Watched a row of maples I planted get taken down 15 years later

Honestly, I drove past a house I used to work at in Portland and saw the whole street got new sidewalks. The city cut down those red maples I put in back in 2009, they were maybe 25 feet tall. I remember digging those holes with a shovel, thought they'd be there forever. Anyone else ever go back to a job site and see trees you planted get removed for something like curb upgrades?

2 comments

2 Comments

luna_kim401mo ago

Funny, I actually see it the opposite way. Those trees served their purpose for 15 years (which is a pretty good run for a street tree in a city), and the new sidewalks are probably going to make the street safer for everyone walking or using wheelchairs. Roots from maples can really mess up curbs and concrete over time, so it's not like the city just decided to kill them for fun. Trees are great, but they're not permanent fixtures (nothing is, really).

fiona_lane1mo ago

Hear you on this. It's a bummer losing the trees though, totally get why people are upset about it.