Wisconsin non-natives   Paul Jost   Apr 28, 2007 11:26 PDT  Last weekend was a nice weekend to wander northern Wisconsin. The spring peepers and wood frogs were calling in force. The red maples were starting to bloom. The yellow-bellied sapsuckers were defining their territories, calling, tapping, and chasing off challengers. Loons and winter wrens were calling... I could go on and on... I visited the state champion Lombardy Poplar in Washburn, WI , once a beautiful 14+' girth single stemmed tree alongside a Dairy Queen parking lot on Highway 13. It looks like it has been dead for 1-2 years. The bark is peeling from the top down and branches are falling from it. The wooden sign proclaiming it's championship has fallen into similar disrepair. The tree will probably have to be cut down soon since it poses a risk to visitors and a nearby building. I did not measure it and let it rest in peace. Later, I visited Wisconsin's second biggest American Chestnut in Bayfield, WI. (The biggest one is near Lacrosse and is dying from the chestnut blight.) It's owners, Susan and Neil, gave me a warm welcome and were gracious hosts. They patiently let me measure and photograph the tree. They talked about it's past, about frequent visitors to the tree, and about what it meant to some of the visitors, some who had travelled a long way just to sit near it for a few hours. It has recently suffered crown loss from wind damage and possibly other causes, and has been properly serviced by a professional arborist. It is generally in good shape but is "pinched" in between an oak and a hickory. It probably had been planted there when the house was built in 1888. The tree measured 143" in girth 4.5' above midslope, 57' tall, and had a 40.7' average spread for 210 AmFor points. It exists on a slope down from a nearby home down to the sidewalk that was installed long after the tree was planted. The owners told me to come back in July when it is covered with yellow flowers. They also told me about a nearby chestnut grove just southwest of Bayfield near a golf course. Hopefully, I will be able to visit them later this year. Paul Jost RE: Wisconsin non-natives, camperdown elm   Paul Jost   May 02, 2007 20:14 PDT  ENTS, This evening, I remeasured another Wisconsin state champion urban tree for the state big tree program. It was a camperdown elm, ulmus x glabra "camperdownii". It measured 111 inches in girth, 34 feet tall, and had a major spread of 40 feet and a minor spread of 37 feet for an AmFor score of 155 points. It is dying back and on the decline. It has pretty good gnarl factor. I've posted an image at: http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=45845 It's a moderated site, so the image might not show up for a day or two. Regards, Paul Jost   Home