This cottonwood tree has been important to me since I first started walking in Larry Moore Park years ago - at least ten years ago. I have seen teens climb this tree, and, yes, I even saw a small dog climb this tree. But I'm afraid that one day it will share the fate of trees closer to the river and completely die. As you can see, only one section of the tree is still alive -- the bright green section in the center of this photo.
In this photo o the right, you can see the one branch that still seems to be healthy and putting forth new shoots. I took this shot from a different position so I could get a closer look at it.
Unfortunately this tree is the victim of drought and mistletoe. The cottonwood trees right next to the river are still fairly healthy because their roots can reach deep and get water. But the mistletoe appears to be sucking all the nutrients from this poor tree. It lost a large branch a couple of years ago in a storm.
This last shot gives you a closer look at the deadly mistletoe at the end of one branch. It's the largest clump, but you can see in the top photo that it's not the only clump. Except for this branch with new leaves, all the rest of the green on the tree is the mistletoe that's killing it.
We have mistletoe on most large trees in our county, and many are also adorned in Spanish moss. Do you have either of these growing on trees where you live?
We have Virginia Creeper that likes to grow up trees and kill them. Actually it grows and strangles just about anything it grows up on. Half of our rose in the front of the house was killed because of the vine strangling it. Though some of the trees look dead around here, they are still full of life. Birds have made nests in a few of them and I do know that Raccoons like to make their nest in the tree tops as well. It may look dead, but it is a house to many. Thanks for the pictures.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame when any tree has to die. I'm glad living creatures can still use even dead or dying trees to meet their needs. Thanks for your visit.
DeleteI have seen Spanish Moss on a lot of trees when we travel further south, but I have never seen mistletoe on a tree. How very sad that it is killing the cottonwood.
ReplyDeleteWe have lots of Spanish moss on our trees here, too. Until I moved here I had pretty much associated it with the trees that grew in the south. In Southern California I never saw much mistletoe. People used to sell it around Christmas.
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