Arbor Day was 6 months ago today but also only a short 6 months away from today! Start your spring planning for April 28th 2023 and dream all winter long about what you can plant in our historic neighborhood. Did you know this year in April 2022 the Arbor Day Foundation celebrated 50 years? Infact, some of the trees in our neighborhood are twice that old! Here are some article snippets talking about the grand majestic trees of our neighborhood and how their valuable timbers were priced into the home's value.
I've also measured some suspected original trees because Mr. Wells and Meadowbrook Inc actually planted many of our trees when the neighborhood was newly built as you'll see in the notated 1947 aerial photo. Using the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) method which relies on a simple formula that uses the tree diameter at breast height (DBH) and Growth Factor per species of tree I've come up with some amazing discoverys.
Many of the large maples and sycamores that line the street are approximately 90-95 years old, which makes sense if the neighborhood is at most 85 years old (1936) that in the 1947 map photo we're viewing many young plantings but can definitely see the outlines of much older specimens that would have been part of the Netherwood / Johnston / Mali Estate.
The oldest Oak I measured estimates to be ~260-330 years old!
There is a 1935 article stating that, where Watchung Square Mall is today, they found a 254 year old Oak, so this wouldn't be an oddity to fast forward and find protected today in our neighborhood. Sadly that Oak tree in 1935 was deemed rotten and cut down, which is part of the natural cycle, but also important for safety of our neighborhood, people and homes, so sometimes we need to take trees down - but to be good stewards while we're here we should be ready to replant any* kind of new tree.
If you have
- an old tree in your yard, I'd love to come measure it and calculate the approximate age
- tree measurement questions where you live or want to discuss tree types to plant in the spring
- talk general tree placement, colors, options, expected growth, heights, sun requirements, etc.
- please don't hestitate to reach out
*please also don't plant these species: bradford pears, norway maple, tree of heaven; and if the birds plant one of those, remove it, for the sake of the Garden State