Heritage Trees

Trees have been a central part of human civilizations for thousands of years. They are present in every aspect of our daily lives, our religion, and our mythology. We believe in trees as a valuable resource that should be preserved for future generations.

  • Iconic

    Iconic trees have a way of capturing a community’s or a people’s imagination and inspiration. They can be anything from the iconic redwoods and sequoia trees of California, to the large trees that define an urban landscape. In many communities across this nation these historic giants are in decline and often need our help.

  • Historic

    Many historic and landmark trees stood when our ancestors were alive, and are often associated with an important event or person from American history. These are the trees that have been witness to generations of change, and with our help, will continue to watch over us. One such tree is Daniel Boone’s Beech, a five hundred year old tree that hosts carvings made by Boone, over looking an old Chickasaw Indian trail near the Middle Fork of the Forked Deer River in Tennessee.

  • Edible

    At one time, fruit trees were prevalent in backyards and homesteads across the nation. However, over time many of them have been lost. In the United States alone, we have already lost more than three quarters of our apple varieties. We strive to protect our genetic diversity by caring for such trees, collecting and propagating them for future generations, and creating resiliency within our communities.

  • Ecological Service

    Throughout the urban, suburban, and rural landscape, trees provide crucial ecological services for the communities that they are a part of. They filter air, provide shade, manage storm water, create wind breaks, provide physiological and psychological benefits, as well as saving individuals and municipalities a tremendous amount of money. Strategically placed trees can reduce air conditioning needs by 30% and save 20-50% of the energy used for heating, while increasing a property’s value by up to 20%

 

The Legacy of Cemetery Tree

The largest conflict with trees often comes when they are not properly planned or managed. At that point, it becomes a game of how fast can the problem be removed, literally, with little understanding of what is actually being taken away.

This often happens with trees in cemeteries. They are planted as small trees after family members are put to rest, and as they grow, they unsettle grave stones or concrete borders. The reflexive action is to cut the tree down, grind the stump out, and fix the concrete border. But as that tree grew, it was taking up the nutrients from the graves below and integrating them into its body and branches. They become their own grave marker in a way. A guardian of collective memory and a bridge between those who are living and those who were put to rest under their roots.

Trees under siege

Dutch Elm Disease

Dutch Elm Disease is a fungus, often spread by beetles, originally introduced to the United States via wooden furniture in the 1920s. Once carried to the tree by the beetles, it colonizes the vascular system, effectively killing the tree. Over 40 million American Elm trees have been lost already, many of them street trees in large municipalities. This can be avoided by early detection, proper pruning, and the proactive injection of fungicides to save the tree.

Emerald Ash Borer

Introduced in the 1990s, this eurasian beetle quickly moves in on Ash trees, tunneling through their conductive tissue, and severing the transport chain of water and nutrients throughout the tree. This beetle leads to tree mortality within five years, and kills 99% of ash trees which are often iconic specimens in the urban landscape. This fate can be avoided with the proper treatment.

Oak Wilt

Oak Wilt is also caused by a fungus entering the vascular system of oak trees and cutting off the flow of water and vital nutrients. Species of Red Oak can die after only one to two months, rarely making it a year once infected. White Oaks, slightly more resistant, will die over a couple of years. The exact arrival of the non-native invasive disease is unknown, but symptoms of the disease were first described as far back as the late 1800’s. It has decimated oak trees from the eastern US to the deep south and Midwest. With proactive treatment, these beautiful trees can be saved.

Modern Agriculture

In the last century, as historic homestead and orchards are divided up, and populations concentrate in cities, we have lost tremendous edible tree biodiversity. Apple varieties in the United States alone once numbered over 17,000. Current estimates are 11,000 have gone extinct, with only 15 varieties making up more than 90% of US apple production. There are efforts to find and propagate these lost and forgotten trees as they had been bred for diverse uses and climates. As our climate is changing, we may have to rely more on the genetic diversity of our heirloom fruit trees.

In the last century, the American urban forest has faced numerous diseases and pests that are leading to a rapid decline in tree health and diversity.

When these urban trees die, there is an enormous cost to remove and replace them, but also the loss the benefits of these trees in the urban landscape. Once shady cool streets are now bare and up to twenty degrees hotter, leading to higher energy bills. Storm water now flows unchecked and overwhelms existing infrastructure. These trees are no longer filtering air pollution or capturing carbon.

Report a Tree

The power of the Heritage Tree Foundation is our volunteers and people that are interested in protecting trees of value. Please contact us with any leads or information regarding trees of interest.