Where would we be without trees?

Trees are magnificent and wonderful, the longest-living organisms on earth: Where would the rest of us be without them?

Some trees live to be fewer than 100 years old, some live into the thousands of years.  One particular great basin bristlecone pine, a breed located in the mountainous regions of California, Nevada and Colorado, is nearly 5,000 years old. Park rangers have named it Methuselah, and keep its specific location secret. A giant sequoia in California is 275 feet tall; the world’s largest tree by volume, it’s been named General Sherman.

There are 60,065 different species of trees in the world. Deciduous trees have leaves that change color and fall off at the end of the summer. Evergreens - the pines and spruces - have needles. All trees survive through the process of photosynthesis; leaves and needles look green because chlorophyll absorbs blue and red light energy from the sun, then uses that energy to create a sugar which fuels the tree. The roots draw water and nutrients from the soil to nourish and grow the tree. 

Oaks are America’s national tree; they were chosen because they embody strength and sturdiness. 

Trees of all kinds and sizes give us many wonderful things. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and send out oxygen in its place: they give us air quality.

Compost piles on forest floors are continually creating new soil; the roots of the trees prevent it from eroding away.

Our rains appear to be coming in much greater volumes–maybe five or seven inches at a time; trees protect against floods and water pollution. Trees provide homes for many birds, mammals and insects, and support wildlife in many different ways. Canopies cool our city streets and sidewalks while providing shade for our homes on the hot 90-degree summer days.

Trees provide the materials for framing out new houses, our beautifully stained and varnished cupboards, and the trim around our doors and windows. Wood provides fuel for fireplaces, and for those who still heat their homes with wood-burning furnaces. And, oh yes, trees produce the pulp for the mills that produce the many paper products used in our everyday lives, even for the edition of the Pioneer you’re reading at this moment.

People, animals, insects and birds all rely on the wonderful food trees provide, for example, maybe some yummy leaves for a caterpillar to grow into adulthood through metamorphosis. Squirrels and other critters of the woods enjoy acorns and walnuts. We all make our grocery lists and head to the store for honey crisp apples, oranges, pears, bananas and other nourishing fruits.

Christmas would be gloomy if not for the beautiful, decorated, lit-up Christmas trees in everyone’s living rooms. Many times when you knock on the door to celebrate Christmas with family, there’s a decorative wreath or pot out front festooned with greens of every size and beautiful bells and ribbons.

Trees can sometimes be not-so-wonderful, though. I’ve heard several people say they had to replace sewer pipes running from their houses to the city system under the street because a tree’s roots have grown into the pipes and caused leaks. Sewer pipes are an expensive repair; so is replacing and revitalizing the lawn after the digging is all done.

Nasty weather, wind, ice storms and tornadoes can raise havoc on many levels. One of them is the mess left behind when trees break.

At the cabin in Waterville, I’ve had many experiences with trees, even a tornado. Big tree limbs have come down on my cabin roof and dock; half a tree came down just missing my neighbor’s roof. Here’s something I bet you didn’t know: If a tree on your property comes down in the wind and is left on your neighbor’s property, the tree becomes theirs. The neighbor’s insurance becomes responsible for any damage and for cleaning up all the wood on their property.  I have a friend who has a cabin up north. After an ice storm, trees and limbs littered the half-mile driveway to the cabin. The weight of the ice took many, many branches and whole trees to the ground. He couldn’t get to his cabin until he had worked days to clean up the mess.

High winds bring down limbs into power lines and block traffic on streets, creating dangerous situations. Many people have gone without electricity for extended periods of time.

There are also times I’ve gotten back into my car after leaving it parked along a tree-lined street and noticed a sticky sap on my windshield. Some trees give off an invisible sap I wasn’t aware of. According to the internet, Minnesota’s biggest culprits are the sugar maple, the Chinese elm, and the birch tree. Speaking of sap, it takes 40 gallons of sugar maple sap to make one gallon  of that famous natural syrup.

Fall brings shorter days, less daylight, and an end to photosynthesis. The leaves die, change color, and drift to the ground, gradually leaving the branches naked. Raking leaves can become a frustrating, difficult task. Trees don’t let loose of all the leaves at the same time. The 20-mile-per-hour winds seem to change direction every other day. 

One day, leaves are blowing into my yard from the park to the west; the next day leaves are coming from my neighbor’s to the south. I’m no saint, either, of course. Leaves from my yard are also constantly relocating to nearby properties. It’s common practice to have to rake the yard several times.

This year, leaf pickup for my neighborhood was approaching rapidly; the city was scheduled to pick up all the leaves on my curb on November 7. The leaves from my maple tree were down. I raked and used my blower to create huge piles of leaves. I filled garbage cans full, carried them to the curb, and dumped them. I was hurting–my back and legs needed rest. As I took a stretch, I looked out the window at what seemed like mountains of leaves still needing to be dealt with.

Sammy barked. I looked out the window again and there was Giles filling garbage cans and carrying them to the curb.

“I thought you could use some help,” he said as he greeted me. A short time later, here came neighbor Twila with a rake, ready to take on a role in the Zika leaf project.  Thanks to Giles, Twila, and their kind hearts, the leaves were piled at the curb and the yard was once again leaf free.

I’d like to close with a few “dad jokes” for grandchildren, kids and simple-minded adults.

What is a tree’s favorite shape? A tree-angle.

What’s a tree’s least favorite month? Sep-timber.

What stumped the tree? It couldn’t find the root of the problem. (Get it? Find the root…)