Six Interesting Facts in honor of North Dakota and Vermont Arbor Day

Here are a few facts you might not know about North Dakota’s state tree, the American elm (at left).

Fact 1: American elms have been known to have canopies reaching over 70 feet in diameter, making them ideal shade trees for urban landscapes.

Fact 2: Millions of American elm have fallen victim to Dutch elm disease within the past century and continue to battle this epidemic.

Fact 3: Certain varieties of American elm, including “Valley Forge,” have shown resistance to Dutch elm disease and recovery efforts are making headway across the country.

Click here to find out more on the American elm and nationwide recovery efforts.

Here are a few interesting facts you might not know about Vermont’s state tree, the sugar maple (at left).

Fact 1: The highest concentration of maple trees (especially red and sugar maples) can be found in Vermont, versus any other U.S. state.

Fact 2: In many parts of Asia, sugar maple sap is tapped and drunk straight as a beverage during the spring months.

Fact 3: Approximately 40 gallons of sugar maple sap is required to produce only 1 gallon of syrup.

Click here for more interesting facts about the Vermont sugar maple.

[Photo credits: http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/North_Dakota/tree-american-elm.html and http://boston.com]