by Paul De Jong, with Mike Cooper. Photography by Paul Schiller.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. — Chinese Proverb

The urban forest of Sioux Falls is truly a living, breathing postcard that gets more breathtaking every year. If Our Trees Could Talk captures its beauty and shares its history in hopes that all who live here or visit our community can more fully appreciate the towering scenery that makes this place so special.

As a former owner of Landscape Garden Centers, I cannot count the hours I have spent planting, growing, and admiring trees. My mind is always in awe at the forest that has taken the place of the prairie. And my eyes are forever searching for the most amazing trees in this forest. Having lived in Sioux Falls for almost forty years, I know the city well and have found many that I feel merit our attention.

It’s been my dream to share these favorites with others. Thanks to the help of Mike Cooper, Executive Director of the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum, and Paul Schiller, photojournalist and Owner of Acts of Nature, this dream has become a reality. — Paul De Jong

Enjoy these selections from If Our Trees Could Talk.

“We dedicate these trees to beauty, usefulness, and comfort. May our lives grow in beauty, usefulness, and comfort to others even as these trees expand their leafy boughs. Let us strive to protect and care for them, that they may so be enjoyed by all people that they, in turn, will leave, as a memorial of their appreciation, trees to be enjoyed by posterity.” –– D.J. Sterling Morton, Founder of Arbor Day 

A little history. Today the city of Sioux Falls encompasses about eighty-five square miles of land area. Much of the city is set on a deep base of quartzite rock formed millions of years ago that is covered with deposits of sand, gravel, clay, and silt forming a layer of topsoil. The physical landscape is defined by the Big Sioux River and the falls which resulted in an area of exposed bedrock left by melting glacial ice. The landforms created by the winding river and its tributaries including Skunk Creek range from sloping bluffs and hillsides to nearly level floodplains creating a natural valley.

The area was part of a vast prairie region that included much of the Great Plains and was primarily a mixture of native grasses and trees found along the river, wooded islands, and other wetlands that were protected from prairie fires. Native trees found in this area were primarily box elder, ash, silver maple, elm, cottonwood, and willow that flourished near the waterways, while the hillsides were covered with oak and cedar that extended to the grasslands.

The Big Sioux River and the falls made this location an attractive place from the first known inhabitants who established village sites to later Native American tribes who migrated here. The Sioux Indians were said to have given the Big Sioux River a name that translated as “thick-wooded river.” When this area became open for western settlement in the 1850s, the founding of Sioux Falls was part of a vast townsite speculation that spread across the upper Midwest. The Big Sioux River and its potential waterpower were attractions for both industry and land development.

Throughout the early decades of growth in Sioux Falls, trees became an important landscape feature for both shade and aesthetic appearance. — Mike Cooper

Reflection. If you’re looking for a good conversation starter, consider asking people about trees. What memories of trees do you have as a kid? Have you ever helped plant a tree, and how did it make you feel? Have you ever had to cut trees down? Have you given someone a tree before? Is there a favorite tree that serves as your backdrop to family pictures or wedding pictures? People will have all sorts of stories to share … guaranteed. They might cry, laugh, and give you a longer answer than you originally thought. But it will be worth your time and theirs, and both of you will walk away smiling. — Paul De Jong

If these trees could talk, I imagine them smiling and telling us they are the luckiest trees alive. “We see kids play and let them climb on us. We shade wedding couples on their special day and serve as the background for family, senior, and engagement pictures. We hear laughter from people of every age while they relax, visit, and enjoy the outdoors. What more could we ask for?” — Paul De Jong

The Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum and East Sioux Falls Historic Site is a 155-acre site located on the east side of Sioux Falls, just across Highway 42 from Arrowhead Park. It is nestled against the remains of the old quarry town known as East Sioux Falls.

Mary Jo Wegner was a long-time citizen of Sioux Falls. She was a nature lover, civic leader, and community leader who dreamed of quiet, green spaces within city limits. Suffering from leukemia during her last years, she often spent time at an arboretum in a neighboring state. The solace and joy it brought her was something she wished upon everyone. She passed away in 2003, and shortly thereafter, her family collaborated with the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation to create gardens that people of all generations could enjoy for years to come. Named in her honor, the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum was officially dedicated on Arbor Day, 2006. — Mike Cooper

Reflection. The trees in these districts and in their parks are anything but perfect. If you look closely at them, you’ll notice how twisted and gnarly they are. They don’t stand up straight, their branches are uneven, and some look quite weathered. Yet they are all beautiful. It’s as if the more imperfect they are and the more they’ve been through, the prettier they get … the more character they have … the more people are drawn to them. What if people are like trees in that regard? What if our flaws, wrinkles, and mistakes are what make us more beautiful, unique, and approachable? Next time you pass through a park, find the tree with the most character of all. Lay a blanket out underneath it, sit down, and reflect on all the ways you might be being too hard on yourself or others. Vow to be kinder and more forgiving. In doing so, your overall character and beauty will grow. –– Paul De Jong

A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit. — Greek proverb

Obtain a copy of If Our Trees Could Talk at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum, Ace Hardware or Lewis Drug, all in Sioux Falls, S.D. Proceeds from the sales of the book go to the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum. The arboretum’s website is here. 
Reprinted with permission from Throne Publishing Group from If Our Trees Could Talk. Copyright © 2025 by Paul De Jong, Mike Cooper and Paul Schiller.