But don’t forget the wildlife that depend on the trees. A recent study of Vancouver’s street trees estimated that, on average, each tree species supports 21 butterfly or moth species, with some supporting as many as 191! If you haven’t already, download iNaturalist on your phone and keep your eyes peeled for my favorites, the giant silk moths, like the Luna I spotted on the sidewalk. The Seek app, by iNaturalist, is also a good tool to identify and learn more about the surprising diversity of plant life at the base of street trees in the roadside verge. I quickly found more than a dozen species the other day: yellow passionflower vine, Carolina snailseed vine, annual blue-eyed grass, common copperleaf, tropical horseweed, common selfheal, lyreleaf sage, carolina ponysfoot, and more. Did you know that the yellow passionflower is the only nectar source for the tiny black passionflower bee? Or that you could brew a tea of ponysfoot, common selfheal, and lyreleaf sage? The easy-to-use Seek app is also great for kids.
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