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| Original work by Jerry Sutton, Native American Cherokee |
“Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” Marv Levy
“There is a power in nature that man has ignored. And the result has been heartache and pain.”
“Never give up, never give in, and when the upper hand is ours, may we have the ability to handle the win with the dignity that we absorbed the loss.” Doug Williams
"A good way to start thinking about nature, talk about it. Rather talk to it, talk to the rivers, to the lakes, to the winds as to our relatives.”
Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions
Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions
"It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up." Vince Lombardi
“We travel only as far and as high as our hearts will take us.”
“A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” Jack Dempsey
“As chief, I will represent my people in many different ways and might never know which particular action is destined to matter more than another, thus, all my actions should be considered potentially important and worthy of my best effort.”
“Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way.” Satchel Paige
I have a beautiful tree, the Cornus florida "Cherokee Chief" dogwood. It'll be twenty years old next year. It's history of survival in my garden is a good example of perseverance. Like many of the quotes at the beginning of this article, it has not only survived but flourished.
When planted, it did so poorly I finally moved it to a sunnier location seven years later. Still, it didn't bloom for another three years. Finally it would have a few blooms but they were odd shaped and the leaves continually got mildew. Occasionally it would loose an entire branch. I treated it, babied it, pruned, moved and lavished love. It limped along.
I gave up and decided to let the poor thing die on its own. I ignored it. Fifteen years from the year it was planted, the tree became healthy and has bloomed and gained vigor every year since. This year it is FABULOUS.
When people ask me about problems with certain plants, sometimes there's no good explanation nor rational cure. The Cherokee Chief dogwood is certainly a testimony of "The Little Engine That Could": I think I can, I think I can. . . and it did.
Instead of offering advice on the care of dogwood trees (and after all my failures, who'd believe me anyhow) I'll tell about it in general.
Cherokee Dogwood trees are hybrids and twenty years ago cost $90 - a remembrance gift from my church family at the death of my father. It was from a good nursery. It should have done well - but I digress.
It's considered a small tree growing to only about 15 foot. Perfect for town, small yards or as an accent tree. The fall foliage is brilliant red. It forms shiny red oval berries about 1/2 inch long.
The bark on a young tree is smooth and gray. As it ages it becomes a grayish brown looking like alligator skin.
It's the state tree of Virginia. It is native to the United States and has many old uses:
- Handles for mallets and golf clubs
- Red dye from the roots
- Powdered bark for toothpaste, black ink and an aspirin like substance. (Not sure how toothpaste and black ink go together but apparently you won't have a headache over the black teeth.)
- Birds eat the berries and deer may eat the twigs
Biblically, the Dogwood flower is a symbol of rebirth and resurrection. This symbolic meaning was derived from the association of this flower to resurrection of Jesus Christ.
According to an old story, it was the dogwood tree that provided the wood used to build the cross on which Jesus was crucified. ... It was cursed to forever be small, so that it would never grow large enough again for its wood to be used as a cross for a crucifixion. As legends go, the dogwood tree doesn't grow or isn't native to that area and isn't mentioned in the Bible by name.
Dogwoods are symbols of protection and safety in southeastern Native American tribes. In some Mohawk communities, the primeval Tree of Life in the Sky World was said to be a giant dogwood tree. In Northwestern tribes such as the Quileute and Makah, the dogwood symbolized good luck and dogwood berries were eaten during religious ceremonies. Dogwood fruit was a popular food item for many Native Americans, especially the Interior Salish tribes, but to Blackfoot people, the dogwood tree was associated with masculinity and women used to refrain from eating its fruit. The bark and roots of dogwood trees were frequently used as medicinal herbs and dyes, as well. Dogwood sap, however, is toxic and was used in some tribes as poison.
For a Cherokee Legend about dogwoods, read "Little People of the Cherokee". It just might apply to what happened to my tree.
