Joy of Photography, Volume 1

Chinese Tallow no. 1

This is our chinese tallow, also known as a candleberry tree. It was so thin for its height that it nearly broke in half during its first year. I looked out the back window on a windy April day and saw the whole thing bent over on the lawn. We staked it up. lashed twine around the split, and hoped for the best. It's made a remarkable comeback. There is still a faint knot in the trunk, but it's otherwise sturdy and growing straight and strong. This is the first year that it has really leafed out. When I looked around the corner at it a few weeks ago, I was amazed. The leaves ranged from chartreuse to claret, and the whole tree was glowing in the late afternoon sun.