Post a Comment
Tuliptrees
A few years ago I planted a tuliptree in our yard, not knowing much about that particular species of tree. I did some reading back then and found out some interesting things, including the fact that Thomas Jefferson planted a slew of them when he founded the U. of Virginia way back when. One of his original such trees still exists on the campus (it is over 200 years old!).
As my thumbs have turned greener with age I've spent more time while out and about paying attention to types of trees and other flora. I noticed at one point that Mathews Avenue in Urbana, just east of the University of Illinois Quad, is also lined with tuliptrees from Green Street all the way to Nevada. They're old, tall, straight, and beautiful.
Well, I have wanted another tuliptree for my landscape and have been anxiously paying attention to see if the little tree in my back yard would "give birth" like the multitudes of redbuds, silver maples, and pin oaks.
Let's just say that I finally acquired a new tuliptree sapling. I trimmed the leaves like a hydrangea start so that it wouldn't have to expend too much energy getting water and such up to the huge leaves. Actually, the following picture has two such hydrangea starts, as well as three new "northern gold" forsythia bushes, and on the left is my new tuliptree.
Since that photo was taken I have actually planted the tuliptree in the ground north of my house, near where my ding-a-ling neighbor cut down a 20-year (or so) old redbed tree a few years back. Of course, I planted it well on my side of the property line. If he's going to keep cutting down trees, I'm going to keep planting them.
It has rained pretty good the last couple of days, so hopefully my new tree has successfully rooted into the ground and will do well. I have a two-foot tall piece of chicken wire circling the tree lest some bunny (or deer!) chomp it off before it gets a chance to establish itself.
I truly hope that of any of the trees I've transplanted as saplings (two redbuds and two pin oaks thus far) this tuliptree survives and thrives.
Posted: Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 2:08 pm
Mood: Awesome