Low Maintenance Trees
April 01, 2014
Photographer: Patrick Wiggins
Summary Author: Patrick Wiggins
Shown above is a type of low maintenance tree that has been developed for semi-arid and arid landscapes. This one is called a beehive tree (in honor of Utah's official state insect) and is located next to Interstate 80 about 125 km west of Salt Lake City, Utah, near the Nevada border. Some of its seedpods can be seen just beyond the protective fence. A list of advantageous features of the beehive tree includes:
- It requires no watering
- Never drops any leaves -- so no bothersome raking required
- Provides shelter for the numerous jackalopes that live in the region
- It releases no carbon when it falls or is taken down
- Produces no sticky sap
- It's resistant to bark beetles and other pests
Standing some 26.5 m tall and weighing over 200 tons, this experimental tree is rumored to have been planted years ago by Wendover Will who still lives nearby in Wendover, Nevada and serves as the town's official greeter. Note that Wendover Will is the younger (b 1952) but considerably taller (19 m) brother of Vegas Vic (b 1951, 12 m tall) a lifelong resident of Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo taken on March 5, 2014.