Coming home from the Plainfield Public Library Thursday, I was struck by the size of the ailanthus tree that has grown up in our front yard by the Lot 7 fence. This tree is a big weed! After a new owner in 2000 cut out landscaping services, a number of weed trees and vines began to take over. Asiatic Bittersweet is rampant along the fence. City workers regularly trim the city side of the fence, but over 10 years our side has become a jungle.Ailanthus, or Tree of Heaven, is featured in "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," symbolizing the main character's ability to thrive in poor circumstances. We actually have a lot of these trees on our block, too many now to remove without a lot of trouble. My neighbor and I yank up any young ones we come across. The presence of these invasive trees nowadays symbolizes neglect and urban decay.
Take this as a cautionary tale: Let ailanthus get a foothold and within a few years it will be three stories high!
--Bernice
Some of the shade trees planted in the last few years have also died. Shouldn't the company that put them in fix them ??
ReplyDeleteThere is an interesting link between the Tree of Heaven, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Plainfield. The old Park Ave Jewelers clock in downtown Plainfield was what the author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn had the heroine look out on as it used to be situated in Brooklyn. The clock was supposed to be rehabilitated and moved to the Park Madison Plaza as part of the developers agreement.That never happened so the clock celebrated its hundred year anniversary across the street inoperable with no power source.
ReplyDeleteLet's get this done!!!!!!
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ReplyDeleteWe have a Plainfield Shade Tree Commission. Aren't they responsible for weed trees that are on city property? They should include eradication as well as planting in their planning. Could there be a city wide (inexpensive) campaign to alert residents which 'weeds' to pull? We also have a Plainfield Garden Club....
ReplyDeleteI believe Public Works is responsible for tree removals on city property, but the problem is larger than the manpower available. Private property owners can indeed learn more about invasives. Maria and I have both written about invasive vines and weed trees and there are several educational web sites on invasives.
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