7th Week of Fall: Resilience

After the October snow storm that ruined several of the trees featured in the Tree Grower’s Diary, I wasn’t sure I would continue the project of posting a picture every day. But my family had scheduled a visit to the World Trade Center Memorial many months ago, and while there on Nov. 3, I came upon “The Survivor Tree,” above, and I knew I had to keep going on the project.

The callery pear tree was recovered from the rubble under piles of debris and ashes, charred, broken, leafless and seemingly lifeless after 9/11. It was taken to a nursery in the Bronx. And there a miracle happened — the tree sprouted leaves the following spring and after a few years, flourished. It now stands 30 feet tall, replanted at the World Trade Center Memorial near the South Pool. It is covered with healthy leaves, cabled and protected by a loving cadre of care-takers, and it draws nearly as many visitors as the pools themselves.

The Survivor Tree’s example provides me with the hope to try to rescue my October Glory red maple that was severely damaged in last month’s October snow. Even so, the memorial pools remind me that all humans and all trees are mortal. And just like all humans, the cherished trees among us — the ones that shaded our Jurassic dinosaur games, the ones that kept our swings cool, the ones that made a green retreat at lunchtime, the ones that watched us grow and change — those cherished trees will live on in our memories too.

Friend me on Facebook with a note about trees if you would like to keep up with a daily image in the “2011 Fall Trees” project. I’ve been aggregating the daily posts into weekly ones for the blog. Click through to see this week’s shots.

Nov. 3: Above, I wanted to capture the never-ending motion of humanity at the World Trade Center site. The memorial pools are deeply moving and sad, emptying into a void of darkness. But to me, the oak trees that were planted all around the memorial area add life and breezes and dappled shade and constantly changing colors. As Bradley put it, “The trees add humanity to a place that would otherwise be cold and lifeless.”

Nov. 4: The leaves you’re seeing here all belong to one tree just down the block from my house. I love that about sugar maples — red, orange, yellow and brown all wrapped up in one.

Nov. 5: The Japanese Zelkovas at Metuchen Borough Hall are turning bright orange this year. Some years they’re reddish, some they’re yellowish. Fickle, I say, but still beautiful.

Nov. 6: My friend, Daniel, is not afraid of the big bad tulip poplar tree, no way.

Nov. 7: I’m surprised this tree not only still has all its leaves, but still hasn’t made the change to red. (Japanese red maples are notorious for their intense red fall color.) So today, as I was rushing to the train to head to work in the setting sun, the tree’s bronze color shouted at me, saying, “Stop! Love my *now* color! Tomorrow I’ll be red for you!” So I did.

Nov. 8: Kids are home from school for Election Day. Above, we were on our way to the school to vote. This Armstrong maple has shown up in the “2011 Fall Trees” collection before, inspiring a little collage of coolness, below, showing the mixed-up fall we’re having this year.

Same tree: September, October, November. Click here to see this image larger.

Nov. 9: I love how the evergreen in the background hints of the coming winter, and how the pyramid shapes seem to echo each other, the evergreen pointing up, the red maple pointing down in a similar swoop.

Nov. 10: I just had to throw this one in here. We let Kaptain Karl on the roof for a little while. He’s shown here with First Officer, Bradley.

Nov. 10: This is one of the trees in my yard that was severely damaged by the snow storm a few weeks ago. Hopefully I’ll still be getting some fall color from this tree NEXT year!

Nov. 11: The dogwood tree outside my window, in a normal fall, would have lost all its leaves by Halloween. But not this year. This year it just keeps on giving.

Check back next week for more fall tree pictures, or friend me on Facebook with a note about trees so I can add you to my tree list.

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