Big leaves and small leaves at Elmwood Cemetery

Tree # 94 Bigleaf magnolia

August 12, 2014 brought about 100 people to the glass-walled chapel/multi-purpose space just past the bridge entering Elmwood Cemetery. The topic was the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 (eerily mirroring the current ebola outbreak in Africa). Four authors who had written books and articles about this time were there to read from their works and answer questions. It was standing room only for the 5:30 panel presentation. Looking out the window onto the treescape at Elmwood Cemetery, a large bald cypress stood just to the west, Southern magnolias shaded gravesites in all directions, but just across the street to the south there was another type of tree, an unfamiliar large leaved tree. As the lecture ended I was heading out to check out this tree, but stopped to ask the Elmwood host where the Elmwood fringe tree was located. The fringe tree is one of two champion trees at Elmwood. I was disappointed to hear the fringe tree had died and had to be cut down. A new branch is growing from the stump, but the champ is dead. I do not know where another fringe tree exists in Memphis, so it may be a while to get that tree covered. But almost as a compensation the new tree was waiting across the road.

Bigleaf magnolia Aug. 12, 2014

This was a pleasant surprise. I had seen this tree before in Seattle (University of Washington Botanical Gardens, Washington Park Arboretum) when I was a student. I did not expect to see it in Memphis. In fact, the gardens there have an interactive map that is searchable for plants. I was able to type in Magnolia macrophylla and three locations appeared marked on this map (in the Magnolia section of the park).

The leaves ruffle in an unusual way in the wind

The plant's name Magnolia macrophylla recognizes its notable feature. The leaves can be over one foot long as shown below. If you think about it, large leaves are not common on temperate forest trees. Northern trees tend to be dominated by conifers with scale-like or needle-like leaves (spruce, fir, pine, cedar). Deciduous northern trees have small leaves too, like aspens, birches, willows and alders. Temperate trees have somewhat larger leaves, but not huge. Think oaks, beeches, maples. You don't generally get big leaves until reaching tropical forests. This tree is native the the southeastern US. The leaves are the largest of any native North American tree.

Some "macrophylla" leaves

Elmwood is a user-friendly place for tree lovers. Many trees have tags.

Tree #23 American holly (revisited)

A few paces from the bigleaf magnolia we find a small-leaved tree: American holly. We posted on American holly early in the blog. However, this particular tree has an amazing trunk shown below and I thought it worth placing here with its neighboring big leaf magnolia.

An eminently climbable tree like the E.H. Crump Park Magnolia, Aug. 12, 2014

American holly at Elmwood

Hollies are not fast growers, so this is a big tree.

Bradford pears at hoary age

Tree #93 Bradford pear

Spring in Memphis is peppered with white flowering trees before almost any other blooms can be seen. These are usually young trees that are highly symmetrical like a child's top upside down.  There is a large collection of these trees at the cloverleaf of Poplar and I-240. They are very showy in the spring. However, trees get old just like people and they lose their symmetry and a few branches and they get bigger. Here are two Bradford pears that have seen a few winters.

An old Bradford pear on Wildberry, August 2, 2014

Same tree from the other side

Looking out from the driveway

The rather large, cracked and weathered trunk

A tree with some character, like some people I know. This tree gave me some difficulty in identifying it since it is so large. It did not occur to me that it would be a pear. I was thinking the leaves looked rather like a linden or lime tree, those trees that line the Paris streets and are shaped into tall rectangular hedges. I was corrected by the owner who told me it was a Bradford pear and its twin in the same yard had already been taken down. He was not sure how long it would last.

Another Bradford pear across from our house is not quite as large, but it has seen some wear, including being run into by a car at one time. About half of this tree broke off in a storm making it very damaged looking, but it grew back and now it is quite full again.

Bradford pear at Satinwood Dr. and River Birch  Aug. 2, 2014

The many branched trunk on the Satinwood Bradford pear

A back view of the regrown trunk years after a large segment of the tree split off.

Leaves are shiny dark green with a little curl at the edges

Closeup of the leaves showing a fine serration

I will try to revisit these trees next spring and get some flowering pictures.

Going, Going, Gone

Tree# 92 Red Maple

At the southwest corner of Kirby Parkway and Poplar Pike there grew a fine maple with an almost hair-like quality to its foliage. Rather than having branches lifting up to the light, the ends of this tree's branches tended to drape in rich clusters, lining up to make blocks of green braids. This tree was definitely on my list. I intended to photograph it. Then imagine my dismay to come home one Sunday afternoon and find it as a bare trunk with ropes dangling. 

Captured in its last moments, Sunday July 27, 2014

I had to get the camera and go back before it was all gone, to document what was left of a 20 year casual companion. I had driven by this intersection since January 1994, not really paying any attention, except occasionally when coming from the west. That was the best side to see the tree.

With a green halo from the tree in the background, only a skeleton remains

There had been a storm in the spring and a large branch had fallen from the back of the tree, facing the house. The owners probably had to look at that scar every day and could not stand it, but it looked perfectly fine from the street.

Looking toward the Carre Four mall and another tragedy, the closed Borders Book Store

These are not the pictures I would have chosen to post of this tree, but now they are the last and only pictures I could get. Sometimes I feel like an old man scanning the obits for news of a friend. 

A heap of trash on the curb

This tree (leaves seem to be red maple) should have outlasted us all.