Lombardy Poplar, American Chestnut updates

[Paul J.]

It was a nice weekend to wander northern Wisconsin. The spring peepers and wood frogs were calling in force. The red maples were starting to bloom. The yellow-bellied sapsuckers were defining their territories, calling, tapping, and chasing off challengers. Loons and winter wrens were calling... I could go on and on...

I visited the Washburn, WI Lombardy Poplar, once a beautiful 14' girth single stemmed tree alongside a Dairy Queen parking lot on Highway 13. It looks likece.
it has been dead for 1-2 years. The bark is peeling from the top down and branches are falling from it. The wooden sign proclaiming it's championship has fallen into similar disrepair. The tree will probably have to be cut down soon since it poses a risk to visitors and a nearby building. I did not measure it and let it rest in pea
Later, I visited the Bayfield, WI American Chestnut. It's owners, Susan and Neil, gave me a warm welcome and were gracious hosts. They patiently let me measure and photograph the tree. They talked about it's past, about frequent visitors to the tree, and about what it meant to some of the visitors. It has recently suffered crown loss from wind damage and possibly other causes, and has been properly serviced by a professional arborist. It is generally in good shape but is "pinched" in between an oak and a shagbark hickory, probably having been planted there when the house was built in 1888. The tree measured 143" in girth 4.5' above midslope, 57' tall, and had a 40.7' average spread for 210 points. It exists on a slope down from a nearby home down to the sidewalk that was installed long after the tree was planted.

I'll be sending a finished nomination form and digital images to Ian in the next day or two. I hope to photograph it in July when it is leafed out and blooming with yellow flowers. The owners informed me about a nearby American chestnut orchard that I hope to visit in summer, too.

Paul J.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Great Paul, make sure you post the pics here, as well as sending them to Ian.

Or maybe Ian would want to just copy them from the site?

 

[Paul J.]

I'll send Ian a full resolution 5 megabyte picture and I'll post an appropriately sized one here now....

 

[ibrown]

Can do. Thank you gentlemen!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I just did the Moderation vetting so Ian did not see your post Paul.

Looks like he should be able to use the posts on the site. Maybe keep the high rez pic's on file if he needs them?

 

[Paul J.]

Old Champ Lombardy Poplar in the news

I recently saw this article about the former champion Lombardy Poplar:
http://www.ashlandwi.com/dailypress/?section_id=1&story_id=214933

Washburn's former state record Lombardy Poplar comes down
100-year-old giant removed as a hazard
Rick Olivo
Last updated: Friday, September 28th, 2007 09:00:01 AM

WASHBURN — For as long as anyone can remember, Washburn's giant Lombardy Poplar has been a downtown landmark along Bayfield Street. It has been admired by generations of Washburn residents and visitors for its great height — approaching 100 feet at its prime — and it's massive 14-foot girth. Located next to the Washburn Dairy Queen, the tree was honored as a state record by the Department of Natural Resources' "Champion Tree" program, an honor attested to by a sign next to the tree proclaiming its vital statistics.

Long-time Washburn resident Jim Ledin recalls moving into a home in what is now the parking lot of the Dairy Queen, next door to the big tree in about 1936.

"It was about 30 or 40 feet tall back then," he said. "It seems to me that there were two trees here at one time."

Photographs taken during the early 1950s confirm that it was a tall, stately column-like example of Populus nigra, cultivar Italica even then.

As the name suggests, the distinctive Lombardy Poplar originated in the Italian province of Lombardy, where they were valued for their elegant shape, rapid growing trait and ability to quickly form effective windbreaks and privacy screenings. In forest-poor Italy, the wood is even used as lumber, although it is relatively weak and rots easily. The tree originated as a sport, or mutation, of the black poplar, which is common throughout Europe, southwest and central Asia and northwest Africa. It is grown only as male clones of the original tree, meaning that it does not originate from seeds, but from cuttings of other trees.

According to Laura Jull, associate professor and extension specialist for woody ornamental species at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Lombary Poplar’s great beauty and rapid growth led them to become favorite ornamental trees in years past. However, she said, they have serious deficiencies that have caused them to be all but abandoned for urban forestry.

