Fall and our Majestic Oak

After our first round of trees died, we replanted mostly evergreens which have all done well, including the little four inch pine from the grade school giveaway which is now twenty feet tall at least. We did however succumb to a mere stick of a tree from Lowe’s some years back. Our oak is now rounded out and also about twenty feet tall. It is the last tree to leaf out in the spring but also the last to cling to its leaves in the fall. It turns a glorious burnt red color. I’m sure the young oak does not like our altitude, the bitter winter winds or the poor clay soil but it keeps hanging in there. S. puts extra iron on it.

It is cold and rainy here today. We have had a couple light frosts so far but not a killing frost. The summer planters and flower boxes are still going as we approach Halloween as you can see from the picture. That is a rare thing. Some facts about oak trees from the Nature Conservancy site of Indiana.

• The average oak tree can live to be more than 200 years old. Some are as old as 1,000 years.
• Many ancient oaks are found with rotten trunks. It is believed that this leads to a hollow structure that is actually stronger than a solid trunk would be.
• A mature oak tree can draw up to 50 gallons of water through their root systems a day.
• Fire, land development and the overharvesting of oaks for production destroy oak populations faster than any disease or pest.
• The oak is a common symbol of strength and survival.
• The oak is the national tree of England, France, Germany and the United States.
• It is thought that sleeping under an oak tree will bring good luck.
• In Celtic mythology, oak doors are believed to be the gateway between worlds.
• In Greek mythology, the oak was a symbol of Zeus – the god of thunder and king of all gods

Lou