Greensboro has so many trees that many people assume the name refers to the dominant color of the city in spring and summer.

Actually, Greensboro is named for Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene, but somehow lost the extra E.

But the name doesn’t mean that Greensboro has any fewer trees, and in fall the deciduous trees lose their leaves and the city has a program to pick them up.

This week the City of Greensboro announced its loose leaf collection schedule.

The Field Operations Department makes two complete sweeps of the city during the loose leaf collection process, and the key is to have the leaves from your yard out to the street before they come to your neighborhood.

Leaves that are out by the street by Monday, Nov.  7 will be picked up by Thursday, Dec. 22.

In the second round, leaves that are out by the street by Wednesday, Dec. 28 will be picked up by Friday, Jan. 27 2023.

The Field Operations Department asks that the leaves be raked to the edge of the yard but not into the street.  Sticks, rocks and other debris that could damage equipment should be removed from the leaf pile.  Also, people should not park on or near the leaf pile.

Since the window to have leaves collected is over a month long, it’s obvious that everyone doesn’t have to have their leaves to the street on the first day of the collection cycle to have them collected.

The city is providing an interactive map so residents can find out where their neighborhood is on the leaf collection schedule and have a better idea when their leaves will be collected.

Residents may also bag their leaves in clear plastic bags and place them out for collection on the regular yard waste collection day.

Whether collected as part of the loose leaf collection program or in plastic bags, the leaves are composted by the city.  The city uses the compost to fertilize city gardens and landscaped areas and residents can purchase the compost at the White Street Landfill for $20 a truckload.