COUNTY — In all areas of Oxford County may be found trees that have been measured and declared the largest of their species by professional foresters. All have been entered in the Oxford County Register of Big Trees by their proud owners or folks who have recognized the value of finding and recording these treasures.
Some, like the Eastern Hemlock in Ordway Grove off Pleasant Street in Norway, are truly majestic. The American Chestnut in Hebron stands tall and proud, one of the few of its species left in our area. In autumn, the Northern Red Oak in Lovell shows off the full glory of the season and is a worthy subject for the most talented of artists. The American Sycamore in Waterford needs at least 3 or 4 adults to circle the base of its 201.6 inch base, the unusual bark flakes off in large scales and the leaves span upwards of 6 inches. Not far away is the White Ash which has for many years been a state champion. Now in its declining years, the tree still boasts a circumference of 251 inches. For those of us with an imaginative mind, it seems the trunk could be something out of a fairy tale, with little windows and a round-top door that will open into a magical world.
Some of the “Big Trees” aren’t big at all! The Staghorn Sumac in Sumner stands 30 feet tall and has a circumference of 26 inches- but for a Staghorn Sumac that’s huge. Other examples of “smaller” big champs are the Striped Maple located deep in the forest in Newry, the Eastern Redcedar in Hebron and the Hawthorn bordering a field in Oxford. The hawthorn has a fascinating history. It blossoms in May and produces ruby red berries in fall, is well-known for its vicious thorns, was the tree most frequently mentioned in Anglo-Saxon boundary charters, is the home of the Wee Folk in Celtic mythology and the Mayflower ship was said to be named after the hawthorn tree. Another on the list of native Maine trees, but not usually thought of as a tree, is the Common Juniper. For many years Maine has held the distinction of having the biggest juniper in the National Register of Big Trees – with a total of 39 points!
The stories behind these big trees can be interesting, too. The Eastern Hophornbeam on Paris Hill was planted outside the kitchen window the year the “Old Brick” was built – 1812. The American Sycamore came to Maine as a sapling and spent its winters indoors for many years, moving outside each spring. Back in Ordway Grove, all of the trees are very big and very old, including the Eastern White Pine nominated by many folks the first year of the Oxford County Register of Big Trees. Merle Ring, longtime District Forester for Oxford County, has placed its age at approximately 315 years old and that means this towering old pine began life in the early 1700’s. Norway was incorporated in 1797, almost one hundred years later. Amazing!
This year we lost an old friend and long-time state champion. The Swamp White Oak stood in the Burmeister’s side yard on Paris Hill for many years, until this year, when it received storm damage and lost one of its huge limbs. The rest of the tree leaned precariously toward their home and was determined to be “unsafe” so needed to be taken down. But the Burmeister’s created something special by saving the base of the old oak and circling it with a beautiful bench.
At the end of each season the largest of the trees in several species are nominated for the Maine Register of Big Trees in hopes of becoming a new state champ. This year the state register was updated and Oxford County became the proud owner of 17 state champions. In addition, for the first time since the Oxford County Register of Big Trees began, two trees have been nominated for the National Register of Big Trees. Good luck to the Eastern Hophornbeam in Paris and the Mountain Paper Birch in Bethel!