Discover Northville's Majestic Trees Preview

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1

Dinosaurs On Main St.: Ginko Biloba

These trees are living fossils! They coexisted with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.In front of the Northville Community Center is a street side planting of a number of Ginko trees (Ginko biloba). This species is a native of China and makes an interesting ornamental tree. Some varieties also provide decent shade after a number of years, as the crown spreads out. Their leaves turn to a yellow tone in the autumn and shed their leaves all at once. Extracts from the leaves are said to have medicinal properties.Most plant life at the time these lived alongside the dinosaurs was fern-like. Our modern flowering trees did not yet exist. Ginkgoes somehow survived the meteor which induced a long global winter that eliminated the dinosaurs. Now they’re on Main St. Northville!

2

Raiders Of The Lost "Bark": Dawn Redwood

On West St. on the west side in the middle yard between two homes is an enchanting ancient tree.*This is on private property and we ask that you respect the owners and not trespass, but enjoy this tree from the public sidewalk* It is a Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glytostrobiodes), lost to civilization for centuries before being rediscovered in China over a hundred years ago by adventuring botanists searching isolated mountainous areas. It is a magnificent species and is now planted all over the world. It is a deciduous conifer as it has cones and looks like an evergreen but it drops its needles every autumn with a bit of a color show. It is similar to our native California coastal Redwoods. As one might guess, they can get quite large. This is a good spot for this tree, with plenty of room to grow.

3

A Mighty Oak: White Oak

On the north side of Main St., across from the Old Village School and between the houses, is a magnificent White oak (Quercus alba).*This is on private property and we ask that you respect the owners and not trespass, but enjoy this tree from the public sidewalk* I would not be surprised if this tree is over two hundred years old, although this is hard to tell by its trunk size. I just have a feeling that the houses were built around this tree and the houses are about 150 years old. I’ve seen firsthand cut oaks smaller than this one over 175 years old. The species is known for its strength and longevity. It has awesome, sturdy branching. I’m sure it provides good morning and evening shade. The neighborhood squirrels probably worship it as White Oak acorns are a preferred delicacy to them and many other critters. You might notice that there is a large burl on one of the branches. The cause of this malformation is unknown. It is thought to be an accumulation of dormant buds. By the way, there is a White Oak in a backyard off Clement that may be many of hundreds of years old. Its trunk may be 6 or 7 feet across. It is huge! Unfortunately access for viewing it is not good.

4

The Rogers St. Behemoth: Black Walnut

This is the Black Walnut, (Juglans nigra) on Rogers just south of Main St. This tree is the biggest tree in Northville all things considered. *This is on private property and we ask that you respect the owners and not trespass, but enjoy this tree from the public sidewalk*The branches alone are the size of big trees. To really appreciate it, you have to stand next to it, and then look up. It is awesome. Its branching structure looks sturdy and magnificent. Its circumference is 183 inches. What a tree! It is very vigorous and growing. It’s probably over 100 feet tall now with a branch spread almost as large! Walnuts are of course known for their…well , delicious walnuts. They are also known for their beautiful dark brown heartwood, prized by lumbermen. Walnuts are also known for giving off a chemical-juglans which is toxic to other plants. Tomatoes for example are hard to grow near walnut trees.

5

A Classic: American Elm

On the north side of Main St., east of Caldwell is a classic example of an American Elm (Ulmus americana). *This is on private property and we ask that you respect the owners and not trespass, but enjoy this tree from the public sidewalk *It has the classic elm vase shape. It’s easy to see why American cities massively over planted these trees and then lost almost all of them to Dutch Elm Disease. Whole cities had streets that were graced with elms arching completely over the streets. What heartbreak occurred thousands of times in Southeast Michigan from the early 1950’s through the 1990’s, and occasionally even now as these trees died. My dad told me of many people who openly wept at the loss of their beloved elms. But at least for the time being we’ve got this beauty on Main St.

6

Mr. Fancy Pants (or fancy trunks): European Purple Beech

On Main St., just west of Caldwell is a European Purple Beech tree ( fagus sylvatica purpurea).*This is on private property and we ask that you respect the owners and not trespass, but enjoy this tree from the public sidewalk*This is one of the most monetarily valuable trees around as they are rare and are somewhat difficult to grow and transplant. This tree is quite a specimen with its smooth, silver trunk bark and dark leaves. A real beauty. It is sometimes called Copper Beech. It has many varieties such as Weeping Beech (see 2nd photo-you can see this on the north side of Main St. between Caldwell and S. Rogers St.).

7

A Model Citizen: Red Oak

On the southeast corner of Main St. and Orchard, in the pretty little park is a good example of a medium aged Red Oak tree. With its exemplary oak shape and taper, it could be a showstopper in a tree show especially in the autumn with its red foliage. Be careful when you prune Red Oak trees as they are susceptible to Oak Wilt Disease which is spread by flying insects. The most dangerous period is from April to September. If you must prune, paint the cuts.

