Continuing Tree Saga

Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:26:38 -0400
From: Kira Dirlik
Subject: Continuing Tree Saga

As I continue to observe the elms, I see that it is something  entirely different from the dropping leaf skeletons going on.   A  different predator from the past two years.  The leaves are slowly  being completely consumed, not skeletonized.   And I also noticed that  under the elms is my Hamamelis tree, about 10 feet tall.  The tips of  about 10% of the leaves were rolled up like a carpet, and inside were  little green caterpillars (now no longer of this world) and a few  grown ones out and eating the leaves all up…. green inchworms.

And this morning I went down to see what is happening with my  chestnuts, which are growing quite tall but still all branches  reachable, except for the huge one which isn’t getting noticeable  damage way up there.  However, the others had FIVE different species  of caterpillars, chomping away.  RIP.   I don’t see any flowers on ANY  of the chestnuts, but maybe they will come out later, at least on the  big one.  And on the way back to my house, I heard that “mystery  rain”, and looked up and one limb of a tulip poplar was almost  denuded, looking just like the elm branches.  But there are a lot of  things dropping right now.  I guess they are tree “flowers” of many  kinds.  So all these little things falling onto the dry leaves make  these tiny sounds.

Thanks to all who have been writing to me, and to the Chatlist.   I really love these exchanges much more than the “trash the merchant”  and “my politician can beat up your politician” kinds of posts.
Kira