Live Oaks

We invited arborists to trim the two huge live oak trees we have in front of our house.

They are gorgeous things overhanging our roof and providing shade for the homes on either side as well as ours. During Hurricane Charlie, the winds blew up and over the top of the trees, protecting our roof.

The arborists discovered some damage to the understorey of the trees that pre-dated Charlie. There were several stubs of broken branches which looked ready to fall off in a heavy rain!

With a new hurricane season upon us, it is important that the tree be carefully and wisely trimmed so those old stubs don't become flying missiles in the next wind storm.

The two trees also had to have extended branches trimmed back. Those cuts not only made a better profile but also removed excess foliage that could have caused the trees to twist in the wind.

Something else that they took down was most of the Spanish Moss. I knew it would grow back in time because Charlie blew off most of it in 2004 and the drapes and falls of moss were now rich and long. The arborists said it caused too much shade on the understoreys of the trees, interfering with the photosynthesis of those lower leaves.

I happen to think that Spanish Moss bites into tree branches and sucks nourishment from the tree. I haven't found any biologist who agrees with my hypothesis, including the arborists. But someday, they'll discover I was right.

Another thing I learned was that live oaks drop leaves that become hotter than 90 degrees. I wondered why we had leaves on our driveway in the middle of summer. It is important to have a healthy set of understory branches and leaves that will continue to function when it is so hot on the top of the canopy.

These folks really taught me a lot about my heritage oaks. They had such a good time climbing around in the trees they wanted to pay me! I just sat back and enjoyed the aerial show they provided. That was worth the price I paid them to care for the trees.

A lot of people would have had the two great oaks cut down because, if they blew over, they could crush the house.

Some folks also would not put up with the tiny leaves that are always dropping from the trees, and the twigs, and the flowers (seasonal dreary looking sprigs that stain concrete), and other little black things*. I have to clear the driveway of all the detritus every few days all year round or we'll track it into the house.

But I accept that mess because of the shade to the house which eases our AC bill, the beauty of the sweeping branches, and the shelter from storms the two trees provide.

And they won't blow over. They've managed to survive two to four hundred years of storms and are still sending out new growth. I've already committed to inviting the arborists back in two years.

Trees. You got to love 'em!

*I add the following on July 2:

All year round I have little black things that are small enough I have not bothered to identify them. This morning, however, one that got tracked into the kitchen on a shoe stick in my bare foot. Didn't break skin or anything but I pulled it off and looked at it. Turns out to be two tiny acorns on a twig.