Confession and Diary of a Serial Killer

My neighbor, a retired judge, has labeled me a killer. He chastises me for waging war on the creeping charlie weeds overrunning everything (but they have a flower, he says), the dreaded honeysuckle bushes which proliferate like rabbits (but they grow so well he says), and the bittersweet vines which kill everything in their path through constriction (but they have nice leaves and berries in autumn, he says). He saves his most vociferous comments for my killing of trees.

I admit it, I am a serial killer. I like plants. I like trees. However, I do not like all plants and trees, and I suffer little remorse in shortening the lives of those I do not like. I have had a number of trees cut down in the yard. Most were old and dying. There have been some healthy trees, in particular some Norway maples. If I had my way, I would rid my property of every Norway maple. They are simply huge weeds. They pop up everywhere, they are messy – sending out millions of seeds, and they grow quickly eliminating the possibility of other native and desirable trees to grow. Alas the cost to remove them all is not within my budget, otherwise they would meet a quick chainsaw end.

Being a confessed tree killer caused me to reflect on those trees I like and have planted. I made a simple inventory:

70 – Dogwood – white, pink and red. Originally we planted 76, but some have not returned. These were planted as seedling trees and they remain quite small. One of the tree “surgeons” (now there is a real killer), asked me what I had growing in my little chicken wire cages. “Dogwoods,” I proudly replied. He laughed and said, “you know they take a long time to grow.” “Yes, I know – I’m not in a hurry,” I replied. He just shook his head. Life is all about instant – instant messaging, instant gratification – I don’t mind waiting. Eventually they will be beautiful

33 – Arborvitae, Green giant – They are fast growing trees and have mainly been planted along the busy road as a screen. As an evergreen they are nice year round.

20 – Eastern White Pines – I like everything about these trees. The needles are soft. As an evergreen they have a nice color all year and they are surprisingly fast growing. One of the white pines shot up 3 feet last year alone.

13 – White Spruce – The form of the white spruce is more columnar than the blue spruce. They also seem to have a longer life.

7 – Blue Spruce – The blue color and pyramidal form make them wonderful accent trees.

6 – Norway Spruce – They grow quickly and at maturity are large trees with beautiful drooping branches.

4 – Sweet Bay Magnolia – This magnolia blooms much later than the standard magnolia and it thrives in wet locations, which is where I have planted them.

3 – Gingko – The color of these trees is light green in summer and a spectacular yellow in the fall. Andrew likes them a lot, so we planted this small group in late March.

2 – Dawn Redwood – This is a deciduous tree with needles. It is pre-historic. I have planted these in an area to soak up water.

2 – Serviceberry – These trees have lovely blooms in Spring.

2 – Star Magnolia – These look like small bushes now, but will mature to tree size. They are glorious early spring bloomers.

1 – Elizabeth Magnolia – This is the standard type of magnolia with a yellow blossom. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden developed this variety in the 1950s.

1 Purple Magnolia – The vibrant shade of purple is really lovely.

1 – Bald Cypress – This tree is known for the knobby knees it sends up from its roots. Deer like to attack this tree, even though I have had a cage around it – let’s see if it survives

1 – Eastern Redbud – Andrew received this tree from the Arbor Day Foundation. It was about 4 inches tall when we planted it 2 years ago. The tree is now a healthy 1 foot! Patience.

1 – Red Horse Chestnut – The Great British Baking Show has often shown a glorious red horse chestnut at the beginning of their episodes. I had to have one and finally planted one this spring.

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Total number of trees planted: 165

It doesn’t seem like a lot when I look at the yard, still most people probably do not plant 165 trees in their lifetime and we have planted these in just the last 3 years! I may not be done yet, let’s see.

Here are some other photos of the yard in Spring.

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A final parting thought. The darker tree in the middle of the photo is a Japanese Umbrella Pine. Some years they only grow a few inches. This is a mature specimen and was probably planted shortly after the house was built. It is a reminder to me to be patient and that future generations may enjoy what I have planted.

What does he plant who plants a tree?
   He plants a friend of sun and sky;
He plants the flag of breezes free;
   The shaft of beauty, towering high;
   He plants a home to heaven anigh;
      For song and mother-croon of bird
      In hushed and happy twilight heard—
The treble of heaven’s harmony—
These things he plants who plants a tree.

What does he plant who plants a tree?
   He plants cool shade and tender rain,
And seed and bud of days to be,
   And years that fade and flush again;
      He plants the glory of the plain;
      He plants the forest’s heritage;
      The harvest of a coming age;
The joy that unborn eyes shall see—
These things he plants who plants a tree.

What does he plant who plants a tree?
   He plants, in sap and leaf and wood,
In love of home and loyalty
   And far-cast thought of civic good—
   His blessings on the neighborhood,
      Who in the hollow of His hand
      Holds all the growth of all our land—
A nation’s growth from sea to sea
Stirs in his heart who plants a tree.

Henry Cuyler Bunner 1855-1896