I like trees, do you?

[ragandbone]

Yes, I love them. I moved here to be among them. I have even been known to hug them.
I like Sequoias (redwoods), Live Oak, Monterey cypress, and all kinds of pines, palms and (thanks for the reminder Beachwood Mac!) Jacarandas I have favorite individual tree, that I call "my" tree, a Morena Bay Fig, that grows next to the building that was my childhood library. Its branches have grown way above the windows but I used to look out at it on cold days, and sit under it on warm days, and for many years I have made sure to visit it when I go back home.

We have big tree in our front yard, called a Tulip Poplar, that I understand is more of an East Coast tree. It gives us lots of shade, but is a pain in the ass to clean up after.

[Nixxxed]

Just to prove ANY thread on the Ledge can be perved up - Trees with dirty names!

Cockspur:



These are also called Coral Trees, Fireman's Cap Trees or Turk's Cap Trees. They are very slow growing, and the branches have vicious long woody thorns. (They like it rough.) But the unique blooms make up for it - especially since a tree can bloom 3 or more times each year. (It can perform multiple times.)



A beautiful and fascinating specimen tree when well tended. There are several baby trees at my local butterfly garden, and people are constantly admiring them. A medium sized Cockspur in Tokyo:



A massive giant in Disneyland (size matters):

[skcin]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

This reminds me of the most insane question asked as Super Bowl media day. Back in the 80's, Downtown Julie Brown actually went up to a player and asked the following question: "If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?"

Yeah. Because Barbara Walters asked someone that in the 70's & she's been teased about it ever since. I think it was Clint Eastwood - wait, Jimmy Stewart!


And Nixxxed said cockspur. Teehee.

[gretchen]

Silver birch trees look stark white against the inky sky after a bad thunderstorm...simply stunning!

Stump tables...sounds like the name of a really bad folk singer.

[Sarah]

I have a t-shirt that says I Like Trees Too. In my world, it's talking about pot. In the adult world, it's just about giraffes eating trees.

It's cute. <3

[Mari]

ALL those shirts are damn cute! Must get me one of those, if I can decide which one, haha

.. the procrastinator one, I think

[Sarah]

Originally Posted by Mari

ALL those shirts are damn cute! Must get me one of those, if I can decide which one, haha

.. the procrastinator one, I think

They're high quality shirts, Mari. Their titles and artist names are printed on the inside as well. Many of them are unique in that after it sells out and there are enough requests for reprints, they'll often do it with a different color scheme.

[Miss Vicky]

I love most trees (but not palms, I hate palms), but I most especially love the trees that produce lovely, sweet, juicy fruits like apples, oranges, and peaches. Those are the best trees.

[Sarah]

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

I love most trees (but not palms, I hate palms), but I most especially love the trees that produce lovely, sweet, juicy fruits like apples, oranges, and peaches. Those are the best trees.

Why don't you like Palms?

I think they're pretty. The trunks are unique.

[Miss Vicky]

Originally Posted by Sarah

Why don't you like Palms?

I think they're pretty. The trunks are unique.

They're fine growing in a tropical region where they're supposed to be, but I think they look damned tacky and out of place growing in people's yards or along the road.

It also sucks living by someone who has one in their yard. My next-door neighbor has one and it's always dumping seeds into our lawn. If you've ever tried to weed out hundreds of baby palms from in-between your own plants, you know what a bitch those little mo-fos can be to get rid of.

[Nixxxed]

The other unfortunate thing about palm trees: roaches.

There are 2 20-foot Queen Anne palms in the back yard around the pond. As I was pruning them a couple of weeks ago, I inadvertantly ripped off one of the old branch collars (the bottom part of the limb that remained attached to the trunk after last year's pruning). Since I was on a stepladder with a 10-foot pruning stick, I was treated to a cockroach shower as a whole colony of them living underneath the branch collar was dumped onto my head as the collar came off.

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

The other unfortunate thing about palm trees: roaches.

There are 2 20-foot Queen Anne palms in the back yard around the pond. As I was pruning them a couple of weeks ago, I inadvertantly ripped off one of the old branch collars (the bottom part of the limb that remained attached to the trunk after last year's pruning). Since I was on a stepladder with a 10-foot pruning stick, I was treated to a cockroach shower as a whole colony of them living underneath the branch collar was dumped onto my head as the collar came off.

Ok. My heart just stopped. Completely.

That? Is among my absolute worst fears. I HATE roaches. I know they can't hurt you etc...but omg how I loathe them.

And from this moment on, Deanna no longer likes Palm trees either *shudder*

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

The other unfortunate thing about palm trees: roaches.

There are 2 20-foot Queen Anne palms in the back yard around the pond. As I was pruning them a couple of weeks ago, I inadvertantly ripped off one of the old branch collars (the bottom part of the limb that remained attached to the trunk after last year's pruning). Since I was on a stepladder with a 10-foot pruning stick, I was treated to a cockroach shower as a whole colony of them living underneath the branch collar was dumped onto my head as the collar came off.

i would've freaked out. i'm not a squeamish person, but bugs bring out the banshee in me.

[Sarah]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

The other unfortunate thing about palm trees: roaches.

There are 2 20-foot Queen Anne palms in the back yard around the pond. As I was pruning them a couple of weeks ago, I inadvertantly ripped off one of the old branch collars (the bottom part of the limb that remained attached to the trunk after last year's pruning). Since I was on a stepladder with a 10-foot pruning stick, I was treated to a cockroach shower as a whole colony of them living underneath the branch collar was dumped onto my head as the collar came off.

Permission to hate palm trees granted.

Nightmare material for the rest of my life. I think I need to go sit somewhere and cry for a while.

[Nixxxed]

Roaches are just a fact of life in coastal TX. I prune those palms every spring - I knew they were there. I was just being lazy because I didn't feel like dragging out the big ladder and actually climbing up to prune the limbs with a hand saw. That way, I wouldn't have risked pulling off one of the old branch collars, which is not good for the tree. It's better to let them fall off on their own.

The worst part about it was that I had just started pruning. There was no sense in going to take a shower, then getting all nasty again. So I just rinsed my head off with the hose, got out the big ladder (like I should have done in the beginning), and went back to work.