3 trees people love to hate

Willow. Camphor laurel. Bamboo (technically a grass, but tall as a tree).

It’s true they clog the drains. Lift the footpaths. Degrade the waterways. They’re invasive. Spread themselves everywhere. Compete with native vegetation.

But aren’t they beautiful? All three.

Those graceful skirts of the willow swaying in the wind. That huge green spring canopy of camphor laurel contrasting with its dark striated massive trunk. Bamboo canes as black as a calligraphic pen stroke or with golden segments as thick as your forearm.

July 2018