you couldn't even play on the grass in the public gardens...they were strictly botanical gardens; you played on the common. Now it's like Disney World.

He's trying to impress the female monkey.

By anon on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 4:51am.

Maiden stage allure is so powerful that the young males are helpless when it is applied.

Looks like a beech tree which are fairly sturdy.

A day may come

By perruptor on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 6:50am.

When the young men of our land no longer climb the easy trees

When they cease to reach for the low-hanging fruit

There may come a day when the young women stop pretending that boys' foolishness is attractive

This is not that day

Today, we climb!

Actually, I'm sure that thousands of kids have climbed out on that branch. Eventually, it will weaken, but I hope the arborists will notice and take action before the bough breaks.

Where is this from? I want to

By Dot net on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 7:41am.

Where is this from? I want to say Dead Poets Society, but cursory googling didn't help me.

It sounded like a LOTR speech to me...

By b from Ros on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 8:03am.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXGUNvIFTQw

Regardless, that was one impressive tree...

It's from me

By perruptor on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 9:55am.

But yes, in imitation of LOTR, Aragorn's pep-talk before the battle at Mordor.

If people keep walking by and hitting your leg with a baseball bat, eventually it will weaken and break. What would you expect a doctor to do about it? The solution is to stop the overgrown adolescent idiot pigs who keep repeatedly doing the damage.

Arborist stuff

By perruptor on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 10:04am.

That's what. So far there evidently hasn't been any "damage." Wood is incredibly strong -- stronger than steel of equivalent weight. Unless the tree is actually damaged by lightning or some kind of parasite, that branch will continue to hold up kids forever. If the tree does suffer damage, my assumption is that the professional tree experts paid to care for the ones in the Gardens will notice it and do whatever is appropriate to heal it. I'm not a tree expert, and I bet you aren't either. What it sounds like you are is somebody who would ban kids from climbing trees. Say it ain't so, Joe.

"I'm not a tree expert"

By Steeve on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 10:09am.

"I'm not a tree expert"

Surely, you jest?!?

No

By Kaz on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 1:19pm.

And don't call me Shirley.

Many of the trees in the

By anon on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 11:08am.

Many of the trees in the Public Garden (not Gardens) are quite old and in fact are damaged by parasites and therefore not sturdy enough to hold grownups climbing on their outstretched limbs. Little kids climbing trees -- sure, but if you're a grown adult... not so much. If you donate money to the Friends of the Public Garden, which I do, you get a newsletter with on efforts to care for the trees. Sadly many mature trees in the Public Garden, Boston Common and Comm. Ave. Mall have been lost over recent years so caring for the ones that remain is important to people who use the parks and appreciate the beauty of having trees in the city.

"do whatever is appropriate to heal it"

By lbb on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 1:09pm.

I'm not a tree expert, and I bet you aren't either. What it sounds like you are is somebody who would ban kids from climbing trees.

If "kids" (this "kid" looks a bit old to be called a "kid", and sufficiently hefty into the bargain) climbing trees damages the trees, you bet I would. The yout' in question is welcome to grow his own tree on which to climb, which he may damage to his heart's content. Other trees are off limits, just like other people's cars, public statues, anything that does not belong to you is not yours to damage.

As for the damage, if I smash your leg with a baseball bat, a doctor will "do whatever is appropriate to heal it", right? Well...healing doesn't exactly work that way, not for humans and not for trees, but we'll let that go. So the tree is "healed" by the arborists doing "arborist things", only while it's healing, some other "kid" stresses the "healing" damaged limb. What "arborist things" are going to fix that?

Again, with the baseball bat

By perruptor on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 4:01pm.

Is this a fetish of yours, wanting to smash the legs of people you disagree with, using a baseball bat? Doesn't seem wholly rational. Just sayin'.

It's an analogy

By lbb on Fri, 05/15/2015 - 10:06am.

I know it's a big word, but try looking it up. I used it in an attempt to get you to understand that magic arborist healing can't happen when a tree is being repeatedly reinjured. It seems like that's either a really tough concept for you to grasp, or you support trashing public spaces and think people who disapprove are a bunch of old poops.

tl;dr: stop being a ninny, ok?

Après vous, M. Le Petomaine

By perruptor on Fri, 05/15/2015 - 1:53pm.

No "i" in that last name,,,,

By Michael Kerpan on Fri, 05/15/2015 - 2:03pm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_P%C3%A9tomane

Thanks to this I have learned about a profession I had never heard of before:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatulist

In need of a good pummeling

By maria c on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 7:40am.

In need of a good pummeling by a mob of wild trees!!!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/

By Lmo on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 10:28pm.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j2zGn9fjgqc/T-EHBx0OqXI/AAAAAAAACcE/eVXLPbf7fu...

