Dead trees can be valuable in the organic garden as a wildlife refuge. However, sometimes the hazards outweigh the benefits.
It was with sadness that we had to say goodbye to an old black walnut tree in our back yard yesterday. My relationship with this tree (yes, one can have an arboreal relationship of sorts) had been a mixed bag over the last 11 years. When we moved into our residence, I was delighted to have a newer home surrounded by so many mature trees. However, I hadn’t been initiated into the black walnut litter club. Nor was I acquainted with the toxic juglone that black walnuts emit from their roots and nuts, which kills many sensitive plants. However, one must accept the faults of a mature tree with the attributes, especially when one’s tree was probably only a sapling at the turn of last century.
A few years ago, I noticed the walnut drop its leaves in late August, about a month earlier than usual. The following spring, the tree didn’t leaf out. Did my muttering curses as I lugged around the wheelbarrow full of nuts hasten its death? No matter, for the tree seemed livelier than ever in its state of decay. A myriad of insect species colonized its trunk, and a red-bellied woodpecker carved out a cavity beside this buffet for its nest.
I might have been content to watch nature slowly reclaim this giant for years to come, but a couple of near misses with thigh-sized branches dropping from its canopy sealed the tree’s fate.
This Arbor Day, I’ll be looking for a sprightly young crabapple, or perhaps a redbud, to turn into a gnarled old specimen for future generations to enjoy. For the best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago, but the second best time is today.
