Sycamores! There was a big sycamore back where I went to school that I liked to sit up against and read. I like birches because they look really cool. And fruit trees! I think we should plant a bunch in cities for people to eat from as they like.
this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2023
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Nature and Gardening
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I always enviously eye people's fruit trees and vines, I wish I was closer to a community garden. I've seen some posts about guerilla gardeners planting food crops in nature strips. Unfortunately, I live in a place where people would either take them all, or throw fruit at cars.
There was one unusually tall tree in my neighborhood. Probably twice the height of every other tree, and the trees here are already tall since im in the pacific northwest. Idk what species. Bunch of workers had to fell it lately though sadly. I think the roots had rotted away or something and it was structurally unsound, and they were afraid it would crush the houses.
Cherry blossom trees are my favorite. We had one on our front yard when I was a kid.
That must have smelled heavenly.
It's nearly impossible to pick one, I find beauty in each kind.
I would go with Platanus. They exist near rivers and get really big. I like everything about them.
Then all the wild versions of cherry trees, if not every single stone fruit tree. Most wild versions of them, exist across multiple human lifespans (platanus too), so beside their amazing flowering season, I like the idea that some of them have been standing there for centuries, marking memories of many human generations with their beautiful presence.
Fig tree. Its smell instantly recalls me childhood memories, when I spent holidays in Corsica (an island in the Mediterranean sea).
I have a giant sycamore I love. A big old maple is nice in the fall, and an old walnut has beautiful texture in winter.
I adore pōhutukawa, Metrosideros excelsa. Gorgeous colours, heavenly scent when it's in bloom, and the wrought branches and aerial roots give it such an evocative stance.
I'm also a fan of the wind-tortured gigantic Old Man Pine (Cupressus macrocarpa in particular).
Like species? Probably my native Madrone, Arbutus menziesii
I meant specific individuals, but I'm happy to hear about species too!
There was an elm tree in my childhood front yard. I loved her the way kids love their moms. In the summer, I would spend hours sitting by her, leaning against her trunk, hugging her, reading and telling her everything in my life.
When Dutch Elm Disease hit, she was tagged by the city to be cut down. Every day after school, I ripped off the tag. Every day, the tag was placed higher, until I couldn’t reach it. I screamed and cried when she was cut down - it still hurts. I spent weeks sitting by her stump, apologizing for not stopping the killers.
As an adult, I fell in love with an apricot tree in my back yard. I named her Apollonia. She’s magical, and I thought I’d be there with her until I died, but we had to move last month. I took a small branch from her last prune to keep with me forever.
I love those trees, they're so weird.
Empress Tree. Paulownia tomentosa
It has fragrant purple flowers shaped like fox glove that bloom and fall April and May.
That sounds beautiful, there were a lot of Jacarandas where I grew up in Australia, they have lovely purple flowers too.
Horrible invasive around my area, it's huge leaves soak up sun and it's crazy fast growing outcompetes natives :(
Yeah, it can be controversial. Best not to plant it near a foundation. There are few in a mostly empty field near where I live and another few in a park where the trees are spread out.
Is that a pin oak? Random guess lol but my favorite would have to be pawpaw trees. Yum
I have no idea, I see this tree on walks and enjoy it. I'll have to pay more attention when it has leaves.
I think you’re correct. Just harvested some pawpaws and got the seeds to grow some for my yard.
Awesome, I plan on getting some seeds nextime I am down near the river
Look up how to grow them from seed, they’re a little particular. Can’t let the seeds dry out at all. My previous attempts have all failed.
Will do, thanks for the advice
Ones that do not pollute the air. Typically female trees are better but leave more ground debris. Male trees are terrible in terms of pollen count. Sadly most urban areas are heavily male tree populated.
Several favorites. Valley oak, island oak, Montezuma cypress, bunya pine, pecan.
Populus tremuloides, the quaking aspen. I love the sound they make when the wind blows through their leaves.
I really adore Lime Trees, part of that is because lime blossom tea is my favorite :D
The Larch
I cannot, for the life of me, get my picture to post of my favorite tree. I resized it as low grain as possible and cropped it, then screen shot it...still won't post. It is simply a birch tree, a great big mother in front of my cabin. Sadly when they relocated my driveway, they dug out a portion of her roots, and she is now dying. It's also not a great season to show off her girth and beauty. But i wanted to share, my literal favorite tree.