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My Stately Friends - Trees

© Jerri Brooker

trees fascinate me.

This fascination began as a child living in the northwestern part of Washington. Growing up around some of the tallest, largest trees in the state, the forests always called my name; they still do.

Trees are poetry to me and not only me. Joyce Kilmer says it just fine:

"I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree."

For a little fun this parody by Ogden Nash, one of my favorite poets, rings true to my feelings, too.

"I think that I shall never see
A billboard as lovely as a tree.
Perhaps until the billboards fall
I'll never see a tree at all."

---

I have such a passion for trees, I can't imagine living without them. I'm also the first to squawk if I think a tree is unjustly cut. I do, though, realize what we would have to do without if we didn't log our forests; trees provide paper, lumber for our homes, etc. My main concern is when old-growth forests are cut. That's another story.

Since I love trees I've never stopped learning new things about them. From the time I could understand my father told me about trees on walks in the forest. We'd look at bark and I'd learn to tell a tree from that; he'll tell you I don't remember them as I get older - glad he's still here. I admit I don't remember all the trees, but that's what books are for if you don't know someone who knows trees!

Primer

Mabel Crittenden has written a great handbook, Trees of the West. In her book she states a basic primer for someone just learning about trees:

"Trees can be deciduous, which means they lose their leaves in autumn. They can also be evergreen, meaning they hang on to their leaves for more than one growing season. Many of the evergreen trees are conifers, holding their needles or scales for many years."

Traits

There are other things to look for when you are experiencing trees - identifying traits. I've mentioned this in the past, but the way to tell the difference between a Western Hemlock, the most common in the damp northwest, and a Douglas Fir: the top bends over on a Hemlock.

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