Endure

I’ve driven by this tree a number of times. It is notable as it stands in the middle of the farmer’s field. Most often it looks like farmers will leave the trees at the edge of their fields or even plant them to serve as a windbreak. I wonder why the farmer let this tree be, considering the inconvenience when plowing.

The more we learn about the ecology of trees, it appears they are not the loners competing with others around them, in the scramble for light. In fact they are connected to their kin thru a mycorrhizal network which they use to share nutrients and information about threats.

But this guy is free standing, alone, out in the open – exposed to the full force of weather and vulnerable to parasites and despite it all endures!