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Garden journal entry |
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'Sihong' after partial removal |
September 01, 2024. Back in the early days of our Houston garden, when everything seemed possible in this strange Texas climate, we purchased a 'Sihong' jujube tree on a whim, hoping for exotic fruit on an unfamiliar tree. In the seven years since, it grew fast, sporting nice glossy leaves and unassuming greenish-yellow flowers – and even a few smallish fruits. Even though we never seemed to get any ripe fruit, it would have been a fine tree for its narrow upright stature and the handsome foliage – if it weren't for its fatal flaw: a suckering rootstock. Already in the early years, our tree would send up unruly growth from near its base, with a different leaf shape and many more thorns than the mother tree. And smallish green fruit, too. As years went by, those roots went far and wide, and suckers started popping up everywhere, as far as 30 feet from the main trunk: in garden borders, in the lawn, between paving stones... So this year, when hurricane Beryl blew through and tried to knock over many of my trees (in some cases successfully), I wasn't too sad that Sihong was blown atilt – making about a fifteen-degree angle from the vertical. Had it been a prized specimen, I may have gone to some length to try to winch it back into a fully upright posture. But no – it was time for lady jujuba to go. It was just small enough for me to tackle the job myself (with Amy's help), and after a few hours of sawing, lopping, and chipping, all that was left of her was a heap of wood chips and a stack of firelogs. And, of course, dozens of suckers in a wide circle, which will be her legacy for quite a while to come, I'm afraid. |
Last modified:
September 09, 2009
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