8

Way Up Yonder!! Cottonwood

On the west side of Orchard St. across from Grandview St. is a Cottonwood tree (populus deltoides) that is well over 100 feet tall. *This is on private property and we ask that you respect the owners and not trespass, but enjoy this tree from the public sidewalk*Before European settlement these trees, which grew along riverbanks in the prairie lands, got so big that the hollow ones were used as shelters! These trees can get huge. I saw the state champion many years ago. The base seemed to be 10 feet across. The cottony seeds of the female can be quite a nuisance in late June. The branchwood is so soft that it is a wonder to me that they stand up at all. Like willows, their flexibility is their secret. After storms the ground underneath these trees is often littered with smaller broken branches. The main branches and trunk are strong, due to their great mass. Notice how the tree has been pruned away from the electric wires.

9

Norwegian Chalet: Norway Spruce

On Orchard St. on the west side, south of Grandview St. are 2 matching huge Norway Spruce trees (picea abies) that are absolutely gorgeous. *This is on private property and we ask that you respect the owners and not trespass, but enjoy these trees from the public sidewalk*This species is easy to identify by the upward arching branches with smaller branchlets hanging down off of them. A wonderful species, it is widely planted in America. I’ve actually climbed these trees. What an experience to be 70 feet up in them having a conversation with a feisty Red Squirrel. God only knows what the squirrel was thinking about this meeting (“Dude is way too fat to be up here in my tree!”).

10

All Gummed Up: Sweetgum

At the northeast corner of Orchard St. and Spring St., right on the corner is one of the biggest Sweetgum trees (liquidambar) I’ve ever seen. What a beauty! And 50 feet to the east is another matching one. Native to the southern USA, this species is known for fabulous autumn color. Its seed balls can be a bit of a nuisance, but it's a fine tree. As its name implies, its resin was used in the past for waterproofing and other uses. Its’ a tree that should be planted more often.

11

Short but Mightily Stout on Eaton St.: Silver Maple

This amazing Silver Maple – acer sacharinium-- has a circumference of 187 inches, making it the biggest tree in Northville by Big Tree Hunt standards: Circumference. Though it is not the tallest tree around, the shear girth of the trunk is remarkable. Just try giving it a hug! Silver Maples are often called Soft Maples (relative to Hard Maples such as Sugar Maple) due to their relatively weak smaller branches. Silver Maples develop flowers in the very early spring or I’d say even late winter. After that, the helicopter seeds (called samaras) develop and take flight. Actually, because they are heavy, they don’t fly well but they make up for it with numbers! I’ve seen these trees grow to enormous sizes. The trunks and main branches can be quite strong due to their massive girth. It’s hard to say how old this tree is, probably around 100? It was probably planted when the houses were built. What a great tree!

12

A little bit of London Towne: London Plane

You'll find two really big and cool London Plane trees along the north side of West Cady St., across from First St. These trees are not native to Michigan but are welcome immigrants. This variety is a hybrid, a cross between a European Maple and American Sycamore. In jolly ol' London they can reach amazing sizes. You'll notice the underbark has a butterscotch color as opposed to the American Sycamore, which has white underbark. *Some people are highly allergic to the seed balls, so beware...pip,pip...and all that rot. Hahaha!

13

A tall leggy Austrian: Austrian Pine

This lovely property has several very tall evergreens and among them is the tallest Austrian Pine (pinus nigra) I've seen in a long time.*This is on private property and we ask that you respect the owners and not trespass, but enjoy this tree from the public sidewalk*A native of southern Europe, he's easy to spot because his bark is platey and sort of polka dotted. The trunk is quite leggy and the branches are only at the very top of the tree which was probably caused by various fungal diseases that affect Austrian Pine and kill the lowest branches over time. Most Austrian Pines in the landscape need to be sprayed regularly to prevent these diseases. In the past, Austrian Pines were planted massively along our freeways because they were thought to be so hardy. Unfortunately, this proved not to be the case. But at least we have this beauty in Northville. The tree reminds me of the famous Roman Pines of Rome.

14

Historic Oakwood Cemetery: Oak

As I was cruising around to look at trees, I popped into Oakwood Cemetery on W. Cady, across from the library parking lot. Wow! It is appropriately named. It has many fabulous oak trees going back to pre-Civil War times. A visit there is well worth the trip. Let’s hope Oak Wilt Disease never gets going in this grove. It’s a devastating disease that can be spread by pruning. Avoid pruning Oak trees from April thru August when insects are active. Better yet, prune during the cold months. If you must prune in summer, paint the cuts.

Discover Northville's Majestic Trees
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