Natural History

Posted in West Virginia | Tagged aspen, quaking aspen | 3 Comments

3 Responses

1. on November 10, 2012 at 9:29 pm chervilmeadow

   Even without leaves the trunks and branches are beautiful – similar to our silver birches here. This year in the south of England we are lucky not to have yet lost all the leaves from our ubiquitous beech trees. As at today, 11th November, the beech trees are fabulously clothed in all shades from yellow through orange to red – and those leaves which have fallen make a beautiful crunchy layer on the woodland floor for small children and dogs to run in and send flying.

   One of our major tree species, the european ash has just received its death sentence from a wind blown pathogen which originated in Japan. The battle of Agincourt and many others was won with arrows made from it, but they will all be gone within maybe twenty years – and what else besides!? If I believed in a god I would pray for him to at least spare the beech tree.

   
   
   • on November 11, 2012 at 8:08 pm massugu

     My one lonely American Beech has long since dropped its leaves. As for my Green and White Ashes, they’ll undoubtedly soon succumb to the Emerald Ash Borer (yet another pest brought into North America in wood that we really didn’t need to import since we have more than enough native and introduced species of timber trees to satisfy our needs sustainably.) But the hundreds of American Hollies (as well as some native deciduous Hollies and a few exotic hybrids) I planted are doing brilliantly–I mean this is literally, at least till the winter flocks of Robins and Cedar Waxwings decimate those beautiful berries (LOL.) Oddly, they don’t seem to care for the bright magenta Beauty Berries. I also have a volunteer chestnut I’m rather fond of–probably a Chinese/American hybrid–that unfortunately grows under the power lines and is thus a regular target of the utility companies.

     
     
2. on November 11, 2012 at 9:40 am kittenz

   I love the aspens, but my favorite deciduous tree is the beech. I love the beech woods.
   When my time comes to an end, though, I want my ashes scattered under a wild holly tree.

   
   

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