I was not fortunate enough to have street trees lining my front yard at the house where I grew up. We had some trees, including a silverleaf poplar, in our front yard. I loved to climb it and watch the neighborhood, like a visiting bird.
As I write this, it is still summer in Mt. Lebanon and most of our trees still wear their lush green hats. Our stately sycamores have started dropping leaves and bark curls that scurry across the sidewalk and into the road, as the first sign that days will soon be shorter. As you read this, leaves are turning and falling everywhere, and most of you will push them to the curb for municipal leaf vacuums to inhale during their weekly rounds.
Some people are grateful for this service; others ask why we continue to have it, what with the loud truck engines requiring lots of fuel and the work needing municipal drivers and the occasional shoveler to help when leaves are wet and resist being pulled up.
You see, Mt. Lebanon has more than 10,000 beautiful street trees. The lush canopy they create helps cool our yards and homes, clean our air and beautify our yards. Our priority of planning, raising and caring for an assortment of ashes, masses of maples and squadrons of sweetgums is just one reason why 2026 will be the 20th year for Mt. Lebanon’s Tree City USA status.
But our street trees mean quite a load of leaves is dropped in our front yards. Many of us aren’t as nimble as we used to be, or we are busy with fall ball or hayrides, making stooping and bagging both daunting and unmanageably time-consuming. So, the leaf vacuum gives us all a hand. (You also can grind your leaves to make leaf mulch, creating a wonderful bed for your plants.)
Taking care of these trees takes a lot of time and money. We must replace the sidewalks their roots occasionally upend and we must remove them when they can no longer provide safe shade. We then plant another tree to continue the life cycle. It’s a lot of work and we want to make sure we’re handling it the best way we can. Read Ella Magaw’s story on how Mt. Lebanon is studying the topic [1].
I don’t think you’ll find me perching in our silver maple — already enough birds there, as my poor front yard bench can attest.