“If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?”
George Berkeley, philosopher (1685-1753)
If an arborist chops down a hefty old shade tree on any residential street in Chicago or the suburbs, it’s likely to generate everything from grumbling and cursing to accolades — even if few neighbors are home to see the tree fall.
Whether it’s a small ornamental tree with scented blossoms and radiant fall color, such as serviceberries or witch hazel, or massive oaks, denizens of Illinois’ forests that sprouted when the Potawatomi Indians roamed the prairies, or 30-year-old silver maples and willows that shed their branches and limbs at the slightest gust, trees elicit feelings of fear, wonderment and often the desire to either protect them in their glorious splendor or get rid of them because they are dangerous or unsightly.
“People think that it’s miraculous that you can grow an oak from an acorn. It’s awesome. But tampering with what nature created [by felling trees] makes people very uncomfortable,” says community trees advocate Edith Makra of The Morton Arboretum in Lisle.
Earlier this year, several Home&Garden readers sent e-mails and postcards to vote on their favorite design in our story, “Front Yard Fear Factor: Designers’ Challenge” (March 2). In no uncertain terms, they expressed their strong desire that the mature trees in the design not be removed under any circumstances — after all, you said, they are Trees.
Still, others begrudge these leafy wonders their — well — leaves.
“Trees can be messy,” says arborist Roger Ross of Homer Glen. “Anything that’s alive creates a mess including people. But people often don’t realize that many trees are worth their total value each year in the cooling effect they provide.”
In the last half-century, many Midwestern towns replaced elms dying from Dutch elm disease with less desirable species, some of which are now falling to the chain saw. “The knee-jerk reaction was to put in fast-growing trees like Norway maple, which were messy and created extremely dense shade, which kills grass,” Makra says.
Trees planted under power lines often get the axe when tough choices must be made between having electricity or admiring the ways the branches block when tough choices must be made between having electricity or admiring the ways the branches block the wires from view. “Everyone blames the utility company for wrong pruning, but it’s often the homeowners’ fault. They buy a cheap, fast-growing tree. They want it to grow fast and then stop. It’s a matter of being proactive, selecting the right tree to avoid the problem,” Ross says.
Ross is working with Homer Glen officials and residents to develop a tree-preservation ordinance, a process that often takes as long as three years to complete. “It’s unfortunate that you have to have a tree ordinance, but it helps preserve the atmosphere created by existing trees,” Ross says. Tree ordinances, such as one under development in Olympia Fields, require permits for tree removal and offer suggestions for appropriate replacement trees that are not as susceptible to diseases, insects, rotting or wind damage as others.
Buyer beware
If you’re thinking about adding or replacing a tree, there’s no need to wait until spring. With autumn slowly approaching, garden centers will be peddling several types of trees for planting while the soil is still warm and workable.
Some trees offered by big-box retailers and garden centers, however, may not be altogether appropriate for our climate, soil or home landscapes. Kayri Havens, director of conservation science for the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, says, “Norway maples are tolerant of urban conditions, but we’re now seeing them invade a lot of woodland areas. They exclude native species and native-species diversity is important for proper ecosystem functioning. Ecosystems do things for us like filter waste, control floodwater and maintain our atmosphere.”
Black alder, tree-of-heaven and Siberian elm are among those on Haven’s noxious species list. “I’m not suggesting you take out all your trees with a chainsaw, but over time, build diversity in your landscape,” Havens says.
She recommends replacing trees with noninvasive species or cultivars. “It makes your home landscape more interesting and ecologically friendly,” she says.
(The Chicago Botanic Garden, www.chicagobotanic.org, and The Morton Arboretum, www.mortonarb.org, offer lengthy lists of recommended trees for our area.)
Thou shalt not trim
You say your neighbor’s trees are blocking your view or dropping leaves on your sidewalk, driveway or pristine lawn?
One suburban Chicago homeowner discovered that her neighbor, without asking, removed the lower branches from two of her graceful towering spruce trees, which made them look like gawky girls in short party dresses. The tree trunks were on her side of the property but some of the branches extended across the property line. To add insult to injury, the branches were dumped in her yard. The neighbors are no longer on speaking terms and the village was unable to assist them in the dispute.
Tree disputes between neighbors are a common phenomenon, says Lew Bloch, a Maryland-based registered consulting arborist, landscape architect and author of “Tree Law Cases in the USA” (self-published, 128 pages, $56; order online at http://www.lewbloch.com/order.htm).
“If the property line runs through any part of the tree trunk, it’s jointly owned and according to most case law, neither party can do anything to the tree without the other’s permission,” Bloch says.
Where the trunks of trees are well inside the property line, but the roots and branches extend across the line, “I can cut the limbs and the roots on my side without permission. But you have to be careful that you don’t kill the tree. If it dies or falls over, then you’re negligent and you’ve gone too far. If you cut beyond your property line and you cross over the line, you are trespassing.”
Bloch says that Illinois has a code that states if someone damages trees and trespasses, the owner may be entitled to triple damages. “If you cut my roots and the tree falls over and it was appraised at $10,000, a judge and jury could allow $30,000 because trespassing was involved,” he says.
But trees, especially those that are diseased or weak, also can cause extensive property damage and injury. “One of the problems with big trees is the defects in the tree can be hidden in the trunk or the roots, both of which can’t be seen. A good arborist can generally see symptoms whereas a lay person can’t. It’s good to have trees checked periodically,” Bloch says.
Although property disputes can be a headache, many homeowners revere trees, especially those that were planted to commemorate a birth, wedding or other celebration. Trees that are properly chosen, planted and cared for are a long-term investment that can increase property value.
