Plant knowledge to the people
Are you tired of seeing rows of the same sick, poorly-installed trees around every construction project? So are we. While tree care and maintenance are very important, many landscaping projects go wrong right from the start: With poor species selection. Municipalities waste millions of dollars a year due to the extra maintenance costs stemming from poor species selections. For a homeowner, the consequences can be costly as well.
Simmons Farm specializes in helping homeowners and contractors find the right species for their projects. As if selecting the right species wasn’t hard enough, many plants are confused in the trade, and some have experienced a series of name changes that are all but impossible for homeowners, urban foresters, planners, and even professional horticulturalists to keep up with.
Introducing The Tree TSAR
To help understand the relationships between similar trees and keep a handle on the most updated name changes, Simmons Farm hosts a free database updated and maintained by a PhD plant biologist: The Tree TSAR (Taxonomy, Systematics, and Review). This database will be a living, growing entity that will be constantly changing to respond to updates stemming from research and new scientific discoveries.
To help understand the relationships between similar plants and to keep a handle on the most updated name changes, Simmons Farm hosts a free database updated and maintained by a PhD plant biologist: The Tree TSAR (Taxonomy, Systematics, and Review). This database will be a living, growing entity that will be constantly changing to respond to updates stemming from research and new scientific discoveries.
While other databases, especially those that are government-affiliated, have much larger staffing and funding, they are also unwieldy and very slow to update themselves to reflect the latest scientific knowledge. Thus, these “official” sources are often incorrect and slow to assimilate new information that reflects the most recent scientific discoveries. The Tree TSAR will overcome this problem and serve as a curated source of information on the taxonomy and systematics of trees and shrubs complete with justifications and references. As the database grows, links to other sources and articles from Simmons Farm staff will appear on individual species pages.
Featured Species
| Abies Alba Mill. | Silver fir |
| Koeberlinia Spinosa | Mexican allthorn |
| Larix Decidua | European larch |
| Picea Chihuahuana | Chihuahua spruce |
| Sciadopitys Verticillata | Japanese umbrella-pine |