Great Trees of Somerville Project

[dougo.livejournal.com]

A tree on Morrison Ave has this plaque:



Google doesn't know of a "Great Trees of Somerville Project". Anyone here know about this? Are there other trees in town with similar plaques?

Comments

[ron_newman]

Never heard of it (and I lived here in 1996), but perhaps the Groundwork Somerville or Somerville Garden Club folks might know something.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I noticed that tree shortly after I moved to the area back in '99. Never found out anything about it, though, and I have my doubts that it still holds the title. :)

[gruene.livejournal.com]

I don't know, it's a pretty huge tree... I've never seen any other plaques of this sort.

I'm still pissed that they cut down the willow on Thorndike and Howard. (Yes I know it was destroying underground pipes and threatening to take down the house) That one was also huge and old, though not as big as the maple pictured.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

I hope the screws used to attach the plaque to the tree don't ultimately hurt the tree.

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

although, amusingly enough, there is now a reference to this post in Google. mmm, self-referential. :)

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

Little attachments like that aren't problems for trees. Over time, the tree could wind up incorporating the whole plaque under its bark. Like these (http://tgaw.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/hungry-trees/).

[knowthyself.livejournal.com]

I was thinking the same, so glad to know it likely isn't hurting the tree.

[ron_newman]

Perhaps, but I've always heard that it's a bad idea to lock a bicycle to a tree because it hurts the bark. And that's just for an hour or two, not permanent like this plaque.

[dougo.livejournal.com]

I think the difference is that a bike lock goes all the way around the tree, so a damage scar might completely prevent the flow of sap, which could otherwise easily go around a few screws.

[davelew.livejournal.com]

I suddenly have the urge to attach a large plaque to a small acorn and label it "Smallest tree in Somerville, Tiny trees of Somerville project, 2010".

[siderea]

To elaborate on dougo's comment, as I understand it, trees' vascular system is just under the bark all the way around. Point wounds and vertical wounds don't impede the flow of sap much at all, and are no trouble for the tree. Horizontal wounds, however, are a problem[*], and enough of them all the way around the tree will eventually strangle it. Even if one bicycle lock on one occasion doesn't put a scar all the way around the tree, if it does damage the tree, it is likely to be a horizontal scar that makes the tree much more vulnerable to future horizontal scars (from, say, future bike locks).

[* Indeed, I seem to recall hearing there is a old method of harvesting trees for lumber which starts with stripping the bark in a ring to kill the tree.]

[http://users.livejournal.com/_meej_/]

Additional to what's been said above about girdling the tree being the real danger there, if a tree is small enough to get a bike lock around, the bark is still (likely) thinner, partly because the tree is doing faster growing. Once the bark toughens up as the tree ages, that's less of an issue.

- Cyclist & Landscape Architect

[gruene.livejournal.com]

One of the crazies of Berkeley, California, where I grew up, got in argument with some his neighbors over trees that he claimed were blocking his view or some such. Shortly after an altercation, circular cuts appeared on the trees, eventually killing them. Unfortunately I don't think they ever found any other evidence so he got away with it.

[squirrelitude]

No, but there should be one on the enormous Gingko tree on Irving street. (What a beautiful tree!)

dunno

[cthulhia]

but are there more trees like the one in my icon?

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

there's potentially some issue of fungus getting into the breaks, causing issues.

insects too...



#

[jenaflynn.livejournal.com]

I used to live in that house... (as a renter on the First floor, the owners are a sweet couple who live in the second floor.)

They were unsure ~3 years ago when I was there if it was still the largest, but they did seem happy that at least for some time, it was.

And that tree rocked, and I loved seeing it every day on my ins and outs of the house.

[fefie.livejournal.com]

I wonder whether the plaque has something to do with Somerville being Arbor Day Foundation-certified Tree City USA for 14 years (community forestry program). http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/index.cfm

[misterthorn.livejournal.com]

yeah, that tree was great. i miss it too. :(