A revered legacy
Before Dean Caselli and his wife, Roberta, selected trees for their Grayslake home, he researched reference books, visited garden centers, checked Internet sites and gleaned design tips from television gardening programs.
“Trees are a legacy,” Caselli says. The couple recently spent more than $2,000 to have serviceberries and a maple planted. “Space is a challenge in a small yard. We planted the maple with the intention that it will get 60 feet high and 30 feet wide with a canopy over the lower trees.”
Many Chicago area trees were planted by homeowners in the late 1800s. These heritage trees deserve our appreciation and care. After all, they’ve provided shade for several generations and like a Victorian house, they are unique.
That’s why some homeowners find ways to not say goodbye to a long-cherished tree that has succumbed to disease or disaster. When Jean McLaren had to have a century-old oak tree cut down at her Wilmette home, she decided to have a sculptor, Michael Montenegro of Evanston, create a figure out of the standing 10-foot tall trunk.
“It will be a robed woman and she’s holding a bowl over her head. We wanted to have something that would kind of capture the spirit of the tree. It’s so beautiful. We’ve lost so many trees with the storms this year, so to be able to preserve them in some sense is such a benefit to the community,” McLaren says.
Protecting our trees
Here are a few ways homeowners unwittingly may mistreat a living, breathing, nourishment-seeking tree:
– Bury the trunk too deep when you’re planting and, in a few years, it can eventually die.
– Withhold water during dry spells.
– Don’t bother mulching it. Or mound a volcano of mulch around the trunk to create a condo for insects and fungi.
– Keep tree stakes on more than a year so they strangle the trunk and cut off its circulation.
– Whack the trunk with a lawn mower or weed whacker and invite an entry point for disease and pests.
Take your pick
Here are a few trees recommended by The Morton Arboretum for home landscapes in the Chicago area:
Large trees (40-plus feet)
Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus)
Accolade elm (Ulmus ‘Morton’)
Medium trees (25 to 40 feet)
Katsura (Cercidiphyllum)
Yellowwood (Cladrastis)
Small ornamental trees (15 to 25 feet)
Serviceberry (Amelanchier)
Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Japanese tree lilac ‘Ivory Silk’ (Syringa)
Ways to learn more about trees
Here are some classes, books and sources of information that will teach you more about planting and caring for trees:
Classes
Sept. 23: “Best Low-Maintenance Shrubs and Trees for Fall” at The Morton Arboretum, Illinois Highway 53 and Interstate Highway 88, Lisle. Horticulturist Pam Wolfe will present colorful plants that ornament the garden in autumn. Hours: 7 to 9 p.m. Cost: $16. Call: 630-968-0074; or visit okwww.mortonarb.org.
Oct. 31: “Heat, Humidity, Storms and Drought — Trees for Midwest Summers,” featuring arborist and landscape architect Guy Sternberg, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe. Hours: 9 a.m. to noon. Cost: $49. Call: 847-835-8261.
Nov. 15: “Best Low-Maintenance Shrubs and Trees for Winter,” at The Morton Arboretum, Illinois Highway 53 and Interstate Highway 88, Lisle. Horticulturist Pam Wolfe will present a paletteOK ETM of plants to enhance the winter landscape. Hours: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Cost: $16. Call: 630-968-0074; or visit www.mortonarb.org.
Nov. 8: “Pruning Trees and Shrubs” with landscape architect Tony Tyznik at The Planter’s Palette, 28 W 571 Roosevelt Rd., Winfield. Hours: 10 a.m. to noon. Cost: $25. Call 630-293-1040, ext. 2. (This item as published has been corrected in this text.)
Reading
“Tree and Shrub Handbook,” 2nd edition (The Morton Arboretum, $50). This three-ring binder provides up-to-date horticultural and arboricultural information regarding selection, care, pests and diseases of trees and shrubs. The material presented is applicable to the Midwestern U.S., as well as other regions of the U.S. or Canada. The revised and updated edition includes 24 color plant selection brochures, 60 leaflets on care, pests and disease, and seven color identification leaflets. Available at the arboretum’s gift shop, Illinois Highway 53 and Interstate Highway 88, Lisle, 630-968-0074; or online at www.mortonarb.org.
“Selecting and Planting Trees,” Gary Watson, editor (The Morton Arboretum, 24 pages, $2). This concise booklet designed to encourage tree planting makes recommendations on site evaluation and characteristics such as mature tree height, growth rate, ornamental features and pest susceptibility. Also contains planting tips and pruning hints. Available at the arboretum’s gift shop, Illinois Highway 53 and Interstate Highway 88, Lisle, 630-968-0074, or online at www.mortonarb.org.
“Manual of Woody Landscape Plants” by Michael Dirr (Stipes Publishing, 1,007 pages, $50.80). A good manual for homeowners and landscape professionals, it provides extensive description of the plants, where to use them, hardiness, growth rate, culture, diseases and much more.
Resources
The Morton Arboretum, Illinois Highway 53 and Interstate Highway 88, Lisle, IL 60532; 630-968-0074; www.mortonarb.org. The arboretum’s Plant Clinic offers help with: plant identification; diagnosis and control of tree, shrub and vine problems; and selection of trees for the home landscape. Call 630-719-2424. Or ask your tree questions online; visit www.mortonarb.org, click on Plant Information and go to the Plant Clinic link to complete a questionnaire.
Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe, IL 60022; 847-835-5440; www.chicagobotanic.org.
National Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, NE 68410; 402-474-5655; www.arborday.org.
International Society of Arboriculture, P.O. Box 3129, Champaign, IL 61826-3129; 217-355-9411; www.isa-arbor.com.
— Nina Koziol
