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Is there a special tree that brings a pleasurable moment to your life? And I don’t mean when cutting it down. Our personal perspectives about trees are so diversified. Most would agree, trees are good.

But what about dead trees?

A first reaction to a dead tree would call for its removal. But pause and assess the situation before making a hasty decision when there might be a more beneficial option. Dead trees can be fire prone, dangerous and unsightly. Yet, they also can be architecturally inspiring, provide interesting habitat and return carbon to the earth.

There is one tree I find intriguing – and so do my hound dogs, Josie and Lily, on our daily walks. It’s a large, dead eucalyptus tree that stands along the road and down a slope, where outreaching woody limbs protrude into the sky. “Murders” of crows frequently assemble in what appears to be a communal meeting.

Arboriculturally speaking, eucalyptus wood is quite dense, which also makes it a slow-burning and hot firewood. After trees die, wood decomposes. Wood density affects the rate of decomposition. Dense eucalyptus wood degrades more slowly than many other species. Thus, high-density eucalyptus limbs and roots can keep a tree standing long after it dies, barring root rot and other detrimental conditions.

I fondly remember another dead eucalyptus I first observed in 1977 along the southern entrance to the San Marcos Pass, a mountain pass in the Santa Ynez Mountains, in southern California’s Santa Barbara County. During my inaugural year in the tree biz, I scoped out the potential job of removing that tree. It overshadowed several small young oak and California pepper trees. Fast forward 35 years, and the dead euc was still standing, enveloped by large mature oak and California pepper trees. It still may be there today.
Back to crows; they are known to be intelligent creatures, yet really annoying. Would our ecosystem be impacted by the loss of these big, noisy birds? That’s food for thought. But crows perched on dead trees are cool! They offer an interesting perspective to a day in the life of a dog walker.

I’m glad the dead euc we see on our daily dog walk is still around. It may soon disappear. Until then, we – Josie, Lily and myself – will enjoy it. How do I know? I asked them.

What and where is your favorite tree?

Bill Spiewak, Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) and a Registered Consulting Arborist (RCA), is president of Bill Spiewak and Associates Consulting Arborists in Santa Barbara, California, and a member of the American Society of Consulting Arborists. This article is taken from the archives of his Treemendous Blog, at santabarbaraarborist.wordpress. com.

He last wrote for TCI Magazine with his article, “A Career in Arboriculture: From Inception Toward Retirement,” which ran in the August 2013 issue. It was based on “Evolution of an Arborist,” a session he hosted at TCI EXPO 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland.