carotenoids and flavonoids result in yellow and brown leaves, carotenoids result in orange leaves and anthocyanin results in red leaves.

“They’re all a little different. They turn at different times. Within about a week, they’re all a pop of color,” said Brooks.

After learning about the 2024 Tree Recognition Campaign from a flyer at one of the City’s tree sales, Brooks was inspired to nominate the maple trees outside her kitchen window. With their beautiful fall hues, it’s no surprise that they won the inaugural campaign’s Fall Colors award.

If you know of a tree with great fall colors or another tree that deserves special recognition, you can nominate it during the 2025 Tree Recognition Campaign before Oct. 15 using the Tree Nomination Form.

“It’s a nice touch. We’re lucky to live in a pretty established city with a lot of tree coverage. It’s a nice extra value add the city has.”

Officially recognized as the national tree of the United States since 2004, the oak tree is a “keystone species,” meaning if oak trees weren’t around, then other plants and animals might not be around, either. Oak trees support more life-forms, including fungi, insects, birds and mammals, than any other North American tree genus.

View of the oak tree looking from the ground up taken by IversonRight in their neighbor’s backyard, just a short walk away from York Park, Edina residents Kathy Iverson and Mike Menzel have an up-close look at a “majestic” white oak tree and the many species that live within it.

“The oak tree has space for migrating birds and caterpillars. I can look at multiple species of migrating warblers in the oak tree,” Iverson said.

For many wild animals, acorns are a substantial food source, especially in the fall and winter months. Luckily, oak trees drop a lot of acorns every season­ —oftentimes over 1,000 in one year. Over 100 U.S. vertebrae species eat acorns, such as deer, squirrels, chipmunks and even wild turkey.

“Trees are key to supporting other species and reducing carbon in our atmosphere, so they’re pretty important to the amount of carbon we take in,” said Iverson.

After learning about the Energy & Environment Commission’s 2024 Tree Recognition Campaign in a City Extra email, Iverson decided to nominate her neighbor’s oak tree, which went on to win the Best Oak Tree award in the 2024 campaign.

Iverson and Menzel stand next to the white oak tree in their neighbor's backyard“It is so incredibly majestic,” said Iverson. “It shades two homes, so it’s very cooling in the summer.”

For the 36 years they’ve lived in their home, Iverson and Menzel have been able to watch the tree grow -- and grow it has. Awhile back, the tree was heavily pruned­, which involved selectively removing branches to improve the tree’s health, structure and appearance, and the work has greatly benefited the tree. Now, the tree sprawls above the roofs surrounding it, providing shade across three houses.

Depending on the species, oak trees can grow anywhere between one and three feet per year throughout their lifetime, and they grow the fastest in the first 10 to 15 years of their life. On average, oak trees live for 150-250 years, but the oldest known oak trees have lived over 1,000 years. When Iverson and Menzel’s neighbors remodeled, they made an effort to preserve the trees on their property, ensuring many more years with the majestic oak tree.

If you know of any other majestic oak trees or a tree that you think deserves special recognition, you can nominate it for the 2025 Tree Recognition Campaign until Oct. 15 using the Tree Nomination Form.

“With redevelopments happing, the opportunity to preserve trees is great,” said Iverson. “It takes many, many years to reach the size of this one.”

Ayotte stands in front of the silver maple tree in Kojetin ParkGrowing up, Tim Ayotte didn’t have a lot of parks to go to. Luckily for him, he now lives in walking distance from Kojetin Park, one of the many parks in Edina. For several years, Ayotte and his wife frequented the park to take their dog on walks. Now, they often go with their young son.

“It’s a communal type of place for people to gather and enjoy,” said Ayotte. “The park has always been a central location. It’s a small neighborhood park where we’ve met kids and friends that’s quiet, open and fun.”

For Ayotte and his family, though, the best part about Kojetin park isn’t the playground, it’s the sprawling silver maple next to it.

“The tree is the first thing we see when we walk into the park,” said Ayotte. “I love how large and sprawling it is.”

Silver maples are a kind of ‘volunteer tree’­­ ­­­­-- trees that grow from seed on their own without being intentionally planted. Since they’re prolific seeders that can seed themselves, the City has never planted one.

Known for their fast growth, silver maples can grow as much as seven feet per year. On average, they live for 100-130 years, but can live even longer. Kojetin Park’s silver maple is on the older side, around 80-100 years old.

“The silver maple at Kojetin park provides a lot of shade for the playground, so it’s good for kids to play,” said Overholt.

Photo of the silver maple tree at Kojetin Park taken by Ayotte

Over the years, Ayotte and his son have spent lots of time on and around the silver maple tree. For Ayotte's son, the best part about the tree is that “it is good.” He loves to climb up the tree and sit on a nook between the branches. As his son has grown, Ayotte has gotten a lot of pictures of him in the tree, and the father-son duo have even taken a few selfies together along with the tree, too.

Sometimes Ayotte likes to photograph the tree from a different perspective. Laying in the grass, he’ll take pictures of the tree against the sky.

“It looks like a maze of branches and leaves,” said Ayotte.

