ENTS As part of my new part time job, measuring the 5000 trees at Longwood Gardens, I had the oppurtunity to remeasure the tallest recorded exotic species. Just a couple of years ago this tree was over 125' causing Will Blozan to honor it with it's title. Now in 2009 the tree is 131.2' It grows down by a lake in competition with 140 class Tulip Poplars. The Metasequoia or Dawn Redwood was only brought to the states in the 1940's. So reaching 130 in 62 years is incredible. The mature specimens in the Arboreta on the east coast that were planted in the 40's are sending off seedlings at a high rate. I counted 22 under this one tree. Dawn redwood was native to the US many millions of years ago from the fossil record, and it appears to be excited to be back! The Morris Arboretum has a specimen that was measured with a clinometer at 130' in 2005. I have asked them to remeasure with their new laser, as they and Longwood have accepted the ENTS method. I can only imagine what this species will bring for height records in the next 10 years. With a usual growth rate of 3' per year, we could have 160' trees or more if they can keep it up.
10.9 x 131.2 Scott --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
