I was dismayed to read in OP/FYI, the village newsletter, that the London Planetree is one of five species of tree that our otherwise excellent forestry department plans to plant all over the village in the next few years.
The village foisted one of these on me (well, the parkway in front of my house) and I loathe it. Let me tell you why.
First, it’s not native. Are there not enough native species available? We already know what non-native species get introduced. They belong in England, like the name says.
Second, wildlife knows it’s not native. I have never seen a bird nest in this tree. I don’t even see birds perch in it. And yesterday, my dog started chasing a squirrel, and the squirrel ran past that tree to leap up another tree. The tree may look alive, but it is a dead zone.
Third, it is ugly. The trunk is a splotchy olive-green and dull yellowish color. Its leaves turn a lovely shade of paper-bag brown in the fall. It is the last tree to leaf out in the spring and holds those brown leaves well into the winter, long after leaf collection is available. When those dreary leaves finally fall, they gather on top of the nearest sewer cover, creating little lakes.
The forestry department told me that they plant this tree because it is long lived. If they keep planting this tree, eventually it will be the only thing standing in Oak Park. If it were an option, I would happily pay to have this thing removed from in front of my house and a native tree planted.
Please, forestry folks, reconsider planting these in Oak Park. President Scaman and village trustees, please explore this further.
Kris Hansen
Oak Park