Southern Writers Recovery Fund

Just received this from SFWA newsgroup:

( WordArts, Inc. and Southern Gothic Online announce the establishment of the Southern Writers Recovery Fund to help authors and poets affected by Hurricane Katrina.  )

trees this time

I'm in the home stretch of revisions on The Privilege of the Sword, and I need arboreal advice: can someone recommend a tree that buds early and is strong enough to bear the weight of a teenager?

( Here's the relevant paragraph (with lagniappe).  )

Thanks in advance for your help!