November 25, 2024

Just a little over 18 years ago, my husband and I moved into our home on Shadywood Lane. Charles Dilbeck built the Monterey Ranch style one story house for the Runyan family in 1948. The 77 year old property was, and still is, filled with a wonderful assortment of mature trees, shrubs, perennials and evergreens. 

Fourteen large magnolias, seven majestic red oaks, four stately live oaks, two towering cedar elms, a half dozen American elms, pecans, yaupons, dogwoods, Texas mountain laurel, cherry laurels, hackberries and redbuds were planted long before we arrived. But one magnificent red oak tree in the backyard was our favorite. Standing at over 40 feet tall along with a canopy spreading out over 40 feet in diameter, it provided an abundant covering of shade for our backyard. Under its protective branches were lovely Japanese maples, three Chindo viburnums and a large bed of endless summer hydrangeas. And then, the story changed.

Rushing outside to try and understand what had just happened, I was stunned to see the damage. Over one third of the canopy was gone. We would need a professional tree company to remove the limb and evaluate the overall condition of the tree. The tree was treated for insect damage, and we moved forward.

And then another chapter with our majestic red oak unfolded just a few months ago. On September 2^nd, labor day, very early in the morning, an even larger limb snapped and crashed to the ground. Thankfully, no one was outside when it fell across the driveway and onto the guest house. Our youngest son was kind enough to rush over and cut the limb into smaller pieces so that we could get our vehicles out of the garage. Completing the task of cutting the limb into more manageable pieces for bulky trash pickup took two guys almost three hours. 

With only half of the original canopy remaining, we decided to bring in an arborist to assess the condition of the tree. At over 80 years old, a difficult decision was unanimously reached to have the beautiful old red oak taken down completely. Alex, the arborist, carefully explained that there were simply too many issues involving the overall health of the tree to treat it. The most important consideration was related to safety. The tree was leaning too far in one direction and would totally destroy our small guest house if it fell over or, even worse, hurt a family member or anyone else who happened to be in the backyard. 

Our affection for the old tree had grown immensely over the years. We loved the amount of shade it provided when the grandkids came over to play games in the backyard. Summer picnics and dinner around the firepit wouldn’t have been possible without its lush canopy shielding us from the scorching sun as it moved across the sky. In a fleeting moment the microclimate transitioned from lush, dappled shade to full sun. 

As the arborist recommended, we would need to select a different variety of tree and move the placement approximately 6-8 feet away from where the majestic, old, red oak stood. The next step was to visit to a local tree farm. Fortunately, our family had lived next to the Fannin’s of Fannin Tree Farm over 35 years ago so after a quick call, we scheduled an appointment to visit their retail facility on Highway 121. A decision had already been made to replace the oak with a cedar elm. Touring their inventory of wonderful trees gave us many options. Here is the cedar elm we selected. My husband is 6’ 4” which gives a better perspective on the size of the tree. 

With some hesitancy, we scheduled the removal of our old red oak for Monday, September 21^st. It was a two-day event which included several nail-biting moments of suspense. Starting with the remaining canopy, branches were very strategically roped and secured before any cutting began. Watching the four men maneuver their way around the tree was truly amazing. With each ‘tug’ of the rope, they carefully orchestrated the exact spot where the falling limb would land. Nothing on the ground was damaged due to the safety measures that were kept in place.

Once completed, stump grinding was next on the agenda. It took over four hours to slowly and carefully remove the remainder of the tree. And then, it was completely gone. I stood silent for a moment and tried to imagine it still standing there, beautiful and thriving for over 80+ years. Whispering a soft prayer of thankfulness for the joy we had received over the years, my eyes opened to an empty landscape filled with new possibilities.  Now It was time to move forward with a renewed hope about our next adventure.

Installation of the 18’ tall cedar elm was an incredible experience. The challenge of bringing it down our rather tight and winding back driveway took a measured amount of skill. The crew sent to do our installation amazed me with their ability to lift and place the tree at just the right angle in the pre-dug hole. A few tweaks of the chain positioned it for maximum beauty.

We are adjusting to the new tree a little better than expected. But there are times when I find myself reminiscing about the beautiful canopy of the old red oak that we benefited from and enjoyed immensely for over 18 years.  Treasured memories of that majestic tree are still in my heart and will remain there for a lifetime. But, thankfully now, Joyce Kilmer’s lovely tree poem has spoken to me once again!

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener, Class of 2008