When I was in high school our English teacher required us to memorize Joyce Kilmer’s famous poem, Trees.  “I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree,  A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed against the earth’s sweet flowing breast.”  It continues on for several more verses but I won’t share the complete poem with you because the first few lines are all that are required to make it very evident that Mr. Kilmer wasn’t picturing my Box Elder Tree as he compiled the lines of the poem “Trees”.

Before I continue I must share a discovery that I made that I was not aware of back in the early 60’s when the memorization took place.  Google told me this morning that Joyce Kilmer was a man!  All I could think of was that famous country western song titled “A Boy Named Sue”.  Maybe my English teacher shared that little tidbit about Joyce being a man but I certainly don’t remember it.   I could have been home sick that day or I might have been using the bathroom pass at the time.  But a boy named Joyce….who would have thought it?  Another reminder that learning is a life long process. 🙂

That poem came to mind last week as I struggled with the question of what to do with the Box Elder Tree growing next to my pumpkin patch.  It did not fit the poet’s description of a tree being ‘lovely’ however.  The main trunk had several twists and turns in it and had a distinct lean to the left.  Three sucker shoots each about a third the size of the main trunk grew next to the main trunk and leaned to the right providing a clumsy balance to the tree.  Had Joyce been viewing my tree as he composed his tree poem I’m certain it would have resulted in a poem not worthy of memorization by anyone.

So what I’m trying to say is that the Box Elder Tree was not beautiful to behold.   But that’s not all.  It also had several other drawbacks.  Every spring the hills of pumpkins growing next to the tree grew slowly from a lack of water.  During dry summers these same plants actually shriveled and died.  The tree roots were hogging all the moisture.  The tree blocked the early morning sunlight too so the shaded pumpkin plants did not grow as well.

Box Elder Trees are either males or females.  In the spring both produce flowers and since they lack petals the flowers are not very noticeable.  The male flower produces pollen that the wind carries to the female flower on the female tree.  Pollination results in seed clusters developing on the female tree.  Sad to say our Box Elder Tree in question is a female.  Toward fall the seeds ripen and strong winds carry the seeds far away from the mother tree.  The following spring the seeds germinate and hundreds of baby trees are growing in places I don’t want them to grow in.  So I am constantly pulling, spraying and cutting baby Box Elder Trees to prevent our yard from becoming a Box Elder Forest.

Sounds like an open and shut case, the Box Elder Tree has got to go. Right?  Actually not so fast.  There is that ‘carbon footprint’ thing to consider.  Trees take in carbon dioxide that evil global warming gas.  Who knows how many degrees the temperature may increase around our house if the tree were to go.  Also, don’t forget about the oxygen the tree releases during the day.  Personally I’m fond of oxygen and you probably are too.  And nesting birds like to call the tree home in the spring.  And don’t forget all those spiders and insects crawling and hopping on the bark and leaves.

I have a dilemma.  Should the tree stay or go?  The pro’s and con’s seem about equal.  And then I felt something land on my neck and as I reached for it I knew what I had to do.  My fingers closed around the pesky Box Elder Bug.  They had been infesting our house all winter.  Flying in our faces, falling onto our food at meal time and crawling into the living room lights.

Where do you suppose Box Elder Bugs spend the summer?  Yep, they live in the female Box Elder Trees eating and reproducing more Box Elder Bugs.  As winter approaches they want to get in out of the cold so they say let’s go to the Larson’s house. And they do, by the thousands.

I think the scales have just tipped toward removing the Box Elder Tree.  In fact my poet friend Joyce Kilmer might say it like this, “I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a Box Elder free tree”

I gotta go check to be sure I have oil and gas for my chainsaw. 😉

Until next time.