Today has been another very busy day in my real world. Once again, Thursday is almost done, and my Thursday 13
post is NOT done, nor even begun. When I asked my 12 year old son what I should write about, he said, “List thirteen of your favorite trees.” Guess it proves that I’m green and nerdy, that this was the first thing that came to his mind. The remaining proof is that I could have easily listed more than thirteen types of trees.
Here you have Thirteen Favorite Trees:
- Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum). These trees have such a rugged, individual appearance as they get older. I have an especial favorite that I admire when I walk on our road.
- Vine Maple (Acer circinatum). Delicate, Japanese-garden-type beauty. I especially enjoy the vine maples in our yard during the fall when their leaves are changing color.
- Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii). I enjoy one fine dogwood tree from my bedroom window. Our dogwoods bloom spring and fall.
- Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera). Another native tree. I admire their white trunks and leaves that tremble in the breeze.
- Western Red Cedar. You see these everywhere in our neck of the woods. They are familiar and thus comforting.
- Monterey Cyprus (Cyprus macrocarpa). We see these trees at Pt. Reyes National Seashore in California. The strong ocean winds have bent them to fantastical shapes.
- Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia). We see these trees, with their dark green foliage, clustered on the dry rolling hills of Marin County, California, when we go to visit Grampa and Gramma Taron. These trees, more than any other, say, “California!” to me.
- Valley Oak(Quercus lobata). These are the huge oak trees that we see in California.
- Eucalyptus. These trees aren’t so beautiful, but I love their fragrance.
- Bishop’s Pine (Pinus muricata). We see these in Inverness, California. I understand that they don’t grow many places. These are gnarly trees with lots of character.
- Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii). I love the gently curving, delicate look of the branches, and the smooth, red-brown bark.
- Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides). I remember loving this tree when I was five years old and we were living in Flagstaff, Arizona. The way the leaves tremble enthralled me.
- Sycamore. I don’t know what kind of sycamore tree it is that I remember. There was a picnic grounds on the way from Phoenix, Arizona to Flagstaff where we would picnic called Sycamore Creek. The main thing I remember is the wonderful fragrance of those trees. I’ve yet to smell it again. I looked forward to it each time we would go there.
There you have an extremely strange Thursday 13. I guess I love trees, because I do have more than thirteen favorites.
