This week I found out that the coconut palm I planted at age 15 in my parents’ backyard was cut down.
My mother had some tree guys pruning back the mango in the South Florida food forest and the “arborist” said the coconut palm was yellow because it “had termites,” and that they would take it down. For some reason, Mom did not call me and just let them remove it.
This tree was the tree that really got me started with perennials. I got the seedling coconut from my Grandpop (may he rest in peace), and planted it with my dad’s permission (may he rest in peace as well).
If she had called me, I would have been able to give some other recommendations. I think these guys were just upselling to her. Even worse, they dropped the tree on a smaller Julie mango we planted in memory of my cousin who died at age two, and they destroyed that little tree as well. It had just started fruiting.
It’s all very frustrating and senseless. I really would have liked to have made sure that coconut wasn’t just suffering from a deficiency. Judging by the destruction of the mango the tree crew caused, I highly doubt their competency. You can see the coconut palm in these pictures from a few years ago.
Perhaps it was infested with termites or terminally ill, but I would have liked a chance to find out before some tree company unceremoniously murdered 32 years of family history.
Today is also the anniversary of Dad’s death. And I found out about the tree on my birthday. Not a great week. I’m working on the virtue of detachment. Nothing happens without the Lord knowing, but I feel like that tree was also a member of the family. Hard to say goodbye.
RIP
Leave a Reply