Ayotte was on vacation when he heard about the Tree Recognition Campaign in 2024. He thought it was a cool campaign, so he decided to nominate a tree of his own and found no better tree than the silver maple at Kojetin Park.

“I just think it’s a really cool tree,” said Ayotte.

Do you know of a better climbing tree in Edina? If so, or if you have another a tree that deserves special recognition, you can nominate it for the 2025 Tree Recognition Campaign before Oct. 15 using the Tree Nomination Form.

“The Tree Recognition Campaign shows continuity within the community,” said Ayotte. “There’s something nice and fun about mature trees.”

For 50 years, Carolyn Schroeder and her family lived in the same red-brick house on Arden Avenue. Among the five decades of fond memories made in the house before they moved in 2018, many involve the towering silver maple tree in the middle of their backyard. Cragg's four kids, Jack, Aloisa, George and Harold, posing with the silver maple tree

From cocktail hour with her husband to dance shows and shooting hoops, Schroeder and her family enjoyed every moment with that tree. Setting up birdfeeders in the tree, Schroeder made it a home for goldfinches, cardinals and woodpeckers, too.

“Our family grew up under that tree,” said Schroeder, days before she passed away on July 25 at age 93. “We had lots of fun times under that tree.”

Shading the house’s black-shingled roof and most of the backyard, the tree is hard to miss; the top of the tree is even visible from the sidewalk across the street.

“Anyone who ever comes to our house comments on it. It’s the perfect candidate for the Canopy Award,” said current resident Jenna Cragg.

Schroeder’s kids were outside all the time playing under the shade of the tree. Her son would stand with his arms around the tree to see if he could wrap his arms around it. He could never do it, even after he grew up.

View of the tree from across the street“We were very proud of the tree,” said Schroeder. “We were very happy to have that tree.”

Years later, Schroeder’s daughter, Lisa Kennedy, still remembers playing in the leaves every fall with her younger sister. Collecting many of the tree’s fallen leaves, the sisters would design a house using the leaves to outline all the rooms.

Fall is a highlight for Cragg, too, as she loves to soak in the tree’s stunning autumn leaves.

“In the fall, the tree drops a lot of leaves, so we’re blanketed with beautiful fall colors,” said Cragg. “It’s just gorgeous.”

Cragg and her family moved into the home five years ago. Despite living in the home for only a fraction as long as Schroeder’s family, they’ve come to enjoy it just as much. Like Schroeder’s family, Cragg and her family spend a lot of time outside, and the tree provides shade for meals and friends and family gatherings.

“It’s such a centerpiece in our yard. It’s the first thing you see,” said Cragg. Schroeder standing with the tree

“We’re lucky to live in a city with so much natural beauty, and it’s fun to have our tree recognized,” said Cragg. “It’s great that the City is taking pride in natural elements that make the neighborhood so special.”

If you have a tree that deserves special recognition, you can nominate it for the 2025 Tree Recognition Campaign before Oct. 15 using the Tree Nomination Form.

“It’s great that the City is recognizing trees in Edina. I was very excited about it, because the City hasn’t done anything like it before,” said Schroeder.

Weber Park's cottonwood tree taken by Heyer

Despite one earning the Best City Tree Award as part of the Energy & Environment Commission’s 2024 Tree Recognition campaign, Cottonwood trees aren’t always ideal in city settings.

Weber Park’s remaining Cottonwood tree is the exception — it’s the right tree in the right place.

“The tree is like a centerpiece of the park. It’s so massive that it’s the focal point,” said City Forester Luther Overholt.

Cottonwoods are especially fast-growing, typically adding about four-to-five feet per year. In ideal conditions, they can grow up to eight feet in one year.

For Edina resident Andrew Heyer, Weber Park’s Cottonwood tree provides lots of shade and a sense of calm, which is why he nominated the tree for the Best City Tree award.

“I look at the tree and feel calm. In this face-paced world, I need a way to calm down, and this is a way to do that. It’s like a Japanese garden—I feel calm looking at it,” said Heyer. “That’s why I like it.”

Over 100 years old, the Cottonwood sits at the end of the pedestrian bridge on the banks of Weber Pond. Cottonwoods belong next to the water banks of rivers or city ponds, because they are water-loving, filter a lot of water and can tolerate being submerged in water for a couple of weeks.

Previously, the tree was joined by two other large Cottonwoods, but they were removed during the Morningside Flood Infrastructure Project in 2022 to accommodate construction work.

Heyer stands on the pedestrian bridge in front of the cottonwood tree at Weber Park

“We were able to retain one magnificent Cottonwood. The location was perfect and it was the largest of all three trees, so it was the best one to keep,” said Overholt.

The Morningside Flood Infrastructure Project expanded and lowered Weber Pond and Lynn/Kipling Pond to improve storm-water drainage and prevent flooding in Edina’s Morningside Neighborhood and nearby Minneapolis and St. Louis Park neighborhoods.

Completed in July 2024, the flood infrastructure project included the restoration of natural resources in upland areas and new trails and bridge crossings at two locations in Weber Park.

