Tree of the Week: Monster Edition

The old, on-site native sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is officially dead. It went out in a blaze of glory. The largest, topmost limb came crashing down, startling passersby, and wreaking havoc on the smaller, younger trees below. The sweetgum trunk remains standing, along with several large limbs. As of today, the area is cordoned-off with caution-tape, awaiting the expertise of the arborists. If safety allows it, we hope to leave the trunk standing for habitat. This monster of a tree will be missed.

The sweetgum is located at the intersection of two sidewalks, near the Fitness Center. The area was quickly taped off to deter foot-traffic through the area.

The top of the tree split and the largest limb fell.

Several large limbs remain. The birds and insects would love for us to keep them, but unfortunately they must be removed for safety concerns.

The split occurred here.

The large limb rests on the ground, partially supported by neighboring trees.

The limb is leaning on a redbay (Persea borbonia) and a Carolina basswood (Tilia caroliniana).

This is the top of the trunk that split and fell.

The Carolina basswood is partially supporting the weight of the limb, but it appears to have suffered only minor damage.

On its fall to the ground, the sweetgum limb took with it several small pieces of this sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana).

The sweetbay magnolia also suffered damage to a couple of its larger limbs, which will require pruning by the arborists.

The redbay, covered in the climbing hydrangea vine (Decumaria barbara), suffered the most damage.

The falling sweetgum limb split the redbay trunk right down the middle. Most of this redbay will need to be removed, but it's too early to say that the redbay is dead, as the arboretum's redbays have a history of re-sprouting.

As things go, the downfall of one makes possible a rise for another. The passing of the large sweetgum means that the smaller, younger trees will have access to more sunshine, water, and nutrients. So the competition begins continues. This white oak (Quercus alba), located directly under the sweetgum, suffered only minor damage this week, and it will benefit greatly from the absence of sweetgum leaves overhead.

You can read about the history of the late sweetgum here and here.