Como Park Tree Trek - Sat. June 24 - 10am-Noon
The D10 Environment Committee hosts Tree Treks where community members can learn how to identify and appreciate the multitude of different tree species living in Como Park. Volunteer tree expert Stephanie Mirocha is our fabulous second-generation Tree Trek guide (her father was the original Tree Trek Guide). Upcoming Tree Trek events will be posted here (Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get Como Neighborhood news in your inbox).
This walking tour will be led by Minnesota Master Naturalist Stephanie Mirocha. She will provide fascinating facts, uses, and histories of many of the diverse tree species in the park.
Dress for walking and the weather and meet between the Butterfly Parking Lot and the Labyrinth (adjacent to the Labyrinth – on the west side of Lexington Parkway near the pedestrian bridge).
Self-Guided Tree Identification Trek
In addition to the planned events each year, the Tree Trek program has also created and installed 42 Tree Tags on 39 species of trees around Como Park.
The Environment Committee of the Como Community Council, as part of its educational activity, has organized a self-guided, pictorial tree identification program. Our intention is to introduce Como Park users to the variety of interesting tree flora in the park, some of which are quite unique. Understanding some of our tree species will lead to a greater appreciation of the botanical treasures found in the park. The location of each tree can be found on the Google Map (embedded below) or on the printable PDF map to the right.
The original Tree Trek was created in 2011 by committee member Chet Mirocha. A decade later (after Chet’s passing), his daughter Stephanie revived the Trek. The number of trees that are identified was doubled in 2021, and expanded again in 2022 and 2023.
Trees that you will find on the identification trek:
American Basswood (Tilia americana)
American Linden
44°58’53.6″N 93°08’44.5″W
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
44°58’40.2″N 93°08’43.8″W
American Elm (Ulmus americana)
44°58’51.4″N 93°08’53.0″W
Amur Maple (Acer ginnala)
44°58’47.5″N 93°08’42.9″W
Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra)
European Black Pine
Near Scots Pine
44°58’46.5″N 93°08’54.0″W
Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)
largest one in grove
44°58’46.4″N 93°08’43.7″W
Bigtooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata)
Largetooth Aspen
44.9814699, -93.1492161
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
44°58’53.6″N 93°08’42.2″W
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
44°58’53.0″N 93°08’43.8″W
Black Willow (Salix nigra)
44°58’47.7″N 93°08’36.8″W
Blue Beech (Carpinus caroliniana)
American Hornbeam
Musclewood
44.981058, -93.1473767
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)
44°58’54.1″N 93°08’43.0″W
Butternut (Juglans cinerea)
44.9781513, -93.1462982
Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens)
Blue Spruce
Colorado Spruce
44°58’49.1″N 93°08’48.5″W
Cucumber Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata)
Cucumbertree
44°58’53.9″N 93°08’44.3″W
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
44°58’48.3″N 93°08’47.3″W
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
by streetcar station path, near Lexington
44°58’40.8″N 93°08’47.2″W
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)
White Pine
44°58’49.2″N 93°08’57.5″W
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)
Maidenhair
44°58’48.3″N 93°08’53.9″W
Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
44°58’49.3″N 93°08’39.0″W
Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
44°58’49.3″N 93°08’53.6″W
Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana)
American Hop-hornbeam
44°58’50.9″N 93°08’43.8″W
Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
Female tree on hill behind catalpa
44°58’57.1″N 93°08’43.7″W
Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)
Male tree by pedestrian bridge
44°58’52.6″N 93°08’42.7″W
Northern Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)
Cigar Tree
1 of 2
44.98207, -93.14558
Northern Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)
Cigar Tree
2 of 2 (by Ironwood tree)
44°58’50.7″N 93°08’43.8″W
Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
Red Oak
44°58’52.5″N 93°08’44.6″W
Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)
Arborvitae
by lily pond
44°58’50.7″N 93°08’47.2″W
Norway Spruce (Picea abies)
44°58’49.2″N 93°08’48.6″W
Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
44°58’51.5″N 93°08’45.6″W
Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera)
White Birch
44.9780151, -93.1475098
Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)
44°58’48.6″N 93°08’44.9″W
Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)
Norway Pine
44°58’47.7″N 93°08’51.9″W
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
44.9793755,-93.1450108
River Birch (Betula nigra)
44°58’47.0″N 93°08’39.8″W
Rock Elm (Ulmus thomasii)
44°58’42.1″N 93°08’47.3″W
Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Scotch Pine
top of hill, head of grove
44°58’45.6″N 93°08’52.6″W
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
44°58’50.3″N 93°08’53.2″W
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Rock Maple
2nd one in grove
44°58’47.7″N 93°08’39.8″W
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
44°58’40.2″N 93°08’43.6″W
Tamarack (Larix laricina)
Too small to tag; just for map
44°58’53.6″N 93°08’45.0″W
White Fir (Abies concolor)
44°58’48.2″N 93°08’46.5″W
White Mulberry (Morus alba)
Not tagged, near tagged White Pine
44.980666, -93.149716
White Poplar (Populus alba)
44°58’50.2″N 93°08’38.3″W
White Spruce (Picea glauca)
44°58’49.2″N 93°08’48.7″W
Pre-2021 tree list
- Austrian Pine
- Black Locust
- Black Walnut
- Bur Oak
- Catalpa
- Douglas Fir
- Green Ash
- Hackberry
- Honey Locust
- Kentucky Coffee
- Magnolia
- Mulberry
- Ohio Buckeye
- Ponderosa Pine
- Red Oak
- Scotch Pine
- White Fir
- White Pine