In early summer, a young red bud tree on Linnaean Street in Cambridge was removed – abruptly, and without public notice. I had been caring for that tree through heat waves and transplant shock. By the time it was cut down, it had started to thrive: leafing from the base upward, sending out deep burgundy heart-shaped leaves that were just beginning to turn green.
Massachusetts law (Chapter 87) protects public shade trees facing removal by requiring that cities post a notice on the tree, publish it in a newspaper and hold a public hearing before acting – unless the tree is hazardous or dying. These steps ensure residents can speak up on the matter. In the red bud’s case, none of these steps happened, and the red bud was neither hazardous nor dying. It was stabilizing.
When I pointed out that several other red buds on Elm Street were growing in the same way, those trees were also flagged for removal.
This raises a critical question: Are we giving young trees the time, care and due process they deserve, or uprooting them before they’ve had a chance to thrive?
In today’s climate crisis – in which record heat, storms and flooding affect every living organism – we cannot expect trees to grow on a rigid schedule, unaffected by environmental chaos. A tree that grows differently may not be necessarily failing. It may be adjusting to new, unpredictable challenges. Something we humans are also reeling from.
Our city’s Urban Forestry Division is tax-funded. We have a right to expect that the removals of healthy trees adhere to the law, common sense and compassion. This issue goes beyond trees; it’s about how we respond to change, how we make space for resilience and whether we will slow down long enough to see what’s growing before we cut it down.
Once a tree is removed and mulched, it’s gone. But we can still change how we view trees – not as objects under warranty, but as living beings adjusting to a changing world. After all, the trees that grow differently may just be the ones we can learn from the most.
Jessica Fiorella, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
A stronger
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Update (Aug 29 2025): After submitting this piece, the City replied that Chapter 87 doesn’t cover trees on school property. I pointed out that the tree sits on the boundary of public ways, which still gives it legal protection, and the City’s own removal shows it recognized its jurisdiction. In short, the City can’t “have its cake and eat it too.”
I maintain that the tree was neither dead nor hazardous and remain deeply concerned about the lack of due‑process, transparency, and public participation.
I still urge the City to conduct a thorough review of the legal framework and its standards, ensuring meaningful resident involvement in decisions that affect our shared environment.
Read my full response in the updated Medium essay: https://medium.com/@x7f3k2/the-red-bud-that-wasnt-dying-93681966effb?sk=b19e360a7b8f7cf14416d48363608234. Let’s push for transparent, community‑driven climate and urban policies.