Legacy Trees
by Lisa - January 14th, 2012.Filed under: Long--Range Planning, native trees. Tagged as: canopy trees, elm, hickory, oak.
Thank you, great-grandfather, for planting my oak tree.
Over 100 years ago, someone–I do not know who–planted a White oak, Quercus alba, in the front yard of the house I recently moved into. That person has already died, for a White oak’s lifespan is many times that of a human, but his legacy remains.
Few people plant legacy trees now. Puny little grafted weeping cherry trees are plunked down in the middle of large suburban lots. Their Frankenstein form barely reaches as high as the first floor. Where are the oaks, hickories, and elms?
Go ahead and plant your flowers to enjoy right now. It’s only human to want instant gratification. Then, plant a real tree. A slow-growing, long-lived, hundred-foot-tall gift for children yet to be born. Your legacy.