Although I do love the thought of a witch named Hazel, I am referring to a tree. Hamamelis virginiana is in bloom here in North Carolina.
There is a tree along one of my favorite paths. Its flowers are small with squiggly yellow petals. The leaves are oval with wavy margins.
The astringent, witch hazel, is made from extracts from the bark, twigs and leaves of the tree.
I will dress up like a witch again on Halloween. Maybe I will wear a name tag with ‘HAZEL’ on it.
FLOW
Mr. Flower and I had the good fortune of finding a full grown American Chestnut tree during our travels in the Appalachian Mountains yesterday. Finding one is rare due to the Chestnut blight which started around 1904 and wiped out billions of the Castanea dentata species. This tree was dominant in the Appalachian Mountains before the blight of the Asian Bark Fungus/Cryphonectria parasitica arrived.
The fungal disease was believed to have been imported from Japan on some Japanese chestnut trees which are resistant. The American Chestnut’s demise affected atleast 60 different species of wildlife that counted on the American Chestnut trees for food.
Various methods have been used to restore populations. Researchers have done intercrossing and backcrossing with with the trees that have survived. Some genetic modification has been tried using a gene from wheat.
We were thrilled to find this tree and see its mean, green burred fruit with an enclosed nut.
FLOWER
I have always admired trees. Their shape and their shade are appreciated. There are some trees that I especially love. I remember these as important landmarks. I look for these old friends when I return to those places.
I went back to the picnic spot by the mountain stream yesterday. I took a bag of root chips, water and my camera. I meant to bring a book, but it was left in the kitchen. I go to this place to read. There is spotty phone service and no internet here, so it keeps me form scrolling the horrific events of war and politics. I make myself take breaks between calls and letter writing and posting and sharing…
I wandered around with my memories along the banks of the streams. There have been changes. I will share that later. I was looking for things that have not changed. I need some mooring right now. What could be more steadying than an old, familiar tree?
This was one of the sights I came for…The Tree in the Dale.
It stands in the middle of lovely sloping pastures. From the picnic site, only its crown is visible. It peeks over the hills. Seeing just its top was a comfort. I was not up for a hike to its shade.
I just wanted to put my eyes on this tree that I have loved through time. I keep returning to places of the past. Searching for echoes. Hoping for old threads to attach myself to.
A tree is pretty steady mooring for that.
I am grateful for the tree in the dale.
FLOW
This was a tree
but now it’s not
The base of it began to rot
A man climbed up
the tree came down
Now there’s a hole
deep in the ground.
FLOW
The truck hauled away a load of sawdust from the chipper.
Many logs are left to season and be cut into firewood.
The stump of the Fairy Tree is a gorgeous shape.
There was a glow-in-the-dark star left on the stump.
The rotten roots at the water had a giant hole in the center.
Generally it is not as messy as expected.
The tree that was trimmed up looks like I envisioned.
I am pleased with this progress, years overdue.
FLOW
When oaks get messy it’s a sign of decline. There are symptoms that let you know when one needs to go. Conch fungi at the base should not be ignored.
The tree near the water had been showing signs by growing fungi at its base and a hole forming underneath.
The tree near the ramp had its roots in the septic lines and grew extremely fast. The death at its core was sort of a surprise.
The oak at the road was planted thirty years ago. This one was trimmed on one side due to power lines. That meant the side toward the house and downhill was fuller and thus heavier.
We hired a company we have used several times before, Watt Tree Service. They do excellent work and clean up as they work.
This experienced crew provided several hours of entertainment today. The climber is sixty-one years old and is a third-generation climber. His brother also climbs and was doing a different job today right across the river.
If you have trees, you need to keep an eye out for decline, disease and bad form. It is important to hire experts, so that your trees will not be trimmed like lollipops that will medusa out later and cause even more problems.
It is worth paying for experienced, skilled crews with the proper equipment. Tree problems just get worse if not addressed.
FLOWER
Growing up, I had an oak watching over me.
It was small when I was small. We both grew.
Now it reaches for the sky with its beautiful branches.
I walked around my old home place on Christmas Eve.
Feeling grateful for a safe place to grow up.
Happy I had a room under this lovely, sheltering tree.
FLOW
I was fascinated by an unusual tree at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens.
Its name is Chinese Parasol Tree, Firmiana simplex.
It had several features that were of interest.
One was its green bark which had an unusual texture.
Also, its leaves were huge and complex.
It had a nice shape overall that made it attractive from a distance.
This may be a tree for all seasons.
Flower
I have always found the knees of the Bald Cypress trees fascinating.
(It may be because my Mamaw had one in her living room.)
So when the Edisto Memorial Gardens also had a Cypress Swamp walkway,
I found myself knee-deep in my deeply-rooted fascination.
I could not believe the diversity in shape and arrangement.
One group even looked like a nativity scene.
Yes, there were roses! I will eventually get to those.
But for this post we will be lovin’ on some Taxodium distichum parts.
The roots are unusual, but so are the cones.
My cousins did get a tiny bit of attention during the visit.
Next come the roses and some fowl.
Stick around folks.
Flower
