January 10, 2008
Arboretum loses a champion tree
Horticulturists are mourning the demise of the Arboretum’s only Italian Stone pine tree in the heavy rainfall on Dec. 3. The pine was special because it was the state champion of its species.
A state champion tree, explains Horticulture Staff Supervisor David Zuckerman, is the largest living example of its kind in the state. The American Forestry Association has a point system based on the tree’s trunk circumference, height and crown spread measurements, he said. The Arboretum’s Italian Stone pine was 50 feet tall, with an 8-foot-10-inch trunk circumference and a crown spread of 49 feet. Although another tree of the species — also in Seattle — has a larger crown spread, the Arboretum tree still had the highest total of points.
Italian Stone pines are not native to this area or even this country, Zuckerman said. Their home area is in southern Europe, from Portugal to Greece (including Italy). “Through our institutional seed exchange, we hope to acquire wild-source, well documented seed from Europe,” he said. “It will be a few years, but we’ll eventually replace the tree.”
The tree had a history of problems before the storm hit in December, including a decay fungus and a weakened trunk from last year’s snows, but the saturated ground produced by the rain was the final blow.
“It was such a beautiful landmark tree,” Zuckerman said. “We all miss it.”
