The tree across the street is a huge, beautiful maple, planted 20 years ago. In the fall, the leaves are gorgeous and copious, and the tree provides shade on the southern exposure of it’s owner’s house. But today it’s being butchered, fed into the chipper and then removed.
I understand why. The person who planted it chose the wrong type of tree for the location. It’s in the narrow planting strip between the sidewalk and the street, and it’s a full-sized maple, which means it’s not yet at maturity, even though it’s at least fifty feet tall at this point. The sidewalk and street are being lifted by the roots, and the present owner has had sewer drain blockage and backups into the house.
So I understand the need, but it inexplicably saddens me on this glorious, crisp and sunny fall day, to hear the whine of the chain saws and the roar of the chipper. Sentimental hogwash, I know.
I went to Google street view to look at the neighborhood where I spent my childhood, and none of the trees that grew along our street are there, for very similar reasons. The place now looks so stark and bare and much less suburban. I’m glad it was the way it was when I was a kid.
Where I live “The Forest City”, when they have to take down one of the old beauties, of which there are thousands in my city, they purposely leave, in clear sight, a center cut, so everyone can see why the tree had to come down.
Cuts down on calls to city hall.
I had one removed from my yard a few years ago. Fortunately the city arborists, who tend the trees lovingly, foreseeing this event, planted another maple, on the other half of the lawn about 11 yrs ago now, in anticipation of the day.
While I miss my ancestor tree terribly, it is some comfort to watch this youngster shoot up and thrive!
There is a large university in my city, over 100 yrs old. Also a renowned student beerhall of the same vintage. An enormous tree grew in what was once the corner of the parking lot. Three people couldn’t reach around it. As the city expanded, the lot grew until it was surrounded on three sides. The owners of the pub took caring for the tree seriously having it cut yearly, by professionals etc. Through the years I hesitate to guess how many students have taken a wiz or a toke by that tree! But trees have life spans too!
When finally, the arborist said it was time, it was on the news, in the paper and drew an enormous crowd! (I still have a little piece of it!)
I totally understand how you feel and assure you that you are not alone. I’ll bet your neighbours feel just the same as you!
Or hire someone to make something for you. The people selling wood boxes and other items at street fairs are usually quite happy to take commissions. Depending on the wood it may need to dry for a year or two first, though.
It’s funny how much we humans need trees. We’ll go to tremendous lengths to keep them growing in environments that really don’t combine well with root systems.
I’m a bit of a tree nut so yeah, seeing something that majestic come down would be tough on the senses. Shame that people don’t always take the long term view when they’re landscaping, planting for effect, etc.
One of my favorite early autumn things is an enormous ash tree that I can see from my office window. It’s one of the first trees to turn, and it turns a radiant yellow that absolutely glows in the afternoon light.
Alas, it is exhibiting signs of emerald ash borer infestation, and I fear it won’t be many more years before it will have to be taken down. I’m pretty sure I’ll cry that day.
Well, we took a nice walk a while ago, waded through some piles of autumn leaves, scuffing our feet like a couple of five-year old kids, so I feel better now. I like the suggestion of making a spoon. The diameter of the tree is such that someone with some skills could make a nice end table from a section.
I’m actually enrolled in a beginning course on woodworking that starts in a couple of weeks. Perhaps by the time I’m at a skill level good enough to do anything meaningful, a chunk of this maple would be dried enough to use.
It drives me crazy when I see people doing things like planting a blue spruce right by their house or right by a walkway - you guys know this tree is going to get about 100 feet tall, with a spread of about 20 feet, right? There are tons of evergreens you could plant instead that will have a much more moderate full size - do a bit of research, would you?
I brought up finding your local club because chances are at least one member would be interested in getting some of that wood for a table. My brother in law made several pieces of furniture out of trees that fell during an ice storm and he’s in a club.
Maples are very pretty but they have a lot of branches and drop some big ones sometimes. A big branch in one of my maples broke and landed on my 6 month old car, $8,000 damage.
Our new landlord cut down the ugly crazy cherry graft gone wild. He had them cut down the scraggy pokey evergreens. He had them take out the scary birch that threatened our bay window every time the wind kicked up. Horrible, hideous trees, all four of 'em, all four causing problems.
We just lost a 60-foot tall, three-foot diameter oak tree to Hurricane Sandy and her remnants. I was really surprised it fell. Fortunately it fell almost exactly parallel to our garage. I suggested to my husband that he obtain a slice across it to use to make a table or something, and he suggested that either (a) I should do that myself if I thought it was important or (b) I am insane.
Do you know how much meat I could smoke with an entire maple tree? Or how many months of heat somebody with a woodstove could get? What a giant waste of wood!
What might have been the biggest loblolly pine in the county, in my old backyard on the St. John’s River, got blown down by a hurricane a few years ago-left a large hole in the backyard skyscape.
