Reduction Cut Pt. 3

In Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. I don't understand this type of thing. Why don't you just remove it? Plant something else! Another willow even! It'll come back to almost that size in a few years, why embarrass yourself?

Reduction Cut Pt. 2

In Madison last weekend I took this photo from a moving vehicle, but you can see this oak was topped, and how much better it looks, now. Another awesome photo below

Reduction Cut

This awesome reduction cut was obviously intentional. We are very careful to maintain single leaders here in Chicago.

Roots!

These roots have no where to go. This is a 40 foot silver maple and I bet the roots have about 18 inches of "soil" to grow into. Sad.

Wild Thing

I saw this at the Farm & Fleet in Montgomery, IL last month. I thought it was awesome. I wish I had one, because I also consider myself somewhat of a "Wild Thing."

Storm Damage

This silver maple lost that main branch in a storm (surprised?) in AUGUST 2007!!! May I remind you that it is March of 2009? It's been 18+ months since it fell. In fact, I took a photo of it when it happened because the damage all around was so significant. So, this enormous stub was left to... resprout? Maybe, one can never be sure what will happen, trees are so mysterious.

All right, enough sarcasm. I'm sorry, I know the city is busy, they have lots to do. That tree is obviously an inherent hazard and should be removed, anyway. The most cost-effective way to do that would be to invite some internal rot and the tree will just remove itself! Brilliant.

Pruning!?

Think this pear could use some pruning? If we're lucky some conscientious homeowner will get rid of those suckers, and leave some nice, long stubs. Maybe they'll even cut the branches with a hack saw, or a pair of scissors. We can only hope.

Here's his neighbor, also in great shape.

Mulching....

Some excellent mulching. I know it's March, and we've had a lot of rain, and things can get moved around in the snow... but this is so common. This was obviously done last summer, perhaps with the intention of creating the coveted "pole in the ground" look. Success! Unforch, I don't know if the homeowner or the city is responsible for this.

B & B, forever

This tree was planted, along with many others like it, along Chicago Ave. recently. The parking lot behind it was undeveloped space for a while, then sometime in the last year they "landscaped" it. You can see how the trees are still balled and burlaped!! Maybe they are just temporary.... Unfortunately, I'm sure they are temporary, but not necessarily intentionally so :(







At least we know they were planted high enough! That's rare, guess somebody knew what they were doing.

welcome to mistreeted

My name is Emily, and I'm a horticulturist at the Morton Arboretum, in Lisle, IL. I live in Chicago, on the West Side. Since I work with trees all day, I can't help but criticize the tree care that I witness in the City of Chicago everyday. For years I've been snapping photos of atrocities I come across, and I've finally decided to share them.

Also, thanks to Andy for the super punny, totes clever blog title.