welcome shade and adjusts to dust and air pollution

welcome shade and adjusts to dust and air pollution in cities. Only recently has it been discovered that the root system of the Norway Maple produces a deterrent that inhibits the growth of other vegetation under it. There is only bare ground around the trunk of my Norway Maple.

I recently read an article in the Washington Post, stating that some trees and shrubs react to severe drought conditions by using all their energies to produce flowers that result in more fruits and berries than occur in a normal year. This makes sense. The tree as an individual may not survive, but the species will continue if enough seeds are formed to produce future plants.

I telephoned Meg in Florida to ask about this. She said research had shown this is true. In the American tropics, there are “suicide trees” that, at a certain age, burst into massive bloom, resulting in a heavy fruit crop; after that, the tree dies. The individual organism has sacrificed itself to the survival of the species.

Trees in North America are not so suicidal. Yet, it is interesting to note that this is a spectacular year for fruits and berries — cherries, apricots, mulberries, apples and peaches. Blueberry, raspberry and currant bushes are loaded with fruit. I know; Lee Trott and I have been on expeditions to pick them.

Botanically speaking, a fruit is any seed-bearing product of a plant. An acorn is a fruit; so are the long cigarshaped pods of the Catalpa tree. The big Catalpa across the street from this house is heavy with these pods, a result of the tree’s splendid display of flowers a few weeks ago.

It is reassuring to know that nature handles these emergencies. I ask only for the patience to wait for the results and the insight to note them when they occur. It also helps to have a friend who is an expert.

Virginia naturalist John Trott receives mail at: 39 Culpeper St., Warrenton, Va. 20186.