fancytalk: (sweetness)
fancytalk ([personal profile] fancytalk) wrote2006-06-20 11:19 am
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This is so weird

Here is a question for any budding botanists out there -

I have this tree in my front yard.



Sorry that it is from the underside of the leaves because the City of Berkeley just came out and trimmed it. Since we have lived in this house, we have noticed several people stripping the leaves off of the low hanging branches. At first, we thought it was because the branches were hanging low enough to bop people in the head if they weren't paying attention. Then it kept happening and we just watched from the window because it seemed so strange. The more often it happened, the more curious we were. However, we have failed in our efforts to make it out the front door to ask the picker "why are you picking the leaves off that tree?" A few minutes ago, I look out the front window and see a woman standing in front of the house looking up into the tree. For the record so you bunch don't think I'm a freaky "spend all my days peeking out the window" kind of gal - I don't have much of a front yard so the distance from the window to the street is about 15 feet with nothing obstructing the view. A clear shot from the front rooms. For this very same reason, I try not to parade around the front of the house in my birthday suit. Anyway, back to the woman looking up into the tree. I probably would have gone back to my cleaning if it wasn't for the fact that she had a pruning implement in her hand. Not a little handheld snip-snip, but this was a heavy duty probably would clip 2 inch diameter branches pruner. She then opened the back door of the car, stood on the backseat and raised her pruner to the tree. Still couldn't reach so she climbed on top of the car!!!!!!!! and proceeded to start clipping away. At the first clip, I went to go put on some shorts (don't ask) because I was going to find out what is up with this tree. Sadly, in the few seconds that it took me to dash to the back bedroom and grab my shorts, she was getting into the car and driving away. I guess I could have chased her down while she was pulling away but then I really would have looked like a freaky window peeping gal.

So, the question is what kind of tree is this and what is so special about it that everyone wants the leaves?.

Edit - I believe that the tree is a Linden tree. Not positive, but the pictures look very much like my tree. Now, I just want to understand what is so special about this tree and its' leaves.

[identity profile] curefreak.livejournal.com 2006-06-21 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
I am the guy who, in his Year 12 biology exam (Final year of high school) wrote an essay on trees. It read "Trees are things that grow in the ground. Off to get drunk now, as I know I failed your silly exam, so why waste my time and yours writing an essay?"

[identity profile] yesimthegirl.livejournal.com 2006-06-21 03:48 pm (UTC)(link)
LMAO!
That reminds me of the "Intro to College Math" class I took in my final year of high school. We were all a bunch of smartasses and most of us were taking the class just to have an extra math credit. The class was a complete waste of time and the teacher was so bad that we had a revolution. Seriously, we came to class one morning and declared ourselves independent of her teaching. We made a flag and everything. Didn't do crap for the rest of the year.

[identity profile] curefreak.livejournal.com 2006-06-21 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
*LOL* Love It! It was just your way of practicing for later attempts at world domination eh? ;)

[identity profile] yesimthegirl.livejournal.com 2006-06-22 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
Practice?
Who said anything about it being a practice run?

[identity profile] curefreak.livejournal.com 2006-06-22 11:26 am (UTC)(link)
Well if it wasn't practice, you sure are taking your sweet ass time about it ;)

[identity profile] yesimthegirl.livejournal.com 2006-06-24 12:32 am (UTC)(link)
whiny, whiny
You know that will be your downfall.

[identity profile] yarbiedoll.livejournal.com 2006-06-21 06:03 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm. Anything I've ever heard about linden trees involved using the buds or flowers for tea or treating headaches. I don't know about the leaves. Now I'm curious! I'll help you look.

[identity profile] yesimthegirl.livejournal.com 2006-06-21 03:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I did some searching yesterday and most of what I could find medicinally was using the buds or flowers for tea. Apparently good for kidney stones and liver ailments. Also given that we live in Berkeley, I decided to Google "linden tree rituals", figuring that since the solstice is today that maybe it was being used for some sort of solstice ritual. Well, being in Berkeley doesn't necessarily matter but the likeliness of a non-Christian celebration occuring here seems more likely than say in Texas. I did finally find a website that mentioned using the leaves in tea and also using the young leaves in salad. When I get a few extra minutes I'm going to take the ladder so I can pull off a couple of leaves for my research.

Tangent...

[identity profile] yarbiedoll.livejournal.com 2006-06-22 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
Kidney stones. Speak of the DEVIL. I unexpectedly had two today. Major suckage. I could have used your leaves. I made do with some pain meds I had on hand.

Re: Tangent...

[identity profile] yesimthegirl.livejournal.com 2006-06-24 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
And I'm just now going through my email.