 |
| What a mess! We have had a stormy spring in northwest Louisiana. This week alone brought two severe thunderstorms. High winds knocked old limbs loose, littering the ground with debris. For the most part, the arboretum has suffered little damage. The only significant damage is pictured above: an older, sickly tree lost its crown. |
 |
| The top of a box-elder maple (Acer negundo) rests partially on the ground and partially on the surrounding vegetation. |
 |
| The box-elder maple has been in poor health for years. Squirrels repeatedly stripped bark from its limbs and trunk, making it impossible for the tree to heal itself. This has resulted in a weakening of the structure, and ants have colonized the tree. |
 |
| Even though a third of the tree broke off from the top, this maple is by no means dead. If allowed to grow unhindered, this tree would live for many years to come, with new shoots steadily appearing along the lower portion of the trunk. However, for aesthetic reasons, this individual is tagged for removal. |