If you have a tree that deserves special recognition, you can nominate it for the 2025 Tree Recognition Campaign now through Oct. 15 using the Tree Nomination Form.

“The Tree Recognition Campaign promotes tree awareness. Trees are good for cities, which is why it’s important,” said Heyer.

Best Tree Story Award: One Special Crabapple Tree

Along York Avenue toward York Park, there’s a tree that stands out from the rest. With deep, maroon-colored leaves, the lone crabapple tree is hard to miss among the surrounding greenery.

While its striking appearance is likely the first thing you’ll notice, the crabapple tree’s heartwarming story is even more notable for Edina residents Mike Menzel and Kathy Iverson.

Planted at York Park 14 years ago, the crabapple tree represents Menzel and Iverson’s two youngest grandchildren, Beatrice and Zane. They have grown up alongside the tree since they were preschoolers and are now 16 and 18 years old respectively.Menzel and Iverson pose by their crabapple tree at York Park

“The tree is special because of its beauty and because of our wonderful grandchildren,” said Menzel. “With climate change bearing down on children, we try to do efforts small and large to address this catastrophe.”

As part of the City’s efforts to recognize significant trees in Edina, Menzel and Iverson’s crabapple tree received the Best Tree Story award in the 2024 Tree Recognition Campaign.

“We were happy to receive the award. It’s very sweet and nice,” said Iverson.

In addition to the crabapple tree in York Park, Menzel and Iverson have planted a number of other trees that are scattered around the Twin Cities to honor family members.

Menzel and Iverson's crabapple tree in fallThey chose to plant a crabapple tree because the surrounding area lacked ornamental trees, and the tree serves as a pollinator and provides fruit for birds, squirrels and rabbits.

“When they’re small and little, animals love them. The bark tastes better because it’s a fruit tree,” said City Forester Luther Overholt.

If the bark gets chewed away too much, though, the result can be devastating and the tree is unlikely to survive. To protect their crabapple tree when it was still young, Menzel and Iverson added mulch around the base and a wire cage to the trunk.

Passionate about the outdoors and the environment, Menzel and Iverson care for other trees around Edina, too. For the last 20 years, they’ve helped water trees on public property during times of drought. Renting a city watering truck from Plymouth, Menzel and Iverson are able to water lots of trees at once.

“Part of our job is to protect our trees. We are an advocate for them,” said Menzel.

Recently, Menzel and Iverson have taken an interest in tiny forests and they hope to plant one in the future. Made up of all different kinds of tree species that help each other grow into a self-sustaining ecosystem, tiny forests grow quickly with minimal maintenance.

If you have a tree that deserves special recognition, you can nominate it for the 2025 Tree Recognition Campaign now through Oct. 15 using the Tree Nomination Form. To donate your own memorial tree or bench, fill out the Parks & Recreation Department’s Donation Form.

“It’s very special that the City honors trees. It means they’re taking climate change seriously, they value trees and recognize them,” said Menzel.

Older than the dinosaurs and known to have withstood Hiroshima, the Ginkgo tree is one hardy tree. At Arneson Acres Park, the City of Edina has its own grove of six Ginkgo trees planted in honor of Edina’s centennial in 1988.

Although these trees are already close to 40 years old, they’re still relatively young, as some of the oldest Ginkgo trees can live to be over 3,500 years old­­—the oldest species of tree in the world.

Gingko Tree at Arneson Acres Park

With no known disease or pests to harm the Ginkgo tree, they can easily thrive on their own.

“Ginkgo trees are salt resistant and drought resistant, so they don’t need as much care. I’ve never had an issue with them,” said City Forester Luther Overholt.

For their longevity and resilience, Arneson Park’s Ginkgo trees were awarded the “Best Biodiversity Award” as part of the Energy & Environment Commission’s 2024 Tree Recognition campaign that aims to raise awareness about the importance of trees and promote good tree care and health.

Edina resident Dianne Plunkett Latham nominated the Ginkgo tree grove for the Biodiversity Award since they are the oldest living tree species on Earth and have remained almost unchanged for millions of years.

Ginkgo tree’s impressive longevity isn’t their only unique feature. Their distinct fan-shaped leaves, which turn from green to yellow in the fall, make them easily recognizable. Oftentimes, though, these colorful leaves are only short-lived, as they all drop after the first frost.

“Ginkgo trees are the best indicators of our first hard frost in Minnesota, because all of their leaves fall out at once,” said Overholt.

Interested in plants since she was a child, Plunkett Latham planted her own Ginkgo tree from a seedling that’s now 28 years old. Due to early frosts though, she’s only experienced the fall colors a few times over the years.

“Their leaves are very beautiful, saffron yellow, and they don’t all turn color at the same time,” said Plunkett Latham. “With global warming, I hope I’ll get to enjoy them this year.”

If you have a special tree in your life, you can nominate it for the 2025 Tree Recognition Campaign now through Oct. 15 using the Tree Nomination Form.

“Edina has many excellent trees, so it’s good for residents to know where to find them. There are so many different kinds of trees to recognize in Edina that we’re barely scratching the surface,” said Plunkett Latham.