"They are very, very prone to disease, especially stem canker," she said. "They seldom live more than 20 or 30 years before they die. Nobody in their right mind would bother planting them any more."

Washburn's champion Lombardy Poplar clearly beat the odds — the best guess is that the tree was well over 100 years of age when it died several years ago.

"That is very old for one of these," Jull said. "That is unbelievable. In most landscapes, they don't live past 20 years old because they get canker."

Since the tree met its demise, it has been left standing — a sad, skeletal shadow of its former glory — until the City of Washburn ordered its removal.

On Thursday morning, a crew from Kraft Tree Service of Washburn began the laborious process of removal, painstakingly cutting several 30 to 50 foot vertical branches one at a time. Standing some 20 feet off the ground in the crotch of the tree, the chainsaw-equipped sawyer undercut a notch in each of the branches before slicing through the branch on the opposite side. It was tricky, dangerous work. There was an ever-present threat that a branch could "kick back" and strike the chain saw operator if he didn't make his cuts with skilled precision.

Sawyer Ben Basley of Kraft Tree Service admitted that the job was a challenge.

"It's so dead on the top, you have to watch up above and make sure nothing is breaking off and coming down," he said. He observed that the tree had been dead so long that it created other problems.

"It's hard to climb, because the bark just peels right off," he said.

Meanwhile, safely out of range, the rest of the crew manhandled a rope looped around the tops of the branches, pulling the branch in the direction they wanted it to go — away from a nearby building and into a grassy area next to an empty parking lot.

The operation went off without a hitch.

Roger Kraft, co-owner of the tree service, said the tree had been a landmark since he was a boy.

"I guess we are making history today," he said. "It's too bad, because it was a neat tree."

Kraft said he was thankful that there was no wind Thursday morning.

"You don't need a lot of wind when you are trying to bring down a 100 foot tree," he said.

Kraft said he had been removing a large number of Lombardy Poplars in recent years.

"They just seem to die quickly," he said.

By mid morning, the tree was greatly reduced; the bottom 20 feet or so are being left in place at property owner Larry Zienty's request. Kraft said he had plans to use the trunk of the tree to have a carving made.

The removal of the old tree marked the end of whatever status remained for the former state champion Lombardy Poplar. According to the Department of Natural Resources Web site, the current state champion tree is an example located in Door County. That tree measures a relatively modest 60 feet in height.

Several Washburn area residents watched the proceedings, somewhat sorrowfully.

"It's been a good tree for many years,” Ledin said. “I hate to see it go, but it's all rotted out so it's got to come down before it falls."

 

[mahatma-mamma]

The Three Sisters

I love reading about ancient old sacred trees.
If you ever get a chance come to Sugarcreek Reserve and see "The Three Sisters". This is located in Belbrook Ohio near Dayton Ohio.
These stately ladies are 550 years old. They were here before Columbus discovered America. People say they were not cut down when Ohio was clear cut to feed the Civil War forges as the guns and ammunition were all made here in Ohio. They say they were considered sacred by the Indians and others and therefore were not cut.They are on the old stagecoach road that still is visable through the woods. You will find a map to get to them when you enter from the parking lot. Easiest way is to go right immediately when the lane opens up and pass the prairie on your right. When you get to where the path curves sharply to the left- take that path. There you will see a virgin cherry tree - huge-guess it was left because it was the corner post to the property line. Keep going straight and after awhile you will see the trees on the right. They have put up a split rail fence around them. The middle sister has been in trouble for years with termites eating out her insides and then a fire inside the hallowed out part. I sure hope she is okay-have not been there for awhile. They trimmed her a few years ago and then piled manure underneath her in an effort to save her. But then the fire took its toll.
You can feel the powerful energy from these trees.

 

[marcos]

The middle sister has been in trouble for years with termites eating out her insides and then a fire inside the hallowed out part. I sure hope she is okay-have not been there for awhile. They trimmed her a few years ago and then piled manure underneath her in an effort to save her. But then the fire took its toll.
You can feel the powerful energy from these trees.