A MORON!

By dd808 on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 8:27am.

A MORON!

It just goes to show ya

By Cappy on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 8:44am.

You can lead a Whore to Culture but you can't make her think.

great minds think alike!

By Malcolm Tucker on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 11:16am.

see above for Mrs. Parker.

The outrage! Think of the

By tofu on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 9:59am.

The outrage! Think of the children!

(it's a stupid college student on a damn tree, relax, everyone)

weardo

By Southiehouligan on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 10:28am.

Thats probably.not the only thing he bounces on ,,that tree is triple his age leave it alone..

Thanks to everyone who is

By FOPG on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 10:35am.

Thanks to everyone who is advocating for this tree! It may appear strong and mighty, but this Norway Maple has been in the Public Garden for more than 75 years and must be treated with kindness to keep it in good condition for the next 75. It is one of 1,700 trees we look after as part of our tree care program that covers the Public Garden, Boston Common, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

Norway Maple?

By SwirlyGrrl on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 10:43am.

Beautiful tree. Invasive species, too. Hopefully it will survive the public, but I hope that its progeny are also being contained.

If you know something that

By anon on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 11:09am.

If you know something that the Friends of the Public Garden and professional arborists don't, then please consider contacting them. Not being snarky here.

Looks more like a beech.

By anon on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 12:28pm.

I'm guessing the Chinese version as this is also a kind of an arboretum and it does have a metal tag on it.

Progeny

By lbb on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 1:14pm.

Do you think that any tree in the Public Garden is allowed to simply propagate saplings? It's a highly planned space, so of course not.

Norway maples are now banned in MA

By SwirlyGrrl on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 4:56pm.

New trees and propagation of older trees, anyway:
http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/agr/farm-products/plants/prohibited-pla...

The problem is that Norway Maples don't spread by cuttings - they spread extremely well by dropping wind-borne seeds all over the frigging place, and those seeds can travel a considerable distance. Anyone who has them knows what a pain in the arse the seedlings are to find and eradicate.

I sincerely hope that the Public Garden is aware of the problem and cleans up after these trees when they drop their seeds.

The horse left that barn long ago.

By anon on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 9:05pm.

Good to know Massholes are finally locking it.

There is one emerging school of thought that suggests invasives are a part of evolving eco fabric.

Here's one

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140724-invasive-species-...

It may be some kind of conspiracy to proliferate knotweed or apologia for starlings.

I notice in my explorations that invasives commonly correlate with disturbed soil. I'll find them on the edge of some place like Ashland Town Forest but natives prevail where disturbances taper away.

So the people who mucked the place up have to contend with them in suburbia and urban situations but there is a point where their presence fades.

After all, we are the ultimate invasives and this self loathing is unhealthy.

can I get a grant...

By teric on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 9:41pm.

to remove the Norway Maples in my yard?
although they're not bad for shade but the winter moth larvae eat em up in May

Another useful article on invasives.

By anon on Fri, 05/15/2015 - 8:03am.

This one sums up the shifting consensus regarding invasive species.

http://www.beaconbroadside.com/broadside/2015/05/re-thinking-natures-ali...

Again. If you know something

By anon on Fri, 05/15/2015 - 9:37am.

Again. If you know something the caretakers of the parks do not, then please contact them. 'Sincerely hoping' and then posting comments directed at universalhub readers isn't going to actually help the situation.

Oh of course they aren't

By lbb on Fri, 05/15/2015 - 10:11am.

I sincerely hope that the Public Garden is aware of the problem and cleans up after these trees when they drop their seeds.

I'm absolutely certain that a bunch of professional arborists never heard of this issue. Come on, Swirl, really? If you knew and I knew (and I did before you mentioned it), do you seriously have any doubts that they're aware of it? As for how the trees propagate, most maples propagate through seed, and any homeowner knows that when you see maple leaves coming up out of their lawn, they don't scratch their head and say, "Gee, wonder what that is?" They pull it up. Please tell me you're not seriously concerned that the managers of the public garden are somehow going to stare at a seedling, not know what it is, and let it grow up into a great big giant invasive Norway maple.

A special shout out to FOPG

By PeterGriffith5 on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 11:06am.

A special shout out to FOPG and all the other FOPG people who advocate for this wonderful park.

I'll remind our gentle readers that the Public Garden, and more utilitarian Boston Common face much greater dangers from Boston 2024. Keep up the fight.

PPD

By Treeguy on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 12:46pm.

When I was studying Plant and Soil Sciences at U Mass Amherst in the 1980s - we learned the term PPD or People Pressure Disease of trees. This was brought about by soil compaction, ice melting chemicals, and all the other things that humans do that have impact on urban trees - including climbing on them.

What do you call a moron in a tree in the Public Garden?

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