Spring is the time of resurrection. This week in the arboretum, we have two trees that appear to have come back from the dead.
Last fall, Hurricane Laura sent a water oak limb crashing down onto two sweetbay magnolias (Magnolia virginiana). The damage was so extensive that we completely removed both crowns and sawed the trunks down to the ground. To all appearances, the stumps were lifeless. No visible activity was noted during the fall or winter months. This week, things changed. Fresh green shoots can be found on both stumps.
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Two sweetbay magnolia stumps can be found on the east side of the upper pond. These stumps are inconspicuous in the landscape.
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Each stump has one shoot that is approximately a foot tall.
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Smaller sprouts can be seen as well.
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These weren't large trees, but both were over 30 years old. You can read about them and see more pictures on another blog post, found here.
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The vigorous growth suggests a well-developed root system, but how many roots survived? Surely this little stem doesn't have the full advantage of a 30-year-old root system.
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Who knows what the future holds for these sprouts, but, for now, the arboretum catalogue has been updated to state that these trees aren't dead, and they will be allowed to grow a full season.
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