Crab-Apple Contrasts

This is a picture of a crab apple tree branch. I encountered the tree when I was on a hike going down the Chagrin River. For that reason, I just took pictures of the tree and sketched it later at home. Many aspects of the tree caught my attention; the main detail is that the tree was mostly uprooted from the rocky cliff-side it was growing from; the other detail was the vibrant pink blossoms sprouting from the thin branches. The tree was almost completely uprooted but it didn’t care, it was still able to attain all the nutrients, water, and sunlight it needed to thrive. I found it fascinating that against the odds the tree was able to thrive in its harsh environment. Seeing the tree reminded me of the simplicity that Thoreau spoke of: learning to live off your necessities and still thriving. Before that hike I never thought of nature as having necessities, but what I realized is that nature is just a collection of entities living using only what they need to survive and continue the cycle. From the tree and Thoreau’s writing, I understand that sometimes having the basics is better than oversaturating your life with excess things. An example is of me on the hike, I brought a speaker and my phone so when I approached a deep part of the river I had to turn back, fearing I’d fall in the water and break my electronics. If I had not brought those extra things, I would not have been able to continue exploring the river. Although a relatively minor experience, it goes to show what more I could have experienced if I had brought less.

I originally did not know what this tree was. When I first saw it, I thought it looked similar to the cherry tree in the back yard of my dad’s house, so I assumed that’s what it was. Although, in-class Mr. Harris and Millena identified the tree as a common crab apple. The crab apple tree produced beautiful plush pink and white buds that contrasted nicely in the tough, dark environment. Currently, the tree is in its beginning stages of blossoming but soon the little bulbs will unfurl to reveal the pistil for pollination. Interestingly, despite the crab apples being a very bitter fruit they can be used to make jellies because they are high in pectin and acids. I will continue to track the progress of the tree’s bloom and collect its fruit to make jelly for the summer.