When City Council redefined “tree”
My Mountain Laurels are in full bloom today. Their flowers effuse a sweet fragrance that smells like the grape soda I drank as a kid. Bees love ’em.
This tree was transplanted as a sapling from the Medina Lake area more than 40 years ago. Today it’s over 20 feet tall.
Mountain Laurel blooming with purple flowers
Mmmm, grape soda
However, this magnificent laurel doesn’t qualify as being a tree under San Antonio’s tree ordinance because it’s too small. City Council eliminated protections for these and other “trash trees” and “shrubs” in 2006.
It illustrates the power of the development industry that they can easily obtain such senseless legislation. Council ignored voters and gave the developers virtually everything they asked for in 2006. It apparently wasn’t enough, though, because it looks like they’re coming back for more this year.