Maple Trees

Early 1990s 

I have a new maple tree.   It stands in the middle of my front yard’s left side, the east side.

35 or so branches grow out from the 8-foot trunk.  The lowest branch is about 2 feet above ground and the highest just below the tree’s top.  The more substantial branches, those closest to the ground, are producing stems (small branches) – at vertical, horizontal, and other angles to the round.  Young red, yellow, and green fibrous shoots (in contrast to the woody branches and stems) appear at the large branches’ ends and at the tree’s crest.  These shoots are from a half to 4 inches in length.

Leaves as small as a man’s dress shirt button and as big as a large chicken egg dot the trunk, branches, stems, and shoots.

My new maple is strong, straight, and quickly growing.

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Maple trees have grown on earth for millions of years.  They are found in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas – over two hundred species altogether.  The largest maples are in North America and Europe – interesting, the maples in the orient are small, sometimes shrubs.  Maples are often planted as ornamental trees.  The wood is prized as lumber.  All maple species have opposite leaves – the leaves are arranged in pairs growing directly opposite along the branchlet.  Probably the best known American maple is the sugar – a tree that can grow to 120 feet with a trunk 4 feet in diameter.  In fall, it is the most colorful of American trees – foliage ranging a glowing yellow, orange, red, and scarlet.   Other America maples are the black, the red, the swamp, the big-leaf, and the silver.

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A patch of ground surrounding my new maple tree is not yet covered with good, solid grass – but rather a mixture of undesirables.  This ugly patch is all that remains of my old maple tree – a tree I loved for its beauty and stately manner, its age and size, its ambience and contribution to the neighborhood, and the soothing cool air and shade that covered my house’s front.

I miss my old maple tree.

I still get upset when I think about the day I came home and saw the luminescent, pink-colored star painted on the trunk – a mark meaning a tree’s doom,.

I’ve forgiven my landlord for agreeing to the electric company’s request to cut the tree down.

I like my landlord.  He’s a good man.  He has always responded to problems promptly.  We’ve talked al lot.

I suppose he had good reasons for his maple tree decision.  I didn’t ask him – it was over and questions might create bad feelings, not bring the tree back.

The company might have had the right to cut down trees close to their lines. So, when they offered to give a new tree as a peace offer – well, I can understand owners, including my landlord, wanting at least to get something and accepting.

I suppose the electric company had good reasons.  These probably had something to do with money.

Dozens of the old, beautiful trees in my small town are now gone.

Of course, from my view the company committed a dastardly, short-sighted, destructive, reprehensible act.  We lost irreplaceable (in our life time) objects – 80-year old masterpieces, environmental jewels.

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I almost lost my new maple about a month ago.  I wasn’t noticing how dry it had become and that my tree was thirsting to death.  Fortunately, I realized in time and started watering.  The tree is recovering nicely.

I like my new maple but I sure do miss my old one.