A Tree for the Future

by Liz Smitten, Certified Master Gardener

Originally printed in Avalanche-Journal Spring Home & Garden Supplement, April 22, 2006

In 1872 in Nebraska, which had gained statehood only five years earlier, one million trees were planted during what was to become the first Arbor Day celebration in the United States. Almost one hundred years later, by Presidential proclamation, the last Friday of April was declared a national holiday, designated as Arbor Day. Today every state in the Union celebrates this unique holiday which looks not to the past, but to the future; for planting a tree whose growth will span decades or even centuries is a promise for generations to come, and a long-term commitment to the health of our planet Earth.

In Lubbock, Arbor Day celebrations have been as grand as the 20,000 trees which were planted on the Texas Tech University campus in 1937; as significant as the tree – a Western Schley pecan - planted on Arbor Day, 1962 to commemorate the beginnings of the Lubbock Memorial Arboretum; or as humble as the newest tree in my garden – a lovely little desert willow with burgundy blossoms, which came to me a year ago as a four inch twiglet, and has grown over five feet tall as it settled into its new home amidst my beloved prairie bunch grasses. And in a region where there are few, if any, native tree plantings, all one has to do is drive through the neighborhoods of Lubbock, particularly at this time of year when many trees are in full flower, to realize that generations of gardeners – grandparents and parents and children - have looked towards the future, planted our trees, and contributed in no small part to beautifying our region and community for years to come.

Texas A&M University, which has done extensive research on a state-wide basis, has compiled a list of the best trees for the various regions of Texas, based on geographic and climactic conditions, and the list for our area includes many of the trees we see thriving on our streets and in our yards and gardens. There are flowering trees, such as the Vitex, or chaste tree, usually with lavender blossoms; cultivars of Eastern redbud, showing white, pale pink, or the more common magenta blooms; a number of the smaller Magnolias with creamy white or pale pink, highly fragrant flowers; desert willows, whose blooms in shades of white, pink, lavender, and burgundy resemble orchids; and of course the multi-trunk crape myrtles, ranging from the large white cultivar called ‘Natchez’ through the pinks, roses, lavenders, reds, and purples of the smaller varieties. Among the best of the small, ornamental fruit trees are the flowering Callery pear ‘Aristocrat’ with snow white blossoms, the crabapple ‘Flame’ with rose flowers, and both the single and double flowering crabapple ‘Brandywine’ with flowers of deep rose fading to clear pink . Trees which provide seasonal color and highly ornamental structure and fruiting bodies are the Chinese pistache, Western soapberry, and golden raintree; evergreens include the Afghan pine, weeping blue Atlas cedar, and the deodar cedar ‘Compacta’, while the lacebark elm and cedar elm are excellent deciduous trees.
 Most of these trees are available from local nurserymen and garden centers; larger trees are best planted by professionals, but smaller trees can be planted by the homeowner, assuming there are friends to help with trees in containers larger than ten gallons, or heavier, balled and burlap wrapped trees. There is specific planting information available in gardening books, or from qualified nurserymen and arborists, the Texas Cooperative Extension for Lubbock County, Lubbock Memorial Arboretum, or the Lubbock Master Gardner Association.

So, on the last Friday of April, with shovel in hand, plan to plant a tree for the future, and celebrate Arbor Day with thousands of other proud Texans!