Attached is a letter for you. I sent it as an attachment because it contains some photos.
--Ryan LeClair
Hi Mr. Frank,
I would just like to say that I have a great respect for your love of trees and the work you have put into the Eastern Native Tree Society. Whenever I want to learn more about the trees that are great yet don’t make the headlines I simply visit the ENTS website. I am so glad that in this world of distractions there are still people like the ENTS’s who see the simpler things in life.
With that said, there is another purpose to this correspondence. I am writing to ask you about a specific tree, a Quercus velutina located in East Granby, CT, a tree which I believe was once the national champion of its species. I first heard about this tree while reading Colby Rucker’s article, “Great Eastern Trees, Past and Present.” I saw that the tree was located just a few miles from the Granby Oak, so I decided to visit the site while in the area. My dad and I found it standing at an intersection, a narrow crotch between Old Rd. and Turkey Hills Rd. The location has lead to some confusion, as Colby indicated the ex-champion tree grows alongside nearby Newgate Road. Therefore I cannot be sure that this particular Quercus is the one Colby was referring to. However, given that Old Rd. and Newgate Rd. are adjacent streets, it is of course very possible that the directions were simply a road off. Attached are some photos of the tree; displayed last is a satellite image of the tree’s location; Newgate Rd. is just out of the picture, at the other end of Old Rd.
As you can see, the tree is not exactly going to win a beauty contest. In fact, it is quite scraggly and disproportionate, so much so that some people might even call it “ugly.” But it has a giant girth; as the photo shows, its base is noticeably thicker than a passing car. According to Colby’s article (assuming that this is the same tree Colby is referring to, the past national champion), the tree has a CBH of 26’ 10” (8.5 ft DBH) – almost as large as the Pinchot Sycamore’s CBH! It is certainly has a base much larger than that of the Granby Oak. Even though it is a stubby, rude specimen, this tree has really put a spell on me. In fact, my dad and I have taken to affectionately calling it the Turnip Tree because of its massive base yet unsubstantial crown.
Anyways, I guess in one way I am not exactly sure as to why I am asking about this tree. All I know is that, for some reason, perhaps because of its relative obscurity, the gnarly, rude Turnip Tree has really smitten me. Yet, at the same time I suppose that I writing for conservancy’s sake. When my dad and I visited the tree there was white tape sectioning off the nearby land. There was no indication as to the purpose of this tape, but one cannot help but imagine, especially given the treatment of trees by some people, that this blight on the landscape could mean some sort of impending harm for the tree. I think that it would be great if the society, time and travel willing, could get out to see the tree.
Thank you for your time, and I wish you the best.
--Ryan
