Every Tuesday, Todd Irvine of Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF) will post a stop from the Toronto Tree Tours, a collaborative project of LEAF and the Toronto Public Space Committee. The Toronto Tree Tours offers walking tours in neighbourhoods across the city as well as virtual tours on its web site. The aim is to introduce Torontonians to the individual trees in their neighbourhood while telling stories of our city’s ecological and cultural history.
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Bain Co-operative tour: Stop 15
This large Manitoba maple (Acer negundo) has character. Jutting out from the edge of the sidewalk at an abrupt angle it seems that it could tip at any moment. But closer inspection indicates this tree has been growing on an angle for many years. Manitoba maples are often referred to as weed trees because of their tendency to aggressively grow almost anywhere, presenting a nuisance to property owners. They are opportunistic trees, with long slender stems that will twist and turn as they search out sunlight, often giving individual trees a scraggly unbalanced appearance. These natural characteristics usually make Manitoba maples undesirable urban landscape trees, but can also produce individual trees of whimsy. Not every tree need be straight to have value. This particular tree is a favourite of local cats because they can easily climb into its canopy by way of its leaning trunk.
Upcoming tours: Parkdale Neighbourhood
When: Wednesday August, 22 @ 7:00pm
Where: Masaryk-Cowan Community Recreation Centre
Photo by Michael Pereira.
One comment
too bad joe pantalone had the great trees on the CAMH site cut down.What a shame!I guess the tree laws only protect trees that are loyal to certain groups and all others are at the whim of the powers at city hall.