The Palette Of Fall

The understory of vine maple trees in this patch of tall Douglas fir trees are showing their bright red fall colors. The picturesque scene hides the fact the the forest may not be as safe as it seems.

Vine maples are considered a nuisance tree by many loggers. The limbs are known for their flexible qualities. It is easy to get tripped when walking through a patch of vine maple even when the multi-trunk bases of the trees are large enough make a good sized firewood log.

When using a chainsaw or driving equipment through vine maples there is always a risk of long, willowy limbs getting bent back and snapping forward with a dangerous whipping motion. The growing tree can hold an inner tension and can twist as it is being cut. The long branches can get twisted in with logs as they are being dragged along a skid road and slap at trees and anybody close by as they are dragged along.

There are a few uses for vine maple wood. The wood is dense and heavy. Creative people are able to use the twisted, gnarled larger limbs for table legs, decorative furniture pieces, floor lamps and the like. I would rather keep the vine maple in this natural state to enjoy the beautiful green leaves all summer and watch the season change with the turning foliage.