Form, function make trees a utilitarian art

March brings about a special season here in northern New England. Yes, mud season, but I’m referring to the more pleasant sugaring season. By the thousands, sugar maple trees will be tapped, their sweet sap harvested and boiled into delicious golden syrup.

Maples are just one of dozens of trees from which we have the pleasure of harvesting nourishment. When you consider the range of what we rely on trees for – from their beauty to their nutritious fruit – trees are remarkable organisms.

Think about it: What has a tree done for you lately?

It may look like trees are just standing around, doing nothing. In fact, while living, trees provide important habitat for a variety of animals. For us, they provide everything from food to building materials, from medicines to spices.

In the yard, squirrels dart from tree to tree. They favor the oaks for food, the knotty old maples or thick evergreens for shelter. Many animals spend much of their lives in trees. Some are born in trees, live in trees, raise their young in trees and seldom come down to the ground. Trees provide them with shelter from the weather and from predators. Trees provide food in the form of fruits, nuts, leaves, bark and roots. Even dead trees provide shelter and food for many insects.

While you probably can’t think of any human who lives in a tree, you know many who live in houses made from trees. Framing materials, plywood, clapboards, shingles – these come from hemlock, spruce, pine and cedar trees. Inside, furniture, cabinetry and even this newspaper all come from trees. As you know, the pencils and envelopes on your desk come from trees, too.

In your spice cabinet, the cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and mace come from trees that grow in more tropical regions of the world. The walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts also came from woody plants. In your refrigerator, the apples, oranges, lemons, limes, apricots and prunes grew on trees. The peaches, pears and cherries in your pantry did too!

Sap from tropical trees, is used to make tires, latex gloves, chewing gum, crayons, paint and soap. Dyes and medicines are made from bark, while leaves and roots provide oils for cosmetics and medicines. Do you have gingko biloba in your medicine chest? It’s a product from trees.

Imagine what our state would be without trees. Not just visually, mind you, but economically. Our special public and private areas would certainly not be the same without trees. Our landscape would indeed look different if we lived in stucco, not wooden, homes.

Who doesn’t appreciate the majesty of a mature tree? And hidden within this beauty is a necessary function too. The quality of our environment – our clean air, our rich soil, our pure water – all depends on the roles trees play. Roots of trees draw moisture from the soil and their leaves return it to the air. These large woody plants take in carbon dioxide through their leaves and then give off the oxygen we need to breathe.

Throughout the forest, but particularly along waterways, roots of these towering plants help hold soil in place and prevent erosion. Trees around our homes provide shade in the summer and help to keep our homes cool and comfortable. In the winter, they block wind to help warm our homes.

Why not make like a squirrel and start living more with trees and among trees! Plan to plant a food tree in your yard once March flows – like maple sap – into spring.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, 512 North Ridge Road, Montville 04941 or e-mail dianagc@midcoast.com. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.