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*THREAD*
After buying a house with his wife, who suffers from allergies, Tom Ogren wanted to get rid of anything on his property that might trigger an attack.
He began examining the neighbourhood when he noticed something unusual
Every single tree was male
1/
After buying a house with his wife, who suffers from allergies, Tom Ogren wanted to get rid of anything on his property that might trigger an attack.
He began examining the neighbourhood when he noticed something unusual
Every single tree was male
1/
At first, he thought this may just have been a coincidence in one city.
He the started studying landscaped plants in other cities & noticed the same pattern
2/
He the started studying landscaped plants in other cities & noticed the same pattern
2/
Tom found an article on urban landscaping in a 1949 Yearbook of Agriculture.
The book advised: “When used for street plantings, only male trees should be selected, to avoid the nuisance from the seed.”
3/
The book advised: “When used for street plantings, only male trees should be selected, to avoid the nuisance from the seed.”
3/
The reasoning was that tiny pollen spores are likely to be blown away by wind or washed away by rain, making pollen an easier civic task to manage than overripe fruit or heavy seed pods that would need to be cleaned up by actual humans.
4/
4/
Nurseries began selling more male plants, too.
Mainly because it's easier to clone an existing tree than to wait for males and females to pollinate each other naturally
Slowly, not just trees and shrubs, but ornamental plants sold in nurseries ended up being male
5/
Mainly because it's easier to clone an existing tree than to wait for males and females to pollinate each other naturally
Slowly, not just trees and shrubs, but ornamental plants sold in nurseries ended up being male
5/
Ironically, if urban landscapers had planted female trees instead, neither pollen, nor unsightly seeds would have been an issue.
Hundreds of female trees would have been sterile & tidy without any pollen because female trees don't make fruit or seeds without males around
6/
Hundreds of female trees would have been sterile & tidy without any pollen because female trees don't make fruit or seeds without males around
6/
No one wants to cut down trees already planted, so changes are slow to implement.
If you're wondering why you spend a good portion of the year suffering from allergies, think back to the origins of urban forestry & planting of only male trees.
/End
If you're wondering why you spend a good portion of the year suffering from allergies, think back to the origins of urban forestry & planting of only male trees.
/End
And here come the mansplainers
Here were some examples of specific cities which were highlighted.
By the way, I'm just recounting a story I thought was very interesting. Some of the vitriol being spewed at me is excessive given this is just a fun tweet. No need for the abuse.
By the way, I'm just recounting a story I thought was very interesting. Some of the vitriol being spewed at me is excessive given this is just a fun tweet. No need for the abuse.
Here's another article from.the European commission which states in the circled paragraph about how planners should plant more female trees because only male trees are usually planted
