However, the problem has been swishing around my mind for a few minutes...

Have you tried editing the symbol through the Symbol Manager and bringing the text to the front?

Oh wait a minute! Are you using the actual symbol instead of the png the symbol is created from? You might need to import the png, then make the symbol with that non-symbolised png image.

They're just sheet effects.

It's not too difficult to add a third of your own, though I'm going to stop at 2 for the template or it just gets a bit too heavy to explain everything in what is supposed to be a brief mapping guide.

It depends what season you see it in.

You could group or multipoly them.

You can't change the scale of the forests you've already placed. You will have to delete or undo them.

Check the scale of the single trees you've placed, using the List option in the Info menu.

Then open the Drawing Properties dialog and alter the default symbol scale to match the scale of the single trees, and place your forests again. (This shot shows the default symbol scale for the style I am working on at the moment is 1).

Don't forget to change the default symbol scale back to what it was before you altered it once you have done your forests.