Wandering in a foggy Lower Woodland Park, I took a path I hadn’t taken before. Looking up a small hill, I could see some big tree branches had fallen, so I climbed up to get a closer look.
The morning’s heavy fog added a mystical quality to this exceptional tree. It had rotted in the center and then two large branches had peeled away from the main trunk. The tree is not dead, despite the significant damage. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the fallen branches finds a way to cling to life and keep growing.
I have been worrying and fussing about which trees to plant in my native plant garden. Specifically, I didn’t want to plant a tree that might get too big for the yard. But I realized that I’m worrying too much about something that won’t matter to me. If I plant a tree in my yard that’s destined to become a giant, that won’t happen in my lifetime. And the reality is that when we sell this house, it is highly likely that it will get razed and a McMansion will take its place, with the yard becoming something else entirely. So, I decided to plant whatever I want.
For example, the magnificent big leaf maple shown above was probably at least 150 years old before it fell apart. And these trees can live up to 300 years. Garry oaks can live 500 years, and even shorter 30-foot trees can be 200 years old!
Here are some other beautiful big leaf maples from the foggy park. How can I resiste planting one of these?
