It's Tree Planting Time

Forrest M. Mims III

When J. Sterling Morton and his wife moved to the Nebraska Territory in 1854, the landscape was nearly devoid of trees. The Morton family's home was soon surrounded by trees and shrubbery that they planted.

Morton was the editor of the territory's first newspaper. This provided a forum for him to espouse the virtues and the values of trees. Besides providing shade and adding beauty to the barren landscape, trees acted as natural windbreaks. They also provided fence posts, building materials and fuel for fires.

Morton's influence increased when he became secretary of the Nebraska Territory. On January 4, 1872, he proposed a competition with prizes for the most number of trees planted by counties and individuals. Morton named the event Arbor Day.

More than a million trees were planted in Nebraska on that first Arbor Day. The event was so successful that Nebraska declared Arbor Day a state holiday
Other States and many countries noticed the success of Nebraska's Arbor Day. All the States and some 50 countries eventually adopted the holiday as their own. Today most States observe the holiday on the last Friday in April. Others observe an earlier day because of more favorable weather conditions.

Arbor Day in Texas this year will fall on April 29. Other States may have different dates. So it's time to begin preparations if you want to plant one or more trees.

One or two people I know have never planted a tree. "Takes too long for 'em to grow," one told me. Another said, "I won't be around to enjoy the shade, so why should I bother?"

It's probably best that folk who think like this not plant a tree, for trees are happy, optimistic plants. They do their best to survive during frigid nights, torrential rains, hail storms, droughts and insect attacks.

Instead of complaining about the vagaries of the weather, they provide generous shade. They share their branches with birds and squirrels. They nourish the soil and moderate runoff from rain.

Trees beautify the landscape and both cool and clean the air. Many of them provide nuts or fruit that sustain birds, animals and even people.

As for the time it takes for them to grow, consider our experience on Geronimo Creek. When daughter Sarah was a toddler we planted three baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) saplings on the creek. Those trees have survived countless floods, windstorms and winter freezes. Sarah is now a freshman in college, and two of those trees are now over 15 meters (50 feet) tall.

No one should leave this Earth without leaving behind at least one tree. For more information about Arbor Day, visit http://www.arborday.org.

Forrest M. Mims III and his science are featured online at www.forrestmims.org.

This feature was originally published in Forrest Mims's weekly science column in the Seguin Gazette-Enterprise, Seguin, Texas. The column is written for a general audience.