Eulogy for Our Tulip Poplar
This beautiful tree was one of the attractions that convinced us to purchase Spring Garden Inn. When we first saw the house and grounds, we were both amazed by how big the poplar was, and wanted to give it a hug (we ARE tree huggers, after all!). We waited until we had closed on the house before doing that very thing. We discovered that it took 3 adults to encircle the tree!
After the tree was decapitated of most of its branches in a severe summer storm, I emailed the NJ Dept. of Envirnomental Protection, because I wanted to find out more about our precious tree. In 1977 it was 119 feet tall, with an average crown spread of 82 feet and with a circumference of 17.2 feet! So, 3 adults would indeed be needed to encircle.
The tree had lost a branch at some point before 2003 when we moved in, leaving a large hole (picture not available) on the north side of the tree. Subsequently two more branches fell off over the last four years, on the west side of the tree. the last one during the summer of 2008 (see stump of the branch after most was cut up for firewood this past fall).
On June 24, 2010, a severe thunderstorm with near tornado force winds struck the Philadelphia area (see news story) before heading east to our area. About 10 pine trees were uprooted on our property, several across the driveway, with thankfully no damage to house, cars, or outbuildngs. The top branch or crown of the sycamore in the rear of the property (to the east) was sheared off, depositing said crown upside down next to the tree (see pic below the poplar disaster shots). But the most disastrous tree damage was to the massive poplar, losing all its large branches. Saddened as we are, we felt obligated to create this page to commemorate this giant tree. Below are shots of the tree now, the branches now on the ground, and lastly a look at our now "holy" tree.
At an estimated 177 years old we can only pray this blessed tree can survive with its vestigial branches remaining...
Note the hole left after most of the branches stripped, an area near where branches arose...
The sycamore, decapitatated
June 24, 2010, storm or tornado, from Philadelphia Inquirer, note a legacy tree in Philly's Bartram gardens was downed as well...
