A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

While walking in a local Brooklyn park this weekend I came upon this tree which immediately reminded me of a quote from one of my favorite books:

"The one tree in Francie's yard was neither a pine nor a
hemlock. It had pointed leaves which grew along green switches which radiated
from the bough and made a tree which looked like a lot of opened green
umbrellas. Some people called it the Tree of Heaven. No matter where its seed
fell, it made a tree which struggled to reach the sky. It grew in boarded-up
lots and out of neglected rubbish heaps and it was the only tree that grew out
of cement. It grew lushly, but only in the tenement districts."

- Betty Smith

The Tree-of-Heaven, or Ailanthus Altissima, was used as an inspirational metaphor in the classic Betty Smith's 1943 novel "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." The Ailanthus' obvious persistence to survive and grow despite all odds was equal to the book's characters aspirations for a better life despite enduring hardships. It’s a coming of age story about Francie Nolan as her family struggles with poverty, alcoholism, and the realities of life in the tenements of Brooklyn, New York in the early part of the century.

While the tenacity of this tree is a noble metaphor for the book's protagonist, this tree in nature is an unwanted invasive species, as it is a prolific seed producer, grows rapidly, and can overrun native vegetation. Once established, it can quickly take over a site and form an impenetrable thicket as you can see in the photo above from the same park. Ailanthus trees also produce toxins that prevent the establishment of other plant species. Their root system is aggressive enough to cause damage to sewers and foundations

It grows stout and tall to about 100 feet with a "fern-like" compound leaf that may be 2 to 4 feet long, and now has wide distribution in the United States, occurring in forty-two states, from Maine to Florida and west to California.

I took this photo of the side of a building in Williamsburg neighborhood Brooklyn a few weeks ago. It shows two pervasive examples of urban blight...the Ailanthis tree growing literally out of cracks in the building foundation and the ubiquitous graffiti that seems to be the fate of many blank city walls. It seems that the tree that "grows in Brooklyn" is still growing strong, just as there are still children and adolescents who face the same harsh realities of life that Francie Nolan did. Perhaps that is why this book is such an enduring classic. No matter what generation you are from, or where you live, or what your socio-economic background is, growing up can be a struggle with many adversities to overcome. A reader can not help but identify with Francie as she escapes the confines of her life by reading her beloved library books, aspiring to become a writer herself one day.

Does the Ailanthus Altissima also grow where you live? Do you have a favorite book from your youth that you revisit time and time again? One where you've recognized characteristics of yourself, or a book that transported you to a favorite time or place?

I'd love to hear about in your comment....thanks!