My family and I go there sometimes.

Hate to say it, mahatma. But the sister you're talking about is dead...probably for about at least a year, maybe two.
But in my opinion that didn't ruin the sanctity of that low area, and the two surviving white oak sisters that were, at one time, just within branches' touch of each other.

 

[marcos]

If you ever get a chance come to Sugarcreek Reserve and see "The Three Sisters". This is located in Belbrook Ohio near Dayton Ohio.
The middle sister has been in trouble for years with termites eating out her insides and then a fire inside the hallowed out part. I sure hope she is okay-have not been there for awhile. They trimmed her a few years ago and then piled manure underneath her in an effort to save her. But then the fire took its toll.
You can feel the powerful energy from these trees.

The middle sister has been in trouble for years with termites eating out her insides and then a fire inside the hallowed out part. I sure hope she is okay-have not been there for awhile. They trimmed her a few years ago and then piled manure underneath her in an effort to save her. But then the fire took its toll.
You can feel the powerful energy from these trees.

You can still feel the powerful energy, mahatma-mamma, from the remaining two.
But I regret to tell you that the one white oak sister you're talking about didn't make it. She's been gone about a year, maybe two.
If there's any consolation to her demise, the peaceful low area in Sugarcreek Reserve today appears a bit brighter in her absence...and some wildflowers can fill the voids until some of their own acorns can someday grow to slowly take their place.

 

[mahatma-mamma]

The Three Sisters (Sacred trees) 550 years old

Hi Marcos-thanks for the update on the Middle Sister-I went there a few weeks ago and saw the burnt out insides of the tree-some boyscouts had written on a sign that the Middle Sister had not had leaves last year and the year before only a few. The tree looks alive to me and I believe there is still hope for the old girl-Miracles follow Miracles and wonders never cease. Maybe she is dormant as she tries to heal. I and those from the heavenly realms are working on her. Wouldn't it be awesome to see leaves come out this spring? I am glad they have not cut her down. Yes it was a glorious sight to see the sisters touching each other with their long branches. Here are some pictures I took the other day. Not sure how to do this-hope it works. Looking for other ancient sacred trees-know of any more Marcos?
Peace, Joy and Happiness
Joystarr

View attachment 63543

View attachment 63544

 

[marcos]

Hi Marcos-thanks for the update on the Middle Sister-I went there a few weeks ago and saw the burnt out insides of the tree-some boyscouts had written on a sign that the Middle Sister had not had leaves last year and the year before only a few. The tree looks alive to me and I believe there is still hope for the old girl-Miracles follow Miracles and wonders never cease. Maybe she is dormant as she tries to heal. I and those from the heavenly realms are working on her. Wouldn't it be awesome to see leaves come out this spring? I am glad they have not cut her down. Yes it was a glorious sight to see the sisters touching each other with their long branches. Here are some pictures I took the other day. Not sure how to do this-hope it works. Looking for other ancient sacred trees-know of any more Marcos?
Peace, Joy and Happiness
Joystarr

View attachment 63543

View attachment 63544

I hope you're right about her...

Have you visited all of the local State Champion trees in the Dayton and Cincy area?

There are 3 of them at Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, one at Bethany Lutheran Village in Centerville, and a bunch more down in Cincy at Spring Grove Cemetery, and at the Zoo.

Check this out :
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/bigtrees/nonnativechamps/tabid/4811/Default.aspx

________________

Huge sycamore trees aren't especially old, but that doesn't mean they can't be sacred.
If you're in to hiking around the longer 6.8 mile loop trail at Germantown Reserve you'll see them now; standing tall over Twin Creek in their wintertime naked beauty.

They really can't be appreciated the same way in the summer, in my opinion.

Just go down Rt 4 towards Germantown, turn rt. on 725.
Go through town and up the hill.
Turn right on Boomershine Rd.
Turn right again in park entrance. Loop trail begins there.

(there's also a sledding hill farther down the road, if you're into that!)