If Trees Could Sing: Bela Fleck, Abigail Washburn and the Sugar Maple

Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn talk about the sugar maple and the benefits that trees provide us.

Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn are the First Couple and Dynamic Duo of banjo music. Each was a star performer in their own right. Bela has long been a force in bluegrass and new acoustic music, in jazz leading his groundbreaking band Bela & the Flecktones and in classical music with his 2001 Grammy-winning Perpetual Motion album and his 2011 banjo concerto. Abigail has been a significant banjo player in folk and international music circles, including inventive collaborations with Chinese musicians. The couple's first album, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, was released in 2014 to wide acclaim, earning them a Grammy for Best Folk Album.

See other music artists talking about trees...

Sugar Maple Facts

• Scientific name: Acer saccharum
• Range: across most of the eastern United States
• Height: up to 100 ft.
• Fruit: winged seed pods, or samaras—their whirling enables them to travel farther in the wind
• Fall colors: bright red, orange and yellow

You Can Take Care of Trees Like the Sugar Maple

• Plant in late fall or winter when the tree is dormant, unless the ground is frozen.
• Allow plenty of room for the tree to mature and grow.
• Water it regularly in its first three years.
• Spread mulch around the base of the tree.

Mighty Cool Tree Fact

Did you know... that trees reduce noise pollution by absorbing sounds? Trees absorb the high frequency noises that are most disturbing to people.