Durham’s Finest Trees awarded recognition to seven trees in the spring as part of the Trees Over Durham Forum on April 25, 2017 held at the Durham Arts Council.  The trees, located across the city and county, included a white ash, two dawn redwoods, an osage orange, catalpa, Eastern cottonwood and a loblolly pine.

Last fall, these beautiful trees were nominated by their owners and were evaluated by The Extension Durham Master Gardener volunteers and volunteer certified arborists, Katie Rose Levin and Jack Romeyn. Mike Lewis and Chris Hirni, certified arborists and rangers with the NC Forest Service, measured and confirmed the tree heights on March 14, 2017. The 2016 Durham’s Finest Tree winners were:

Lemur Center Dawn Redwood– Large/Historical category (private property, view from street/parking lot),  3705 Erwin Road/Duke Lemur Center (https://durhammastergardeners.wordpress.com/2017/06/20/biography-of-durhams-finest-tree-no-6-duke-lemur-center-dawn-redwood-metasequoia-glyptostroboides-another-living-fossil/)

• 94 feet high, 102 inch circumference, 61 feet canopy;

Cranford Rd. Dawn Redwood – Large category (private property, view from street), 2260 Cranford Road/Duke Lemur Center (https://durhammastergardeners.wordpress.com/2017/04/08/biography-of-durhams-finest-tree-no-5-cranford-road-dawn-redwood-metasequoia-glyptostroboides-a-living-fossil/)

• 106 feet high, 110.5 inch circumference, 57 feet canopy;

Virginia Av. Loblolly Pine – Large Category, 2244 W. Club Blvd & Virginia Ave.

• 99 feet high, 103 inch circumference, 52 feet canopy;

Main Street Ash – Historical Category, 403 E. Main St.

• 54 feet high, 146 inch circumference, 65 feet canopy;

Parkwood East. Cottonwood – Large Category (view from the street/parking lot), beside Parkwood baseball field

• 68 feet high, 98.5 inches circumference, 66 feet canopy

Parkwood Catalpa – Large Category, in front of Parkwood Manor & east side of Revere Rd.

• 43 feet high, 85 inches circumference, 44 feet canopy;

Stagville Plantation Osage Orange – Historical Category (4 trunks), 5828 Old Oxford Hwy.

• 70¹ feet high, 45 inches circumference, 50 feet canopy;

 

For more information about the trees visit the Master Gardener Blog links as provided; more tree profiles will be published throughout the summer and fall under the title “Biography of Durham’s Finest Tree”.  Please respect private property and view the trees from the street.

This initiative is a partnership between Trees Across Durham and Durham County Extension Master Gardeners. Do you want to nominate your own tree this year? Submit your nomination form starting now and up until the deadline of October 1, 2017 at http://durhamnc.gov/1580/Durhams-Finest-Trees.²  Feel free to send an email to the Extension Master Gardeners at durhamsfinesttrees@gmail.com, if you have any questions about the program.

1. Height measurements were estimate based on visual inspection only.
2. Durham’s Finest Trees program recognizes significant trees in Durham County, promotes discovery and ability to identify trees, and helps preserve the best examples of specific tree species, particularly native and those trees well adapted to Durham County. The program also promotes awareness of trees in our community and hopes to catalog fine examples of magnificent specimens of trees due to their size, setting, historical importance, or significant feature. Durham naturalists and tree lovers of all ages are invited to submit their nominations for significant trees in Durham County now through October 1, 2017. Trees on private or public property can be nominated in each of the three categories: largest, historical, or meritorious. Preference will be given to native North Carolina tree species. Non-native trees may be considered if they are of a species, subspecies, variety or cultivar proven to be relatively long-lived and well-adapted to North Carolina. Winning trees will be recognized on Arbor Day 2018. Please read the official rules before submitting a nomination.

by Wendy Diaz, EMGV