Sycamore Lane, Sequoia Street, Walnut Drive, and Aspen Creek Avenue. These names conjure images of lush roads dappled in shade from leafy canopies. They are names that promise majestic nature. But the promise is a fragile one. As one travels through these American subdivisions, not in person, but through the disembodied gaze of a Google Street View camera, a different reality unfolds. On these streets named for trees, these tokens of nature offer comfort only through conformity.
Sometimes the tree stands in a meticulously crafted raised bed, curated and contained. Other times, a landscaped edge carves a deliberate circle around its trunk. These gestures can feel intentional, perhaps a homeowner’s proud display. But just as often, the placement feels like an afterthought, a forgotten variable in a developer’s master plan. Was this tree planted during family bonding, or was it dropped into the ground by a contractor checking a box? Does its presence signify a love for nature or a compliance with the aesthetic regulations of a homeowners’
association?
association?
They stand as isolated islands in drought-stricken counties of the arid Southwest. In these dry lands, the effort to sustain a patch of grass or a single leafy tree is an act of stubborn defiance. To water a tree in these extreme climates is a deliberate, cult-like act. In a place where every drop is counted, directing this precious resource to an
image of conformity over sustainability is telling of cultural values.
image of conformity over sustainability is telling of cultural values.
We romanticize the forest, the calming presence of a tree, but only in a form that doesn’t obstruct the view or drop too many leaves on the driveway. It is nature, but on our terms: tamed and controlled. The trees quiet seclusion whispers images of idolized nature. Captured on streets ironically named for the very thing they lack in abundance, these token trees are more than just landscaping. They are monuments rooted uncertainly in the dry soil of a complicated American dream.
Token Tree Exhibition and Book Binding Performance. Grace Street Gallery, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia. October 2025.