What a fabulous little tree! The leaves are all curled like it’s sick, but it’s natural and healthy growth. The branches, and even the trunk, are curled in fantastical curves and waves. It looks gorgeous even in the wintertime when all the leaves are gone. It suffered damage when a septic tank was placed but seems to be coming back quite well.

2009: seeing dead branches, and fungus growing on the branch that was broken during the septic tank work. Sawed that branch off, but perhaps not early enough? Still, there’s lots of new growth, enough that I was pruning not just straight suckers but some of the curly ones, too.

2010: leaves seem to be coming in slowly, more slowly than any other tree in the area – I’m worried about this guy! Even in June, only sparse leaves…should I cut off the mature part of the tree, which is showing more signs of suffering, and keep the shoots?

2011: Resigned myself to cutting down the main tress – there are some shoots which may survive without the “pathogen” load from the sick main tree. Or I’m wondering about a dwarf sour cherry tree if that doesn’t work….

2012: cut it down last year. Haven’y managed to dig up the roots….