2019 Maryland Big Tree Program Report

 

In 2019, the MBTP volunteers measured, re-measured, or deleted 344 trees.  There were 187 trees newly measured, 109 trees were re-measured, and 48 deceased.  We were unable to obtain permission forms to re-measure 54 trees and they will be moved to the “Inactive” file.  There are currently 2202 active trees (measured in the last 10 years) on the Maryland database, 525 deceased trees & 637 inactive trees (trees not re-measured in the last 10 years for various reasons).   We were not able to re-measure 6 trees and they will be carried over to 2020.  It is the goal of the MBTP to measure/re-measure/delete 200 of the registered trees each year.

 

The MBTP was funded by grants from the Maryland Urban and Community Forestry Committee, the Anne Arundel County Forestry Board, and several other MD Forestry Boards that provided reimbursement to their members, or in-kind donations.

 

Highlights

 

  The web site, www.mdbigtrees.com, continues to be an important source of new big tree referrals, with most of the new trees being referred automatically from the web site nomination form.  The designer of this web site went out of business in 2014, but we were extremely fortunate that a volunteer was able to lease a new hosting site and migrate the web site to this new site.  In 2017 a campaign was started to raise funds for a new website and Ken McCathran volunteered to prepare the specifications for the solicitation of bids.  As of the end of 2019, bids returned from the RFP far exceeded available fundraising, and Ken is redrafting the RFP to hopefully entice lower bid costs.

 

  Since 2010, the MBTP was managed by the Cecil County Forestry Board.  In 2016 a new State-wide committee was formed from members of the Maryland Association of Forest Conservancy District Boards.

 

The Committee met on 11/24/19 and approved new language relating to several existing and new policies.  Copies of the new policies are available upon request and relate to reimbursement for expenses, measuring trees in right-of-ways, permission forms, and tree eligibility standards.  The Committee also established a new policy that allows each local Forestry Board to limit the number of trees required to be re-measured each year.  

 

 

  Six State Champion trees have died this year; four native species, and two non-native species:

 

Bitternut Hickory                    Harford County (former U. S. Champion)      332 points - native     

White Willow                         Calvert County                                               317 points – non-native

Pin Oak                                   PG       County                                               304 points – native

Eastern Hemlock                     Harford County (former U. S. Champion)      288 points – native

Sugar Maple                            Baltimore City                                                267 points – native

Autumn-olive                          Howard County                                                54 points – non-native                     

 

   Thirty-six new State Champions were crowned in 2019.  These were newly discovered trees—not formerly measured trees that replaced dead champions.

 

#*Northern Red Oak              Cecil County                                                   435 points – native

*Ginkgo                                  Baltimore County                                           362 points – non native

Purple Beech                           Harford County                                              328 points – non-native

#*Siberian Elm                       Baltimore City                                                327 points – none-native

Silver Linden                          Montgomery County                                      326 points – non-native

#Bur Oak                                Baltimore City                                                317 points – native

Water Oak                               Montgomery County                                      295 points – native

Dawn Redwood                      Harford County                                              292 points – non-native

#*Yellow Buckeye                 Baltimore City                                                289 points – native

#Pignut Hickory                      Cecil    County                                               261 points – native

Laurel Oak                              Caroline County                                             225 points – native

#Nordmann Fir                        Washington County                                        219 points – non-native

Balsam Poplar                         Caroline County                                             204 points - native

#*Virginia Pine                       Cecil County                                                   196 points – native

#Red Mulberry                        Cecil    County                                               196 points – native

Japanese Flowering Cherry    Harford County                                               181 points – non-native

#Ohio Buckeye                       Baltimore City                                                176 points - native     

#Caucasian Wingnut               Baltimore City                                                161 points – non-native

#Red Pine                                Montgomery County                                      158 points – native

#Camperdown Elm                 Baltimore City                                                141 points – non-native

#Black Willow                        Washington     County                                   140 points – native

Pond Pine                                Caroline County                                             138 points – native

#Golden Larch                        Montgomery County                                      124 points – non-native

Fraser Magnolia                      Harford County                                              121 points – native

#Arizona Cypress                   Baltimore City                                                118 points – native

#White Fir                               Washington County                                        113 points – native

Southern Bayberry                  Queen Anne’s County                                      90 points – native

Black Ash                               Caroline County                                               82 points – native

#Staghorn Sumac                    Washington County                                          61 points – native

*Striped Maple                       Harford County                                                54 points – native

#Hercules Club                       Baltimore City                                                  50 points – native

#Devil’s Walkingstick            Baltimore County                                             48 points – native

Ashe Magnolia                        Harford County                                                48 points – native

Hazel Alder                             Caroline County                                               42 points – native

Swamp Tupelo                        Caroline County                                               32 points – native

Swamp Dogwood                   Caroline County                                               29 points – native

*Co-champion                         #Publicly accessible

 

Maryland is unique in having 14 white oaks 350 points or greater.  We re-measured 6 of them in 2018.

Cecil County Oak – 406 points, up from 392 points in 2008 – remains Maryland State Champion

Calvert County Oak – 399 points, up from 386 points in 2008 – some tip dieback, looks good

Harford County Oak – 396 points, up from 379 points in 2008 – no health issues noted

#2 Cecil County Oak – 385 points, up from 379 points in 2008 – huge cavity in trunk

Prince George’s Oak – 365 points, up from 329 points in 2008 – greatest increase in points

#2 Calvert Oak            - 363 points, down from 369 points in 2008 – drop of 20 feet in height

 

We measured two additional white oaks in 2019—both in Harford County--384 points, up from 363 points & 353 points, up from 329 points.  Unfortunately we had to move a 381 point white oak in Kent County to the “Inactive” file as we were unable to contact the owner for permission.  We did visit the tree and found it still to be alive and in good health.  In addition we measured two new white oaks in 2019, both at 349 points—one each in Harford and PG Counties.

 

The Cecil Oak is now #2 on the all-time list, well behind the Wye Oak at 506 points

           

The ARBUTUS OAK, a Maryland Bicentennial Tree, split in two and died this year.

 

There were 8 media accounts regarding Maryland Big Trees in 2019:

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/aegis/ph-ag-harford-champion-trees-0208-story.html.

“Arbutus Oak has split in two, but legacy could live on”, Baltimore Sun, 9/24/19

“Big Tree at Chapel Point State Park” 6/10/19, local newsletter

“Nature Notes:  Hackberry’ Sweet Cousin”, Bethany Dellagnello, Frederick County FB, 10/27/19

https://www.montgomeryparks.org/the-champion-of-trees-a-white-ash-tree-in-sandy-spring-joins-maryland-state-champion-ranks/. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/oakdale-a-historic-1838-colonial-revival-mansion-is-also-a-working-farm/2019/02/07/a02159cc-28a5-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81_story.html.

www.gracefound.net/champion-trees-of-taylors-island.html.

“UMES is home to one-of-a-kind tree.”  UMES newsletter, 1/30/19

https://www.londonderrytredavon.com/five-champion-trees-recognized-at-londonderry-on-the-tred-avon-by-the-maryland-big-tree-program/.