In fact, I have 'favourite' trees all around the area.
There's an old magnolia in a tiny roadside cemetery in Jacksonville...that's probably my favourite favourite tree.
There's a maple in Swansboro that turns a BEAUTIFUL shade of yellow orange in the fall, gorgeous shape to it as well.
And then, right down the road from my house, is a very old oak. It's been on the verge of dying the last few years. Been struck by lightning many times.
I took a picture of it the day we had all that snow last February. I had one with the tree all leafed out, but I can't find it...
Yesterday I went for a walk back where this house is situated for the first time in a couple of weeks. I discovered that the oak has finally kicked the bucket.
Looks like it just toppled over finally. Chuck said all of the flooding we got was probably the culprit.
As you can see in the snow picture, the tree was pruned so that no branches would overhang the road to the left. Also so that no heavy branches were over the house either. With the ground so soft, it just finally gave out in the direction the heaviest branches were pointing.
Chuck always said it looked like hobbits were living in it. As you can see from this poorly taken photo (sun is really bright the last couple of days) of the underside of the root system, it was pretty rotted out.
I was kind of sad when I saw it. That tree has seen a lot of decades pass by.
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18 comments:
wow, so sad to see a tree fall, but hopefully a new one will take its place soon
Hi Kyna,
Such a shame to see the tree finally meet its end, especially considering Oaks take so long to reach maturity...
It's always sad to see a tree reach the end of its life, particularly oaks for some reason. But at least it was nature that took its course.
Dear Kyna, I was really moved by this post. How lovely that you have favorite trees (I can think of only one I would mention - our very ancient pear tree). And how sad that one of them fell. Your photos are great! Pam x
The first picture of the tree on it's side was so sad and telling ... the 'finality' - in one image!
("Hobbit" tree - SO true!)
A lot of old river gums will keep growing when this happens to them. One of the side branches will turn into a new trunk.
wow, what a spectacular tree. Always so sad when one comes down. Hopefully a new tree will be planted in its place.
Dear Kyna, I think that growing trees is the purest form of gardening. There is a tree for every situation and they are so wonderful with something of interest in every season.
The fallen Oak is a very sad sight. In 1987,thousands of such mature trees were lost in the south of England after prolonged rain and then strong winds. But afterwards, areas were replanted and looked beautiful.
It makes me sad to see a noble (yes, "noble"! -- I love trees) tree go down. After such a prune job, it was inevitable.
On the plus side, my father always said that his father (a forester from Scotland) told him to check the underside of uprooted trees for gold nuggets. Maybe your tree has a goodbye present for you. :)
In the DC area, when trees like this one fall, contractors swarm in, gut them, renovate, and charge $3,000 a month rent. Talk about green building!!
If that oak could talk, oh the stories it would tell. I hope that the wood goes to good use. I'm sure everyone was grateful it didn't land on anything when it toppled over. Poor thing.... Thanks for the pics.
~fer: Actually, I think my stedaughter is friends with the granddaughter of those people. I should ask her if they will be planning on replanting.
Liz: Yes, live oaks are my second favourite tree (after magnolias), and I really want to plant one because we have the space. But I'll be moved or dead by the time we got anywhere with it. The trick is to move in to house with a tree like that already mature..yes.. *strokes chin*
Bub: Some people aren't really attached to their trees and just don't mind cutting them down for any old reason. When Chuck and I planted that magnolia out front for our anniversary, I was thinking that I was hoping the next residents don't cut it down. But if they do, they're gonna have a job of it because that's a formidible opponent of a tree to try and remove!
Pam: The first thing I always say when I see a tree like that is 'When my mym comes to visit finally, I need to show her this tree!' lol. My mum's like me, and I'll even send her pictures. The people at the developing place always laugh when they see the prints I'm ordering lol.
Shyrlene: It is sad, I was in a good mood till I saw the tree on it's side. In fact, I noticed it was gone without noticing it was gone...I was walking first down a cul-de-sac that has a fenced in end, and the tree grew a bit beyond that fence. My eyes noticed the lack of branches filling the sky beyond the fence. I was like, 'Oh noooo, I can't believe they cut it down!' But then I saw what really happened. Sad.
Al: Not sure if that would happen in this case. That tree was pretty sick anyway. Not only was it struck by lightning a bunch of times, I think it had some sort of disease. Woodpeckers loved it because it was full of bugs.
Marguerite: I hope so too! That yard will look kind of naked once the tree gets dismantled and moved out of there...
Edith: What an interesting little piece of history, I didn't know that. You're right though, what is lost can be regained, with trees. :)
Ms S: Yes, the pruning job was definitely a hack job. I see so many horrendous pruning jobs in this are, it's ridiculous. Mostly I think it's just like the situation of this tree. The branches are interfering with human progress, so those offending branches are cut. There's a huge magnolia down the road, with a giant semi-cirle of tree but out of it. looks like someone took a bite out of the tree, in fact. The state requires it to be cut that way so it doesn't get entangled with power lines.
TS: I got a funny image of a bunch of builders just sitting there, watching old trees. One finally falls...'Right boys, lets get to it!' lol
Kris: In the area I live in? I bet that tree had some juicy stories lol.
We've had a number of trees fall here since moving in, and most were sick, or predisposed to toppling over secondary to bad pruning over the years before we moved here. None of ours though were half as majestic as your oak though. If only that oak could talk, and tell you all it's seen. It's funny how some trees, especially large specimen trees we pass by every day, become like old friends to us. Although one of your favorite trees is gone, I hope a new oak sprouts in its place soon.
Oh it is sad to see such a mighty tree fall. I think perhaps that pruning may have been a factor, it was obviously way overbalanced. In fact, from the first pic it looks like it was lucky it did not hit that house!
Some idiots have cut down a tree near me that used to be so pretty. I have no idea why they did it. Now we can see into their garden full of rubbish, and they can see onto a pavement where the bins are kept. The tree sheltered us equally from that view. I feel like secretly planting acorns there when no one is looking.
i have a few tree friends myself - would be really sad to see them go. oaks, in particular, seem to have a pull on people's hearts, dont they.
Oh how sad... that poorly pruned tree just couldn't take it any more. But you can see by the lack of roots that it was a goner many years before and it's amazing it was leafing out at all. You took some great pictures of its last years.
Sometimes, a fallen tree is a thing of beauty, a joy to behold, a treat in an otherwise grey and dull world.
Oh, hang on, I meant fallen women!
How sad. By the states of its roots, it's days were numbered anyway, but the unbalanced pruning probably had a lot to do with it keeling over too.
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