Tree trashing

Ok, so the blogger problems weren't me. Yay!

There's been a lot of chatter lately about how people seem to be in one camp or the other: Tree Hugger, or Tree Hater.

When I first moved into this house, some 20 odd years ago, there were 5 sugar maples in the yard, all over 100 years old. One succumbed to an ice storm; I cried. One cracked right straight up the trunk, from root to tip in a wind storm and had to be cut down; I weeped. Two were destroyed by the tornado; I was a blubbering mess. The one remaining (well, more of a half tree after the tornado) worries me. I know it will have to come down at some point, but I'll put a finger grasp of steel on it for a while yet.

I love trees, but there are obviously some that just don't belong in my yard or town, much less my country.

My hate tree: Sumac. I've seen people purposely plant that damn thing in their yard. Now WHY for God's sake?! Please give me one believable reason why it should be in anyone's yard? Is there some rare genus I'm not aware of that they're trying to save? Some specific insect or animal that only uses sumac to survive?

My love tree: White Birch. (But only in the correct environment for it) Is there anything else as lovely?

I really don't think people absolutley have to draw some invisible line between being a lover or hater of trees. I believe most of us hover somewhere in a happy medium between the two. Some trees must stay if we really expect to have a living planet for the continuation of life. For the same reason, some species must be contained to their natural habitat.

Lover/Hater/Middle Of The Roader. Which are you?