My River Birch With Pink Paper Bark

I bought this tree years ago when it was a scraggly sapling destined for the trash bin because I saw its potential. Now it is a three-story showpiece in my front yard. Its pink paper bark is so attractive that passersby peel off souvenirs, and by summer what they can reach is all peeled off. This healthy tree does not seem troubled by this superficial girdling, so I let it go. I do not really have a choice. Last year I caught one fellow at it, he was shocked and embarrassed, worried about retribution. I just waved him on. Most are sneakier as they take their little pink paper curl so I never see them take my treasure. It seems like a lot of life is like that.

Caption: River Birch With Pink Paper Bark In My Front Yard

by Annmarie Throckmorton 2018