There was a pine tree in the back yard, with blackberry vines running through the sides leaving a route to the very top, and a plum tree next to the driveway with young purple branches and perpetual purple leaves. I miss that house.
We built two treehouses in a stand of hedge apple trees, aka Osage orange. We loved our treehouses, but if you've ever tried to climb a hedge apple tree, you'll know what a challenge that is because of the proliferation of thorns they have.
In the neighborhood early 1950's, we had a favorite mulberry tree, pear tree & in Linwood Park an old Elm tree that was almost horizontal, great for climbing.
Oak, the branches were strong and the tree isn't sappy. We would put one guys shoe at the top and have races to see who could get to it the fastest. I don't mean to brag or anything, but I did happened to be the reining champion at it.
We had a Japanese maple in our front yard. It was great for climbing, but it got some kind of disease and they had to cut off the crucial climbing limb. The rest of the tree is still there though.
Mine was a tulip tree and it was so oddly shaped that we could climb on it like we were riding a horse...several of us in line on it's trunk all at once. I have a scar on my knee from climbing it.
Tulip trees are not common here but a park down the street has planted a whole line of them along the street. I saw the tag on them after they were planted so I know it's Tulip. I should look up what they look like when mature. I don't know.
I think there are several varieties. My favorite is a smaller tree that has lovely purple flowers for about 2 weeks each year. The one we climbed was a HUGE tree (maybe 5 stories) that sporadically had a few orange and yellow flowers.
We can be weird together then! Downtown here they are turning an old courthouse into apartments. A beautiful building with gigantic old Magnolia trees along the front. They CUT them down to give clearance for security cameras!!! Made me feel ill.
Oh gosh...how awful. One of the things I remember most clearly from a vacation in Williamsburg a couple of years ago are these 2 ENORMOUS magnolias outside of a museum. They were so lovely.
Show of Hands
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