Elegy to a Dying Tree

RE: Sick and Dying Tree needs HELP!

Hi,

It looks like your tree is some sort of a Prunus, maybe Prunus ilicifolia also known as the Catalina Cherry.
It also looks like your tree is finished.

This particular tree is a California native and as such prefers deep infrequent watering (every 3-5 weeks for 30 minutes). Regular watering and fertilization are a death sentence for such plants.

Wish I had better news for you.

Cheers,

Frank McDonough
Botanical Information Consultant
L.A. County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
301 North Baldwin Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91007-2697

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Elegy to a Dying Tree

The man with the heavy heart sleeps
He dreams of brown supple bark
coated and resinated with musk
and rustling leaves that glisten grey
on the wink of the blue moonlight.

Tiny crowns of dancing flowers sway
fall and litter the open driveway.
Blossoms fill every crack of light
every empty space the senses slight.

In fantasy my tree is as green as envy
a gentle deity basking in sun and shade
the roots roam free like a knight errant
and the branches spread like the wings of Nike.

The man with the soft heart arises
A shrill cry from a hungry bird beckons
as it clings from my tree's dry thin twig,
what can be more melancholy than a dying tree
the very soul of nature drained out of her passion.

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