One of the beautiful features of St. Elmo is the extensive growth of old trees with their verdant shady canopy that provides shelter and a wonderful vista in many areas of the community. As I travel down St. Elmo streets, particularly Tennessee Avenue in summer, I often take pleasure in the beautiful green canopy with its overhanging branches.
A few trees are very present in my memory and I will take a moment to briefly remember them. The first two that come to mind are the two beautiful oaks that once stood on the property that is now 5010 Tennessee Ave. These massive oaks provided not only shelter to wildlife and shade for humans but millions of acorns for squirrels and chipmunks and were beautiful to observe. They were brutally lost to development during the recent past. The trunks were too large for one man to reach around and I would guess that they were at least 150 years old. These trees were silent witnesses to many changes in St. Elmo life. Five or six boys - my friends and I - played for hours in their shade during our formative years in St. Elmo.
Another memorable tree is the huge red oak that once stood in the backyard of 5005 Tennessee Ave. The tree dominated the entire backyard of the house, kept it shady and cool in summer and provided countless acorns, and plenty of boughs for bird and squirrel nests. Unfortunately, the tree was felled by a severe storm a number of years ago.
My favorite tree is the post oak that once stood in the front yard of my childhood home at 5009 Tennessee Ave. Countless hours were spent in its shade playing, reading, and spending time with friends. My father made the unfortunate decision to remove the tree back in the early 1960s but as he saw the limbs being savagely cut, he regretted his decision and told the tree company to save the rest. The trimmed tree stood for many more years before dying.
The shagbark hickory that stands near the corner of West 51st and Tennessee Avenue has been another "favorite" tree for many years. I have enjoyed its beauty, shade and certainly the plentiful hickory nuts that my sister and I gathered over the years. The tree's beautiful green leaves turn into a golden saffron yellow in the fall.
Another tree is the beautiful red oak that stands on my property on Sunnyside Avenue. The parcel remains wooded, even though a number of trees were lost to the 2011 tornadoes. This oak stands straight like a poplar with no branches on the lower trunk. The towering canopy branches out like a large camouflage net spreading the sun's direct rays, breaking them into dappled light that is much less intense. Wisteria twists and climbs among its branches, the vine's spring lavender blossoms sending out a strong fragrance into the woods.
As I observe the remaining trees on Tennessee Avenue in the fall I marvel at the color changes and as I see their bare branches stark against the gray winter sky, I am reminded of the words of the poet Joyce Kilmer..."Only God can make a tree."